*UPGRADES from Generation 1 to Generation 2:
-added HDR10+ and Dolby Vision support
-added Bluetooth 5.0 support (Gen1 was 4.2)
-added Local Voice Control : locally processes some frequently used voice commands, executing them faster - ie "Alexa Go Home" etc.
-Fire OS 7.2.0.4
-CPU upgrade
-GPU upgrade
UPGRADE OPINIONS:
The CPU/GPU and Local Voice Control upgrades result in a pretty big difference in speed and responsiveness between Gen 1 and Gen 2. All actions are executed right away. This is the biggest noticeable difference between Gen 1 and Gen 2. HDR10+ and Dolby Vision support are nice to have if you own a TV that supports these HD formats. The BT5.0 should result in longer range for bluetooth connected devices. I find the difference in speed to be worth the cost of a Gen 2, but that is probably personal preference. To me, saving a second or two with every command, and having access to Vision and BT5.0 seemed worth it.
If you are upgrading from FireTV Stick 4K, you are getting a faster processor, 16GB storage over the Stick's 8GB, and all of the Echo functionality.
---------------
OVERALL
The Good:
-Setup is super easy. About 10 - 15 minutes of downloading updates, then up and running! There is a check box on the right side of this page here on Amazon that says "Link to my Amazon account to simplify setup." This is usually checked by default, so when you purchase this FireTV Cube it will transfer settings like saved Wifi passwords from other Echo devices in your house. This makes setup very fast and easy. (You can uncheck this option though if you are buying this as a gift for someone else.)
-FireTV Cube is great for controlling multiple devices. The ability to act as an IR blaster to control most TVs and soundbars; in addition to the regular Echo control of smart devices is very useful. Not having to use an additional remote for the TV is great.
-Some regular Echo interactions are much more useful when there is a visual component; like asking about the weather, or seeing song lyrics/album covers.
-I like the ability to use all of the newer Echo functions, like Drop-Ins/Calls, and multi room groups for music. These were not available initially on the Gen 1 FireTV Cube.
The Bad:
-Some apps have less voice control functionality than others. Navagation for Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime were all pretty great; but technically some other apps might not support all of the voice commands, and you might have to use the remote.
-No included HDMI cable. This is minor, but I feel like it could've been included.
TL,DR:
Gen 2 is much faster than Gen 1, and has all the new Echo features. Get it if you want a much faster Cube, or Dolby Vision/BT5.0 support.
****
FAQ- from some of the questions on this page:
-Storage space: Specs say 16GB total. Around 3GB must be used for the OS, because my storage details indicated 12.98 GB internal storage.
-Controlling devices: The Cube has an IR blaster built in that acts a universal remote to send signals to most TVs and soundbars. You can also use the IR extender attachment if you need to to reach other devices not in line of sight of the Cube. Also in your Equipment Control settings, you can choose whether Mute, Volume Up/Down, and Power signals are sent from the Cube itself, or from the Cube's Alexa Remote.
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"Alexa, turn on the lights."
Control the lights with your voice.
Fire TV Cube lets you put down the remote and dive straight into your favorite movies and TV shows with the sound of your voice. From across the room, just say, “Alexa, play The Mandalorian on Disney+” and Alexa will respond to your request.
Switch inputs and go from watching your favorite TV show to the big game. You can also ask Alexa to check the weather, set timers and reminders, and more—even when the TV is off.
Technical details
Fire TV Cube (2nd Gen) technical details
|
Size |
86.1 mm x 86.1 mm x 76.9 mm |
|
Weight |
465 g |
|
Processor |
Hexa-core (Quad-core at up to 2.2GHz + Dual-core at up to 1.9GHz |
|
GPU |
ARM Mali G52-MP2 (3EE), 800MHz |
|
Storage |
16 GB internal |
|
Memory |
2 GB |
|
Wi-Fi |
Dual-band, dual-antenna Wi-Fi (MIMO) for faster streaming and fewer dropped connections than standard Wi-Fi. Supports 802.11a/b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi networks. |
|
Bluetooth |
Bluetooth 5.0 + LE. Pair with compatible Bluetooth speakers, headphones, video game controllers, and more. |
|
Voice support |
Far-field and near-field voice support |
|
Voice control compatibility |
Fire TV Cube can control a wide range of IR-enabled devices, including TVs, soundbars, cable and satellite boxes, and A/V receivers. Learn more about IR-enabled supported devices. |
|
Cloud storage |
Free cloud storage for digital content purchased from Amazon. |
|
Ports |
HDMI, power, micro-USB, wired infrared support |
|
Included audio |
Built-in 1.6'' (40 mm) speaker to interact with Alexa–even when the TV is off. Fire TV Cube uses your entertainment system speakers for entertainment experiences and will turn on your TV, soundbar, or A/V receiver to play these. |
|
Audio support |
Dolby Atmos, 7.1 surround sound, 2ch stereo, and HDMI audio pass through up to 5.1. Dolby Atmos is available on select Prime Video, Netflix, and Disney+ titles when connected to compatible equipment. |
|
Content formats supported |
Video: Dolby Vision, HDR 10, HDR10+, HLG, H.265, H.264, VP9 Audio: AAC-LC, AC3, eAC3 (Dolby Digital Plus), FLAC, MP3, PCM/Wave, Vorbis, Dolby Atmos (EC3_JOC), Photo: JPEG, PNG, GIF, BMP |
|
Output Resolution Supported |
2160p, 1080p and 720p up to 60 fps |
|
System requirements |
High-definition television with available high-speed HDMI input, high-speed internet connection via Wi-Fi or inbox Ethernet accessory, power outlet, (compatible TV/sound/cable equipment for control by infrared or voice). High-speed HDMI cable and 4K TV with high-speed HDMI connector required for 4K viewing and more reliable device control. |
