Amazon have announced a major new player in entertainment. A new $100 device that will offer streaming  television capabilities and competitive gaming library.
The device is a small box, around the size of Ouya, that plugs straight into a TV and runs on an open Android ecosystem. There will be plenty of apps available at launch, such as Netflix, Hulu Plus, Crackle and others. The box has a quad-core processor and a dedicated GPU with 2GB RAM, and Mimo-dual-band Wi-Fi that offers three times the speed of Apple TV.
The box also supports 1080p streaming, with Dolby Digital Surround Sound and with a HDMI out.
There’s also voice-activated search that is specific enough to actually list everything an actor has ever worked on if you ask it of the machine. It’s also very quick and responsive and pulls information from IMDB. The box is also smart enough to predict what you’ll want to watch. Fire TV is capable of streaming photos from phone to TV, and also has an X-Ray that offers a companion app on a tablet or phone that offers information via IMDB about the movie you’re watching.
In addition, the Fire TV will serve as a gaming device and one with a vast, enviable library that could even cast doubt in a Wii U owners mind. Studios such as EA, Disney, Mojang and Telltale are onboard, and games like Minecraft, The Walking Dead Season One, Deus Ex: The Fall and Zen Pinball will be available at launch. Amazon have also set up a games studio and created several in-house games with top-tier talent, including a title known as Sev Zero.
Amazon offers a $40 controller to play the games, although some can also be played using the remote that comes with the box. In total, the box is expected to ship with around 1,000 apps and many of these games will be available to play for free.
The box is now available in America only (there is still no word of a European date) and it retails for $99