Amazon’s recently released Fire TV set-top box got disappointing reviews on Monday after buyers discovered its voice-recognition software is partial to Amazon content.
Fire TV got a rating of 3.5 stars (out of 5) among reviewers on Jeff Bezos’ Amazon.com amid concerns that voice command will only return results from Amazon Prime — even if you have downloaded the Hulu or Netflix app.
Shares fell 1.6 percent, to $317.76; since last Tuesday, they are off 7.5 percent.
“It’s a tough pill to call up a search for content you own and only be presented with purchase options from Amazon,” said reviewer Jim Long, who gave the device 2 stars.
An Amazon spokeswoman said the company is working on adding more apps that can be called up via voice activation. (It’s already added Vevo.)
In launching Fire TV last Wednesday, the company promised that its set-top box would be faster and easier than the competition, including Apple TV, Roku and Google’s Chromecast.