Amazon’s new gaming controller and streaming box in photos

A hardware play for the real estate underneath your TV.

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[M-S-G]

Sorry your nail got chipped. It's probably that damned Dvorak keyboard...

 

[AlexOfPalaven]

Meh.

 

[zarmanto]

Looks like an AppleTV that's simply been squashed a little flatter and a little wider.

 

[BadassSailor]

Looks neat and all, but I already have Xbox 360, PS3, appleTv Tivo, and Roku under my TV, the last thing I need is another stupid box with its own set of remotes.

 

[caseyjohnston]

M-S-G[/url]":32gswhx6]Sorry your nail got chipped. It's probably that damned Dvorak keyboard...

I do spacebar exclusively with my left thumb. Hmm...

 

[siliconaddict]

Anything left of the Ouya just got depth charged. Not like it had much of a hope before.

 

[M-S-G]

zarmanto[/url]":1027oycw]Looks like an AppleTV that's simply been squashed a little flatter and a little wider.

- (HBO GO + PBS + Bloomberg)

 

[Quiet Desperation]

Er, does the box have a side with the connectors?

Edit: (enhanced image in Photoshop) Oh, there they are. Sheesh.

 

[gmerrick]

Quiet Desperation[/url]":33hryuuz]Er, does the box have a side with the connectors?

Nope. It's all wireless! Including power!

 

[metro2003]

that's one ugly piece of plastic...maybe they should invest in a better, more attractive design...
but regardless, I hope it succeeds. nice to see these type of devices becoming more mainstream.

 

[beebee]

M-S-G[/url]":2f1wk3sy]

zarmanto[/url]":2f1wk3sy]Looks like an AppleTV that's simply been squashed a little flatter and a little wider.

- (HBO GO + PBS + Bloomberg)

Liberate yourself. Build your own HTPC. Run XBMC.

Well semi-liberate yourself since you still need windows for silverlight, though silverlight is going away eventually. You could do a decent linux based HTPC if you don't use paid services.

 

[vogelabv]

zarmanto[/url]":u5q6381s]Looks like an AppleTV that's simply been squashed a little flatter and a little wider.

Looks like a Roku that's simply been squashed a little flatter and a little wider and isn't red).

 

[siliconaddict]

Hmmm. I don't know. Its a box with a remote. I'm expecting Apple to sue shortly over copying the Apple TV design.

 

[lilo777]

metro2003[/url]":1s8tkra9]that's one ugly piece of plastic...maybe they should invest in a better, more attractive design...
but regardless, I hope it succeeds. nice to see these type of devices becoming more mainstream.

Plastic box - ugly. Aluminum box - beautiful! Same shape, same color, standing on the same shelve. Something is wrong with this logic.

 

[DannyB]

Prediction: AT&T will come along to Amazon with it's hat out just like it did to Netflix.

AT&T: We should not have to bear the burden of building our infrastructure to support Amazon's internet video streaming. If Amazon's business model is causing customers to need so much bandwidth, then Amazon should have to pay AT&T to increase its network capacity.

Next, AT&T will go to Hulu.

Then, AT&T will go to Roku. Showtime. HBO. YouTube (owned by Google). Then Google because people do searches on Google and Google should have to pay AT&T. Then Facebook. Then Yahoo. Then Twitter. Etc.

Next, AT&T will offer tiered service. For only $39 / month, you can access Yahoo and Facebook. For only $59 / month you can also access Google (but not YouTube) and Twitter. For only $79 / month you can add YouTube access. For only $99 / month you can access video streaming services.

That is what Net Neutrality is all about. If AT&T is having to build out its network because of MY network usage, then charge ME DIRECTLY for building it. After all, I'm going to have to pay to build AT&T's network either way. Either directly, or through Netflix. But by AT&T charging ONLY AT&T"s customers, it is a lot more transparent and less subject to behind the scenes unfairness.

Oh, and then after AT&T, along will come Verizon. And if I use Netflix, I'm now also paying Verizon to build out their network, even if I don't use Verizon. Etc.

Network neutrality: every endpoint pays their own freight.

 

[AncientToaster]

That controller looks cheaper than a $5 MadCatz PC controller. I can feel the mushiness of that d-pad and those face buttons under my fingers. I can't imagine playing Mario 64 on that, let alone a fighting game. What a disaster.

