Amazon isn’t in the business of creating super-premium TVs. Instead, it offers budget-friendly options that are easy to use for watching streaming services and media. As you might expect, its Fire TV lineup works especially well with Amazon services.
In that respect, you won’t find any Fire TVs that compete with high-end models from companies such as Samsung or Sony. It’s also worth noting that home theater enthusiasts probably won’t be satisfied with an Amazon TV. These TVs work best for people who are inexperienced with electronics or those who would rather not bother with a fancy, complicated TV.
It’s one of the most affordable and straightforward smart TVs available today. It can accept Full HD signals even though it only produces 720p resolution. It’s not ideal for large rooms but it will work well in tighter spaces, like the kitchen.
My initial impression was that the TV was very small and lightweight, making it easy for one person to handle and move around. Even though it wasn’t very heavy, the body, screen, input ports and remote all felt sturdy. It clearly isn’t a premium device, but it doesn’t feel shabby or insubstantial.
The unboxing and initial setup process for the Insignia Smart TV was extremely simple. After taking the TV out of the box and removing the protective film, all I had to do was screw the feet to the bottom with the included screws. Note that you will need your own Phillips head screwdriver to add the feet to the TV.
After turning it on, I had to sign into a Wi-Fi network and log into my Amazon account. Both these steps worked on the first try with no issues. Next, the TV downloaded the latest software update and restarted a couple of times. This whole process took six or seven minutes with fast internet, but it was all automatic.
From there, I had to sign into each app I wanted to use. It didn’t take me too much time, but it might take longer if you use various apps consistently. Either way, the interface and remote were both responsive, so it wasn’t difficult. I definitely got the impression that even smart TV beginners shouldn’t have any trouble setting things up.
Overall, I found the user interface and remote to be clean and snappy. Sometimes apps took a while to load on the first try, but they loaded fairly quickly on following uses. I didn’t have much trouble navigating the menus, and the few times I did get lost, Alexa offered the help I needed.
I knew going in that voice controls can sometimes be finicky, but the Insignia Fire TV implements Alexa pretty well. It was intuitive for me because I’ve used Alexa quite a bit in the past. After holding down the button, hearing the tone and giving the command, it consistently led me to the right place. It didn’t even have any issues when I didn’t enunciate very well.
While its resolution is only 720p, the picture looks clear and sharp on its 24 inches. Overall, the image quality was actually better than I expected. The color depth and contrast were both great, with vivid highlights and surprisingly deep blacks. It’s not on the level of a high-end TV, of course, but it looks great for the price.
This TV is a streamlined and affordable way to watch your favorite content without investing in a huge 4K TV. This also makes it a good choice for spaces other than your living room, such as a bedroom. One of the best things about it is the streamlined experience and compatibility with user-friendly services such as Prime Video and Amazon Luna.
Formerly, Insignia manufactured all Fire TVs and had Insignia branding. The Omni lineup is the first set of TVs with Amazon’s name proudly stamped on the side. This might seem minor, but it does indicate that Amazon takes its new venture into TV hardware seriously.
Like its 24-inch relative, don’t expect it to blow you out of the water with its performance. It should, however, provide a good viewing experience for nearly any type of content.
Setup was simple. All I had to do was connect my Amazon Prime account and follow some step-by-step instructions. Initial configuration can be intimidating for people without much tech experience, but Amazon has made this process as easy as possible.
If you use a lot of third-party apps, you might find the experience a little cumbersome from time to time. By contrast, it’s a breeze to access Prime content (such as a Prime Video subscription) from the homepage. While the interface isn’t identical to the Insignia F20, the general experience is similar.
Once you’re set up, it may take some time to find and manage your favorite apps. Once you’ve downloaded and logged in, your most frequently used apps will stay pinned at the top of the navigation. Finding new apps and downloading apps to your Fire TV also takes some getting used to, but that’s pretty common with smart TVs.
Once again, Alexa comes through with guidance whenever you have trouble finding a feature or app. In fact, Alexa is one of the most convenient features of this model. It makes for remarkably straightforward voice control of nearly any aspect of the TV, including hard-to-find settings.
The image quality is great for the price. It won’t win any awards and doesn’t support premium technologies such as HDR, but if you’re replacing an older TV, the Amazon Omni TV will look significantly better.
I did notice better performance for visually lighter content. Cinematic content, especially movies with dark color palettes, didn’t look particularly remarkable. The black levels weren’t incredibly deep, and the contrast level left a bit to be desired in dark scenes. Nonetheless, it looked at least as good as the other affordable TVs I’ve used.
Gaming on the Omni Fire TV was a mixed bag. Some games I tried looked fine, but fast-moving content like a first-person shooter game needs more responsive refresh rates. If you only play those kinds of action games occasionally, you probably won’t notice any issues.
If you haven’t upgraded your TV in a while and don’t want to learn a complex user interface, consider the Omni Fire TV. It’s a worthwhile, budget-friendly choice, but it’s not meant for image quality sticklers or demanding gamers.
If you want a large-format, 4K TV for watching popular movies and TV shows, the Amazon Omni series is an impressive and affordable option. Alternatively, the Insignia F20 is perfect for when you need a compact HDTV, like in a bedroom, kitchen or RV.
There are several other reasonably priced TVs that should be on your list, too.
This TV offers shockingly good image quality for the price. It actually performs better than a few TVs that cost more.
Sold by Amazon
This lineup from industry leader LG stands apart from most due to its in-plane switching technology. IPS panels offer consistent colors from edge to edge, great motion handling and wide viewing angles. This makes them excellent for watching sports and other fast-paced action shows.
Sold by Amazon
When it comes to image quality, this TV sits right between the F20 and Omni series. It’s also one of the more affordable 4K TVs out there.
Sold by Amazon
This is a great entry-level TV. It might not wow you with a bunch of advanced technology, but Samsung is known for creating solid, affordable TVs that make movies look great.
Sold by Amazon
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Chris Thomas writes for BestReviews. BestReviews has helped millions of consumers simplify their purchasing decisions, saving them time and money.
