Amazon Fire TV Cube to turn your TV into a Smart TV

Amazon fire TV CubeWould you like to turn your old TV into a Smart TV or simply enrich the one you have? The Amazon Fire TV Cube is a good option and with something more than the other Fire Stick series: the Fire TV Cube is also an Amazon Echo smart speaker . From now on, you can use voice commands to ask Alexa to turn on your TV and navigate it, all using just your voice.

In recent months, the second generation of the device has arrived in Italy with a more performing processor and support for the HDR 10+ standard.

Introducing Fire TV Cube | Voice-controlled streaming media player via Alexa and 4K Ultra HD

Introducing Fire TV Cube | Voice-controlled streaming media player via Alexa and 4K Ultra HD

  • The Fire TV Cube is the fastest and most powerful Fire TV device ever and allows you to enjoy your favorite movies and TV shows quickly and without interruption.
  • Control compatible soundbars and A / V receivers and switch inputs using your voice.
  • Ask Alexa to turn on the TV, dim the lights, and play the content you want to watch from across the room as well.
  • Thanks to the powerful hexa-core processor, enjoy access to compatible content in 4K Ultra HD, Dolby Vision, HDR and HDR10 +. Dolby Atmos format is available for select Prime Video and Netflix content.
  • Watch your favorite content from Prime Video, Netflix, YouTube, DAZN, Infinity, RaiPlay, and many other services (separate subscription may be required).

Amazon Fire TV Cube 2nd generation: all the power of an Amazon Echo with Alexa

Amazon Fire TV Cube is a fast and versatile streaming device to play movies and shows without interruption. Thanks to the 8 microphones built into the top of the device, the Fire TV Cube will be able to hear you no matter which direction your voice is coming from. You will be able to control the volume, turn the TV on or off or any other operation you would do with a classic remote control . You can also control the TV without speaking thanks to the Alexa remote control included in the package.

With Alexa you can not only control your TV but also take advantage of the usual features of an Amazon Echo even when the TV is off . Ask Alexa what the weather is like today, set a timer or remind you of something. As you would with the classic Amazon Echo, you can also control your compatible smart devices: turn the light on or off, watch live images from a camera or play music in a Multi-Room Music group.

How does the Amazon Fire TV Cube work?

In order to work with the Amazon Fire TV Cube , your TV must support the minimum HDCP requirements for playing protected content. Amazon Fire TV Cube is compatible with :

  • 4K Ultra HD TVs with HDMI input supporting 2160p format at 24/25/30/50/60 Hz and HDCP 2.2;
  • HD TV with HDMI input that support 1080p or 720p at 50/60 Hz.

Thanks to the powerful hexa-core processor, you can have access to content in 4K Ultra HD, Dolby Vision, HDR and HDR10 + . In fact, it reaches 4K at 60 fps with HDR 10+. The Dolby Atmos format, however, is available for select Prime Video and Netflix content.

Among the technical specifications we find the following: the processor inside the device, as we said before, is a hexa-core, more specifically a quad core 2.2 GHz + dual core 1.9 Ghz. How GPU, instead, we find a G52 Mali-MP2. The device has 16 GB of storage and 2 GB of RAM. In addition to 802.11 WI-FI, Fire TV Cube allows a Bluetooth 5.0 + LE connection.

Package Contents

The package contains:

  • Amazon Fire TV Cube : at the top, satin, you will find the Alexa button, volume +, volume – and the button to mute the microphone. Behind this imperfect cube (in fact the dimensions are 86.1 x 86.1 x 76.9 mm), however, you will find the connector for the power supply, the HDMI port, the one for the IR extension (i.e. infrared technology , very useful for controlling all devices connected to the TV via the Amazon Fire TV remote control) and a microUSB / Ethernet port (100 mbps);
  • Alexa remote control
  • Two AAA batteries for the remote control
  • The power supply
  • An Ethernet adapter
  • An IR extension cable (very useful if we want to place the device behind other devices or inside a cabinet)

It is evident that the great protagonist is also the great absentee: the HDMI cable is missing inside the package . It can be purchased separately at the time of purchase if you don't have one available.

Amazon Fire TV Cube

Install the Amazon Fire TV Cube for the first time

To start using the Fire TV Cube, just place it close to the TV but at least 30-60 cm away from the speakers. It looks like a small black box with a very versatile design and that will not catch the eye as it goes very well with all devices that may be near your TV. Then you can connect it to the TV via an HDMI cable (unfortunately not included in the package) and connect the device to the home Internet network. Finally, you can follow the instructions that will allow you to set up your brand new Amazon Fire TV Cube.

Amazon Fire TV Cube

Which streaming services are supported?

In addition to the predefined applications, it will be possible to download other apps exclusively from the store . The streaming services available on the Amazon Fire TC Cube and for which a separate subscription may be required are:

  • Prime Video
  • Spotify
  • Netflix
  • YouTube
  • DAZN
  • Infinity
  • RaiPlay
  • Disney +
  • Apple TV
  • TIMVision
  • Kilos
  • dplay
  • Amazon Music
  • Twitch

Furthermore, by subscribing to Amazon Prime, you have access to the entire world of Amazon TV series and films.

