Amazon Introduces the Fire TV Cube
Combines the Features of an Amazon Echo, Fire TV Stick and Harmony Hub in One Device; Adds Voice Control to Your TV and Components
How Does it Compare to the Harmony Hub?
Amazon has announced a new version of their Fire TV, called the Fire TV Cube. This new device adds voice control to your TV and audio-visual components, much like a Harmony Hub. But the Fire TV Cube takes things a step further, adding control for other Smart Home devices into the mix. It's almost like the Amazon Echo, the Fire TV Stick, a Harmony Hub, and a Smart Home Hub all got together and had a baby.
What is the Fire TV Cube?
The Fire TV Cube is a small box, (approximately 3.5 inches square,) that connects to your TV via HDMI, and adds Alexa Voice Control to your TV and associated Entertainment Devices. With the Fire TV Cube, you can turn the TV on and off, change channels, adjust volume, pause, rewind, change inputs, and much more, all via voice. Unlike a Fire TV Stick, the Fire TV Cube includes a built-in Echo as well as a Voice Remote. You can issue voice commands through the remote, or hands free.
But the Fire TV Cube does MUCH MORE than merely control your TV. When the TV is off, you can use it just like you would any other Echo. You can listen to news briefs, play music, ask questions, etc. About the only Echo function the Fire TV Cube does NOT support is calling and messaging, a feature that may be added later in a planned update.
The Fire TV Cube connects to your network via Wi-Fi or Ethernet. The following description is copied straight from the Amazon Product Page:
- Fire TV Cube is the first hands-free streaming media player with Alexa, delivering an all-in-one entertainment experience. From across the room, just ask Alexa to turn on the TV, dim the lights, and play what you want to watch.
- With far-field voice recognition, eight microphones, and beamforming technology, Fire TV Cube hears you from any direction. Enjoy hands-free voice control—search, play, pause, fast forward, and more. Plus, control your TV, sound bar, cable or satellite box, receiver, and more with just your voice.
- Do more with Alexa. Fire TV Cube has a built-in speaker that lets you check the weather, listen to the news, control compatible smart home devices, and more—even with the TV off. Fire TV Cube is always getting smarter with new Alexa skills and voice functionality.
- Experience true-to-life picture quality and sound with access to vivid 4K Ultra HD up to 60 fps, HDR, and the audio clarity of Dolby Atmos.
- Enjoy tens of thousands of channels, apps, and Alexa skills. Get over 500,000 movies and TV episodes from Netflix, Prime Video, Hulu, HBO, SHOWTIME, NBC, and more.
- Access YouTube, Facebook, Reddit, and more websites with Silk and Firefox browsers.
In sum, the Fire TV Cube combines the capabilities of a Fire TV Stick with an Amazon Echo, and adds control capabilities for thousands of a/v and Smart Devices as well.
At this writing, the Fire TV Cube has not yet been released. Amazon is currently taking pre-orders and will begin shipping Fire TV Cubes on June 21, 2018.
Fire TV Cube vs. Harmony Hub
Like the Harmony Hub, the Alexa-enabled Fire TV Cube adds voice control to your television set. Also like the Harmony Hub, the Fire TV Cube can control cable boxes, soundbars, DVRs, DVDs, etc. For a component to be Fire TV Cube-compatible, it MUST be I-R (infrared) enabled. Unlike the Harmony Hub, the Fire TV Cube can also control other Smart Devices, like Nest thermostats, Hue lights, Ecobees, Wemos, and many others. With the Fire TV Cube, you can view connected cameras through your TV. Any Alexa-compatible Smart Device can be controlled with a Fire TV Cube. So in other words, a Fire TV Cube can control a wider range of devices than can a Harmony Hub.
One of my DVD players has a couple of worn-out buttons on the original remote. The Harmony App allows me to still access these functions without replacing the worn remote. I like the fact that Harmony replicates all of my original remotes, as I find myself using voice control only about 50% of the time. A big plus of the Harmony Hub is the Smartphone App, something the Fire TV Cube does not include.
When the TV is on, sometimes Alexa does not hear my requests until I lower the volume. (I find it ironic sometimes that I'm shouting at Alexa to turn down the TV, and she can't hear me over the TV until I manually turn it down.) Fire TV Cube set-up specifies to set the box at least 2 feet away from the speakers so that Alexa will be able to hear. My echo is at least 20 feet from my TV and speakers currently, and Alexa often struggles to hear. I imagine this is another area in which the Harmony Hub may be superior, as proximity of the Hub and your Echo is inconsequential. Fire TV users may end up relying on the remote for their voice commands when Alexa is struggling to hear.
