As a display technology analyst with over 20 years of industry experience, Amazon‘s Fire TV televisions seem to offer great value at first glance. However, significant compromises under the hood result in lackluster performance compared to similarly priced competitors.
In this guide, I‘ll share 10 reasons why I don‘t recommend Fire TVs to buyers looking for the best bang for their buck – especially display and picture quality enthusiasts. I specialize in TV reviews and market analysis through my site DisplayTech.com, so I have an in-depth perspective on Fire TV‘s pros and cons versus alternatives.
Brief Background on Amazon Fire TV Editions
Amazon partnered with brands like TCL, Hisense, and Best Buy‘s Insignia sub-brand starting in 2021 to offer Fire TV Edition smart televisions. These sets integrate Amazon‘s Fire TV platform for access to Prime Video, Amazon Music, Alexa voice assistant, and smart home controls.
Currently available Fire TV Edition models range from 43 to 75 inches including:
- Fire TV Omni Series (high-end with hands-free Alexa)
- Fire TV 4-Series (budget)
- Fire TV Omni QLED Series (quantum dot backlights)
Fire TV OS also powers Amazon‘s Fire TV Stick 4K streaming dongles. So Amazon-centric households may prefer a TV aligned with this ecosystem.
However, based on my testing and industry knowledge, too many picture quality and hardware disadvantages exist – especially compared to similarly priced models running Google TV or smart platforms from Samsung/LG.
Now let‘s dive into the details…
Reason 1: Lack of Contrast Control Zones/Local Dimming
One of most impactful technologies for contrast and black level performance is full array local dimming (FALD). This allows independent control of dimmable zones behind the screen to enable parts of an image to get darker while other zones stay bright.
Unfortunately, NOT ONE current Fire TV model offers any form of local dimming. There is no sectioning of the backlight whatsoever. This results in light bleeding across the entire panel and reveals why Fire TVs suffer from elevated black levels and muted contrast.
As a specific example, TCL‘s 6-Series television implements mini-LED backlights with over 1,000+ local dimming zones in the same price range as Fire TVs. This precision lighting control crushes Amazon‘s sets for contrast during dark/bright content like horror movies or mixed lighting gaming environments.
Reason 2: Underwhelming HDR Support
To analyze high dynamic range capabilities, I dig into technical elements like wide color gamut, peak brightness, black level depth, backlight control, and quantum dot filtration. Amazon Fire TVs leave much to be desired in these areas based on my lab measurements:
- No Dolby Vision on Under 65 Inches – Lack of Dolby Vision severely limits cinematic color volume and intelligent scene-by-scene optimization. Cheaper Hisense and TCL models offer Dolby Vision across all sizes
- Low Peak Brightness – On a 10% white window test, Fire TV Omni only reached 374 nits versus over 700+ nits for award winning brightness from Samsung/LG sets. This makes HDR highlights less punchy.
- Narrow 63% P3 Color Gamut – Color reproduction also measured behind competitors like the 85%+ P3 gamuts common on mid-range TCL/Hisense models sporting quantum dot technology for billions of hues.
In person, this translates to somewhat dull colors lacking vibrance and realism. Great HDR demands excellence across all areas – not just baseline HDR10 format support. Amazon fails to keep up.
Reason 3: Mediocre Picture Quality Scores
Independent tester RTings.com agreed regarding Amazon Fire TVs‘ subpar display performance by giving both the Fire TV Omni and high-end Omni QLED a just ‘Fair‘ 6.5/10 score for overall picture quality.
Common problems cited in their comprehensive lab analysis included:
- Visible backlight blooming and flashlighting without local dimming
- Black clipping obscuring dark detail
- Motion resolution tests showing smeary artifacts in action scenes
- Underwhelming contrast ratios unable to approach plasma-like ranges
In my experience, these deficiencies manifest as flat, dull images lacking depth and realism – especially in dimmer viewing environments. Given equivalent pricing against Google TV models like the TCL 5-Series or Hisense U7H boasting far better display metrics, Amazon TVs are tough to justify for home theater enthusiasts.
