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David Katzmaier/CNET
Sling TV officially launched Monday to Roku, Android, iOS and computers, and four days later the service has come to a whole new TV-based platform: Amazon Fire TV.
The app is available now on both the $99 Fire TV box , and the $40 Fire TV Stick , providing a big-screen alternative to Roku for people interested in trying the Internet TV service.
The $50 Roku Streaming Stick was previously the least expensive TV-based device you could buy that allowed access to Sling TV, but that honor is now bestowed upon the Fire TV stick. At least until the promised support for the $35 Chromecast appears.
Speaking of cheap, both Amazon and Roku have competing promotions going on right now. Prepay for three months of Sling TV ($60) and you can choose between a free stick (Fire TV Stick or Roku Streaming Stick) or a $50 box (Fire TV or Roku 3).
Me, I’d take the Roku 3 deal, but all of the devices have their merits.
Sling TV’s blog post also mentions a “special Amazon offer for Sling TV” for people who download the app to their Fire TV devices. I did so, and it appears that the offer is a free 14-day trial of the service. Other devices offer a seven-day free trial.
I expect the Fire TV apps, both stick and box, to perform just as smoothly as the Roku 3 — and better than the sluggish performance of Sling on the Roku Stick — but I won’t know until I complete hands-on testing of the app on both Amazon devices later today.
In the meantime if you have any questions, let me know in comments.
