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Smart TVs have grown in popularity over “dumb” TVs in recent years. Unless you’re in the market for a 32-inch screen or smaller, the lion’s share of sizes and models will support internet-connected features. That is what makes a TV “smart.” Shopping for a brand-new TV, especially if you haven’t done so in a while, is going to require some research. Alongside important specs like resolution and refresh rate, there are a handful of smart TV operating systems to consider too.
One of the most popular platforms is Fire TV, an Android-based OS engineered by none other than Amazon. Fire TV OS is the bread and butter of Amazon’s streaming device lineup, as well as its first-party TVs (meaning sets that were manufactured by Amazon). But other manufacturers license the use of Fire TV, too, including Hisense and TCL — two of the leading budget-friendly TV brands. Fire TV is home to hundreds of entertainment apps, including popular platforms like Prime Video, Netflix, and Disney+. Most sets will even let you use Alexa to search for content, control smart home devices, and more.
One thing is for sure: there are tons of smart TVs that use Fire TV. Choosing one from the many can be daunting, so we went ahead and selected four of the best televisions with Fire TV built in. As for names, we’ll be covering TCL, Hisense, Insignia, and the Fire TV maker that started it all: Amazon.
Amazon Ember Mini LED
We’d be hard-pressed not to include an official Amazon-brand Fire/Ember TV on our list, and we think the Amazon Ember Mini LED is one of the best. Available in 55-, 65-, 75-, and 85-inch options, the Ember Mini LED delivers both exceptional brightness levels and inky blacks, thanks to the TV’s local dimming capabilities. This makes it a great choice for bright rooms and dark spaces. However, the panel doesn’t have the easiest time with direct-light reflections, so try keeping it away from lamps or in view of the sunl.
The Ember Mini LED has a native 144Hz refresh rate, as well as two HDMI 2.1 ports and VRR support, so console and PC gamers can expect a relatively responsive TV. That said, we did read that the Ember’s response time can be a bit unpredictable, so use caution when dropping into a precision-focused FPS shooter. You’ll also want to sit as close to the center of the screen as possible, because the Ember doesn’t have a wide viewing angle (sitting off-center may result in washed-out colors).
User feedback for the Ember Mini LED skews toward the positive, with over 600 reviews earning the TV its 4.1 out of 5-star rating. Most shoppers love the TV’s picture quality and budget-friendly price, but we did note a few reports of Fire TV OS acting glitchy from time to time. If you end up experiencing app crashes or other UI hiccups, you’ll want to confirm that it’s not your Wi-Fi network causing the issue.
TCL QM64L
Vizio once reigned supreme in the budget TV space, but now brands like TCL and Hisense (also on our list) are leading the charge, at least as far as affordability is concerned. The TCL QM64L is a great example of a low-cost TV that punches above its weight, and our pals at Consumer Reports had plenty of praise to share. Laurels like “reproduction of fine image detail was impressive,” and “color accuracy was very good, with flesh tones in particular looking natural,” help this Fire/Ember TV rise above the competition.
On paper, the QM64L is identical to the TCL QM6K, other than the fact that the former runs Fire TV and the latter uses Google TV. The QM64L has a native 144Hz refresh rate, so console and PC gamers will be able to maximize hardware performance. It also has four HDMI inputs (one of which is the eARC connection), digital optical, and a couple of USB ports. On Amazon, more than 45 users wrote in about the TCL QM64L, earning the TV 4.5 out of 5 stars. Many praised its picture quality, but felt that the Fire TV software could be glitchy on occasion.
Other noteworthy features include support for all mainstream HDR formats, including HDR10+, and hands-free Alexa controls. It may not be the best TV ever made, but if you’re working with a smaller budget, the TCL QM64L is well worth your consideration. Just don’t get too caught up on the fact that the Fire TV software may not always perform the way it should.
Hisense U7SF
Hisense has been licensing the use of Amazon’s Fire TV OS for several years, and the Hisense U7SF is one of the brand’s newer releases. Driven by Mini LED lighting and local dimming, the U7SF is able to achieve great brightness levels when watching both HDR and SDR content, and its high peak brightness allows it to stand up to most glare in a brightly lit room. And thanks to local dimming, the U7SF helps those of us who need closed captioning turned on at night.
The U7SF boasts a native 165Hz refresh rate, making it a solid choice for video games, sports, and action movies. You can even switch to 1080p HD to boost the refresh rate up to 330Hz. The TV also has relatively low input lag and HDMI 2.1 connectivity across all four inputs. That means VRR and ALLM are on tap, though it is worth mentioning that the U7SF doesn’t have the fastest pixel transitions, which can add a bit of blur to console and PC games.
On Amazon, the Hisense U7SF earned a 4.6 out of 5-star score, but based on only 15 reviews at the time of writing. This appears to be a somewhat new Hisense model that matches the Hisense U7SG in every category except OS and user interface (the U7SG uses Google TV). Users seem to love the Hisense U7SF, though, with one report praising the TV’s gaming performance, as well as its “rich colors, deep blacks, and impressive brightness…”
Insignia UQFL26
Insignia is a Best Buy house brand, but you’ll be able to purchase the odd item or two on Amazon as well. Today, we’ll be focusing on the Insignia UQFL26, a somewhat new addition to the Insignia/Fire TV lineup, and the cheapest TV on our list at $299 at the time of this writing. Earning a 4.5 out of 5 stars on Amazon, based on over 1,000 reviews, most folks praised this 4K QLED TV’s overall picture quality, decent sound, and great price.
Similar to the Insignia F50, the UQFL26 uses quantum dots to boost brightness and colors. This is particularly great if you plan on enjoying HDR content or want to place the TV in a brightly lit room. The UQFL26 also has three HDMI ports, digital optical, and USB if you’d like to connect an external storage device. Unlike the other sets we’ve discussed, though, the UQFL26 sticks you with a native 60Hz refresh rate. That said, it may not be the best choice for gamers.
Some folks experienced laggy performance when using Fire TV, but one Amazon shopper reported that giving the TV enough time to “warm up” helped to clear away the worst of the lag. If you’re looking to score a Fire TV for the absolute lowest price possible, the Insignia UQFL26 should be at the top of your list.
How we chose the best televisions with Fire TV built in
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When selecting products for this Fire TV roundup, our goal was to choose four TVs that delivered solid picture quality at a great price. We considered multiple use cases for each set and did our best to locate deals and discounts on popular sites like Amazon and Best Buy. We also leaned on the pros, cons, and lab results obtained in professional, hands-on reviews, as well as Amazon user feedback.
