Amazon.com Inc. today debuted two lines of smart TVs, the Fire TV Omni Series and 4-Series, that will enable consumers to perform actions such as adjusting the display brightness using Alexa voice commands.

The company also introduced a new Alexa-powered streaming stick that can be plugged into an existing display to access content from popular streaming services. Reports that Amazon would enter the smart TV market first emerged earlier this month.

The main highlight of the announcement is the Fire TV Omni Series, which includes five smart TVs ranging from 45 to 75 inches. All five systems offer 4K Ultra HD resolution of 3840 pixels by 2160 pixels.

The built-in Alexa integration allows users to perform a variety of tasks that previously required a remote with voice commands. Consumers can change the display brightness, control playback, enable or disable closed captions and adjust a variety of other settings.

The Fire TV Omni Series also makes it possible to create an Alexa workflow that automatically performs not one task but an entire sequence of actions. A user could, for example, set up a workflow that turns on the smart lights, displays the latest weather updates and then switches to the news.

Amazon said that Alexa will also assist with content browsing. It can help users find specific shows without having to remember which specific channel they need to switch to and will provide personalized streaming recommendations. To ease the task of finding content even more, Amazon is equipping the Fire TV Omni Series with Netflix and TikTok integrations. 

“We’ve reimagined what a TV can do by building it with two of our most popular experiences at the core — the intelligent always-available power of far-field Alexa, and Fire TV’s content-forward approach to entertainment,” said Daniel Rausch, vice president of Amazon Entertainment devices and services. “Our new Fire TV Omni Series smart TVs, with hands-free access to Alexa, make controlling your TV faster, simpler and more natural.”

The Fire TV Omni Series is joined by the 4-Series smart TV line, which Amazon is positioning as a more entry-level offering. The product line comprises 43-inch, 50-inch, and 55-inch displays with 4K UHD resolution. The 4-Series has a starting price of $370 versus the $410 and upwards for which Fire TV Omni Series systems will sell.

Capping the list of new devices that Amazon introduced today is the $54.99 Fire TV Stick 4K Max. It’s an Alexa-enabled media player that can be attached to a standard display to provide smart TV features, including access to Amazon Prime Video and other popular streaming services.

The device features a quad-core 1.8-gigahertz processor and 2 gigabytes of memory that Amazon says will enable it to launch apps faster than the previous-generation Fire TV Stick 4K. In addition, the company said, the Fire TV Stick 4K Max is the only streaming device under $179 with support for the latest Wi-Fi 6 wireless standard. Wi-Fi 6 is considerably faster than its predecessor and also features other technical improvements that are expected to enable smoother streaming.

Amazon’s new smart TV products will go on sale in October.

Image: Amazon