SEATTLE—Amazon is expanding its Fire TV Edition program, enabling the entertainment service to be used across things like smart TVs and streaming media players, as well as new avenues like auto manufacturers and soundbars. The updated Fire TV will offer specific tools and services to better integrate it into products.
For the first time, Amazon is expanding its Fire TV program to automakers, announcing a partnership with BMW and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles. This will enable living room-like experiences in the car with hands-free access to Alexa, a touchscreen interface and offline playback capabilities. Content can be recorded with Fire TV Recast or saved locally on-device, or streamed over a vehicle’s Wi-Fi, LTE, mobile hotspot or any WAN-enabled device.
After releasing the first Fire TV Edition soundbar from Anker innovations in September 2019, Amazon has announced a second model now available, the TCL Alto 8+ Soundbar-Fire TV Edition. Both soundbars support acoustic performance, with tuned speaker drivers and support for Dolby Digital Plus. Amazon announced that it is working with Anker, Polk Audio and Tonly on new soundbar systems. It also expects to offer Dolby Atmos support, compatible device control, HDMI switching and far-field voice control to its soundbars later this year.
Television and telecommunication operators will also now have easier access for offering Fire TV to their customers, Amazon announced. Following Fire TV partnerships with Tata Sky in India and Verizon in the U.S., operators in North America, India, Europe and Japan can choose an appropriate Fire TV offering as well as merchandising opportunities.
Amazon has also announced a new partnership with Skyworth for a turnkey solution for smart TVs to create 4K and Full-HD TVs as part of its international expansion with more brands. More Fire TV Edition smart TVs are expected to be released in the U.S., Canada, India, the U.K., Ireland, Germany, Austria, Spain and Mexico in 2020.
More information is available at Amazon.com.
