AMAZON OMNI FIRE TV REVIEW: SOLID ALEXA FEATURES BUT MEDIOCRE PICTURE

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Amazon's Omni Fire TV is the company's midrange smart TV model. With a built-in microphone and access to tons of apps, the Omni is basically a 4K display, Echo Dot, and Fire TV streaming stick all rolled into one device. 

But, while the set's hands-free Alexa voice control is convenient, the Omni's picture quality can't match the best TVs from Hisense, TCL, and Vizio that cost the same amount. Amazon also sells a step-up model, called the Omni QLED, which typically costs just $60 more and delivers a big improvement in image performance. 

Given the small price difference yet sizable jump in picture quality, we see little reason buyers should opt for the standard Omni over the Omni QLED. That said, the regular Omni does occasionally see big discounts during deal events like Prime Day, and those are the only instances in which we think this model could offer better value. 

The Fire TV interface has tons of apps, but navigation can lag a bit

The Omni is powered by Amazon's Fire TV OS (operating system), so using the display is a lot like using a Fire TV Stick. The home screen lets you see rows of recommendations, along with recently used apps and recently watched content. 

Amazon supports all of the best streaming services, so there aren't any notable apps missing. The interface gets the job done and works well, but we find the simpler, app-focused design used on Roku TVs to be easier to navigate.

Navigation speed is solid but can be inconsistent. Moving around the home screen is generally snappy, but some lag crops up when sifting through menus in individual apps.

Boot times for most apps are similar to those on other streaming devices, but during our testing, certain services, like Max, could take up to 20 seconds to load. That's double the time it takes on Amazon's own Fire TV Stick 4K Max.

There's also an occasional delay if you try to pull up the Omni's settings menu while the TV is playing a video. It can sometimes take a full five seconds for the menu to pop up after you click the button. 

Despite lag here and there, the Omni's overall speed is similar to that of other budget-friendly TVs in this price range. But since the Omni is positioned as Amazon's midrange smart TV offering, we were hoping for an experience more on par with the company's best Fire TV streaming devices. 

You can control the TV with just your voice

One of the Omni's biggest selling points is its support for hands-free voice control with full Alexa capabilities. There's also a handy switch on the front of the display to deactivate the microphone for privacy protection. Though this is far from the only TV to include hands-free voice control, it is one of the more affordable options to offer such a feature. 

You can ask Alexa to turn the TV on, switch inputs, adjust volume, open apps, pause videos, scroll through menus, and search for content without ever touching the remote. Alexa can also answer questions, check the weather, set timers, and handle other tasks while the display is off, just like any other Echo device would.   

Response time is good, but it's a little more delayed than an Echo Dot. Voice recognition is also solid, but we ran into a few issues with Alexa misunderstanding certain search queries. For instance, the TV tends to hear "Hulu" instead of "Vudu" whenever we try to launch the latter app. 

Alexa isn't a complete substitute for a remote, but you can get by watching a lot of content on the Omni without ever lifting a finger.

Set up video calls with a separate webcam

Video calls are now a big part of many people's work and home lives, so Amazon includes webcam support for the Omni. You just need to plug a compatible webcam (sold separately) into the TV's USB port, and you're good to go. 

The Omni supports video calling using Alexa Communications and the Zoom app. Amazon provided a Logitech C920x with the TV so we could test this feature, and it works really well. Using the Zoom app, we were able to join a meeting with family. The app runs smoothly with no issues. 

Compared to typical video calls on a laptop or phone, being able to casually sit on the couch and see everybody on the big screen makes the chat feel a bit more like being in the room with everyone. Though we wouldn't call this a must-have feature, it's a handy option, and it's not one that many other smart TVs in this price range support. 

Picture quality isn't on par with top competitors in this price range

The Omni's image quality can best be described as entry-level. The TV lacks many of the superior contrast and color features you'll find on the step-up Omni QLED or midrange sets from brands like TCL, Hisense, and Vizio. As a result, it just can't compete with those similarly priced displays.

Most notably, the Omni is missing local dimming support. Local dimming allows LCD TVs to brighten and darken in specific zones across the screen to create deeper black levels and brighter highlights. 

The Omni just has a standard backlight, so black levels veer toward a gray appearance when watching movies in a dark room. Brightness is also limited, with a max of around 300 nits when using the TV's "Movie" picture mode, which is the display's most accurate setting. 

That's fine for casual viewing, but it isn't enough to really showcase the benefits of high-dynamic-range (HDR) content. Wide color gamut support is also missing, so HDR movies and shows aren't displayed with their full range of colors. 

For comparison's sake, the 65-inch Hisense U6K, which often sells for $500, has local dimming with a Mini LED backlight and up to 600 nits of brightness, as well as quantum dots with wide color support. If you're buying a TV with HDR performance in mind, you're much better off going with a set like the U6K.

Likewise, Amazon's step-up Omni QLED model also has local dimming and quantum dots, and it's often sold for only $60 more than the standard Omni. If you want an Alexa smart TV that doesn't skimp on image quality, the Omni QLED is the display to go with.  

Should you buy it?

Amazon's Omni smart TV is a decent effort, but it's not on par with the competition. At a list price of $760, the 65-inch Omni is way too expensive. When on sale for around $500, the TV offers better value — but only if features like hands-free Alexa and webcam support are big selling points to you. 

Buyers who want a budget-friendly home theater display with much better HDR performance should get the Hisense U6K. That TV has better picture quality features, like quantum dots and local dimming. And the 65-inch model carries a typical street price of just $500-$600.  

If you really want Amazon's interface and built-in hands-free Alexa, you should also consider Amazon's step-up smart TV model, the Fire TV Omni QLED. Though a little more expensive, Amazon's Omni QLED delivers image quality that's more in line with competing sets in its price range. 

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2024-06-21T20:06:44Z dg43tfdfdgfd