 

[zarmanto]

gmerrick[/url]":2jk0ygik]

Quiet Desperation[/url]":2jk0ygik]Er, does the box have a side with the connectors?

Nope. It's all wireless! Including power!

 

[lilo777]

grahamwilliams[/url]":lysg5ctg]The Roku Streaming Stick is half the price and all of the video functionality that anyone actually needs (DLNA, Netflix, YouTube, and Roku's channels).

At this price this is a non-starter. They'll a ton, because ignorance is a beautiful thing.

Unlike Roku (or Apple TV), this box also does gaming which requires much higher specs (CPU, GPU, RAM) and thus pushes the price higher. At $100 the price will not be a factor anyways.

 

[kperrier]

I wonder of Microsoft will have anything to say about ripping off the Xbox controller design.

 

[BadassSailor]

kperrier[/url]":25s4fek2]I wonder of Microsoft will have anything to say about ripping off the Xbox controller design.

I doubt much since their controller ripped off dreamcast.

 

[metro2003]

lilo777[/url]":1nd6mb0m]

metro2003[/url]":1nd6mb0m]that's one ugly piece of plastic...maybe they should invest in a better, more attractive design...
but regardless, I hope it succeeds. nice to see these type of devices becoming more mainstream.

Plastic box - ugly. Aluminum box - beautiful! Same shape, same color, standing on the same shelve. Something is wrong with this logic.

there's absolutely nothing wrong with that logic...I don't get it...what is wrong with having something pleasant to look at??? I like it to fit better in my modern decor and not some eclectic setup...just saying...

 

[zarmanto]

I just noticed that the power input jack appears to be DC: so, no internal power supply. I'm guessing that's how they found the space for a beefier GPU without making it appear to be significantly bigger than an AppleTV.

Which naturally makes me wonder... how big is the power brick?

 

[gmerrick]

beebee[/url]":lzkiymlg]

M-S-G[/url]":lzkiymlg]

zarmanto[/url]":lzkiymlg]Looks like an AppleTV that's simply been squashed a little flatter and a little wider.

- (HBO GO + PBS + Bloomberg)

Liberate yourself. Build your own HTPC. Run XBMC.

Well semi-liberate yourself since you still need windows for silverlight, though silverlight is going away eventually. You could do a decent linux based HTPC if you don't use paid services.

Got XBMC running on the OUYA. next to no footprint and it works better than the WD live box that won't play half the Anime I want to watch on the big screen

 

[solomonrex]

zarmanto[/url]":25enecdk]Looks like an AppleTV that's simply been squashed a little flatter and a little wider.

No, there's prior art here. The monolith from 2001: A Space Odyssey? mmm?

Arthur C Clarke's estate WILL SUE THEM INTO THE STONE AGE! WHERE APES USE BONES AS CONTROLLERS AND SKULLS AS BOXES! AND BEZOS WILL PUT AN APOLOGY ON HIS HOME PAGE!

 

[lilo777]

metro2003[/url]":207fhgel]

lilo777[/url]":207fhgel]

metro2003[/url]":207fhgel]that's one ugly piece of plastic...maybe they should invest in a better, more attractive design...
but regardless, I hope it succeeds. nice to see these type of devices becoming more mainstream.

Plastic box - ugly. Aluminum box - beautiful! Same shape, same color, standing on the same shelve. Something is wrong with this logic.

there's absolutely nothing wrong with that logic...I don't get it...what is wrong with having something pleasant to look at??? I like it to fit better in my modern decor and not some eclectic setup...just saying...

Same shape, same color - they look exactly the same and thus are equally pleasant (or not) to look at. That's what is wrong with this logic. Also, how much pleasure can one get from looking at a black box (literally) aanyways?

 

[Hotel]

edit: I missed the point.

 

[metro2003]

lilo777[/url]":4q8brjca]

metro2003[/url]":4q8brjca]

lilo777[/url]":4q8brjca]

metro2003[/url]":4q8brjca]that's one ugly piece of plastic...maybe they should invest in a better, more attractive design...
but regardless, I hope it succeeds. nice to see these type of devices becoming more mainstream.

Plastic box - ugly. Aluminum box - beautiful! Same shape, same color, standing on the same shelve. Something is wrong with this logic.

there's absolutely nothing wrong with that logic...I don't get it...what is wrong with having something pleasant to look at??? I like it to fit better in my modern decor and not some eclectic setup...just saying...

