Highlights
- Amazon discontinuing Fire TV Blaster support from January 31, rendering devices completely unusable.
- UK customers receiving automatic £34.99 gift card refunds and discount offers on Fire TV Cube.
- Move marks first time Amazon has disabled perfectly functioning smart home device despite previous discontinuations.
Amazon has announced it will permanently disable its Fire TV Blaster accessory from January 31, marking the first time the tech giant has rendered a fully functioning smart home device unusable.
The company is emailing customers to inform them that support for the infrared device will be phased out, leaving the gadget completely non-functional.
An email to owners states "In the coming weeks, support for Fire TV Blaster will be discontinued, and the device will stop working."
The Fire TV Blaster emits infrared signals to TV sets, soundbars and satellite boxes, allowing Fire TV Stick owners to add hands-free voice control similar to that built into a Fire TV Cube.
Amazon stopped selling the Fire TV Blaster last year after six years on the market. The device received modest reviews, averaging 3.8 stars from 3,600 Amazon reviews.
UK customers will automatically receive a gift card for the full £34.99 purchase price of the Blaster, appearing in their accounts within 24 hours.
Customers also have the option to return their soon-to-be non-functioning Blaster to Amazon for recycling.
First device shutdown
While Amazon has discontinued products previously, this represents the first time the company has completely disabled a working device. The tiny Echo Flex smart speaker, for example, was discontinued in 2021 but continues to function.
Amazon stated there is less need for the Blaster as a standalone infrared device given advance in Fire TV products.
The Blaster discontinuation comes as Amazon intensifies efforts to combat so-called 'dodgy' Fire TV Sticks that enable users to illegally stream paid content.
According to a YouGov poll, some 1.5 m adults have illegally streamed content in the past six months using jailbroken Amazon Fire TV Sticks.
Police have carried out raids to identify people bootlegging content, while Amazon collaborates with anti-piracy groups to detect unofficial apps on its stores.
Users of modified or 'modded' sticks now receive warnings when accessing illegal apps.
