Amazon's newest piece of hardware is a combination of two different Amazon products.
Meet the Amazon Fire TV Cube. This is a Fire TV set-top box that's also an Echo device, and it's now available for pre-order ahead of its June 21st launch date. Amazon Prime customers who order a Fire TV Cube either today or tomorrow can even save some cash on the device.
With Alexa inside the Fire TV Cube, you can use your voice to control your TV, sound bar, A/V receiver, and cable or satellite box. This includes powering your TV on and off as well as doings things like adjusting the volume or changing channels. For example, you could say "Alexa, switch to channel 31" or "Alexa, watch ESPN".
Amazon says that the Fire TV Cube is compatible with set-top boxes from providers like Comcast, Dish, and DirecTV, which covers more than 90 percent of houses with a cable or satellite TV subscription.
Because it's an Alexa device, you can also use the Fire TV Cube to perform functions like an Echo. You can ask for the weather or news, control smart home devices, and even play music on the Fire TV Cube's built-in speaker. You can also play music on your TV speakers, which will probably output better sound than the Fire TV Cube, thanks to its app and skill support.
The Fire TV Cube includes support for 4K Ultra HD, HDR-10, and Dolby Atmos sound. It uses a combination of cloud-based protocols, HDMI CEC, and infrared tech to control your compatible TV, sound bar, A/V receiver, or set-top box.
Amazon's Fire TV Cube looks like a nice addition to the Fire TV lineup, combining the set-top box apps and features of a Fire TV Cube with the Alexa smarts of an Echo. You're not going to use this device to jam out to music like you would a normal Echo, but you can hook it up in your living room or entertainment room and listen to music with Alexa controls that way.
