Although the Amazon Fire TV brand is primarily associated with the company’s media streaming devices, a fairly decent selection of TVs use the Fire TV as their operating system. After all, it’s easy to use, offers access to all popular streaming apps, and has Alexa digital assistant for voice control.
The Fire TVs are available from several manufacturers, including Amazon itself. The e-commerce giant joined the likes of Insignia, Pioneer, and Toshiba in 2021 to introduce its first Fire TVs.
One of the highlights of Amazon Fire TVs is the pricing. All Fire TV models are affordably priced and mainly targeted at consumers who want bang-for-the-buck TVs.
So if you are in the market for a value-for-money television, you can’t go wrong with a Fire TV model. Here are the best Fire TVs to get you started.
The F50 is the best Fire TV model offered by Insignia, an in-house brand of Best Buy. In addition, it’s one of the two Fire TVs on the market to use a quantum dot layer to enhance the color output. As a result, the F50 has a wide color gamut and can display vivid, lifelike pictures.
The TV also has an excellent native contrast ratio, thanks to its VA-type panel. But as is typical for VA-type panels, F50’s viewing angles are poor. Among other highlights, the TV also supports HDR10 and Dolby Vision. So you can enjoy high dynamic range (HDR) content on your favorite streaming services.
The Insignia F50 is a decent option for casual gaming as it has a low input lag and good response time. And if you have older gaming consoles, the TV’s composite inputs will undoubtedly come in handy. However, it isn’t suitable for modern consoles as the TV lacks advanced gaming features and a high refresh rate panel.
- Screen Size: 50″, 55″, 65″, 70″
- Operating System: Fire OS
- Panel Type: LCD
- Resolution: 3840 x 2160
- Connectivity: 4x HDMI 2.0, USB 2.0, Ethernet
- Refresh rate: 60Hz
- Others: Dolby Vision, DTS Virtual:X, eARC
The Fire TV Omni is Amazon’s flagship Fire TV model, so the company has filled it with everything you would expect. For example, it has a 4K LCD panel with a great contrast ratio that will enhance your dark room viewing experience. Additionally, the TV houses four HDMI 2.0 ports, including one that supports eARC. So you will be able to connect multiple devices and even pass through high-quality audio formats such as Dolby Atmos and DTS:X to your soundbar or AV receiver.
It’s also one of the few Fire TV models to include hands-free Alexa support that allows you to issue commands to the TV without needing the bundled voice remote. This is possible because of the TV’s built-in far-field microphone array. Other features include Dolby Vision HDR support. But unfortunately, it’s limited to 65-inch and 75-inch versions. Similarly, the 65-inch and 75-inch models have a slightly better build quality and design than the smaller sizes.
- Brand: Amazon
- Screen Size: 43″, 50″, 55″, 65″, 75″
- Operating System: Fire OS
- Panel Type: LCD
- Resolution: 3840 x 2160
- Connectivity: 3x HDMI 2.0, USB 2.0, Ethernet
- Refresh rate: 60Hz
- Others: Dolby Vision (only 65″ and 75″), Dolby Digital Plus, eARC
Amazon Fire TV Omni Series
The Fire TV 4-Series is Amazon’s low-end television. But you will be happy to know that it has many of the same features as the Fire TV Omni. So if you are tight on the budget and need a decent television, the Fire TV 4-Series is worth considering.
The 4-Series features a 4K VA-type LCD panel that offers a fantastic native contrast ratio and deep blacks. The television is also HDR-capable. But it doesn’t support any of the dynamic HDR formats such as HDR10+ or Dolby Vision. So while you can enjoy HDR content, you’ll get an average experience. There is little to excite the hardcore gamers on this Amazon TV, but its incredibly low input lag and ALLM support will come in handy for casual gamers.
- Screen Size: 43″, 50″, 55″
- Operating System: Fire OS
- Panel Type: LCD
- Resolution: 3840 x 2160
- Connectivity: 3x HDMI 2.0, USB 2.0, Ethernet
- Refresh rate: 60Hz
- Others: Dolby Digital Plus, eARC
Hisense’s 2021 lineup was known for offering incredible value for money, and its 2022 TVs are no different. The Hisense U6HF, the company’s first Fire TV model, is an aggressively priced 4K LCD TV that features a quantum dot layer for accurate and vibrant colors. The TV also comes with full-array local dimming to enhance the contrast ratio.
In terms of HDR, Hisense has loaded support for HDR10, HDR10+, HLG, and Dolby Vision. So you will be able to enjoy pretty much all high dynamic range content on the market. Although Hisense claims variable refresh rate support in the U6HF, the TV’s 60Hz native refresh rate leaves little room for the feature to shine. That said, gamers will be happy to see the auto low latency mode (ALLM) on the TV.
Unfortunately, as of June 2022, the Hisense U6HF is only available in a 50-inch size. But the company has promised to release a 58-inch model in the fall.
