Fire TV Cube | Hands free with Alexa, 4K Ultra HD streaming media player (Previous Generation)

Fire TV Cube | Hands-free with Alexa, 4K Ultra HD streaming media playerWell, the fire TV cube arrived in double quick time (I ordered it one day and it came the next).I have been looking at the Fire TV cube for some time but I was waiting for it to go on sale as the full price was a bit much for me and so along came the spring sale and I just couldn’t resist buying it.The one I had before was the old fire TV (not a stick but the old small square one) and although that worked fine it was limited on what it was able to do and it was not capable of displaying 4K and although I could have bought a 4K Firestick at any time I waited for this one to get cheaper and I’m glad that I did.I’m not going to bore you with endless pictures or videos because you all know how these work and there are enough videos and pictures out there already, so instead, I will tell you about my experience with it thus far.Technical Jibber Jabber.Size 86.1 x 86.1 x 76.9 mmWeight 465 gProcessor: Hexa-core (Quad-core @ up to 2.2 GHz + Dual-core @ up to 1.9 GHz)GPU: ARM Mali G52-MP2 (3EE), 800MHzStorage: 16 GB internalMemory: 2 GBWi-Fi connectivity: Dual-band, dual-antenna Wi-Fi (MIMO) for faster streaming and fewer dropped connections than standard Wi-Fi. Supports 802.11a/b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi networks.Bluetooth: Bluetooth 5.0 + LE. Pair with compatible Bluetooth speakers, headphones, video game controllers, and more.Ports: HDMI, power, micro-USB, wired infrared supportIncluded audio: Built-in 1.6'' (40 mm) speaker to interact with Alexa—even when the TV is off. Fire TV Cube uses your entertainment system speakers for entertainment experiences and will turn on your TV, soundbar, or A/V receiver to play these.Audio support: Dolby Atmos, 7.1 surround sound, 2ch stereo, and HDMI audio pass-through up to 5.1.Content formats supported: Video: Dolby Vision, HDR 10, HDR10+, HLG, H.265, H.264, VP9 Audio: AAC-LC, AC3, eAC3 (Dolby Digital Plus), FLAC, MP3, PCM/Wave, Vorbis, Dolby Atmos (EC3_JOC), Photo: JPEG, PNG, GIF, BMPOutput resolution supported: 2160p, 1080p and 720p up to 60 fpsIt was packed well in the usual high-quality packaging that Amazon is famous for and came with everything need to get it going (Except the HDMI cable) so remember that you will need to buy one but even the high-speed ones are cheap these days (I have an Amazon basic one that works fine).IN THE BOX:In the box was a voice-capable RCU (Remote control unit) with an off button which I think its about time and the RCU works really well and I find it very responsive.The two AAA batteries were supplied for the remote (Amazon basic) but they do the job nicely and it saves you from trying to find some that actually are not dead. The required power adapter, an Amazon Ethernet adapter that is easy to connect and I find works really well, and also an Amazon IR extender cable (A tiny square thing with a nice long cable to it).POWERING IT ON:Connecting it all up and powering it on was a breeze and once you have logged in with your Amazon account it takes you through setting up your audio/ visual equipment. My surround sound system is a Pioneer and the device was able to control it with no issues at all allowing me to turn it on or off and not only adjust the volume but also the current input by voice commands.The Television was another matter however as the one I have was cheap (Techwood) and the cube had a few issues with finding the right code, it could turn it off but not back on again and so it did take a few minutes to set up. In the end, the cube asked me to press the power button on the Televisions remote control unit while pointing it at the cube, and from that, it was able to learn the code needed and now the Television is also voice controlled which is cool.I did connect the IR extender but later removed it as the cube was able to control both my TV and Surround sound system without it but at least I have and in case I need the cube to control older equipment.USING IT:With it, all set up I played with it a bit to see how it would perform (as you do) and I found it to be very responsive indeed.The interface is the standard Amazon Tv interface (so we are all used to that right?) and I found it to be very nippy with no lag at all.The Amazon Ethernet adapter works well and seems to keep up with internet access demand with no issues and indeed on the tests that I ran, I did not run into any buffering at all.I accessed YouTube 4K test videos and ran a few of these and using stats for geeks I can tell you that it did not drop a single frame in all the test that I ran which quite surprised me and as you would expect it will p[lay all the Amazon services flawlessly.Amazon 4K video playback from Amazon video was good and gave a nice clear, stable picture with good sound.I can’t tell you what the videos from Netflix look like as I do not subscribe to them but I don’t see that being an issue and Plex works fine for your own movies also.CONCLUSION:It’s a great little device that delivers what it says and at the moment during the spring sale it’s the best time to get it around £50 off but even at its full price it’s well worth it, it’s no NVidia Shield but then again it’s not trying to be and of that, I am