Amazon Fire TV Omni Mini-LED 4K TV review: a huge step up in performance

With its first Fire TV Omni Mini-LED 4K TV, Amazon has stepped up its flatscreen game, with a screen that blends premium display technology with a suite of Alexa-endorsed smart features. It's an interesting approach, and aims to be one of the best TVs under £1000 you can find, even good enough to compete with the best OLED sets out there.

The retail giant’s first foray into the smart TV market was very much aimed at bargain buyers, but with the adoption of Mini-LED backlighting, it’s clearly hoping to win over savvy purchasers who demand more of their picture quality too. The result is a telly that should appeal to boxset bingers, gamers, and smart-home users alike.

Is the Amazon Omni Mini-LED TV worth it?

The Mini-LED Omni is available in three screen sizes: 55-, 65- and 75-inches. In the UK, these sell for £850, £1,150 and £1,599 respectively. In the US, the trio is joined by an 85-inch model; they sell for $740, $1,040, $1,440 and $1,970 respectively. The line-up is not currently available in Australia.

The aggressive pricing puts them in the same ballpark as competitive models from Toshiba, TCL, Bush and Hisense. For this review, we hauled the cheaper 55-inch model onto our test bench – and you can see its best price in the live shopping widget embedded above.

Are Amazon's Omni TVs well made?

This Omni Mini-LED TV makes a great first impression. With its slim profile, small bezel and tidy feet, it’ll fit neatly into any modern living space. Despite the lightweight build, the set feels reasonably robust and well-constructed.

Two elongated feet slot onto either end of the screen. This means you’ll need generously wide AV furniture, if you’re not planning to wall-mount the set instead.

Of the four HDMI ports, only two support 4K/120Hz high frame-rate (HFR) gameplay; one HDMI is also eARC enabled, for streaming audio to an external sound system. There’s Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth for wireless connectivity.

Unsurprisingly, the Omni Mini-LED is built around the Fire TV platform. All major streaming services are available, including Netflix, Disney+, Prime Video, Apple TV+ – even BBC iPlayer in the UK – although using this interface to access TV-specific settings feels long-winded.

Streaming aside, the set also offers a Fire TV Ambient Experience, which ostensibly turns the screen into an interactive display when not in use. There are apparently 2,000 pieces of artwork to view, as well as customisable widgets for weather or news.

The Omni is also one of a growing band of TVs that offers Freely linear TV in the UK. Developed by the folks behind Freeview, Freely delivers free-to-air channels (the BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and 5, plus others) via Wi-Fi, without any need to connect an aerial, which is undeniably handy.

The accompanying Fire TV remote control is both familiar and intuitive, sporting a streamlined layout with dedicated buttons for Prime Video, Netflix, Amazon Music and Freely. A built-in microphone supports hands-free Alexa commands, useful for content searches and controlling smart home devices.

Like Sky Glass, the set turns itself on when you walk into the room, but unlike Glass it tends to stay awake for hours. No doubt I inadvertently activated this mode during installation, but never quite mustered the enthusiasm to dig deep and turn the setting off, even though I found it quite annoying.

Finally, console gamers will be happy with the TV’s latency. I measured input lag at 13.4ms (1080p/60) with the set in its Game setting. Not too shabby.

Is Amazon's Omni Mini-LED as good as other TV brands?

This new Mini-LED display has 512 dimming zones (in its 55-inch size), and offers decent contrast, convincing black levels, and appreciable high dynamic range (HDR) peak highlights. There’s a vibrancy to its images I’ve not seen on previous Amazon own-brand Fire TVs. The set supports all major HDR formats, too, including Dolby Vision IQ, HDR10+, and HLG – ensuring optimised content playback, no matter the source.

I measured 1191 nits of peak brightness (using a 10 per cent patch), with the set in Vivid mode. This suits both dark room movie nights and bright room daytime viewing. Dim the house lights, and those black bars which sandwich letterboxed movies remain appreciably dark.

But there are limitations to its range, particularly when it comes to low-level shadow detail. Shows with a restricted colour palette, like The Agency on Paramount+, can look a little flat. The set certainly doesn’t have the dynamic bite of an OLED. It's best with brightly lit sports, vibrant animation and brightly lit studio fare.

In the default Standard picture mode, there’s a slight drop off in peak HDR brightness, with 1082 nits measured. This is still impressive for what is essentially a mid-range telly. Colours are knocked back, but not aggressively so. Motion handling is reasonably good, without too much blur or judder.

Gaming looks consistently good, with punchy colours, and blisteringly sharp detail. That 4K/120Hz refresh rate ensures fast, smooth gameplay, and is quite a treat with colourful shooters like Overwatch. PC gamers will similarly appreciate the 144Hz mode and AMD FreeSync Premium Pro support, which reduces latency and ensures smooth, tear-free visuals.

Sadly, the Omni’s sound system, powered by two 12W speakers, is serviceable but ultimately unremarkable. Dialogue is clear enough, even during argumentative dramas, and it manages to avoid the sonic thinness often associated with low-cost LED TV designs, but those seeking a more immersive Dolby Atmos experience should definitely consider pairing the TV with the best soundbar they can afford, or an external audio system, via the eARC port.

Alternatively, you can always partner the set with your favourite Bluetooth headphones, for private listening. I paired the set with Marshall Monitor III ANC over-ears, and thoroughly enjoyed the experience, rocking out with concerts on YouTube, in fulsome stereo.

Amazon Omni Mini-LED TV review: Verdict

Amazon has taken a big step forward with its Omni Mini-LED debutant. The set offers a fine picture performance for the asking price, with likeable colours, deep contrast and impressive HDR highlights.

Finely honed Fire TV features and Alexa integration ensure a highly interactive experience. If you’re already an Amazon Prime subscriber, you’ll feel quite at home navigating around (and if you’re not then maybe consider a Roku or Tivo-powered smart TV instead).

While I’d like 4K/120Hz high frame rate support across all four HDMI inputs, and the sound will have you reaching for a soundbar, I find what’s on offer at this price point is impressive. The slim design looks great and for those seeking a better-than-budget TV performance, without breaking the bank, Amazon's Mini-LED set is a solid option.

Also consider

For other impressive TVs that won’t break the bank, you should check out an LG OLED C2 (or C3/C4), which is now a few generations old in terms of LG's OLED tech, but therefore more affordable and still fantastic to look at. It's amazing for gamers, too, but it does miss out on some of the Freely convenience offered by Amazon's newer TV.

Another all-in-one option is Sky Glass. There’s no aerial or dish required, as the set also receives its bouquet of channels over the Internet. What’s more, the price of the screen is bundled into your chosen subscription deal and channel package. In addition to Sky’s own channel selection, there are integrated apps from Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+, Apple TV+ and others. Picture quality is very good, while audio, courtesy of a 215W Dolby Atmos sound system, is excellent. There’s no support for 4K/120Hz gaming though, which could be a deal breaker for console owners.