- Screen Size: 50″
- Operating System: Fire OS
- Panel Type: LCD
- Resolution: 3840 x 2160
- Connectivity: 4x HDMI 2.0, USB 2.0, Ethernet
- Refresh rate: 60Hz
- Others: Quantum Dot, Full Array Local Dimming, Dolby Vision, HDR10+, eARC
Toshiba has been gradually improving its Fire TV models, and its latest TV — the M550 — is the company’s best yet. It has a 4K resolution and uses an LCD panel. While you won’t get OLED-like black levels on the television, Toshiba has included full-array local dimming (FALD) to improve the overall contrast ratio.
Additionally, the M550 is the first Fire TV model with a native 120Hz refresh rate. But you will only get the fast refresh rate on the 65-inch and 75-inch models. And even on these models, the lack of HDMI 2.1 ports means you won’t be able to enjoy 4K gaming at 120fps. But fortunately, the 120Hz panel does help the TV better display 24fps, 30fps, and 60fps content, something with which the 60Hz panel TVs often struggle. You also get HDR10+ and Dolby Vision support, four HDMI 2.0 ports, and hands-free Alexa support.
- Screen Size: 55″, 65″, 75″
- Operating System: Fire OS
- Panel Type: LCD
- Resolution: 3840 x 2160
- Connectivity: 4x HDMI 2.0, USB 2.0, Ethernet
- Refresh rate: 60Hz (55″), 120Hz (65″, 75″)
- Others: Full-array local dimming, Dolby Vision, HDR10+, DTS Virtual: X, eARC
The Toshiba C350 sits below the M550 in the company’s TV portfolio. So while it’s not as feature-rich as the M550, it provides a decent feature set for the price tag. Some of the TV’s highlights include 4K resolution, Dolby Vision support, and an eARC port. Apart from the eARC port, there are three more HDMI ports that you can use to connect devices like a Blu-ray player, gaming console, and AV receiver.
The C350 is also a decent option for gaming, thanks to the TV’s low input lag, great response time, and ALLM. But it lacks advanced gaming features such as VRR.
An important detail to remember about the C350 is that the TV uses different LCD panel types for different sizes. So while the 50-inch model has a VA-type panel, the 55-inch variant comes with an IPS-type panel. Unfortunately, the panel specifics of other sizes are unclear. But it will either be a VA-type or an IPS-type panel. Notably, the VA-type panels are known for their excellent contrast ratio but have narrow viewing angles. In contrast, the IPS-type panels have superb viewing angles but mediocre contrast ratio.
One of the drawbacks of the Toshiba C350 is its inability to upscale 480p and 720p content properly. So if you watch a lot of DVDs or lower-resolution content, our other recommendations will better serve you.
- Screen Size: 43″, 50″, 55″, 65″, 75″
- Operating System: Fire OS
- Panel Type: LCD
- Resolution: 3840 x 2160
- Connectivity: 4x HDMI 2.0, 2x USB 2.0, Ethernet
- Refresh rate: 60Hz
- Others: Dolby Vision, DTS Virtual: X, eARC
The Insignia F30 is one of the cheapest Amazon Fire TV models on the market. So if you want an inexpensive television for your dorm or guest room, it deserves a place on your shortlist. The TV has a 4K resolution and three HDMI ports, including an eARC port to pass through uncompressed audio to a connected soundbar.
The Fire TV platform on the F30 offers the same bells and whistles as every other TV on this list. So you can use the included voice remote with Alexa to call up the latest season of The Umbrella Academy from Netflix or Westworld from HBO Max. Additionally, you can control the Alexa-compatible smart home devices with the F30.
The dynamic HDR formats are missing, but the TV can still display HDR content. Lastly, the TV comes in various sizes, from 43-inch to 75-inch, giving you an ample choice to get the most suitable size for you.
- Screen Size: 43″, 50″, 55″, 58″, 65″, 70″, 75″
- Operating System: Fire OS
- Panel Type: LCD
- Resolution: 3840 x 2160
- Connectivity: 3x HDMI, USB 2.0, Ethernet
- Refresh rate: 60Hz
- Others: DTS Studio Sound, eARC
Amazon Fire TVs have emerged as an appealing option if you want an affordable but feature-rich television. And with the 2022 Amazon Prime Day around the corner, there is an excellent chance you will be able to score a deal on many of these TVs.
Our editor’s choice — the Insignia F50 — is an overall solid 4K television. It has everything from Dolby Vision support to quantum dot technology to offer a fantastic experience. But if you would prefer something with better Alexa integration, Amazon’s own Fire TV Omni has a built-in microphone array to listen to you whenever you want. Just remember that only the 65-inch and 75-inch models bring Dolby Vision support, and that depending on your voice model, you might want to mute those built-in mics to avoid accidental Alexa triggerings.
The Amazon Fire TV 4-Series makes most sense if your budget is a little too tight, but you still want a capable television. It’s quite similar to the Omni but lacks Dolby Vision HDR and hands-free Alexa support.
