Catching Amazon’s Fire

Last week, Amazon released Fire TV, a set-top box that allows users to stream Internet media, like Netflix and Hulu Plus, to a television set. The inch-thick rectangular box plugs into a high-definition TV and provides entertainment from a variety of services, including the company's Prime Instant Video lineup.

The Fire TV box is thin, lightweight, and classy black. It's small enough to fit in your back pocket (which is probably something you don't need to do) and is sold with a power cord, a remote control and two AA batteries. It requires an HDMI connector cable, which is not included. Don't worry, if you don't already have one lying around the house, Amazon helpfully suggests adding one to your purchase for only $5.99.

To set up, simply connect the Fire TV to your television using the HDMI cable, and plug the device into a power source. You can connect to your home network through Wi-Fi, or by plugging directly into your modem using an Ethernet cord, which is also not included.

The remote control features a built-in microphone, so you can search Amazon Prime Instant Videos by saying a title, name or genre. Just hold down the mic button and say what you are looking for, and Fire TV will show you a list of results to your search.

Once activated, the home screen shows a list of apps and games available, plus movies and shows from Amazon and Prime Instant Video. You can add apps, like Netflix, Hulu Plus, WatchESPN and Showtime Anytime, by searching available content from the app section. The games section offers a variety of Android-based titles that are compatible with Fire TV. Some games are only compatible with the Fire TV Game Controller, which can be purchased for an additional $39.99.

I found the Prime Instant Video interface easy to navigate, but somewhat poorly designed. For example, instead of showing the titles in grid form, they're displayed, single-file, in a very long line. To browse movies, the user must side-scroll across the screen through hundreds of titles. The motion made me feel a bit nauseous.

Conversely, the Netflix and Hulu Plus interfaces were designed well and offered plenty of features to help users discover content.

Fire TV fails to impress when it comes to games, however. The selection is very limited, and the few games I did play have been configured in a way that didn't fit properly on my screen. Because of the lackluster gaming experience, I recommend postponing spending the extra 40 bucks on the Game Controller accessory until there are more titles available.

Overall, I'd recommend Amazon Fire TV to my 65-year-old mom, but not to my 23-year-old tech-savvy friends. The set-top box has a simple user interface that makes it easy to discover new content, which is great for people who like their technology simple and efficient. However, the lack of available games and disappointing play experience turns the one thing that makes Fire TV stand out from the rest its biggest shortcoming.