Amazon’s streaming software powers new smart TVs

And the other one is that Amazon keeps on putting out extremely compelling tablets that cost about the same as a meal out.

The company today didn’t give an exact launch date for EPIX Cast support on Fire TV, but the news of the EPIX app hitting the platform hints that it will arrive soon. The tablet is about 10% thinner than its predecessor, and the battery life has been increased from seven hours to eight hours, compared to 10 hours for the iPad and 12 hours for the 8-inch Fire HD tablet. Perhaps the biggest update is that it now has Alexa, that handy personal assistant that makes life so much easier. With Amazon’s Fire TV experience built in, users can access more than 15,000 channels, apps and Alexa skills – including over 300,000 TV episodes and movies from Netflix, Amazon Video, HBO NOW, Showtime, Hulu, Sling TV and more.

While the Fire TV Edition won’t appeal to those looking for the best picture quality, it could be compelling for Prime members who are upgrading to a new TV or for those who want to access Alexa in more places. Dual-band Wi-Fi has also been added, and there’s an extra hour of battery life. FreeTime Unlimited can also be used on Fire Tablets, Kindle e-Readers, Amazon Fire TV, and compatible Android phones and tablets.

The 4k TVs from Element are powered by a 1.1 GHz quad-core CPU, multi-core 3D GPU, 3GB memory, and 16GB internal storage (expandable to 128GB via USB/SD).

There’s no upgrade to the cameras, which means a VGA front-facing camera and a 2Mp rear-facing camera that can record video at 720p. You simply call customer service from the tablet and a tech expert shares your screen to walk you through features, including drawing on your screen to indicate exactly where to click. While Samsung and LG are still developing their own smart TV systems, many other manufacturers have abandoned in-house efforts and are turning instead to a streaming TV company such as Roku, and now Amazon. It will also be available in black, blue, red, and yellow with either 16GB or 32GB of storage. This allows users to get information, control smart-home devices and play media with voice commands. From there, you can ask her just about everything you would before, only now you get onscreen cards that dish out even more helpful info. The theme this year is “Going Digital: Why your most hard customer is your best friend”.