Amazon is pulling the plug on the Fire TV Recast, a DVR that allows cord-cutters to record and watch shows tuned in by an over-the-air TV antenna.
AFTVnews first reported that Amazon might be discontinuing the Fire TV Recast.
Contacted by TechHive, an Amazon spokesperson confirmed the news, noting that “we are focusing our effects and resources on other Fire TV devices:”
We are constantly evaluating our product and service offerings to best serve the evolving needs of our customers. Many of the features offered by the Recast are now available through other apps on Fire TV, and we are focusing our efforts and resources on other Fire TV devices and services that provide great value to our customers.
The 1TB, four-tuner version of the Fire TV Recast is still on sale through Amazon (for $204.99, a 27-percent discount), but just “for a limited time…while supplies last,” the Amazon rep said.
Meanwhile, the 500GB Fire TV Recast with two tuners is now available only via third-party retailers.
A key factor for anyone who wants to snap up a discounted Fire TV Recast, however, is whether Amazon will continue to support the device, which relies on an electronic programming guide for navigating live TV shows.
Amazon’s website states that it will continue to offer software security updates for the Fire TV Recast at least through 2026, but that obviously doesn’t cover any program guide. I’ve reached out to Amazon for clarification on this point, and will update this story when I hear back.
First released in 2018, the Fire TV Recast is a DVR that works with Amazon’s Fire TV players and TVs as well as Echo Show displays, and it responds to Alexa voice commands.
While typical DVRs plug directly into a TV, the Fire TV Recast streams live and recorded video to Fire TV and Echo Show devices, allowing you to put the Recast box anywhere in your house within reach of a coax cable connected to an antenna.
In our 2018 review, we called the Fire TV Recast “the most mainstream attempt yet at over-the-air DVR,” benefiting from both Amazon’s “simple and polished software” as well as the lack of a monthly subscription fee.
That said, the Fire TV Recast’s tight integration with other Fire TV devices is a double-edged sword, as the device won’t work with Roku, Apple TV, Chromecast, or other third-party streaming devices.
Amazon never released a follow-up to the original Fire TV Recast, and as AFTVnews notes, a key missing feature “once considered” by Amazon–the ability to skip commercials–never materialized.
Editor’s note: The author’s spouse is an Amazon Prime Video staffer.
Author: Ben Patterson, Senior Writer
Ben has been writing about technology and consumer electronics for more than 20 years. A PCWorld contributor since 2014, Ben joined TechHive in 2019, where he covers smart speakers, soundbars, and other smart and home-theater devices. You can follow Ben on Twitter.