Same shape, same color - they look exactly the same and thus are equally pleasant (or not) to look at. That's what is wrong with this logic. Also, how much pleasure can one get from looking at a black box (literally) aanyways?

I don't know if you noticed, but there's also a gaming controller and a remote control in the setup as well. you'll be holding those in your hand for a quite some time...I rather have it made of some nicer materials than that ugly plastic...and I clearly didn't say it has to be made of aluminum, just not that textured plastic they're using now...

 

[sigzero]

lilo777[/url]":9rn1z8q8]

metro2003[/url]":9rn1z8q8]that's one ugly piece of plastic...maybe they should invest in a better, more attractive design...
but regardless, I hope it succeeds. nice to see these type of devices becoming more mainstream.

Plastic box - ugly. Aluminum box - beautiful! Same shape, same color, standing on the same shelve. Something is wrong with this logic.

It's not the same shape. Unless you mean they are both "square". The Apple TV has rounded corners and is definitely more pleasing to look at. Which one does what you want? That will be the question.

 

[zarmanto]

lilo777[/url]":2uv2mrzq]... Also, how much pleasure can one get from looking at a black box (literally) aanyways?

I suppose that depends upon what that black box can do for you.

Edit: image removed at source host's request.

 

[famousringo]

The box itself is terminally dull. That's fine, its job is to hide under a TV and pretend it doesn't exist.

The controller and remote look super cheap and ugly, though. Almost as cheap and ugly as Roku hardware.

 

[glap1922]

zarmanto[/url]":1wweegr7]

lilo777[/url]":1wweegr7]... Also, how much pleasure can one get from looking at a black box (literally) aanyways?

I suppose that depends upon what that black box can do for you.

Wait a minute. The "Elders of the Internet"? The Elders of the Internet know who I am? You've got to let me have it!

Edit: image removed at source host's request.

 

[jjankechu]

I can't wait for @siracusa to weigh in on this controller.

 

[xMerc280x]

Is it me, or does that controller smell of Xbox dimensions and button layout?

 

[kylector]

I would like to read a comparison of the YouTube functionality vs Apple TV YouTube. I think the ATV leaves a lot to be desired. Like: search, browsing channel subscriptions (it shows the original name, not the "nice & current" name of the channel), and playing one video right after another. It's dumb to show channel names like "theone" rather than "Science One" or whatever it's actually called. Further, if I'm watching a YouTube "channel", why does it stop after each video? Why not play the next episode? That's how TV channels work.

 

[lilo777]

xMerc280x[/url]":2g89qr1l]Is it me, or does that controller smell of Xbox dimensions and button layout?

It also smells of the human hand "layout"

 

[Iskabibble]

Why in the flying hell does anyone care the shape or look of any of these little boxes?? Pretty sure fashion is not their purpose. Mine are clipped on the BACK of the TV's..out of sight , out of mind.
If you really are still in the 1982 entertainment center mode of thinking then sure.. that little box on display on your top shelf won't impress the girls.. it's true.
Pretty sure function is the only goal. Not sure how stylish the power brick is either. Could be a deal breaker for some of you.
Dim the lights and get on with your life. The girls might like you better that way too.

 

[Rabbiddog]

zarmanto[/url]":265pxni4]I just noticed that the power input jack appears to be DC: so, no internal power supply. I'm guessing that's how they found the space for a beefier GPU without making it appear to be significantly bigger than an AppleTV.

Which naturally makes me wonder... how big is the power brick?

Shouldn't be too big considering it's using the older Qualcomm 8064 (SnapDragon 600) that was used in many of last years feature phones.

 

[Ghentalicious]

Iskabibble[/url]":nrhnq30d]Why in the flying hell does anyone care the shape or look of any of these little boxes?? Pretty sure fashion is not their purpose. Mine are clipped on the BACK of the TV's..out of sight , out of mind.
If you really are still in the 1982 entertainment center mode of thinking then sure.. that little box on display on your top shelf won't impress the girls.. it's true.
Pretty sure function is the only goal. Not sure how stylish the power brick is either. Could be a deal breaker for some of you.
Dim the lights and get on with your life. The girls might like you better that way too.

I travel a lot. I like watching content without having to bring a laptop with me everywhere. I have a limited amount of space in my carry-on. Size matters.