Fire TV Cube from Amazon is streaming tv device, which works like normal Fire TV in combined with echo dot . This means it can stream videos and music from all your favorite services, but it can also be operated hands-free. He supports 4K video and high dynamic range (HDR), capable of interacting with wireless security cameras and even using voice commands can control devices such as TVs and soundbars.
What is a Fire TV Cube?
The easiest way to understand what is Fire TV Cube and what it has to offer is to introduce a 4K Fire TV, an Echo Dot, and an infrared (IR) blaster all rolled into one package. This adds to a TV streaming device that responds to voice commands and also allows you to control a lot of other devices with voice commands.
Since all of these features are bundled into one device, it’s much easier to set up and use a Fire TV Cube than it is to have a 4K Fire TV, Echo Dot, and IR blaster work together. This is especially true when it comes to an IR blaster, as these devices tend to be expensive, difficult to set up, and sometimes require a separate hub to use with Alexa .
Here’s everything that’s included with the Fire TV Cube:
- Amazon Fire TV Cube
- Power adapter
- Alexa voice remote
- remote control batteries
- micro usb ethernet adapter
- IR extension cable
The inclusion of an Ethernet adapter is a nice touch as it allows you to stream over a wired connection if your Wi-Fi isn’t working. This is especially important if you’re streaming 4K video, which requires a lot of bandwidth.
An IR extension cable is also handy to have on hand if some of your devices are located inside a cage or media center. This greatly extends the range of the built-in IR blaster wherever you need it.
The only thing Amazon left out is the HDMI cable, so if you don’t have an extra cable handy, you’ll need to buy a new one before you can use the Fire TV Cube.
How is the cube different from the Amazon Fire Stick and Fire TV Box?
Amazon has released many different devices called Fire TV, and they all basically do the same thing: stream media to your TV. The Fire TV Cube does more than any other, but it’s basically just a Fire TV Box and an Echo Dot packaged in a sharp-edged form factor.
The biggest difference between the Fire TV Cube and all other Fire TV devices is that the Cube has built-in Echo hardware. The built-in speaker is extremely anemic compared to the full-sized Echo, but it’s pretty much Dot-compliant and can only be used when your TV isn’t on.
Another huge difference is that the Cube has a built-in IR blaster that none of the other Fire TV devices have. This allows the Cube to control cable boxes, Blu-ray players, soundbars and most other devices that work with an IR remote.
In terms of hardware and streaming capabilities, the Cube is more powerful than the Fire TV Stick, but it actually has the same processor inside as the older Fire TV Box. This means that a 4K Fire TV and Echo Dot working together can provide a similar experience to the Fire TV Cube, only without the Fire TV Cube’s built-in IR blaster.
How do different fire television devices stack up on top of each other?
All the different Fire TV devices serve the same basic purpose, and you can use them to watch video content from Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, and other sources. Though they are not built on the same hardware, so they have slightly different capabilities.
It all boils down to the fact that the Fire TV 4K and Fire TV Cube are slightly faster than the Fire TV Stick, so you may notice that menu navigation on more expensive devices feels a little faster.
The Fire TV Stick is also not capable of handling 4K video, does not support HDR, and is not compatible with Dolby Atmos. So if you have a 4K TV and a high-end sound system, a basic Fire TV card won’t take full advantage of your home theater experience.
If you want a deeper inside look, here are the detailed specs for each Fire TV device:
fire tv stick
- Permission: 720p, 1080p
- Voice control: Requires Alexa Voice Remote
- HDR support: No
- Memory: 8 GB
- Ethernet: additional adapter required
- Audio: Dolby
- Processor speed: 1.3 G
Fire TV 4K
- Permission: 720p, 1080p, 2160p (4K)
- Voice control: Requires Alexa Voice Remote
- HDR support: Yes
- Memory: 8 GB
- Ethernet: additional adapter required
- Audio: Dolby Atmos
- Processor speed: 1.5 GHz
Fire TV Cube
- Permission: 720p, 1080p, 2160p (4K)
- Voice control: Yes
- HDR support: Yes
- Memory: 16 GB
- Ethernet: adapter included
- Audio: Dolby Atmos
- Processor speed: 1.5 GHz
What can Fire TV Cube do?
Because the Fire TV Cube is basically a Fire TV Box and an Echo Dot together, it can do everything a Fire TV can do, everything an Echo Dot can do, and also control additional devices with its IR blaster.
With all of these features, the Fire TV Cube can form the core of your home theater, giving you hands-free access to everything from your TV, to your cable TV, A/V receiver, Blu-ray player, and everything else you normally would. requires a separate remote control.
Because the Fire TV Cube has an echo function, it can also control smart home devices, such as light bulbs, switches, sockets and thermostats.
Basically, the Fire TV Cube is still a streaming device. It includes all the same streaming features as other Fire TV products, so you can use it to watch TV shows and movies on services like Prime Video, Netflix, Hulu, and even YouTube if you install one of the additional web browsers.
Fire TV Cube is compatible with streaming services television such how Sling TV so it can be used for TV streaming. And if you haven’t cut the cord yet you can teach him how to operate the cable box so you can say «Alexa, turn on ESPN» and watch him plug in the cable box, switch to the correct input, and change the channel.
If you have a compatible wireless security camera, the Fire TV Cube can also connect to it and display the channel directly on your TV.
How to use the Fire TV Cube IR blaster
Apart from built-in Alexa, the inclusion of an IR blaster is the biggest difference between the Fire TV Cube and competitors such as Apple TV and Chromecast . The Fire TV Cube can control some TVs directly via an HDMI connection, but otherwise it uses the same infrared technology as most remote controls.
The Fire TV Cube uses hidden infrared LEDs to control devices such as soundbars.
When you look at the Fire TV cube, you don’t see the IR blaster. The mirror-black surface of the cube hides several LEDs, which are the same type of LEDs found in remote controls. When you ask Cube turned on device like yours soundbar you can see the LEDs flashing through the camera lens, but not to the naked eye.
Using the Cube IR Blaster is extremely easy and can learn to control many devices through a mostly automated process. If you ever installed universal remote control and went through the tedious process of entering dozens of different codes to program it, that’s not how the Cube IR blaster works.
To set up your Fire TV Cube IR blaster to control a device such as a soundbar, here are the basic steps:
- Turn on your Fire TV Cube.
- Go to Settings > Equipment control > Equipment management > Add equipment .
- Select the type of device you want to add.
- Follow the instructions on the screen.
You’ll need a Fire TV Cube remote and a remote for your device to complete the process.
Fire TV Cube Limitations: Don’t Lose Your Remote
The Fire TV Cube is a great device if you don’t already have a 4K streaming device or want to control all of your devices with your voice. However, voice control has some limitations.