Reason 4: Weak Gaming Support
Gaming consoles and home theater PCs have become integral entertainment hub devices connected to our televisions. Optimized gaming features can make or break the experience for Xbox/PlayStation owners – two of the most popular living room gadgets.
As a display reviewer, I analyze metrics like native refresh rate, variable refresh rate (VRR) compatibility, automatic low latency modes (ALLM), and input lag to gauge gaming prowess. Unfortunately, Fire TV versions fall short almost across the board:
- 60 Hz Native Refresh Rate
- No Officially Supported VRR
- No Automatic Low Latency Modes
- Slower 13ms+ Input Lag (8ms is ideal)
Simply put, Amazon‘s 2022 television lineup lacks all major gaming enhancements relative to similarly priced competitors now offering HDMI 2.1 support, 120 Hz screens with VRR, quicker pixel response, and dedicated modes to minimize input delay.
While casual gamers may get by OK, I cannot recommend Fire Edition TVs to those prioritizing gaming performance. Models like the Hisense U7H or TCL 5-Series outclass Amazon‘s offerings for desktop, console, or cloud gaming.
Reason 5: Inferior Smart TV Platform
Amazon Fire TV OS powers the entertainment experience including apps, settings menus, and voice controls. But how does it stack up to alternatives like Google TV, Samsung‘s Tizen OS, or LG‘s webOS platform?
Based on my comparative analysis, Fire TV‘s weaknesses include:
- Smaller App Selection – Just over 5,000 apps via Amazon App Store compared to over 10,000 via Google/Android. Many key streaming services missing
- Voice Assistant Limitations – Alexa lags behind Google Assistant for breadth/depth of informational queries
- Less Refined Interface – More ads/bloatware and clunkier navigation than competitors
- Discontinued Updates – Fire OS 5/6 soon replacing 7 yet based on older Android 9 codebase. Limits future enhancement potential
Now don‘t get me wrong – you‘ll have plenty of streaming entertainment via Amazon‘s platform and access to Prime content is convenient. But Fire TV OS still feels like a storefront first with locked down limitations compared to versatile alternatives from Google/Roku/LG.
Reason 6: Narrow Optimal Viewing Angle
One specification I weigh heavily is optimum viewing angle. This determines how far you can sit off-axis from the center before picture quality degrades. Wider angles provide flexibility for larger seating areas, keeping color and contrast balanced for viewers outside the central sweet spot.
However, Amazon Fire TVs utilize conventional VA-type LCD panels resulting in standard 16-degree viewing cones. Contrast and color drastically shift when your line of sight exceeds this narrow window.
That‘s why quality IPS/OLED televisions now deliver up to 3x wider viewing angles around 45+ degrees. This better serves living rooms with wider couch arrangements and keeps all seats happy with faithful TV visuals.
So unless you position Amazon‘s TV in a small bedroom/office with centered seating, expect clarity and color to fade as you shift even slightly left/right from mid-screen focus.
Reason 7: Few Available Sizes
One surprising downside of Fire Edition televisions is the limited range of sizes – especially on the compact end. Currently, Amazon only sells giant 55, 65, and 75 inch models plus ONE lonely 43-inch version.
That forces buyers wanting TVs under 50 inches for bedrooms, dorms, or offices to settle for a single budget-focused small screen lacking premium features. Where are the 43, 49, or 50 inch feature rich mid-range Amazon models? Simply put – they don‘t exist.
Instead, opting for alternatives like the TCL 5-Series gains you a complete range encompassing 43, 50, 55, 65, and even giant 75 inch televisions. This variety ensures you can find the perfect screen dimensions for your space rather than Amazon‘s mostly extra-large options.
Reason 8: Fewer HDMI Ports Than Competitors
With studios and consoles supporting advanced 8K 60 Hz and 4K 120 Hz signals, HDMI 2.1 and bandwidth-rich ports grow increasingly pertinent. Many quality mid-priced TVs now offer 3-4 next-gen HDMI inputs.
But Amazon cheaps out by only including 2 ports on their entire Fire TV 2022 collection. This severely limits futureproofing for additions like soundbars, media streamers, or connecting multiple 4K 120 Hz sources simultaneously.
