Credit: Eric Zeman / Android Authority
- Amazon has upgraded live viewing on Fire TV.
- Alexa can tune into shows based on their names, not just their channels.
- You’ll also see new channels from IMDb, Xumo and (soon) Plex.
Your Fire TV device just became more useful if you prefer to watch real-time sports and shows instead of waiting for the replays. Amazon is trotting out an upgrade to the Fire TV experience that will both help you tune into live shows and find more of that as-it-happens content.
Most notably, Alexa can now tune into shows by name, not just by channel — you can ask Alexa to “play the Eagles game” when the big NFL match starts, for instance. The addition could be particularly helpful if you don’t remember the network airing a given program, and it likely replicates the way you think about tuning into conventional broadcasts.
Related: The best Amazon Fire TV apps
You’ll accordingly see live shows pop up in the new Fire TV interface’s App Peek feature. Hover over an app like Pluto TV and you’ll get a glimpse of what’s airing without launching the app itself.
There are also more choices for live material on Fire TV, and you won’t have to pay for them. Amazon is adding free, ad-supported channels for IMDb TV, Xumo, and its own news app to its platform’s live suite. Plex’s recently launched service is also “coming soon.”
Not all of the features are widely available yet. App Peeks for live shows are currently limited to the third-generation Fire TV Stick and the Fire TV Stick Lite, with other devices receiving support later in March. Still, this could make Amazon’s media hubs far more compelling if you’re interested in more than the usual on-demand movies and TV series.
