Amazon’s previously announced Ember Artline series of TVs is coming to Canada on April 22, starting at $1,249.99. The company has officially opened up preorders for the new displays, and iPhone in Canada had the chance to see it in person.
First debuted at CES, the Amazon Ember Artline is the company’s take on a framed-art TV display, designed to be wall-mounted in a living room or other entertainment space in the home. Not only is the Ember Artline designed to stream your favourite shows and movies and tap into cloud gaming services, but it also acts as a curated art gallery. This is quite similar to Samsung’s Frame TV.
During a behind-closed-doors hands-on preview, I had the opportunity to see the Ember Artline. At the top level, the new series of displays arrives in both 55-inch and 65-inch options. Both sport a 4K QLED display with Dolby Vision support and HDR10+. Amazon also includes Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth support as well.
Amazon’s Ember Artline ships in 10 different frame styles. This includes Ash, Black Oak, Midnight Blue, Fig, Matte White, Teak, Walnut, Pale Gold, Silver, and Graphite. When hung on a wall, the Ember Artline isn’t distracting and doesn’t stick out like a thumb. With a curated frame, it looks like a natural piece of art on a wall. The display is only 1.5 inches thick, minimizing the amount it sticks out from the wall. Plus, as a smart TV, the only cord you have to worry about is the power cable, which can be hidden behind the wall or with a cable cover.
While offering a QLED viewing experience, the Ember Artline displays come with a matte finish across the screen, designed to reduce glare. The matte finish also helps it feel like a framed piece of art whenever a static image from the gallery is on screen. Thus, the Ember Artline won’t replace a gorgeous OLED display in your home. Colours are a bit muted, and the QLED display’s contrast can’t compare. Instead, the Ember Artline is meant to complement your home.
Amazon is powering its Ember Artline with its Omnisense Technology. Leveraging the sensor built into the bottom of the display, the Ember Artline runs an ambient experience. So, the display can detect when users are in or out of the room and adjust the display accordingly. When users walk into a room, the Ember Artline turns on a work of art for display in a snap. Once it’s determined that no one is in the space, the display turns off to save energy.
Amazon includes over 2,000 works of art within its gallery. Unlike other framed art TVs, Amazon lets you use all pieces without an active subscription. This adds a unique spin to the Ember Artline series. I was able to scroll through what feels like a near-endless catalogue of art to find pieces that fit the room’s vibe or aesthetic. Needing some inspiration, I used a phone to get recommended pieces. In my hands-on demo, I was able to take photos of the room and receive a series of on-screen recommendations. As someone who gets paralyzed when given too many options, this boils the options down to make it easier.
Alternatively, you can upload photos to the Amazon Photos app and display them on the Ember Artline. This could be a great perk for anyone showing off a collection of photos from a recent vacation to family members. Amazon also confirmed that you can remotely set up a folder in the Amazon Photos app and upload images periodically, so if you’re on vacation, those at home can add new photos taken with the Ember Artline and stay up to date on new experiences. With Alexa+, users can say “Bring up photos of our hike,” and the Ember Artline will play a slideshow of curated photos from that hike.
Over the course of an hour or so, seeing the Ember Artline felt like a familiar experience. Amazon isn’t necessarily reinventing the framed-art TV experience, but is putting its flag in this sector of displays. It’s not necessarily a bad thing to keep it relatively safe, especially when this kind of TV is already a niche product for the home.
There is one thing Amazon has up its sleeve to further bolster its Ember Artline: the new Fire TV experience. The Fire TV software is getting a refresh this year, making it easier to access your favourite shows and movies. This is a long-awaited refresh, as I feel the current Fire TV UI is a bit cumbersome. Within the new software, users can pin more apps and browse content categories more easily. Navigating between tabs and options feels faster and more responsive. The Menu button on the remote now pulls up Games, Art & Photos and the Ambient Experience options more quickly.
From an accessibility standpoint, the new software includes the ability to increase the size of text and UI. This isn’t a traditional magnifying glass option that blows up a portion of the screen to make it easier to read. This option scales the entire UI to make text, images and navigational menus easier to read. It’s a nice addition that’s going to go a long way, not only for those who are hard of seeing but also for those who are using a display in a larger room.
The new Fire TV UI isn’t exclusive to the Ember Artline. The new UI also rolls out to Fire TV Stick 4K Plus, Fire TV Stick 4K Max (Gen-2), and Fire TV Omni Mini-LED Series displays in Canada this year.
There’s a lot to like about Amazon’s Ember Artline. If you’ve been in the market for a framed art TV and are already in the Amazon ecosystem, it kind of seems like a no-brainer. With Alexa+ integrations, introducing the gallery display into the home to complement a room can go a long way. With no tacked-on subscriptions for accessible art pieces, Amazon has a leg up on the competition despite its safe approach.
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