Amazon is number 2 in overall marketshare of the streaming devices.  Can the company gain any points with the Fire TV Cube?

 

Amazon unveiled there newest streaming device today and it is definitely worth a look, at least on paper.  Amazon unveiled their not-so-secret Fire TV Cube device; the latest in streaming media players from the company.  But while the Cube is a streaming box, it’s also a whole lot more…potentially.

I say potentially because the truth is we haven’t seen the box in action.  However, from what Amazon has told us, it’s basically an entertainment hub.  The Cube will feature Amazon’s signature skinned Android OS with obvious integration in to the Amazon ecosystem.  Basically, it will interface like any other Amazon Fire product on the market currently.  However, this box is fully featured with a 1.5 Ghz Quad-core processor and 16 GB of on-board storage.  Compare this to the 8 GB of storage on the standard 4K Fire TV.

The reason for the larger capacity may have to do with having Alexa built in.  To be fair, previous Fire devices have Alexa integrated into the remote, however, the Cube takes it to the next level.  Featuring far-field microphones, the Cube is basically an Echo device that connects to the TV.  It’s this integration into said home theater that is going to make or break this device.

Theoretically, you could tell Alexa to turn on or off your TV, find a show, turn on or off your smart devices, and even raise the volume.  The concept is sound.  And to make the whole thing work together, the Cube is adding IR blasters to each side of the device, making this a universal remote.  Now, I won’t compare this to a Harmony quite yet, but the idea of controlling your home theater using your voice is appealing, at least to me.  And that’s mainly what this product is aimed at; home theater consumers who want universal control and an Echo in one product.

Unfortunately, there are a few omissions that have me concerned, at least in terms of integration.  Like Fire products of the past, the remote control has abstained from controlling the volume through HDMI.  One advantage to HDMI is that it’s not just audio and video that can pass through the cable but also data that leads to the integration of controlling other devices with one remote. The Cube won’t offer that, at least not at this time.

One thing the Cube will offer, however, is HDR.  The Cube, like the current Fire TV is 4K HDR compatible, but only with the HDR10 standard.  Dolby Vision is not offered but presumably, Amazon could offer an upgrade sometime down the road.  Interestingly enough, however, Amazon does offer Dolby Atmos, the new standard for theater sound.  Clearly the company is going for premium, at least in audio.  And while they are making the same attempt in video, Dolby Vision would be a welcome addition.

Now to be fair, we haven’t had a hands-on with the product yet, and because it hasn’t shipped yet, chances are specs could change.  But I doubt that anything would change between now and the 21st.  But if you are so inclined, you can pre-order one yourself for $89 before it ships on June 21st.  This price expires on the 8th at Midnight, however, so grab one now before the price goes up to $119 after that.  Of course, we have one on order so look for a full review soon.  But we are really excited about the possibilities of this product. Stay tuned.