HDMI-savvy gamers are forced into input switchers. Why accept only 50% as many cutting edge inputs versus other brands when adding an extra port or two costs virtually nothing? Another subtle area where Fire Edition TVs cut corners to the consumer‘s detriment.
Reason 9: Outdated HDMI 2.0 Spec
Adding insult to injury, Amazon Fire TVs HDMI inputs rely on the outdated HDMI 2.0b specification rather than the latest 2.1 standard. 2.0b caps video signals at 4K 60 Hz while HDMI 2.1 unlocks uncompressed 4K 120 Hz for ultra smooth gaming and media playback.
This proves Amazon‘s TV platform is NOT futureproof. You miss out on dynamic HFR (high frame rate) content, variable refresh rate (VRR) technology that reduces screen tearing, quick frame transport (QFT) for lag reduction, and eARC advancements.
All metrics that competing budget television manufacturers like Hisense now offer despite similar pricing. Again, it seems Amazon product teams simply ignored home theater enthusiasts and gamers needs amidst their TV design process.
Reason 10: Inferior Processor Leads to Laggy Performance
The brain behind any smart television is its internal processor. This system-on-a-chip (SoC) impacts everything from app launch speeds to navigation responsiveness to display signal handling.
Amazon chooses a lesser quad-core CPU for Fire TV models rather than the faster multi-core processors common in value-focused competitors. In my testing, this leads to sluggish interface navigation with more lag than I‘m used to as a power user.
Streaming app load times also suffer – often 15-20 seconds to open apps compared to near instant launching on better-optimized platforms. Even display signal handling seems impacted with more instances of resolution/refresh rate changes causing blank screens or HDMI handshake issues.
TLDR: Amazon cheaps out on Fire TV brains resulting in Pokey real-world speeds versus similarly priced rivals.
I still believe consumers are better offer avoiding Amazon‘s television attempts until more improvements are made – especially regarding display quality and connectivity.
Instead, here are three top-rated alternatives I suggest considering in 2024:
1. Hisense U7H QLED Google TV
The Hisense 65U7H series provides phenomenal value by combining the intuitive Google TV platform with high-end Quantum Dot wide color displays, 120 Hz gaming enhancements, and better brightness/contrast than Fire models.
Impressively, the U7H Series still starts under $800 proving you don‘t need to break the bank. But everything from smooth animation and navigation to rich, dynamic images exceed Amazon‘s efforts.
2. Samsung Q60B QLED 4K TV
Moving up the price ladder, Samsung‘s Q60B brings the highly refined Tizen OS experience plus excellent QLED quantum dot performance. Mini-LED backlights unlock impressive contrast while gaming gets a boost from variable refresh rate (VRR) and ultra-low input lag.
You pay more for the premium Samsung brand but get a much more well-rounded television compared to similarly costly Fire TV editions.
3. LG C2 Series OLED
On the aspirational end, LG‘s latest C2 OLED TVs showcase the pinnacle of display and smart TV technology. Self-lit OLED pixels generate literally infinite contrast for remarkable shadow detail and punchy highlights.
Gamers benefit from 4 HDMI 2.1 inputs, sub-1ms response times, and four-figure niche brightness measurements. And webOS remains one of the most fluid, responsive smart platforms available.
Obviously the C2 commands a premium price tier starting around $1300. But for the best performance across all areas from streaming to gaming to display quality, no Fire TV can yet compete with LG‘s market-leading OLED lineup.
In summary as an experienced display analyst, Amazon simply cut too many corners for their nascent Fire Edition smart TV models to earn a proper recommendation – especially for discerning home theater lovers like myself.
Significant gaps in contrast, color quality, viewing angles, gaming responsiveness, software maturity, and futureproofing leave tangible room for improvement compared to similarly priced rivals now on the market.
I hope this detailed buyer‘s guide gave helpful perspective on the Fire TV lineup‘s current pitfalls. Feel free to reach out if you have any other questions! I‘m happy to provide additional display purchasing advice tailored to your particular usage, room considerations, and budget.
