Amazon continues to roll out new devices and features which prove it remains one of the serious contenders in the streaming market. The Fire TV line of streaming devices are some of the most popular on the market, and now Amazon has released a new “Fire TV Recast” feature which will expand the functionality of Fire TV devices through adding DVR capability for over-the-air broadcasts on HD antennas.
The Fire TV Recast is a small DVR device which must be connected to an HD antenna (sold separately). The Recast can record over-the-air broadcasts and then stream recordings to any Fire TV streaming media players, Fire TV Edition TVs, Echo Show devices, or even to mobile devices using the Fire TV app. iOS devices, Android devices, and Fire tablets all support the Fire TV app. There is no extra subscription required.
Marc Whitten, Vice President of Amazon Fire TV, says the Recast is part of Amazon’s mission to let users consolidate all of their media into one easy-to-use platform accessible by all devices. “We are focused on making Fire TV an easy way to watch all the entertainment you love, whether it’s through streaming video services, cable and satellite providers, or even local broadcast stations,” Whitten says in an Amazon press release. “Now with Fire TV Recast, we’ve made it simpler to find, watch, and record live over-the-air TV at home and on your mobile devices.”
The timing of Amazon’s Fire TV Recast rollout is coincidental; newcomer Air TV just rolled out a similar feature this month compatible with Sling TV. Still, great minds think alike as they say. With the Fire TV Recast, Amazon is taking advantage of the free over-the-air HD broadcasts of local networks that many cable cutters are turning to in lieu of cable. While channel selection may be limited, HD antennas can offer a selection of the biggest networks and even some speciality channels like PBS or Univision. Do the Fire TV Recast and similar recent device releases show that HD over-the-air broadcasts will become an increasingly popular option for cable cutters?
The Fire TV Recast is now available for pre-order and will begin shipping on November 14, 2018. There are two models: a 500GB model with 2 separate tuners and 75 hours of HD storage for $229.99; and a 1TB model with 4 separate tuners and 150 hours of HD storage for $279.99.
