Amazon Fire TV 4-Series Review: Underwhelming Ultra HD

Value When Reviewed

From $369.99 | Mannequin reviewed $519.99

Greatest Costs Immediately: Amazon Hearth TV 4-Collection

$309.99

You’re spoiled for alternative with funds TVs these days. There are such a lot of to decide on between and even if you would like an enormous TV, you may have one – in the event you’re ready to make some compromises.

Amazon’s Hearth TV 4-Collection vary is available in 43, 50 and 55in fashions and has the Hearth TV interface – from the corporate’s widespread Hearth TV Sticks – and Alexa inbuilt.

Though it’s a step up from the 2-Collection, that’s primarily due to the display sizes: don’t let the naming idiot you that these are mid-range TVs: they’re fundamental fashions within the nice scheme of issues.

However does having Hearth TV and Alexa make the 4-Collection a superb purchase? Learn on to search out out.

Design & construct

• Plastic body and toes
• Choice to wall mount
• Alexa through microphone on distant management

While you get the Hearth TV 4-Collection out of its field you discover how light-weight it’s. That’s partly as a result of it’s pretty skinny but in addition as a result of it’s clad in plastic and has shiny black plastic toes.

4 screws is all it takes to connect them to the bottom of the TV in the event you’re placing it on a TV bench relatively than wall mounting it. The toes are 980mm aside, so your bench must be no less than that lengthy.

The removable energy cable plugs into the left-hand facet (when wanting on the TV from the entrance) and all different ports are on the best.

The bezel isn’t too thick, and has the identical gloss black end because the toes.

Jim Martin / Foundry

Specs & options

• Commonplace LED backlight
• Help for HDR10, HLG
• Hearth TV software program

For what’s in any other case a comparatively fundamental mannequin, it’s good to see a quartet of HDMI inputs, and with the identical specs because the Omni QLED – three HDMI 2.0 and one HDMI 2.1 eARC.

Jim Martin / Foundry

You get a breakout cable within the field with composite video and stereo RCA audio connectors for previous tools, however Amazon doesn’t provide the IR extender cable for controlling AV bins in cupboards. That’s £14.99 / $14.99. Nevertheless, chances are you’ll not want it in the event you tools is out within the open.

The 4K panel runs at 60Hz, which may be sufficient for some folks however avid gamers wanting to attach a 4K console will virtually definitely favor to go for a TV that goes as much as 120Hz. That mentioned, with Amazon’s Luna gaming service inbuilt, the 4-Collection is ok for extra informal avid gamers and you’ll pair the official Luna controller through Bluetooth.

Bluetooth can be used to pair headphones, audio system, listening to aids and different gadgets. There was no audio lag in any respect utilizing Amazon’s Echo Buds 2, however in the event you do have points, you may regulate the Bluetooth audio delay within the settings.

Simply word that you would be able to’t have the TV audio system on similtaneously utilizing Bluetooth audio.

Not like the dearer Omni QLED there’s no ambient mild sensor or presence sensor so the 4-Collection can’t regulate brightness in response to the lighting in your room, nor can it flip off if no-one’s round to observe it. This additionally means it doesn’t help Dolby Imaginative and prescient IQ – it doesn’t help Dolby Imaginative and prescient in any respect: simply HDR10 and HLG.

Jim Martin / Foundry

There aren’t any built-in farfield microphones so you must use Alexa through the distant by urgent the Alexa button: there’s no hands-free possibility right here.

Jim Martin / Foundry

The opposite options lacking from the 4-Collection that you just’ll discover on the Omni QLED are the choice to attach a webcam for Alexa calling and Ambient Expertise. Nevertheless, there may be nonetheless the standard Hearth TV screensaver the place you may see good inventory images, or your personal images which can be saved on Amazon Pictures.

In fact, the attraction right here is that the 4-Collection makes use of Amazon’s Hearth TV interface. That is designed primarily for streaming content material and advertises exhibits on Prime Video and Freevee (each owned by Amazon), which some folks discover a bit annoying. Plus, there are precise adverts, as you may see beneath.

Jim Martin / Foundry

Nevertheless, Hearth TV is simple to make use of and there are installable apps for Netflix, BBC iPlayer, ITV X, Channel 4, Disney+, UK TV Play and a great deal of different widespread providers. Unusually, although, My5 – Channel 5’s streaming service – was “unavailable” on the time of overview. I requested Amazon if this was a brief downside earlier than publishing this overview, however am nonetheless ready for a response.

Jim Martin / Foundry

When you already personal a Hearth TV Stick, you may select to have the 4-Collection set all the things up as you’ve gotten on that. This implies apps will probably be put in routinely, although you’ll nonetheless should signal into all of them once more, which is the irritating a part of getting a brand new TV. Hopefully Amazon can remedy that specific gripe.

The interface can lag fairly badly and the 4-Collection doesn’t really feel as responsive as even a fundamental third-gen Hearth TV Stick.

Stay TV on UK fashions comes from a built-in Freeview Play tuner and the programme information is sweet and clear. You’ll be able to’t document something, regardless of the USB ports which you’d suppose may be for a USB thumb drive.

