Fire TV Cube, with AI-powered Fire TV Search, Hands-free streaming device, find shows faster with Alexa+, Wi-Fi 6E, 4K Ultra HD

So I bought a FireTV Cube to test a theory. I spent many hours configuring/tweaking my network settings, complaining to my ISP about suspected protocol throttling, running Cat6 ethernet drops to all TV locations throughout my house, I could never get the Amazon Prime app, Pluto app, Netflix app, Tubi app, to function/perform on any of my AppleTV 4K's (Ver2) as well or as fast as the native AppleTV apps such as AppleTV+ and AppleMovies. Even though my throughput was 485-495Mbps, as measured by my Unifi network controller and/or by the Ookla app installed on the AppleTV itself. I would constantly experience pixellation, buffering, and slow menu response while using these afore mentioned non-Apple apps. Upon exhaustive reading on blogs, message boards, and reviews from around the net, I discovered this was a common, but not necessarily a universal problem. Thus I began to wonder if the problem might lay with the AppleTV hardware, or maybe the implementation of the various apps on the AppleTV platform. So I decided to tryout a FireTV Cube, and all I have to say is WOW! It worked out of the box, no problems whatsoever; not one. All the afore mentioned non-Apple apps worked flawlessly on the FireTV Cube. No more pixellation, buffering, or slow menus. This was an unbelievably simple and affordable fix. I had already wasted so much time and effort troubleshooting the problems I had with the AppleTV 4K's; I might have paid double the price for these the FireTV Cube if I knew in advance the FireTV Cube was the solution to my problems. Let me also comment on the Amazon Alexa Voice Remote Pro. I would definitely recommend it as an upgrade to the FireTV Cube. The automatic backlight feature of the Amazon Alexa Voice Remote Pro is GREAT! This remote far outshines the AppleTV 4K's remote by leaps and bounds. The "clicky" buttons provide accurate control and positive feedback, which is much more than I can say for the AppleTV remote. Only one caveat to the Amazon Alexa Voice Remote Pro, is the rounded back; I don't like it. Now anyone reading this might assume I am an Apple hater. I definitely am not. I switched over to Apple many years ago, and never looked back. Every computer in my house is an Apple except for the one I use for HDD testing. I love our Apple computers. I love our iPhones. Unfortunately, I cannot say the same thing for our AppleTVs IMHO, streaming on the AppleTVs with Apple native apps is great, but with non-Apple apps it falls short. However I will definitely miss the AppleTVs tight integration/control with my AirPods. However, streaming those same non-Apple apps on the Amazon FireTV is nothing short of AWESOME! HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! Hope this helps!

Absolutely love it! Night and day difference between my fire stick 4k max and this. First off it seamlessly downloaded all my old apps once I signed in and gave permissions. There is virtually no lag. The better processor and more ram I'm sure have much to do with that . Anyway It connected to my devices with no issues and even connected to my Google home equipment so I can now ask Alexa or Google to do things such as setting an alarm or turning off my lights.... Asking it to turn on the tv brings up my whole entertainment system and asking it to play a particular show is virtually issue free with the exception of the fact so many streaming providers charge insane amounts for even old shows or movies. But by far this is worth the upgrade. Highly doubt you will regret it.

