The television has come through different changes from a simple black-and-white box of yesteryears to the current myriad of HDTVs that’s currently available on the market. The way we access our shows has also changed dramatically with the rise of online streaming services and the need for them all to be consolidated into one platform.
Of course, it’s no surprise that the TV controller would also undergo technological changes as well. Amazon has tied all these things together and released the nearly hands-free Fire TV Cube, a media player with Alexa built-in that in essence lets you control your TV via voice command.
Hands-free
The Fire TV Cube has eight microphones that can register your voice well enough across the room as long as the room is spacious enough. Since this has Alexa, it will also expectedly function as any Echo device would. It also has infrared which enables you to control other smart home devices.
The main selling point of the cube is being hands-free, but it also comes with a controller, which is a welcome alternative if you don’t want to keep talking to Alexa to change the program. This could also act as a microphone in case the cube isn’t within earshot from where you are. Worth noting, though, is that it also works with the Alexa Voice Remote.
What’s being said
While the cube does offer that hands-free convenience, there have been complaints on misunderstood commands. Some customers experience having to repeat commands while others noticed that searching using voice commands don’t work well in their favor.
The controller is available as a workaround for these types of problems. However, it won’t solve all of the concerns such as controlling the volume. There is no button on the controller, so you have to use a different one or the voice command. Unfortunately, the voice command would only allow you to increase or decrease the volume by increments and not as a specific number like in regular Echo devices.
It is easy to see the appeal of the device because it should eliminate the need for a physical controller. “Should” being the operative word anyway. The idea of going hands-free is a great idea, however, there are still some ways away until we get there. In the meantime, the Amazon Fire TV Cube is available for $119.99 if you want to try it out for yourself.
YouTube: Hands-Free TV is Here – Introducing Fire TV Cube
Photo credit: All images used have been provided by Amazon for press usage.
Source: Amazon / Customer Reviews / Phil Nickinson (Cordcutters)
