Amazon Updating Fire TV Channel Guides to Offer Filters so Users Can Navigate to Favorite Channels Instantly
Amazon Updating Fire TV Channel Guides to Offer Filters so Users Can Navigate to Favorite Channels Instantly
With the thousands of free streaming channels available now, and more seemingly added every day, it can be a daunting challenge to find something new to watch. A recent survey found that there are more than 2 million streaming titles now available worldwide, and that the average viewer spends more than 10 minutes trying to pick something new to watch.
Amazon wants to help. A new report from AFTV News indicates that Amazon is rolling out some updates to its built-in live channel guide that will help users navigate to their most-watched selections with ease, and filter out networks they have no interest in seeing.
This update first popped up on select European Fire TVs manufactured by Panasonic. The “All Channels” placard in the upper left-hand corner of the screen has been replaced by a host of filter options. “Recents” is the first option, and allows users to see all the channels they’ve watched most recently.
The next new filter choice is “Favorites,” and allows Fire TV users to see a list of all the channels they’ve marked as their preferred viewing destinations. Other filter options include Prime Video Channels and Freevee, meaning free and paid streaming channels will be integrated into the Fire TV Live guide as part of the update.
The update to the Fire TV OS also includes enhancements to the “On Now” menu. Currently, users who press right on their Fire TV remote will see a row of a few channels that they can scroll horizontally at the bottom of their screen. Once the update is in place, customers will essentially see a mini version of the channel guide pop up, with more information on what’s on and more channels listed.
Amazon confirmed that this update will come to more devices in the future, but declined to provide a full list. Smart TV customers will almost certainly see the new improvements soon, but it’s not yet clear if Fire TV sticks and Fire TV Cubes will also get the update.
Amazon Fire TV
Amazon Fire TV is a streaming device that can be used to watch Live TV Streaming Services and On Demand Streaming Services.
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