Amazon Fire TV gets updated universal remote that can control most TV brands

LOS ANGELES –The Amazon Alexa Voice remote, which can control most manufacturers TVs, is now being bundled with the Fire TV Stick streaming player.

The remote itself was available as a $29.99 item, while the Fire TV Stick bundle, with a remote that didn't control other TVs, was $39.99.

For now, you can still buy the stand-alone Fire TV remote, at half price, $14.99, "while supplies last," says Amazon.

The Amazon universal remote has power and volume controls, and can also control other audio video equipment, like sound bars and receivers, says Amazon. Caveat: The devices need to be IR-enabled. 

The bundle begins shipping on Jan. 23.

The remote is compatible with Fire TV Stick, Fire TV Stick 4K and Fire TV Cube products. Beyond controlling TVs, the device uses Alexa to find and control TV shows and movies with voice.

There are more than 30 million active users on Fire TV; its rival Roku has a lower entry price, $24.99, than Amazon. 

Roku, the maker of the most popular video streaming box has about 32.4 percent market share, according to market researcher eMarketer, compared to 26.6 percent for Amazon and 13.2 percent for Apple TV.

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