Amazon Fire TV Cube vs Fire TV Stick

Fire TV Cube is a new product to turn your TV into a smart TV. But what differences are there from the Amazon Fire TV Stick series ? Undoubtedly the most important novelty is the introduction of the Alexa virtual assistant and all the features that we usually find in the Amazon Echo family. Alexa will allow you to control your TV, which is not available in the Amazon Fire Tv Stick family. The storage memory has been increased to 16 GB and a Dual-core has been added to the Quad-core processor, present in the Fire Sticks, thus forming a Hexa-core. Additionally, the Amazon Fire TV Cube features full Ethernet compatibility. The price of the Fire TV Cube is significantly higher than that of the Fire TV Stick family but given all the additional features, it can be justified.

Amazon Fire TV Cube vs Fire TV Stick, here is a summary table:

Best price

Meet the Fire TV Stick Lite with Alexa Voice Remote | Lite (without TV controls), HD Streaming, 2020 model
New Fire TV Stick with Alexa Voice Remote (with TV controls), HD Streaming, 2020 model
Fire TV Stick 4K Ultra HD with Next Generation Alexa Voice Remote | Media player
Best option

Introducing Fire TV Cube | Voice-controlled streaming media player via Alexa and 4K Ultra HD
Evaluations
Price
29.99 EUR
39.99 EUR
59.99 EUR
119.99 EUR
TV remote
Alexa voice remote control | Lite without TV controls
Alexa voice remote control with TV controls
Alexa voice remote control with TV controls
Alexa voice remote control with TV controls
Compatible audio formats
Dolby Atmos audio (HDMI pass-through only)
Dolby Atmos audio
Dolby Atmos audio
Dolby Atmos audio
Ideal for
Basic streaming
Basic streaming and TV controls
Vivid color streaming in 4K Ultra HD
Control the playback of content with voice commands
Alexa voice commands
Image quality
Full HD up to 1080p with support for HDR, HDR10 +, HLG formats
Full HD up to 1080p with support for HDR, HDR10 +, HLG formats
Up to 4K Ultra HD with support for HDR, HDR 10, HDR10 +, HLG and Dolby Vision formats
Up to 4K Ultra HD with support for HDR, HDR 10, HDR10 +, HLG and Dolby Vision formats
Design behind the TV
Memory
8 GB
8 GB
8 GB
16 GB
Processor
Quad-core
Quad-core
Quad-core
Hexa-core
Ethernet adapter
Full Ethernet compatibility

Best price

Meet the Fire TV Stick Lite with Alexa Voice Remote | Lite (without TV controls), HD Streaming, 2020 model
Evaluations
Price
29.99 EUR
TV remote
Alexa voice remote control | Lite without TV controls
Compatible audio formats
Dolby Atmos audio (HDMI pass-through only)
Ideal for
Basic streaming
Alexa voice commands
Image quality
Full HD up to 1080p with support for HDR, HDR10 +, HLG formats
Design behind the TV
Memory
8 GB
Processor
Quad-core
Ethernet adapter
New Fire TV Stick with Alexa Voice Remote (with TV controls), HD Streaming, 2020 model
Evaluations
Price
39.99 EUR
TV remote
Alexa voice remote control with TV controls
Compatible audio formats
Dolby Atmos audio
Ideal for
Basic streaming and TV controls
Alexa voice commands
Image quality
Full HD up to 1080p with support for HDR, HDR10 +, HLG formats
Design behind the TV
Memory
8 GB
Processor
Quad-core
Ethernet adapter
Fire TV Stick 4K Ultra HD with Next Generation Alexa Voice Remote | Media player
Evaluations
Price
59.99 EUR
TV remote
Alexa voice remote control with TV controls
Compatible audio formats
Dolby Atmos audio
Ideal for
Vivid color streaming in 4K Ultra HD
Alexa voice commands
Image quality
Up to 4K Ultra HD with support for HDR, HDR 10, HDR10 +, HLG and Dolby Vision formats
Design behind the TV
Memory
8 GB
Processor
Quad-core
Ethernet adapter
Best option

Introducing Fire TV Cube | Voice-controlled streaming media player via Alexa and 4K Ultra HD
Evaluations
Price
119.99 EUR
TV remote
Alexa voice remote control with TV controls
Compatible audio formats
Dolby Atmos audio
Ideal for
Control the playback of content with voice commands
Alexa voice commands
Image quality
Up to 4K Ultra HD with support for HDR, HDR 10, HDR10 +, HLG and Dolby Vision formats
Design behind the TV
Memory
16 GB
Processor
Hexa-core
Ethernet adapter
Full Ethernet compatibility

Amazon Fire TV Core: Who Is It Best For?

Without a doubt it is a versatile and very useful device, especially if you have a non-smart TV or with outdated software. but not only that, with Fire TV Cube you can enrich your smart TV. The Fire TV Cube's algorithms blend with those of your smartTv, creating a better user experience. It embraces the power of the Amazon Echo and masterfully combines it with the potential of an Amazon Fire TV Stick. It is suitable for those people who do not yet own Amazon devices such as Echo, Show or Stick as it combines all the features of the latter .

The Amazon Fire TV Cube article to turn your TV into a Smart TV comes from Tech CuE .