Fire TV-branded 4K TV sets will be sold on the UK high street by Currys PC World, it has been revealed. The sets, made by manufacturer JVC, will be powered by Amazon’s smart TV software. They will start at £349 and will also be available to buy online, on Amazon’s own website.
One industry commentator said it was a “significant” move, because video-streaming was increasingly being associated with hardware products. News of the partnership between the retailers was first published on a now-deleted page at tech site TechCrunch. However, the news has since appeared online elsewhere.
Amazon’s Fire TV software includes digital channels, video-streaming services, apps and skills for the Alexa smart speaker. “It is significant,” said Andy Clough at What Hi-Fi. “Obviously Amazon has made big inroads into the TV and video market with Amazon Prime, its streaming service. “Having hardware associated with that is a logical step,” he told the BBC. “I think it’s very much a sign of the times.”
The BBC has asked Amazon and Currys PC World for comment. The move could help Amazon’s Prime Video service compete against Apple’s iTunes Store and forthcoming TV subscription service. Both are made available via an app recently introduced to recent Samsung televisions.
It also acts as an alternative to Google’s Android TV service on Sony TVs, and LG’s WebOS – both of which have media stores of their own. Amazon had previously announced Fire TV Edition televisions made by Toshiba for the US market. It is also expected to reveal further models made by Germany’s Grundig at a press event this evening, ahead of the start of Berlin’s Ifa tech expo.
Dixons Carphone – the owner of the UK retail chain – already stocks other Amazon products including its Echo smart home speakers and Kindle ebook readers, as well as products from rival tech manufacturers.
https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-49584644
