As you may have heard, Amazon stepped onto the streaming video device stage in a huge way today with the unveiling of their $99 Fire TV, their new set-top box.
At launch, Amazon Fire TV boasts a bunch of third-party apps alongside its own Amazon Prime Instant Video-including Netflix, Hulu, Showtime Anytime, Pandora, and Watch ESPN. But there is one incredibly popular streaming video app that is absent from the Fire TV’s launch list…
HBO Go.
Yep, at least for now, there’s no HBO Go app on the Fire TV. They did know that they launched this thing a few days before the new season of Game of Thrones, correct?
In reality, this shouldn’t be too much of a shocker to anyone. HBO Go is notoriously slow to appear on many a streaming device. Amazon Fire TV will eventually get HBO Go-it’s simply too popular of a service to exclude from your app lineup. But at least for the time being, Amazon Fire TV purchasers are going to have to live without HBO’s superior content.
Unless, of course, they simply choose to buy it from Amazon Instant Video. I guess this is what Amazon is suggesting, considering their Fire TV product page is littered with visual references to HBO shows like Game of Thrones and Girls.
I’m doubting a lack of HBO Go will be a complete dealbreaker for many prospective buyers, but it is a pretty big omission. If you simply can’t live without HBO content and are in the market for a streaming device, Google’s Chromecast, at just $35, looks like a more attractive option at this point.
Image via Game of Thrones, Facebook