glad because there is no way at the moment I could afford one of those and this offers a comparable device at a reasonable cost. Buy one what have you got to lose? If you don’t like it for any reason then Amazon’s return policy is Amazing (not something I will be returning unless it fails) so you won’t lose out either way and as far as I can see it is currently the cheapest way to get decent 4K continent on a well-made and well-supported device.PROS:Well made, well supported, looks really nice, is very responsive, comes with everything you need (Except the HDMI cable of course), Plays 4K content well, and is easy to both setup and use.CONS:Not many really that I can see apart from the fact that when you ask the cube to turn the TV on it turn on the TV and amp and vice versa when you ask it to turn either off, it turns both on or off and can’t seem to do one or the other but that’s just a small thing as after all it is designed to work with both.Amazon I think should supply an HDMI cable with it (An Amazon basics one will do) as it would be good customer service and it would cost them just a few pennies.I only started using the cube the other day so I will update this with more information on how it performs over the coming months. This was a bit long-winded I know but I do hope this helps anyone looking.Stay safe everyone and I’ll catch you on the other side:0)

Updated: 17.27hrs, 13th November 2019.Quite some time ago now, I purchased from Amazon their 4K TV Box, which I sent straight back because it did not include HDR, unlike the Prime Video App on my LG OLED TV. Sometime later Amazon did release a 3rd Generation 4K TV Box (Pendant Type) with HDR which I purchased. The Device has continued to give good Service but was still somewhat disappointing for the following reasons:1. No Ethernet Adaptor included. (I had to buy one)2. A very short cheap looking built-in HDMI cable, which meant the 4K TV Box hung (hense Pendant type) from my Receiver HDMI Input, because it would not reach any shelf on my Hi-Fi Rack.3. No Slot to increase Internal Storage Capacity.Now we come to the All New Amazon 4K TV Cube with an Alexa Voice Remote (2nd Gen). The specification list reads rather well so much so that I purchased one. For me the highlights were Full 4K at 60 Hz, the 4+2 Core Processors (2.2GHz+1.9Ghz), GPU @ 800MHz, Dolby Atmos, 16Gb Internal Storage and the inclusion of an Ethernet Adaptor. This adaptor does allow a USB storage device to be added using a Micro USB adaptor (Optional)***. It should also be mentioned that all the current HDR Standards seem to be included with this 4K TV Cube which does now have a proper HDMI slot allowing the use of a decent Quality & Length HDMI cable (not included). Although of no relevance to me, it is a nice touch, for some customers, that an IR Extender is included with this package. The 2nd Generation Alexa Voice Remote now has Power, Volume + / - and Mute buttons which are worthwhile additions offering extra user convenience.*** Update: I was able to plug a Micro USB Flash Drive into to rear of the TV Cube, Format it as External Storage, and was detected by the Cube as External Storage. However, the same USB Drive does not work when plugged into the Ethernet Adaptor despite there being provisions to do so. Perhaps this is something Amazon Tech Department can explain. I am using the Ethernet Connection not Wi-Fi. ***As usual with Amazon Products, the Amazon 4K TV Cube is well packaged and arrived Next Day in perfect condition. Build quality and finish of the Cube, Remote Control, Ethernet Adaptor, IR Extender and Power supply is excellent. The piano black surfaces are covered with quality protective plastic film and a warning label on the back of the Cube. The 4K TV Cube looks understated and is cool enough to have it displayed in clear view and be proud to do so. Connecting this Cube to the Home Cinema Receiver (HDMI Input) with a really nice quality HDMI Cable was simple as was attaching the Ethernet Adaptor to my Broadband Router/Hub and the power supply.After turning on the Amazon 4K TV Cube-TV-Receiver/Amp, Registering the Device with my Amazon Account details, setup is a matter of following simple Onscreen Instructions and Options. I decided to follow the Onscreen, “Add Equipment”, Instructions which basically added my TV & Home Cinema Receiver to the Amazon 4K TV Cube Control Setup. I was now able to use the extra Alexa Remote (2nd Gen) buttons to adjust the Volume-Mute of my Home Cinema Receiver as well as using the Power button to turn my Amazon 4K TV Cube, TV and Receiver On or Off simultaneously. I should mention that I was already able to achieve this level of Hands Free functionality with my Amazon Echo, to control all my Hi-Fi Devices because I had enabled the Logitech Harmony Alexa Skill App, allowing many of the Logitech Elite Remote Controller Commands to be Hands Free. Similarly the Amazon Cube was able to control my Home Lighting thanks to the appropriate Alexa Skills Apps already being enabled. I have to say, the Navigation speed and responsiveness of the various Amazon Menus, is impressive compared with my previous Amazon 4K TV Box. This is a very quick bit of kit.Basically the All New Amazon 4K TV Cube is an Amazon 4K TV Box combined with an Amazon Echo Dot (2nd Gen). The Cube’s Sound Quality, as a