Update 11/12/25: So after having written the below review I decided I should give an update to the issues below. I've had other streaming devices since then and I have to admit that the fire tv cube beats them all. Reasons: The" best available" setting is actually the best setting. What it does is that ot converts DD+ sound to Multichannel pcm which is a lossless and uncompressed quality and passes it to the AVR. The AVR will show Multichannel 5.1 . It is the best sound you can get. I came to this conclusion after months of testing and research. Roku ultra has passthrough but it just passes the compressed format DD+ to the AVR so the AVR displays DD+. The TV turning off big is fixed. 10/4/23 update: Now another bug has appeared. When I watch on my LG C3 OLED TV the TV turns off automatically after a while. Sound continues but no picture. I initially thought it was my tv. Got another unit ,same TV, and the same issue happened. Then I decided to watch ony Roku ultra and have not had any problems so far. Tried the cube again 2 days ago and issue returned. I even turned off equipment control and reset the cube but didn't work. So now I'm not using it. It's just sitting there looking pretty. 7/23/23: Just to update that the video issue has been fixed. The audio issue not so. 11/23/22: Still no fix. Reverts to 1080p despite setting to Auto. Now noticing jitter or stutter on video when playing 4k content. Changed settings of Match frame rate to on but didn't resolve issue. Constantly checking display settings. Given up and using my other streaming device with no issues. Did not expect this from Amazon. 11/15/22: So since purchasing this there have been a number of updates installed but NONE have fixed the issue of sound and display settings as mentioned in my previous updates. This is truly disappointing and makes me want to use this device less often than I would like to. 11/9/22: Still issue with display resolution defaulting to 1080p. Always have to check before playing something. No fix. Not acceptable for a "high-end device" Update 10/29/22: Still no luck on best available sound settings outputting DD+. But now another issue. Whenever I awaken the cube the display resolution defaults to 1080p even though I set it to Auto(up to 4K). It's frustrating to have to change this every time I want to watch something. So many bugs! I've had many fire tv sticks over the years and also a 2nd Gen cube which I returned because it wouldn't play Dolby vision. Thought I'd give this a try since all the upgrades were compelling. Faster, built-in Ethernet port, HDMI in, supporting all sound and picture formats. So I set it up withy TCL tv and Sony receiver . Setup was a breeze. It recognized my TV and receiver. For some reason the picture quality in display settings was defaulted to 1080p. I changed it to upto 4K. Sound settings were "best available ". When I played content it would only play in PCM (stereo). I tried Dolby digital and Dolby Atmos content. Dolby Atmos would play as Atmos +PCM, not Atmos +DD+ as it should. I checked ally settings on the TV and receiver and all was good but couldn't get DD+. Called tech support and was told that it may be a software issue and may get fixed in a future update. Really??. All the hype about how this device is the fastest and best on picture and sound yet it can't output "best available" sound. I'm sure best available is not PCM. Tech told me to set the sound settings to Dolby digital plus. That corrected the issue but it was a let down. I'm hoping it doesn't revert back to PCM. Will see how it goes and update but so far disappointed. The super resolution setting really doesn't add much to enhance the picture quality of SD or even 720 or 1080p resolution. And that was one of the main features that enticed me to buy it. Update 7/2/23: The video resolution issue is now fixed but the audio issue still persists.

I am a big fan of Amazon products. I have FireTV products going back to the stick. I currently use my FireTV (Gen3), FireTV Cube (Gen2), and FireTV Cube (Gen3). Comparing FireTV Cube (Gen 2) with FireTV (Gen3), I am displeased with the external speaker in Gen3--it is muffly sounding and the internal microphone is less sensitive than Gen2. Setting up my Xfinity Cable TV box with Gen3 is easier than Gen2 because Gen3 has a built-in direct HDMI input connector for the cable box but you need to select the input in FireTV Cube and be sure you change it from HDMI to Cable and FireTV Cube (Gen3) will then properly setup your cable TV box location and programming guide; sometimes FireTV Cube (Gen3) cannot passthrough the TV's Dolby audio signal and there's no sound when using Cable TV. The solution is to set the FireTV Cube (Gen3) to PCM audio. Setting up my Samsung Soundbar was better in Gen3 than Gen2 because when the soundbar model series is not found FireTV Cube (Gen3) like mine which is a new soundbar and not found by FireTV Cube the software will allow you to manually setup compatibility using the soundbar remote control but you have to go through the whole setup process before it will give you this option this is dumb and it needs to be a readily accessible option in the settings software. It also takes much longer to program this way but it works better than not having the specific soundbar model number listed in FireTV Cube. Setting up my new Sony Bravia UHD 75-inch TV was smooth and no issues there. Try not to change any software settings in your TV and FireTV unless you start having issues and work the issues one step at a time. A big disapoinment with FireTV Cube (Gen3) is that it no longer let's you sideload apps as easily as Gen2 which only required allowing unknown sources and using the Downloader App to install apps that are not in the Amazon AppStore. So far I have not seen a way to override security features in the Android-based operating system to allow third-party apps to be installed in FireTV Cube (Gen3). Making FireTV Cube (Gen3) work smoothly with Amazon Alexa Skills and the Alexa App is no fun experience either. Depending on how many FireTV Cubes and other FireTV devices you have in your home it can cause all sorts of voice command problems. The best thing to do is rename all your devices in the Alexa App to the specific FireTV location where the device is connected, for example, if you have a FireTV Cube in your family room and also in your bedroom then name the devices "Family Room TV" and "Main Bedroom TV" and do the same for your CableTV Boxes listed in the Alexa App. Alexa will eventually learn your devices and you can send voice commands without unexpected results. Nonetheless, the Alexa App software working with FireTV is a bit glitchy and needs refinement. Overall, I recommend FireTV Cube (Gen3) and I hope Amazon will push software improvements on a regular basis for the Alexa App and FireTV Cube. UPDATE 6-3-23 I was able to find some compatibility settings in my Comcast Cable Box that helped fix the audio somtimes not passing through to FireTV Cube. If you have a Comcast Cable Box check that your audio is set to the advanced audio settings and make sure your HDMI is set to pass through to your TV. After having repeat problems with my FireTV Cube not properly communicating with my compatible Samsung Soundbar with FireTV Cube somtimes muting but not unmuting the sound when sending voice commands to Alexa to change the cable channel, or lower/raise the volume, or ask about anything such as weather, time, etc. while the TV and soundbar are on. The conflict in the two devices turned out to be a simple issue. If you connect your soundbar to your TV using the ARC HDMI port then you don't need to setup your soundbar with FireTV Cube because when you already setup your TV with FireTV Cube the soundbar is automatically controlled through ARC. When a voice command is sent to Alexa on FireTV Cube the TV will handle the voice commands and pass the signal to your soundbar via ARC. This was a very annoying issue and there wasn't any help on FireTV Cube to guide the customer about it. UPDATE 4-18-23 Fire TV Cube Gen 3 is still glitchy at times with Alexa running slow or not responsive to voice commands and because the cable box is now connected directly to the Fire TV Cube there are sometimes glitches in the sound. These issues are not frequent but still annoying. If you want to access Developer Options you need to select in Settings > My Fire TV > About, and click on "About" several times until the Developer Options are activated. You can then turn on ADB Debugging and Unknown Sources. Keep in mind that every app you access that is used to install third-party apps will need to be approved in Developer Options, so if you use the Downloader app to access a third-party app it won't install the app you downloaded until you agree to allow Downloader to access apps from Unknown Sources. You only need to do this once. You can also install apps directly from the USB port on the back of the device. You can format the USB drive in NTFS and save the APK file from your PC to the USB drive then plug the USB drive into your Fire TV Cube to install the APK file. There is a simple File Explorer app in the Amazon appstore that works well to access the flash drive to install the APK file. You can also use ES File Explorer but this app has a lot of other features and you can get the installation done fast with the simple File Explorer app. Good luck and enjoy your Fire TV Cube Gen 3.

