Is Amazon's Fire TV Omni QLED Worth Purchasing? My Experience After Switching From LG

Amazon's Fire TV Omni QLED presents a compelling fusion of price and quality. But should it take precedence over well-known brands? Here's my perspective after swapping out my LG television for this new offering.

Exploring the Amazon Fire TV Omni QLED Series

Highlights from ZDNET

Recently, Amazon has expanded its product lineup, and among the new releases, I've been examining a particular product for over a month now. My test unit was a 65-inch model serving as our primary family television, a noticeable upgrade from our older LG set.

Our previous television was a basic model—specifically, the UN7000 with 4K capability, which we bought for $500 a couple of years ago. Today, for around $530, one can obtain a more advanced 55-inch Omni QLED Series TV.

While television pricing has notably decreased over the last few years, I'm uncertain if I would have initially opted for an Amazon Fire TV instead of an LG, at least not without a thorough assessment first.

A Closer Look at Amazon Fire TV Omni QLED Series

This QLED smart TV in particular, boasts a vivid picture quality alongside integrated Alexa services.

This Week's Top TV Bargains

The Fire TV Omni QLED Series is my third experience with Fire TVs; I previously owned a 50-inch Series 4 and a 43-inch Omni Series. Acquired for just $100 each during Amazon's Prime Day, these were cost-effective, low-risk purchases. I placed the Omni Series in my bedroom, and it far outperformed my past viewing experience with an older Westinghouse TV. However, the new Omni QLED Series surpasses even that.

The picture clarity offered by this Fire TV is remarkable, with vivid colors and HDR10+ Adaptive technology enhancing the viewing experience.

The QLED display excels in offering deep contrasts with rich blacks and bright whites due to full-array local dimming.

A design highlight includes minimal bezels, roughly a centimeter thick or less, ensuring the screen is the center of attention, whether it's on or off, where it can showcase art and personal photos via Amazon's Ambient Experience.

Additionally, this smart TV features Omnisense technology, which uses sensors to power on the display when someone steps into the room. Users have the option to activate this feature as desired.

It also offers Dolby Audio support for enriched sound quality, with provision to connect external audio systems using the digital audio port or Bluetooth. I've experimented by pairing it with HomePod minis and a Sonos Era 300, both individually and together, and find the auditory output satisfactory.

Alexa+ integration enhances the Fire TV Omni QLED Series, enabling hands-free TV and smart device control while providing extensive assistance beyond common virtual assistant duties. Through generative AI, not only can Alexa+ locate a movie, but it can also elaborate on its theme, recommend genre-specific content featuring certain actors, and even suggest a recipe matching your pantry contents.

A downside is the lack of a remote locator function, which is only available via the separately sold Alexa Voice Remote Pro for $35. The provided remote allows interaction with Alexa by pressing a button but doesn't include a finder feature.

Advice from ZDNET for Buyers

The most recent model, available at $850, presents an attractive proposition for those seeking a mid-range TV fitted with a sophisticated AI-powered assistant, offering a delightful visual experience and efficient performance.

Empowered by a quad-core processor, the Fire TV Omni QLED Series is built for swift and seamless navigation. Amongst my home devices, it stands out as the fastest, inclusive of streaming tools. In my extensive use of the Omni QLED Series TV over several weeks, I haven't encountered any software hiccups or problems—a commendable feat when compared to other smart TVs and streaming gadgets I've tried.