Echo Show 15 officially arrived on the Brazilian market in June last year and stands out for being Amazon’s largest “Alexa with screen”. The device has a 15.6-inch touchscreen and has a more refined look, reminiscent of a painting.
That way, it goes well in any environment, whether to use it in the bedroom, living room, kitchen or office. Its main feature, of course, is to allow interaction with the digital assistant Alexa, but in recent months, Amazon has released an update that brings the Fire TV interface to the devices.
In this way, it is now possible to use the Echo Show 15 as a TV, to watch movies and series on almost all streaming platforms available on Fire TV — Amazon’s operating system for the Fire Stick that we have here in Brazil.
But is the usability really that good? I’ve been using the Echo Show 15 for the past few weeks and have taken advantage of this new feature to watch series on Netflix, Prime Video, Star Plus and Paramount Plus and now I’ll tell you how the experience was.
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Usability and navigation
To begin with, it’s important to point out that, after updating your Echo Show 15 and receiving Fire TV functionality, the device will have two interfaces: the main one, which you should be used to, and the Fire TV one, which is basically the same one we see on Amazon’s Fire TV Stick or Fire TV Cube.
This first one is automatically accessed at any time, and it is where all standard Alexa actions will be performed. The second must be opened in an icon available in the quick settings area, at the top of the Echo Show screen. If you use a Fire TV controller, you can open the interface through it by pressing the “home” key.
Speaking of controller, the accessory is not sold in the device kit, so you need to buy one separately. Echo Show 15 is compatible with any Amazon remote control, as long as it is from the 3rd Generation.
Navigating the Fire TV’s interface doesn’t rely on it, however. If you don’t have it, you can use a virtual control on the display, but know that every action you want to do — such as pausing, resuming playback, looking for a streaming service or a movie — must be done using the virtual control, since touching the screen default is disabled when you access the Fire TV area.
Whether with virtual control — which can be hidden on the screen — or with a physical remote control, navigation is very fast and there is no hiccup or crash when searching for content or applications. In practice, it will be as if you are using a Fire TV Stick on a small TV.
Apps available
As previously mentioned, with the Fire TV interface on the Echo Show 15, you will be able to enjoy almost the entire catalog of apps that we are already used to on the Amazon operating system — with a single exception, as far as I could see: the Apple app. Apple TV Plus cannot be downloaded onto the device.
I found this curious, as I often access the app on other devices, such as a Fire TV Cube or Fire TV Stick. It is listed in the store when I search by name, but when I download it, it appears as unavailable, without any justification.
Other than that, I didn’t notice any other absences on the platform. Apart from HBO Max, which does not officially exist for Fire TV, I was able to download the main streaming apps, such as Netflix, Prime Video, Disney Plus, Star Plus, Paramount Plus, YouTube Premium and even Globoplay — which was recently added to the catalog .
It is worth remembering that any Echo Show already has support for playback of some streaming applications, such as Prime Video, Netflix and YouTube. However, this update brings the entire Fire TV experience to just the Echo Show 15.
Image and sound quality
The Echo Show 15 has a 15.6-inch LCD screen with a Full HD resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels. However, curiously, the contents of the main streaming services, such as Netflix or Prime Video, for example, are only displayed in HD.
Still, it’s a good display quality. Considering the small size of the panel, it is possible to have a good image definition with good contrast when watching movies and series within the Fire TV interface.
The audio system is also very full-bodied, and the device is equipped with dual 1.6-inch full-range drivers, which deliver very high volume. For music, the sound quality isn’t as good, and the sound can be a bit boomy or squeaky at maximum volume. However, if the purpose is to watch, the set is quite enough for the job.
Voice commands and use of Alexa
Within the Fire TV interface, it is still possible to use the Echo Show 15 normally with Alexa. With this, you can search for movies and series and start playing them with just voice commands. Some titles on specific platforms may not automatically run, but you can still search for them by asking Alexa.
In addition, it is also possible to control smart home items or interact with the digital assistant normally within the interface. You can ask it to control lamps or other devices while watching a movie, for example, and it will answer and show a notification on the screen.
Finally, it is also possible to open the Fire TV interface, if you are on the main screen, with voice commands. That way, you don’t have to use the controller or touch the screen.
Is the Fire TV on the Echo Show 15 any good?
Overall, the Fire TV UI update is a great addition to the Echo Show 15. The picture and sound quality isn’t the best, but it’s a great way to watch your series while doing other tasks and being away from Smart TV, for example.
The operation and usability are very good and, while using the device, you can have the impression that you are watching on a regular TV with a Fire Stick. Navigation is very fast and fluid, and there are no slowdowns or crashes.
The only negative point I found while using the device was the absence of the Apple TV Plus app, but this can be fixed with an update in the future, although there is no promise from Amazon about this.
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