Amazon Fire TV Cube, 4K Ultra HD

4/1/24 – Amazon Fire TV Cube, Hands-free streaming device with Alexa, Wi-Fi 6E, 4K Ultra HD

I’ve owned several different platforms for digital TV, including the old NVidia boxes. Technically speaking the NVidia boxes were exceptional with great, extensive flexibility, but if you want a box to streamline TV viewing without going through searching multiple data sources, upgrading apps and downloading TV shows & movies, Amazon’s Fire TV Cube is a great way to do that. Amazon streamlines all of those processes I mentioned so that all you have to do is select the TV show or movie you want to watch, hit Play and it’s playing. I still have my NVidia boxes, if I want to tinker, but, in all honesty, ever since I bought my first Fire TV Cube in 2019, they’ve been gathering dust.

I received a FireStick for Christmas a couple of years ago. I used it in the kitchen. Last summer, I was watching “1883” in the living room when dinnertime rolled around. With the FireStick, I was unable to download the App to watch it. So, I decided to buy a new Fire TV Cube so I could put my old cube in the kitchen. That way, I could avoid the limitations of the FireStick. (I could have added added memory to the FireStick, but I figured it would be beneficial to have a 2nd Cube around, just in case one failed.) Going from one Cube to the other was pretty much seamless. There are very minor differences, that you might notice if you look closely.

With the Fire Cube, you can buy subscriptions to other TV Sources through Amazon Prime, like MAX (formerly HBO MAX.) or you can subscribe directly with the sources, download their apps and watch TV shows & movies outside of the the Amazon Prime app. Amazon makes he entire process consistent and intuitive.

I’m not particularly fond of the hold that big IT sources have on different entities in the IT world, however, Amazon products have been operationally consistent, technically reliable and their prices are very reasonable. If I have issues, I don’t hesitate to call their customer service department. Amazon’s Customer Service is still exceptional.

For the reasons specified, I highly recommend the Fire Tv Cube. From a critical IT perspective, it’s one of the best devices on the market for IT-based digital TV.

I own 2 Fire TV Cubes 2nd Gen, 1 Fire TV Cube 1st gen, 1 Fire TV Max, 3 Fire TV 4K Sticks, 1 Omni Fire TV and 1 Insignia Fire TV. To say that I am invested in the Fire TV Echo System is an understatement. I can state that the Fire TV Cube 3rd Gen is by far the best of the Fire TV’s sold by Amazon. I replaced one of my 2nd Gen Fire TV Cubes and the set up was super easy with integration to my Wifi and downloading of already owned apps a breeze. (setting up the passwords for all the apps continues to be a pain and took a long time to do). The aesthetics of this Fire TV is the best of the lot, it looks really premium. The interface is the same as the others however, the speed of navigation is fantastic. It is really fast making it a real joy to use. The Wifi 6E is supported however I can’t tell the difference in the speed, but I can tell you that application buffering is really almost non existent. I have a T-Mobile 5G Gateway that averages 306 Mbs and supports wifi 6E, so perhaps that does make a difference. I have this cube attached to an LG 4K 65 inch TV and use a Yamaha 800 sound bar (attached via an optical cable). My Fire TV also controls a Sony DVD player, and Sony Playstation. I can switch between all HDMI inputs with no problem by voice. I do think that the 3rd gen cube produces a better sound quality through my Yamaha sound bar since it does support a wider range of output. Alexa works flawlessly as well, so no complaints. . So my net net is 1) Really fast performance, 2) better sound quality, 3) looks like a premium streaming device with the cloth enclosure, 4) very nice upgraded remote, 5) Alexa works great at controlling my TV and Sound Bar, 6) Integrated IN and OUT HDMI connectivity ports (which I don’t use). My only negative is that one of the hot key’s on the remote is Direct TV, which I would never use and would love to be able to change it. Also for the price, Amazon should have included the premium remote (backlit) with this Fire TV.

I would recommend this Fire TV Cube 3rd Gen for your main viewing area over all other Fire TVs. I would buy this on sale vs. the list price. I was able to purchase this Cube for $119 plus my trade in. In my book speed is king and this Fire TV will not disappoint you. I am confident that I will be using this Fire TV for the next 5 years minimum.