|
TV compatibility |
TV must support minimum HDCP requirements for protected content playback. Compatible with 1) 4K ultra high-definition TVs with HDMI capable of 2160p at 24/25/30/50/60 Hz and HDCP 2.2 or 2) high-definition TVs with HDMI capable of 1080p or 720p at 50/60 Hz. Learn more about high-definition. |
|
Warranty and service |
1-year limited warranty and service included. Optional 2-Year and 3-Year Extended Warranty available for U.S. customers sold separately. Use of Fire TV is subject to the terms found here. |
|
Regional support |
Certain services may not be available outside the U.S. |
|
Accessibility features |
VoiceView screen reader enables access to the vast majority of Fire TV features for users who are blind or visually impaired. Watch videos and TV shows with closed captioning displayed. Captions are not available for all content. You can also listen to Fire TV with compatible Bluetooth headphones. Learn more about accessibility for Fire TV. |
|
Included in the box |
Fire TV Cube (2nd Gen), Alexa Voice Remote (2nd Gen), power adapter, Quick Start Guide, marketing guide, 2 AAA batteries, infrared (IR) extender cable, Amazon Ethernet Adapter (10/100). HDMI cable is sold separately. |
|
Software Security Updates |
This device receives guaranteed software security updates until at least four years after the device is last available for purchase as a new unit on our websites. Learn more about these software security updates. If you already own a Fire TV, visit Manage Your Content and Devices for information specific to your device. |
Alexa Voice Remote (2nd Gen) technical details
|
Size |
38 x 142 x 16 mm |
|
Weight |
43.4 g (without batteries) |
|
Batteries |
2 AAA (included) |
|
Technology |
Bluetooth |
|
Compatibility |
Fire TV Cube (2nd Gen), Fire TV Stick 4K, Fire TV Stick Lite, Fire TV Stick (3rd Gen), Fire TV Stick (2nd Gen), Fire TV Cube (1st Gen), Fire TV (3rd Gen Pendant Design) |
|
Software Security Updates |
This device receives guaranteed software security updates until at least four years after the device is last available for purchase as a new unit on our websites. Learn more about these software security updates. If you already own a Fire TV, visit Manage Your Content and Devices for information specific to your device. |
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Reviews with images
Definitely not hands free, but a great upgrade from Kodi on an RPi3 (mostly)
I have this hooked up to my bedroom TV and I love being able to say "Alex, turn off the TV".Unfortunately, I also have an Echo Show in my bedroom as an alarm clock on my nightstand and you never know which one is going to answer you when you ask Alexa to do something. Most of the time this doesn't matter but last night I said "Alexa where is my phone?" and the Echo show dialed my cellphone. When I found my phone, I said "Alex hang up" and the Fire cube answered "You are not in a call"I installed the Plex client to stream movies and tv shows from my plex server. The quality is way better than the RPi3 which struggled with anything over 720p.It is definitely not hands free, I wish there was a way to set Plex as the default app on the Fire cube or something. It is frustrating to search for a movie or tv show I know I own and have the Fire cube recommend buying it off Amazon rather than playing the copy I already own on Plex.I've tried the "Alexa tell Plex to play ..." that I read about on the internet but that wants you to link your Plex account to Amazon. Worse still, Amazon requires you to enable remote access on your Plex server to be able to do anything once you pair your Plex account with Alexa. The Fire cube Plex app has no problems accessing my Plex server locally using the remote, but all voice commands apparently have to run in the cloud and therefore require you open a gapping security hole in your network so Amazon can support you. This is not good and I fear for my less tech savvy friends who might just do what Amazon says instead of maintaining a secure home network. The integration is really lagging here and Amazon can do better.Another thing I miss from my old setup is the Remote. Kodi had an mobile app you could download on your phone turning it into a remote. So my wife had her remote, I had mine and we have an Android tablet we keep in the bedroom for reading eBooks and it is our backup remote. I could not find anything similar for the Fire cube, so I have to keep track of the remote (grr).Another issue I ran into with the Fire cube is the audio. This is kind of unique to my setup but really frustrating, given that it worked perfectly with Kodi. I have my Fire cube connected via HDMI to my Vizio TV. The Vizio has RCA jacks that go out to my home theater audio system. On the Kodi, when I adjusted the volume it changed the output volume on the HDMI port. On the Fire cube when I adjust the volume it sends remote commands to the TV to raise and lower the volume. Unfortunately, this only adjusts the volume of the TV speakers and not the volume going out to home theater system. I looked all over the setting menus, but there is no way to tell the Fire cube to change the output volume instead of issuing remote commands to the TV. The volume leveling setting is only for music and podcasts. I was able to work around this issue using an advanced setting on my Vizio TV, I hope all TVs are as capable of making up for the Fire cubes shortcomings in this area.Finally, there might be a settings I can change that would address any or all of the above but I cannot for the life of me find any documentation online and the only thing that came with the device was a little IKEA style picture guide for connecting it the hardware. For example, I have no idea what HDMI passthrough does but changing it didn't seem to effect anything.
