Today, Amazon announced the Fire TV Cube, an interesting hybrid of its Fire TV set-top boxes and Echo smart speakers.
“We believe voice makes it easier for customers to control their entertainment systems and watch the TV and movies they care about,” Amazon Fire TV VO Marc Whitten said in a prepared statement. “And, it’s just the beginning. Amazon Fire TV Cube will only get better over time with the Alexa service always getting smarter.”
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To be clear, the Fire TV Cube is not the first time Amazon has added Alexa digital personal assistant capabilities to its Fire TV lineup: Existing Fire TV set-top boxes and dongles also offer this functionality.
What differentiates the Fire TV Cube from its predecessors—aside from its unique cube shape—is that it’s truly a hybrid device. That is, it is both a Fire TV and an Echo smart speaker. So it sits there waiting for voice commands even when you’re not using the TV.
Priced at $120—it’s $90 right now for Prime members—the Fire TV Cube is now the most expensive Fire TV product. Amazon’s previous Fire TV flagship, the Fire TV with 4K Ultra HD and Alexa Voice Remote retails for $69.99, while the Fire TV Stick with Alexa Voice Remote is just $39.99.
From a specifications perspective, it appears to tick all the right boxes, with 4K Ultra HD and HDR video output, multi-directional infrared capabilities and 8 microphones, HDMI/CEC support, Dolby Atmos audio, and more.
Amazon Fire TV Cube is available for pre-order today and will begin shipping on June 21, Amazon says.
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Bats
<p>I believe Google and JBL have a similar product, however, it's a television speaker.</p><p>Products like this makes me wonder if a smart tv with built in apps is worth it. In 2012 I bought a high end Sony 3D Smart Tv with built in apps like Netflix, Amazon, etc… The whole UI for all of them was uniform to one particular look and feel. It was all "vanilla" and plain, unlike the FireTV and Android TV where you are greeted with new content banners/windows to inform you of any new content. Plus the UI always changes. For my Nvidia Sheild, I am expecting Android Oreo to upgrade my system, thus giving me a brand new UI to play with. If you ask me, Roku is kinda boring and from the looks of Apple TV….booooooooooring.</p>
Stooks
<p>Amazon the next Google/Facebook on the privacy/data user manipulation front. Actually Amazon will rule them all very soon in this regard.</p><p><br></p><p>Apple TV FTW, same great taste (4K, HDR….etc) without that privacy invasion aftertaste!!</p>