Which Should I Buy--a Harmony Hub or a Fire TV Cube?
Which device is better for you will depend on a lot of factors. I am excited by the prospect of the Fire TV Cube, and I may end up moving my Harmony Hub to the secondary TV and purchasing a Fire TV Cube for the main one. I love my Harmony Hub when it works, which is sometimes. I hate that the times Harmony usually chooses to act up are when my hands are otherwise occupied and I do not want to reach for a physical remote. Opening the app restores voice control, but is still a PITA to deal with. I would hope the Fire TV Cube is a lot more consistent than my Harmony.
However, the Harmony Hub has been on sale a lot lately, and I have a feeling it will be even more now that Amazon has released a competing product of its own. The Harmony Hub generally sells for about half of what the Fire TV Cube will cost (the $60 -70 range vs $120.)
Do you already own an Amazon Echo or Dot? Do you use it in the same room as your TV? Is there a place you'd like to move it to? Do you want the Universal Remote capabilities, or are you just looking to add voice control? Do you want to be able to control lights, cameras, and thermostats as well? These are some of the questions you should ask yourself when deciding between devices.
If you do not already own an Echo for the TV room, and you do not care about adding any type of Universal Remote Control along with voice, the Fire TV Cube is probably the better choice, even if you already own a Fire TV Stick. (I like to take my Fire TV Stick with me when I travel.) However, if you already own an Echo and a Fire TV, and you really like the idea of having ALL your distinct remotes tied together in a handy, mobile app, then the Harmony Hub is the clear choice.
The Fire TV Cube is compatible with BOTH 5 GHz and 2.4 GHz Wi Fi networks; the Harmony Hub is 2.4 GHz compatible only. If this is important, definitely go with the Fire TV Cube.
If you own (or plan to get) Alexa-compatible Smart Home Devices, especially cameras or video doorbells, the Fire TV Cube is a better choice. It will allow you to control and view footage through your TV. The Harmony Hub does NOT have these capabilities.
All in all, if you own mostly newer equipment, and you have not already added a Harmony Hub to your Smart Home, I would recommend the Fire TV Cube as the better choice. It is more cost effective in the long run, and it handles a wider range of devices than the Harmony Hub. I do not expect the Fire TV Cube to have any of the Alexa integration issues the Harmony Hub sporadically suffers. The only advantage I see to the Harmony Hub is the Universal Remote integration. The Fire TV Cube does not claim compatibility with universal remotes.
Where Can I Find Out More About the Fire TV Cube?
Amazon has an information page that discusses the Fire TV Cube and its compatibility with other components and devices. The product page itself also gives you additional information. (Reviews will also be available here, once the product is released.) The video at the top of this page comes from Amazon and is designed to introduce the product.
Summary
Amazon's latest entry in the Smart Device arena is the Fire TV Cube. The Fire TV Cube adds Alexa voice control to a myriad of audio-visual components. It allows you to control your TV and Cable Box by voice. Additionally, it extends Smart Device control to your television. You can control and view compatible camera systems through your TV.
The Fire TV Cube directly competes with the Harmony Hub. Previously, the Harmony Hub was the best way to extend voice control to your TV and attached components. The Harmony Hub paired with your components and an Amazon Echo to achieve voice control. The Fire TV Cube does away with the need for a separate Echo device. It basically integrates the functions of a Fire TV Stick, a Harmony Hub, and an Amazon Echo, and packages them neatly into one small box. In addition, the Fire TV Cube extends voice control to any Alexa-compatible Smart Device. About the only thing the Fire TV Cube lacks is universal remote compatibility.
The Fire TV Cube is an exciting new product, one that may eventually make the Harmony Hub obsolete. But until that happens, there are still good reasons to look at a Harmony Hub, and in some cases, it may be a better purchase option than a Fire TV Cube. But if you have not yet dipped your toes into the voice controlled TV waters, I recommend looking at the Fire TV Cube as a first step. I cannot wait to get my hands on one myself when the product actually hits the shelves.
Nice blog !!
ReplyDeleteCan you get the Fire TV cube do do multiple things with one command? e.g. turn on tv, change input and turn on sky box. You can set this up as a routine on harmony hub and give it one voice command "watch sky tv" and it will do those 3 actions (although admittedly harmony is often buggy). Can i do this with fire cube? Debating switching to the cube, but this is a key feature for me.
ReplyDeleteThat depends. :) If a device is HDMI CEC enabled, yes you can turn it all on with one command. But the harmony hub is better at controlling multiple devices at once, as well as older devices.
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