Fire TV Update Rolls Out for Amazon Echo Show 15

UPDATE 12/8: Fire TV is now available on the Echo Show 15 as a free software update, Amazon announced today. If the Echo Show 15 doesn't automatically update, existing users can manually update in the settings menu. For new devices, Fire TV will install during setup.

If you have yet to spring for the Echo Show 15, Amazon is offering 30% off a bundle with the smart display and the third-gen Alexa Voice Remote for a limited time. The standalone Echo Show 15 is also 26% off.

Original Story 9/28:
The super-sized Echo Show 15 is about to get a little more useful with support for Fire TV.

"When we launched Echo Show 15, our vision was to deliver a device that could also double as a kitchen TV—only much smarter," Amazon says. "A majority of households already use Echo Show 15 to watch videos, and soon, we will offer Fire TV on Echo Show 15."

In our review of the Echo Show 15, we found that its widgets and face-detection capabilities made it a useful information hub, but said its audio and camera quality were disappointing. Widgets were also limited, so the addition of the Fire TV interface opens this 15-inch smart display up to a lot more content.

"For example, this will enable those who live in the US, to find and watch over a million movies and TV episodes from providers like Paramount+ and Showtime—a first for Echo Show," Amazon says. You can ask Alexa to pull up something specific or use the new Fire TV widget to quickly access favorites via touch or the Fire TV Alexa Voice Remote (3rd Gen).

Later this year, meanwhile, Echo Show will support multiple live feeds on one device. View two on Echo Show 5 and up to four on all other Echo Show devices.

'Alexa, Turn Off the Lights in 10 Minutes'

The news is part of a larger Amazon event on Wednesday, where the company is refreshing its smart home devices and revealing a number of upcoming features for Alexa.

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Coming soon is the ability to personalize Alexa Routines to specific people in your house based on their Alexa Profiles and voices. "For example, if both you and your partner kick off a Routine by saying 'Alexa, good morning,' each of you can start the day by having Alexa share your upcoming meetings, based on your individual calendars," Amazon says.

Alexa will also be able to schedule upcoming smart home device activations, up to 24 hours in advance. "For example, you can say 'Alexa, turn off the lights in 10 minutes' or 'Alexa, turn on the fan at 6 p.m.,' making it easier to manage devices around your schedule," Amazon says.

Alexa will also now support remote switches, which will work with Routines, "so Alexa can read you the news or turn off all the lights in your house at the push of a button," Amazon says. These remote switches will also be able to toggle a light on and off or adjust their brightness by 25% every time you push the button.