Jim Martin / Foundry

In reality, there are two regardless of Amazon’s web site stating there is only one, and also you can join a USB drive and use the Media Participant enter to see images and watch any movies saved on it: a lot of the widespread codecs are supported.

Jim Martin / Foundry

Plus, just like the Omni QLED, there’s correct AirPlay help so you may beam movies and images out of your iPhone and iPad to the Hearth TV and see them on the large display. The standard AirPlay restrictions apply, so some apps received’t allow you to watch video over AirPlay, corresponding to Channel 4 and Sky Go.

Image and sound high quality

• 60Hz refresh price
• Dolby Digital Plus audio
• 8W + 8W audio system

Total, image high quality is sweet however unexceptional. If that is your first 4K TV, you’ll be pleased with the readability when watching 4K Netflix, Amazon Prime or wildlife exhibits from BBC iPlayer.

Colors are positive however don’t pop like they do on QLED fashions. They’re solely positive, although, so long as you’re sat square-on to the display. Transfer off centre they usually rapidly begin to fade and look noticeably washed out in the event you’re watching off to both facet.

Jim Martin / Foundry

The highest brightness of 300 nits is comparatively low, and relatively dismal for an HDR TV. Though the Hearth TV 4-Collection helps 4k HDR within the HDR10 and HLG codecs, you’ll be onerous pressed to note the distinction. Actually you want double the brightness (or extra) for highlights to essentially shine.

Because the 4-Collection doesn’t have full array native dimming, there’s additionally a definite lack of deep, inky blacks.

The display isn’t too reflective, nevertheless it’s greatest to keep away from place the TV dealing with a window because the low brightness means it might probably’t overcome the reflections throughout the day.

Jim Martin / Foundry

As with the Omni QLED, image settings are saved per enter, so you may (and must) regulate these settings for digital TV, streaming media and the HDMI inputs individually. By default Motion Smoothing is ready pretty excessive and it’s one thing you’ll wish to cut back or flip off fully, particularly in the event you’re watching films. Nevertheless it’s nice for sports activities because it smooths out any judder between frames.

Jim Martin / Foundry

There are numerous presets you may play with for every enter that regulate these settings to what Amazon considers probably the most appropriate. There’s Commonplace, which is without doubt one of the brightest, Film Vibrant, Film Darkish, Vivid, Sport, Pure and Eco (which is the dimmest).

Sound from the twin 8W audio system is fairly skinny however par for the course. When you care about sound high quality, join a good sound bar to the HDMIU eARC enter. The Hearth TV can management a number of sound bars this manner with none further setup, that means you may regulate quantity utilizing the Hearth TV distant.

Value & availability

The Hearth TV 4-Collection vary begins at £429.99 / $369.99 for the 43in, £499.99 / $449.99 for the 50in and £549.99 / $519.99 for the range-topping 55in.

You should buy all of them from Amazon, after all. See the 4-Collection within the UK, and in the event you’re within the US, you’ll discover them right here on Amazon.com.

Just like the Omni QLED, the 4-Collection has a paltry one-year guarantee as normal. Within the US, although, you may pay further for a complete of 4 years’ cowl, from $40 for the smallest dimension to $70 for the biggest.

This feature isn’t but accessible within the UK the place, as you’ll have seen, the TVs value fairly a bit greater than within the US.

On the time of overview, Amazon was providing some hefty reductions within the US with round a 3rd off all sizes and as much as 14% off within the UK.

Because it launched the 4-Collection Amazon has run pretty common reductions, so in the event you don’t want a TV instantly, it may be nicely price ready for one among these gross sales.

There are, naturally, many options in the event you’re not set on an Amazon-branded Hearth TV with different producers corresponding to JVC, Hisense, Toshiba and Pioneer all making their very own TVs which have Hearth TV and Alexa inbuilt.

The Hisense U6, for instance, is a QLED mannequin accessible in 50- and 58in variations. After we checked, the smaller of those was on sale on Amazon for simply $339.99, making it a a lot better possibility for individuals who need higher picture high quality than the 4-Collection can present.

That isn’t accessible within the UK, however TCL’s 50CF630K is, one other funds QLED TV that was solely £359 from Amazon on the time of overview.

For extra choices, together with TVs with out the Hearth TV interface, check out our roundup of one of the best funds TVs. Or, if cash is not any object, we’ve additionally chosen one of the best TVs.

Verdict

At full worth, the Hearth TV 4-Collection is tough to advocate. Sure it has the Hearth TV interface and Alexa, however you may have higher image high quality in the event you store round on the similar worth.

On the discounted costs, which may seemingly be had recurrently, they’re higher worth, particularly within the US for individuals who aren’t after the final word in high quality.

For telly addicts within the UK, the upper costs are harder to abdomen, and the reductions aren’t as beneficiant. If the comfort of getting a Hearth TV Stick successfully inbuilt appeals and also you don’t thoughts that Alexa isn’t hands-free, you may be completely comfortable.

However in the event you care about picture high quality, need correct HDR and are comfortable to pay extra, then it is best to in all probability take a look at the Omni QLED vary – or elsewhere.