Amazon’s Fire TV Edition smart TVs, which were created in collaboration with Best Buy, have always focused on the very affordable end of the market, with dozens of models that cost well under $500. But today’s announcement of the partnership’s first quantum dot-based 4K HDR model — the Insignia F50 — represents the beginning of what might be a move up-market for smart TVs that are powered by Amazon’s Fire TV software.
The Insignia F50 starts at $600 for a 50-inch model, making it the most expensive Fire TV Edition model of that size. It will be available later this year along with these additional sizes:
Previous Insignia models like the F30 have offered 4K resolution and support for HDR10, and the latest Toshiba C350 Fire TV Edition model upped that standard by adding Dolby Vision compatibility too. But neither of these models had a quantum dot-based display, so their brightness and color accuracy weren’t as good as competing Roku TV or Android TV models from TCL and Hisense.
The F50 might level the playing field. Quantum dots are used in LED TVs to achieve a much purer white light from the TV’s backlight without sacrificing brightness. The result is typically much better color accuracy, a larger color volume, and better vibrancy. It supports HDR10 and Dolby Vision — but curiously, not HDR10+, a dynamic HDR format that competes with Dolby Vision which Amazon supports via its Prime Video streaming service.
The F50 series also gets Alexa access via the included voice remote control and audio is enhanced with DTS Virtual:X technology for a more immersive sound experience. Speaking of audio, HDMI eARC is supported and all four HDMI ports work with auto low-latency mode (ALLM), the other supported HDMI 2.1 feature.
But what might make the Insignia F50 even more compelling to buyers is the intriguing arrangement Amazon and Best Buy have created for buying the TV. You’ll be able to shop for it on Amazon, but then opt to pick it up within an hour at any of the Best Buy locations in the U.S. The two companies launched this option for a single Fire TV model in December 2020, but you can now buy any Fire TV Edition model (including the new F50) this way.
