I tested Amazon's Mini LED Fire TV, and it competes with more expensive Samsung and LG models

ZDNET's key takeaways

• The Amazon Omni Mini-LED (2024) delivers a stellar picture and intense audio.
• Wi-Fi 6E capability and a 144Hz refresh rate help optimize it for gameplay.
• The remote response and load times seemed a bit sticky.

My two foremost considerations for buying a smart TV are price range and performance. Is it within my budget, and how does it stack up to competitors? Assessing those two factors alone can help determine the value you're getting for your purchase.

Also: Mini LED vs. OLED: What's the difference, and which TV should you buy?

While the 2024 Amazon Fire TV Omni Mini-LED is not a budget model, it's impressive enough to give higher-end, more expensive televisions a run for their money. I tested the 65-inch version at our ZDNET lab -- while surveying the picture quality and experience of other, more premium sets -- to give you this breakdown.

What's new with this model

Amazon's latest iteration in the Fire 4K TV Omni series ambitiously combines the precise control of brightness and contrast of mini-LED backlighting with the vibrant colors and wide viewing angles of QLED. That, plus its picture-enhancing Dolby Vision IQ and HDR10+ Adaptive features, results in images with superb depth and detail.

In addition to these visual improvements, Amazon upgraded its audio potential from a pair of 12W speakers to a 2.1 system, meaning it added a subwoofer to complement the Omni Mini-LED's left and right speakers. This better equips the TV to make the most of its Dolby Atmos technology and create a spatial, three-dimensional surround sound experience.

Also: Changing these 5 soundbar settings made my living room feel like a movie theater

The Omni Mini-LED also has better Wi-Fi support than older models, now able to operate on Wi-Fi 6E. Besides futureproofing, this allows for faster data rates if your router is compatible. (The Amazon Eero Pro is a ZDNET-recommended option, and now it has a new model available.)

Adam Breeden/ZDNET

Speaking of accelerated processing, it shouldn't come as a surprise that this is Amazon's fastest Fire TV ever. The Omni Mini-LED features a tantalizing 144Hz refresh rate for hardcore gamers, and PC gamers especially can take advantage of AMD FreeSync Premium Pro to smooth out gameplay and reduce latency. While we're seeing more premium sets hit the 165Hz rating, 144Hz is still a significant step up from the 60Hz we typically see on mid-range TVs.

Further, the Fire TV now has two HDMI 2.1 ports in case you'd like to connect devices beyond your Xbox or PlayStation console. It also comes with two HDMI 2.0 ports, an ethernet connection, and an eARC port for a soundbar or peripheral speakers.

Also: The best TVs of 2024: Expert tested and reviewed

Three features stand out that separate the Omni Mini-LED from lower-end options: motion detection, hands-free operation, and its Ambient Experience, which, according to Amazon, "turns your TV into an all-day useful display."

Motion detection is a sweet addition because the TV's integrated radar sensor will notice motion in the room to wake up the unit when idle, displaying a customized screen saver and preferred widgets, like weather information. This feature is part of its Ambient Experience -- a mode in which you can use AI to create your own art to display 24/7, if you so wish. I asked it, for example, to create a "bioluminescent coral seascape." Here is what the AI came up with.

A sample of the Omni Mini-LED's generative AI artwork.

Chris Bayer/ZDNET

The hands-free Alexa feature allows you to search for and launch your desired content (and also adjust volume) without even touching the remote. If you don't want your smart TV to hear everything you say, you can turn this off via a manual switch buried at the bottom of the unit's frame. Or, holding down the single blue button on the remote allows you to communicate your requests more discreetly. 

Setup and performance

The Omni Mini-LED's initial setup required jumping through the usual hoops: setting up Wi-Fi, adding apps, opting in or out for Amazon-specific ad features, and so on. One of the first options while setting up included changing the default Picture Mode to a different mode for better picture quality. Do this. 

Making the switch only invokes a minor increase in power consumption, which adds up to spending a few more pennies per month, so it's worth it. I tried all the picture options and found "Movie Bright" looks best on the Omni Mini-LED. Notably, the Netflix app wasn't an available option in the initial setup, but when I logged into my Prime account, it included all the apps I downloaded there. That process, after attaching the unit's two metal feet to its base, was fairly swift and breezy.

