Amazon Fire TV Omni QLED Series review: a feature-packed deal

Fire TV first arrived in the form of HDMI sticks to plug into the back of TVs, but has now expanded to a range of actual televisions too. It's used by a number of brands - including Panasonic in its top 2024 TVs for example - but also across a range of own-brand televisions from Amazon itself. 

We've previously looked at the Fire TV 4-Series, but the Fire TV Omni QLED takes a step up the quality ladder, making it a little more appealing. It's a well-specified TV and has no shortage of features, most notable is the hands-free access to Alexa voice control and that the Fire TV interface is front and centre, so this is a TV very much pitched at streamers and those who live in an Alexa smart home.

But should you be considering this Fire TV over one of the more conventional best TVs money can buy, or, say, a Samsung model, or is this better suited as a connected second TV? 

Amazon Fire TV Omni QLED Series: Price & Availability

The Amazon Fire TV Omni, naturally, is available from Amazon and comes in 43-, 50-, 55- and 65-inch screen sizes. This review model is the 55-inch version. The prices start at £480 for the 43-inch, then £550, £630 and finally £800 for the 65-inch model.

In the US there's also a 75-inch model and those prices on Amazon.com start at $450 for the 43-inch, then $530, $600, $800 for the respective sizes outlined above, then finally $1100 for that 75-inch model.

Of course, being an Amazon brand, discounts are frequent, not just through big events like Amazon Prime Day and Black Friday, but regularly throughout the year too - so always check for the best prices on the model you want.

Amazon Fire TV Omni QLED Series Review: Features & What's New

There are several key features on this television that are worth highlighting. Firstly, and most obviously, it runs on the Fire TV platform, so that's integral to the experience. There's no need for a separate streaming device, this TV does all that for you - and does it well. Yes, there's a leaning towards Amazon's content, but that's to be expected.

Fire TV in the UK gives you access to all the domestic catch-up services - BBC iPlayer, ITV X, All 4, My 5, Play TV - while all the major streaming services are present too - Netflix, Disney+, Apple TV, and more - while YouTube, Twitch, Spotify and other apps are also accessible.

It's also equipped with a tuner, so you'll be able to tune in to standard broadcast signals too, or connected to a cable or satellite box, thanks to the four HDMI on the rear. One of these is HDMI 2.1 with eARC, so you can connect a soundsystem, while the others are available for other devices, like your PS5 or Blu-ray player.

Secondly, there's the QLED aspect. This model is positioned higher than the Fire TV 4-Series which is a standard direct LED backlit TV, here you have a Quantum Dot Display, meaning better colour performance. It also supports Dolby Vision IQ alongside the 4K resolution, so ticks a lot of boxes.

The third feature to highlight is that this model offers hands-free Alexa voice control. It's a fully-fledged Alexa device and combined with the Ambient Experience this model offers (something also found on Fire TV Stick 4K Max), it effectively turns into a giant Echo Show, able to not only let you search for TV programmes with your voice, but also access all of Alexa's functions, including things like previewing security cameras, widgets, asking for recipes and a whole lot more.

So there's a lot happening here and if you've experienced the Fire TV platform before (and you like it), it certainly makes sense to consider a Fire TV model for all the advantages it offers, rather than buying a TV and then retrospectively adding a streaming device to it. But there's quite a bit more to consider here.

Amazon Fire TV Omni QLED Series review: Performance

When it comes to performance, the Amazon Fire TV Omni QLED Series is interesting because there's a lot going on. The user interface around the traditional Fire TV side of things - where you scroll through content and select streaming apps - is as fast as the best Fire TV Stick, so it offers a great performance. Voice searching through Alexa is slick, remembering that in this case, you can just talk to the TV and it will find the content.

That's part of the experience that needs to be considered. You don't need an Echo device in the same room as this TV, because it has that hands-free voice control, but you then have to accept that when you interact with Alexa, that might also disturb your watching. Want to turn on the lights? There will be an acknowledgement from the TV disturbing whatever is being watched for a brief moment. Want to set a timer? That's going to sound from the TV while taking over the display, because effectively, it's the biggest Echo Show you've ever seen.