stand-alone Device is very much like the 2nd Generation Echo Dot. However when the Amazon Cube - Hi-Fi Devices are all on, then the Sound Quality is determined by your Home Cinema Sound System. With the Prime Video Interface on the TV screen, when you ask, “Alexa My Weather”, a topic appropriate onscreen image is presented to the viewer to accompany Alexa’s Voice Description. When done you are returned to the Main Screen. When you activate Alexa, there is a scrolling Blue Bar at the top of the screen, which apes the light bar on the Cube. All very nice.Now we come to the real test, actually using the All New Amazon 4K TV Cube, totally Hands Free. I own the 4K HDR Movie, “Spider-Man: Far From Home”, via Amazon Prime. I started to watch it but was called away so it was present in my Amazon Prime Recent Banner position No1. Below are my voice commands to the Amazon 4K TV Cube to turn on my TV and Home Cinema Receiver. Then it is a matter of navigating to the Spider-Man Movie and watch it. Just as an exercise, I adjusted the Volume Up then Down, Mute then Un-Mute, Paused the film, returned back to the Amazon Home position and then turned everything off;1. Alexa Amazon On2. Alexa Home (if Screensaver is on or Screen is Blank)3. Alexa Select Recent4. Alexa Select One5. Alexa Play This6. Alexa Volume Up7. Alexa Volume Down8. Alexa Mute On9. Alexa Mute Off10. Alexa Pause11. Alexa Home12. Alexa Amazon OffAll achieved using simple Voice commands, totally Hands Free without any Remote Controls, just the 4K TV Cube’s inbuilt Microphones. My Amazon Cube is also able, Hands Free, to turn On or Off my Freeview Player, Dab Tuner, Blu-Ray Player, X-Box 360s and the Receivers inbuilt Internet Radio. Although you can probably do more or less everything Hands Free, from the Amazon Prime Video Main Screen, at this time I still need to use my Harmony Elite Remote Control-Hub-App, to have full control over my other Hi-Fi Devices. The Logitech Harmony Alexa Skill App does offer a range of Hands Free Commands for my other Hi-Fi Devices, thereby reducing the amount of Remote Control usage required.The last test is Vision and Sound. I’m a huge fan of Amazon’s Jack Ryan Seasons 1 and 2 all Episodes being 4K HDR (I don’t have Dolby Vision). To me the Picture quality is Great looking, with fabulous fine detail, even in the shadows. With my old Amazon 4K TV Box, it would take about 90-100 seconds before Full Ultra HD HDR was achieved but now only takes about 35 seconds with the All New Amazon 4K TV Cube. This may be more about my Broadband Service than the Devices but this New Cube does seem much faster to achieve Full Ultra HD HDR without any Broadband Service Changes.I was very keen to hear the Dolby Atmos in action so was disappointed when I could find no mention of it in the Audio Setup Menus, just Dolby Digital and Dolby Digital Plus. I did some research on the Internet which explained what needed to be done. Whilst watching a Movie, use the Alexa Remote Menu Button (no Hands Free Command?) and select Audio. If Dolby Atmos is available on the movie then select Dolby Atmos and continue watching. The Receiver/Amp should then display Dolby Atmos as the current Audio Format. I have always liked Dolby Sound Formats, ever since AC3 was introduced on NTSC Laser Discs, with Dolby Atmos being the latest Dolby incarnation. However my Receiver also handles DTS:X which is another latest Sound Format that is preferred for its emphasis of Bass by some. I was wondering if this could be added to the Amazon Cube via a Firmware Update.Anyway, Amazon’s Jack Ryan is Great in 4K UHD HDR and complimented by the Fabulous 7.1 Dolby Atmos Soundtrack. During the Setup Process I did turn ON Dialogue Enhancer (Display & Sounds/Audio/Advanced Audio) which produced really punchy Vocals from the Centre Speaker whilst in the Dolby Atmos mode. I would also suggest as you drill down the Audio Settings Menu, select Best Available for Surround Sound. Although I am no technical expert, I do know what I like, so the Amazon Cube’s Image Quality and Dolby Atmos Audio gets a Big Thumb’s Up from me.It must be mentioned that the All New Amazon 4K TV Cube (2nd Gen) includes the much loved YouTube App which offers Hands Free Searches and works really well. You just say what you want to view after your Wake-Up Word. Just Brilliant.This Review is only my first impressions of the All New Amazon 4K TV Cube as I have only had this device for a few of days. However, thus far I am really impressed with this Device for reasons described. Although early days, there does not seem to me much wrong with this Device. The only possible slight concern has been the loss of the Cubes Internet Connection twice. I am using the Ethernet connection rather than Wi-Fi. I have no idea why this has happened but fortunately the fix seems to be to unplug the Ethernet Cable from the Router/Hub and then re-connect it. I’m not sure if this is an Amazon 4K TV Cube issue after it comes out of its Sleep/Off Mode or my Broadband Service. So this issue aside and the newly discovered problem with the Micro USB not working through the Ethernet Adaptor, I think this is a really Great Device and is pushing Home Automation Improvements that bit closer to the Endgame. I have absolutely no regrets purchasing this product and feel this could be a real winner for Amazon.