Also: LG's G4 OLED TV is my pick for best picture quality, and it's $800 off for the holiday season

With Prime's extensive library at my fingertips, I chose to watch Outer Range (in 4K) to get a first impression. And I was impressed by its 1,400 nits of peak brightness and 768 dimming zones which yield a sharp, bright picture and superb contrast, even in a well-lit room. As I always do when setting up a TV for testing, I experimented with the Omni Mini-LED's settings to maximize (in this case) its QLED potential.

It's interesting to note that its UX allows access to settings with two different menus: one from the Home screen, and one within each app. For example, pressing the remote's gear icon Settings button while watching a movie gives you limited menu options compared with clicking on the gear icon from the Home screen.

Adam Breeden/ZDNET

Navigating through the options, I turned on AI Picture and Adaptive Brightness under the "Intelligent Picture" option. This purportedly adapts the picture according to your room's current light and color, and the AI upscaling will fine-tune details to keep high-res images sharp. Under Advanced Picture Settings, I further turned on Super Resolution and set both Edge Enhancer and Noise Reduction on high.

Also: Changing these 6 TV settings instantly sped up its performance

The Omni Mini-LED's native volume is intense, partly thanks to the inclusion of that subwoofer upgrade. Dolby Atmos support and its new 2.1 speaker system also help bring richness and clarity to the sound. While testing, I was more than comfortable with the volume set at 23 out of 100. For comparison, I often need to push the volume on my 2018 Samsung up to 70+ to get comprehensible dialogue. For this Omni TV, in the Advanced audio settings, I found the option called Clear Voice to be best, and I went ahead and turned on Volume Leveler: High.

With these settings in place, I was satisfied that I was getting the most out of the Omni Mini-LED in terms of sound and vision.

Adam Breeden/ZDNET

Overall, I only have a couple of minor gripes, and they are persnickety. The network speed at our lab checks out at a respectable 130 Mbps. Despite that, I found the load times lagged a bit when switching between shows and apps, implicating the Fire TV OS as dragging its feet. With a strong Wi-Fi signal, I was surprised to see what was ostensibly buffering between transitions.

My other gripe is even more nitpicky. I noticed a delay in the TV's response to pressing any button on the remote. Granted, we're talking about a matter of one or two seconds. If you're impatient like me, though, you might be tempted to hit a button twice when you don't get an instant, immediate response, toggling you back to where you were. This drives me crazy, but I know it's no big deal.

ZDNET's buying advice

Looking for a mid-range TV that rivals brands with a higher price tag but similar qualities? The Omni Mini-LED is a worthy contender at its list price of $1,089. It offers convincing upgrades from prior Fire TV models and exceeds the needs of many viewers and game players with its lofty specs.

If you're keen on Google TVs, consider the Hisense Class U8 -- the company's flagship version of a mini-LED panel. ZDNET's Taylor Clemons suggests it may eclipse the Omni Mini-LED in terms of gaming performance, but its list price is generally higher when not on sale.

Specifications (compared to competitors)

How we test TVs

While testing and researching the TVs featured on this list, I and other ZDNET experts kept these criteria in mind:

• Price: Not all budgets are created equal. And if you're working with a limited budget, that shouldn't mean you have to settle for a sub-par TV. Each TV model on this list has been chosen across a variety of price points to help accommodate different needs.
• Screen size: The most important factor to consider, after price, when shopping for a new TV is whether or not it will fit into your space. Each best TV on this list was chosen because they are available in a wide variety of sizes to suit different rooms.
• Picture and audio quality: A new TV doesn't mean much, even if it costs an arm and a leg, if it doesn't provide a great picture and clear audio. Each TV on this list has been ensured to support various HDR codecs, including HDR10+ and Dolby Vision, as well as enhanced audio software like Dolby Atmos, Dolby Digital Plus, and object-tracking sound.

For a more detailed look, check out our extensive TV testing methodology.