3rd-gen Fire TV Cube gains the ability to fully disable HDR from the Fire TV Stick 4K Max

When the Fire TV Stick 4K Max launched, it introduced a new setting that allows you to fully disable all HDR, as opposed to only being able to choose from HDR being always on and HDR being adaptive. This setting is handy for those with quirky TVs, AVRs, or HDMI switches that don’t behave correctly with HDR signals. Thankfully, the Fire TV Cube 3 also has the same option to disable HDR. Now if only Amazon would add it to older Fire TV models, like the 2nd-gen Fire TV Cube.

See all my 3rd-gen Fire TV Cube coverage here.

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2nd-gen Fire TV box will not receive the new Fire TV interface

Amazon has informed me that, along with the 1st-gen Fire TV and 1st-gen Fire TV Stick from 2014, the 2nd-gen Fire TV box released in 2015 will also not be receiving the new Fire TV interace. I mistakenly thought 2015 and newer devices would receive the new interface update, and incorrectly stated so previously, but it turns out that the much-loved Fire TV 2 is just behind the cut-off of 2016 and newer models. Read more ›

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Amazon Fire TV 2 box running latest software version has been Rooted

Depending on how you look at it, it has either been a great or really bad couple of weeks for Amazon devices with MediaTek processors. First, the Fire HD 8 tablet was rooted and then the Fire 7 tablet was rooted. Just a few days ago, the Fire TV Stick 2 was rooted for the first time and now the 2nd-generation Fire TV box is the latest device to fall. Surprisingly, the rooting method that has just been discovered for the Fire TV 2 is unrelated to the method used to root the other Amazon devices. This new method is actually much easier, as it does not require opening the device or shorting circuit board points, like the Fire TV Stick 2 and Fire tablet rooting methods. There’s also the potential for this new rooting method to work on other Fire TV devices with MediaTek processors, like the Fire TV Stick 4K, which has yet to be rooted, and even the Fire TV Stick 2, to serve as a simpler rooting method than the one that already exists. Read more ›

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Certified Refurbished 2nd-Gen Fire TV is coming back in stock

The Certified Refurbished 2nd-Gen Fire TV will be back in stock next week and is once again available to order now. Ever since the Fire TV 3 was released, availability of the refurbished Fire TV 2 has been sporadic and very limited. The product listing currently says it will be in stock on June 25th and it’s possible to place an order now to secure one. This might be one of the last chances to buy a Fire TV 2 directly from Amazon, so if you were in the market for a new Fire TV but decided that the Fire TV Cube was not for you, then you might want to snag a Fire TV 2 while you still can. Read more ›

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Fire TV 2 with software version 5.2.1.1 and older can now be rooted with KingRoot

The KingRoot rooting utility is now capable of rooting the Amazon Fire TV 2 running software version 5.2.1.1. Software update 5.0.5.1 blocked the previous rooting method used by KingRoot, but now the app has been updated and is capable of rooting software version 5.2.1.1. Several people on XDA have confirmed that v4.9.6 and v5.0.1 of KingRoot was able to root their Fire TV 2 running 5.2.1.1. Read more ›

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Amazon permanently lowers all Fire TV 2 prices by $10

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Amazon has reduced the price of all Fire TV 2 bundles by $10. This appears to be a permanent price drop and not sale price. The Amazon Fire TV 2 is now $89.99, the Antenna Bundle is now $99.99, and the Gaming Edition is now $129.99. This is the first time Amazon has ever reduced the retail price of any Fire TV model and this new price comes almost one year to the day after the Fire TV 2 was released. Dropping the retail price now is compelling evidence that Amazon will not be releasing a new Fire TV 3 this year.

If the Fire TV 2 remains Amazon’s flagship streaming device through the rest of this year, a price drop like this is necessary to keep it competitive with newer devices. With competing 4K streaming boxes like the Xiaomi Mi Box and Roku Premiere priced at $69 and $79.99 respectively, the Fire TV 2 is more than ever up against stiff competition .

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Amazon announces new Fire TV with 4K Ultra HD and Alexa voice control

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Amazon has announced the next-generation Fire TV. It is now available for pre-order in the US, the UK, and Germany. It will retail for $99.99 and will begin arriving on customer’s doorsteps on October 5th.

While the new Fire TV looks the same on the outside, it’s entirely different on the inside. As expected, the new device is capable of 4K UHD video and comes with Alexa voice assistant built-in. It features a quad-core 2.0 Ghz MediaTek 8173C CPU, a dedicated PowerVR GX6250 GPU, and 2GB of RAM under the hood. It connects to the internet through either an ethernet port or 802.11ac wireless. The new Fire TV has 8GB of internal storage which can be expanded via the new microSD card slot or via a USB drive connected to its USB port. It has an HDMI port and still includes an optical audio port.

The new Fire TV comes with a new revised voice remote that no longer uses bluetooth, but instead connects via wifi direct which reduces latency and greatly improves battery life. There is also a new much improved Fire TV Game Controller available separately for $49.99 which also uses wifi direct for improved latency and battery life. The new game controller now features a microphone for voice commands and a headphone jack for private listening. If you’re planning to buy the game controller, you’re much better off buying the new Fire TV Gaming Bundle for $139.99. Not only do you save $10 compared to buying the new Fire TV and new Fire TV Game Controller separately, but you also get a 32GB MicroSD card and two free games. Do realize though that the gaming bundle does not come with the standard voice remote.

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