Amazon's Fire Cube TV 4K -
20 Minutes
Amazon is installing its Fire TV Cube 4K in the living room, a multimedia gateway for television.
Equipped with a small speaker and weighted by the virtual assistant Alexa, the device which is Dolby Vision, HDR10 + and Dolby Atmos, allows you to simply enjoy 4K content in exceptional quality.
Only voice commands with Alexa are fishing, the results of which remain too hazardous.
Long promised by Amazon, the Fire TV Cube is now available in France.
It is a multimedia box dedicated to video streaming on a television up to 4K at 60 frames per second.
The device combines functions and can also act as a small speaker with the Alexa assistant on board.
Roughly speaking: the cube seals the union of an Amazon Echo speaker and the Fire Stick TV, the HDMI key acting as a multimedia gateway.
The Fire TV Cube 4K provides the perfect visual and sound experience.
- AMAZON
Eight microphones to hear well
With its 8.6 cm sides, the Fire TV Cube is an elegant object.
Its black lacquered contours catch dust like flies.
On the top with the frosted surface, four physical buttons: a first to summon the assistant Alexa, two to adjust the volume, and a last to cut the ears of the eight integrated microphones.
The box is delivered with various cables (infrared extension cable to control devices placed in a closed cabinet; ethernet adapter).
The Amazon Fire Cube TV 4K and its accessories.
- AMAZON
The lack of an HDMI cable is a bit stingy, but it is true that we often have one that is no longer used in a drawer.
The Cube's connectivity features a micro USB port, an infrared port and an HDMI port.
Bluetooth 5.0 allows you to pair speakers, or even a game controller.
A remote control is provided.
Services installed in one click
So what is the Cube for?
To graft the assistant Alexa to his television, but not only.
During configuration, the device suggests that you select several services.
The offer is quite extensive and we even find Netflix, Disney + and Apple TV, the direct competitors of Amazon's streaming service, Prime Video.
Google remains with absent subscribers.
We therefore click on the boxes that interest us and also select Deezer, the music service to which we subscribe, as well as Molotov TV.
Great moment of solitude: it is necessary to enter all of our identifiers and secret codes so that each service to which we are subscribed can be controlled by the Cube… The Fire TV home page is now full.
Alexa at the controls
"Alexa, turn on the TV"!
We have to admit that this interaction is rather welcome when we are already sprawled on the sofa and the remote control has remained two meters away, on a piece of furniture.
And it works !
The Cube has its own speaker and can operate with the TV off to be used as a simple assistant, or even as a small speaker (although its audio quality can be improved).
But Alexa's voice creeps over the TV speakers once it's on.
It is possible to customize the Fire TV Cube 4K home screen in a matter of minutes.
- CHRISTOPHE SEFRIN / 20 MINUTES
Be careful, despite its eight microphones, it is necessary to speak loudly enough for the lady to correctly hear our requests when the television is on.
Several times during our tests, we noticed that a Sonos One speaker (including Alexa) located in our office, a few meters from the living room, heard better than the Fire TV Cube….
Fail !
Thus, Sonos reacted when the Cube heard nothing.
The office door, we had to close ...
Image and sound quality
Compatible with Dolby Vision, HDR10 + and Dolby Atmos (on a selection of Prime and Netflix titles), the Cube is the gateway to high visual quality content.
In 4K up to 60fps, viewing on our compatible TV (Samsung's The Frame) flatters the retina.
On the other hand, the commands of the television set via Alexa sometimes force the language of the deaf.
Alexa is executed but the request, as long as it is well expressed, does not always obtain the expected result.
Mistakes are also made.
In short, outsourcing all of the controls for your television to Alexa is making a bet on your TV night.
Of course, we can imagine the monster optimization work required for Amazon developers so that each application offered can be controlled by voice.
Simply, and efficiently.
By dint of tests, we see it: things are progressing, slowly (but surely?).
The Fire TV Cube 4K to be plugged in near your TV.
- AMAZON
But where Alexa perfectly knows how to control connected objects (bulbs, cameras, etc.), the recurring mistakes made by the assistant in the cockpit of a television sometimes push the co-pilot to take the remote control again.
Exemplary speed
With the accessory in hand, requests are immediately validated with fast navigation and exemplary fluidity.
The onboard hexacoeur processor does not balk at the task.
Undoubtedly, the Fire TV Cube 4K scores points in this field.
Just as much as on that of visual and sound quality.
But at 119 euros, the device remains quite expensive compared to the Fire Stick TV 4K key which offers more or less the same basic functions.
Owners of Full HD televisions can be satisfied with the Fire TV Stick (HDR and Dolby Atmos compatible) at 39 euros, or even the Fire TV Stick Lite at 29 euros.
High-Tech
Sonos Arc: Does the new soundbar give the same feeling at home as in the cinema?
High-Tech
LED, OLED, QLED TVs: We definitely don't understand anything anymore (but we explain everything to you)
On my couch with Alexa
As you can read in the example (lived) below, the voice control of the Fire TV Cube can still be improved ...
Me: “Alexa, put Netflix” (Alexa runs and displays the Netflix menu with the different user profiles, including mine - Christophe -)
Me: "Alexa, choose Christophe" (nothing happens)
Me: "Alexa, choose Christophe" (nothing is happening yet, I make the selection with the remote control)
Me: "Alexa, resume the last viewing on Netflix"
She: "The viewing center is available on Netflix" (display of the control center, etc.)
Me: "Alexa, come back to reception" (back to reception)
Me: "Play Bigflo & Oli" (the documentary on Toulouse brothers was released on October 8 on Netflix)
Elle: "Viewing stations on Amazon Music with Bigflo & Oli"
Me: (a word in 5 letters that begins with "m") ...
I decide to take Alexa by the feelings ...
Me: "Alexa, put Prime Video" (the user menu is displayed)
Me: "Alexa, choose Christophe" (my personal interface is displayed, although the same command does not work with Netflix)
Me "Alexa, find Homecoming" (it's an Amazon Original series with Julia Roberts, the Cube displays a selection and Homecoming appears as the first possible choice - phew!).
I continue my tests ...
Me: "Alexa, put Deezer" (I have a premium subscription to the music platform)
Her: "Playing music on Deezer" (an obscure rap song is launched, I get angry, take the remote, go back to the Cube's main menu and select the Deezer app)
Me: "Alexa, show me my playlists on Deezer"
Her: "Flow on Deezer" (Flow, is an automated list of songs, but nothing to do with my playlists).
(…)
Me: "Alexa, turn off the TV" (the TV turns off).
CS
Streaming
20 minutes video
Television
Amazon
Amazon Prime Video
High-Tech