The built-in tuner happily found all the Freeview channels on a quick scan and the remote that comes with this TV has numbers so you can tap in the channel and head directly there, while also offering a guide button to take you to the electronic programme guide (EPG). I found the channel changes to be a little slow, though, so flicking through them isn't as speedy as some TVs or set-top boxes.

The range of screen sizes is attractive, but it's worth noting that the 43-inch model doesn't have the full array local dimming that the larger sizes do. That will have a minor impact on the picture quality, but at 43-inches, that won't matter greatly. 

Otherwise, the Omni QLED puts in a good showing for itself. There's support for the latest HDR standards, including Dolby Vision IQ and HDR10+ Adaptive, but this panel doesn't have the contrast to compete with the best OLED displays out there, which typically offer better black performance, nor does it have the brightness of the top QLED models either.

But head over to Prime Video to stream Reacher or The Terminal List and you'll still get a great experience for the price. The viewing angles are good enough - even wall-mounted it's watchable from an angle - but the display is limited to 60Hz, so it's not best placed to support the latest consoles which can take advantage of 120Hz refresh rates.

There also isn't a huge range of picture controls if you want to tweak the settings - but I suspect that more people interested in the Omni QLED will be attracted to the value for money and impressive feature set, rather than looking for precision performance.

The 12W speakers are a little on weak side too. That's not uncommon on TVs in this position and adding one of the best soundbars for small TVs will boost the experience hugely. There's HDMI eARC as mentioned as well as an optical connection, but it can also be linked to Echo speakers to create a home cinema system. This will allow you to, for example, connect a pair of Echo Studio speakers and an Echo Sub for much better audio performance.

Ultimately, the Fire TV Omni QLED offers good performance. If you're a home cinema fan then the Panasonic Z95A with an OLED panel and all the advantages of Fire TV will offer a better experience, but I expect that the natural rival for this sort of TV is Sky Glass or something like the Samsung Q60C.

Amazon Fire TV Omni QLED Series review: Design & Usability

One of the attractive things about the Omni QLED is the design. It's definitely a step up in quality over the Fire TV 4-Series with a thinner and more premium bezel. There's a block in the centre at the bottom of the display that houses a physical switch for turning off the listening part of Alexa, along with an indicator so you know that's actually happened.

The legs are fairly standard for a telly at this price point, while there are VESA-compatible holes on the back for wall-mounting. The rear of the TV is plastic, with the ports all on the right-hand edge, for easy access without too much scrabbling around when connecting or disconnecting inputs.

Setting up the Fire TV Omni QLED Series is much like setting up any other Echo or Fire TV device - you'll have to connect it to your Wi-Fi and to your Amazon account to get it working, then sign into any streaming services you want to use. Sign-in for those apps is on a case-by-case basis, although most now offer either a QR code to scan or some other shortcut to make the process fairly painless.

Underpinning the usability experience is Alexa, which I've mentioned before, which really does make it easy to find content. I setup the Fire TV Omni QLED Series in the kitchen as a second TV, where the voice control is really useful - and yes, I use it for kitchen timers and recipes too, where the performance is as good as any Echo Show device.

The remote is simple enough - all Fire TV remotes are related, with an expanded number of buttons for control of the TV functions. I've found the remote to be responsive, but often I just resort to voice control for navigation because it's so much easier.

Amazon Fire TV Omni QLED Series review: Verdict

The Fire TV Omni QLED appeals with its functionality, offering the seamless integration of a solid streaming platform and terrestrial broadcast support. The hands-free Alexa control opens the door to greater functionality than many rival televisions, so you can just walk into a room and start talking to the TV to get information, control your smart home, or get the programming or streaming content you want.

This is boosted with a keen design and good overall performance, although there are limitations: it's not the best TV for gamers for example. The speakers would benefit from an additional soundbar too, but as an overall package there's a lot to like about this Fire TV Omni QLED Series.

One of the attractive things above all will be Amazon's frequent discounts - and you only need a decent Amazon sale to make this TV a no-brainer purchase. While it's reasonable at its recommended price, once the discounts appear, this TV becomes an even better proposition.

Also consider

As an all-on-one solution, Sky Glass could be considered a natural rival, serving up Sky's entertainment from a similar mid-range package which includes a soundbar. Having access to all the streaming services and Sky's content on one integrated package is tempting, although you'd have to make a decision about whether to buy the TV outright, or to get the whole package on a subscription.