Amazon is bricking this Fire TV device
Another smart product is about to be scrapped, and this time it’s an Amazon Fire TV device that lets you control your home entertainment components with voice commands – or at least, that’s what it used to do.
First announced in 2019, the Amazon Fire TV Blaster will “stop working” in the “coming weeks,” according to an Amazon customer support email shared by AFTVnews.
Contacted by TechHive, an Amazon spokesperson confirmed that the Fire TV Blaster will lose support on January 31.
Amazon is offering an “exclusive” $60 discount to Fire TV Blaster owners for the Fire TV Cube, a more powerful version of the Blaster that comes with Alexa built-in and a price tag of $139.99, or a final price of $79.99 for those who take up Amazon’s offer.
Another option for Fire TV Blaster owners is to get a new Fire TV streaming player, albeit without hands-free Alexa functionality, at half the price.
Since the Fire TV Blaster initially retailed for just $35, unlucky owners now find themselves in the position of paying more than double for a new Fire TV Cube capable of the Blaster’s hands-free Alexa functionality, or opting for a cheaper Fire TV stick that isn’t.
The Fire TV Blaster gets its name from its ability to transmit IR commands to common living room components such as TVs, soundbars, A/V receivers, and similar home entertainment devices.
With the Fire TV Blaster connected to an Echo speaker, you can say things like “Alexa, switch to HDMI 1 on the TV” and the Blaster will transmit the appropriate IR command to your TV.
At just $35, the Fire TV Blaster was a nifty, inexpensive way to add smart and voice capabilities to your dumb home theater components.
But like too many other smart devices we’ve seen, the Fire TV Blaster is about to become a paperweight, with Amazon’s email including instructions on how to recycle the soon-to-be useless gadget, as well as a link to a free shipping label.
Of course, there’s the Fire TV Cube, a supercharged version of the Fire TV Blaster with Alexa built-in, including support for Alexa+, plus an HDMI passthrough and much more powerful internal hardware.
In addition to being much more expensive, the Fire TV Cube also comes with the Fire TV interface, which our reviewer found “too clunky, with too many sponsored listings, banner ads, and extraneous menu items that get in the way.”
This story is part of TechHive’s in-depth coverage of the best media streaming devices. Updated shortly after publication with more details from Amazon.
