The student news site of Carlmont High School in Belmont, California.

Scot Scoop News

The student news site of Carlmont High School in Belmont, California.

Scot Scoop News

The student news site of Carlmont High School in Belmont, California.

Scot Scoop News

Amazon announces a new streaming media device

As online streaming video becomes more popular, Amazon unveiled their new streaming media device that allows consumers to watch Hulu, Amazon Instant Video, Netflix, Youtube and much more.

Amazon Fire TV is a device that is fairly small and easy to maneuver. It is similar to the Apple TV and console makers like Microsoft and Sony. All these companies have one main idea in common, that is to take over the top box, such as cable and satellite companies.

Senior Jordan Thorn said, “I don’t believe that Amazon’s Fire TV’s feature will get very far. It will probably only be used by a handful of people. I don’t think it will end up being too popular, but just enough popularity to stay up and running.”

One of its features is the voice-search. It also offers flexible parental control setups. According to customer reviews from cnet.com,  the product is extremely easy to setup and user-friendly.

In addition, zipping around the menus feels incredibly responsive, with cover art populating very quickly as you jump from section to section. There’s even some limited multitasking ability. You can exit Netflix, browse around the home menu, then jump right back into Netflix without having to reboot the app. It feels more like a smartphone or tablet experience than a traditional set-top box.

Junior Stephanie Reiser said, “It all depends on what the buyers are looking for. No matter what, there always will be new technologies coming out. Unless if you are a technology freak, it shouldn’t make people want to jump on every new innovation that comes out.”

Furthermore, the Fire TV can be purchased from Amazon for $99. And for people who enjoy playing video games, there is also an optional Fire Game Controller for $40.

Senior William Lash said, “We have a Roku [media device for Netflix] and I love it. It has a lot of different apps. We have even given up on cable. Although, I’m not familiarized with the Fire TV, I wouldn’t hesitate to give it a try.”

All in all, Fire TV would be great for someone who fancies for exciting video games and who is looking for something that streams fast.

About the Contributor
Tian Chary, Staff writer
Hi, my name is Tian! This is my first year in journalism and my last year in Carlmont High School.

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The student news site of Carlmont High School in Belmont, California.
Amazon announces a new streaming media device