Video calls are coming to your living room thanks to a new partnership between Amazon and Zoom.
The video conferencing giant has revealed that its platform will now be available on Amazon Fire TV sets just in time for family calls over Christmas.
The Fire TV Omni Series will let users start and join Zoom meetings, with users in the US and Canada able to enjoy the service from today.
Webcams essential
Amazon revealed its first own-branded Fire TV sets in September 2021, looking to target customers looking for more affordable hardware.
Zoom was mentioned as one of the initial apps set to be bundled with the devices, however it has been missing until now – marking the first time the company has released an app for a smart TV.
However, as there is no camera built in to the TVs themselves – you'll need to get a webcam to actually be able to carry out any Zoom calls.
Luckily, Amazon has some ideas on what webcams you can use – namely, any of the Logitech C920, C922x or C310 (although it does say any webcam offering “720p-1080p” should be compatible).
Once you're all set up, the Zoom app can be downloaded from the Fire TV Appstore, and accessed with your usual logins.
If you've got your microphone turned on, you can use Alexa to join a zoom meeting with the command “Alexa, join my zoom meeting.”
Amazon notes that the Zoom app will only use audio from your TV speakers, meaning that users won't be able to pair with a soundbar or speakers just yet.
The news comes shortly after Zoom doubled down on its pledge to stick around even after the pandemic has ended. The company said it can play an important role in the post-pandemic world, mainly through helping facilitate and encourage hybrid working as employees look to split their time between the office and a more comfortable home environment.
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