So my old smart tv was really struggling. Too often my TV was freezing or forcing reboots and I just had a feeling it had to do with the processor being a little old and not being able to keep up with running all my subscriptions and apps. It's a 65 inch, so replacing it entirely would be out of my budget at this time. The fire cube gave my TV a second life! Now if you've ever owned an alexa device, you probably know the first time powering on and setting up your device takes ages. Well that was especially true in my experience with the fire cube. PLEASE NOTE! it does require an ARC HDMI!! Sometimes you have to turn on ARC in your TV settings, and it's usually a dedicated HDMI port. This was my first problem. After I got that figured out, it probably took about 30 minutes to allow my cube to update and work at full capacity. But once the initial set up was done, I did have a few minor bugs for the first week. Sometimes I'd turn the TV off with the cube remote and audio would continue to play and I'd have to manually turn off the cube with it's physical button. This only happened two or three times. However, since pairing my alexa studios, this problem hasn't reoccured. Now I do have a switch that will trip my breaker if it accedntly gets flipped, and my cube and wifi are on the same breaker. So I do have to delete and repair my home theater when this happens, for some reason it completely ruins the connection and I'm not sure if it's because all my devices go offline, or if the cube can't reestablish connection on its own. Now, with all the quirks mentioned and dealt with. I love my fire cube!! Paired with my alexa studios watching TV or listening to music on my speaker group is awesome! There's one quirk about the home theater that irks me, but that's already been mentioned in my review for the studios. As for the cube itself though, I don't have any of the old issues I was having with my smart tv! Actually browsing different apps and my overall experience is much easier and intuitive! I love that I can use my voice to talk to the remote, or any of my alexa devices set to control the cube to immediately open an app or go straight to a movie or show. I got the remote Pro and I love the additional 2 custom buttons, along with the light up feature in the dark. And the "find remote" function works perfectly!! No more arguing over who lost the remote! Lol My partner was extremely skeptical about adding another alexa device to our home, he's not as tech savvy as I am, and he prefers to use his phone for smart controls. But even he has really enjoyed the fire cube! And honestly, that says a lot about this device! Initial setup may be rocky depending on person to person, but once it's running at full capacity, it's an excellent device for upgrading an existing TV that isn't smart, giving a second life to a smart TV that's having difficulty, and even for the home theater set up. If your buying a cube or fire stick for the theater set up, 1000% recommend two alexa studios. THIS WILL REPLACE ANY EXISTING AUDIO SET UP YOU HAVE THOUGH!!! theater mode cannot be paired with existing soundbars or other speakers.... Honestly not happy about that part... However!! The sound and quality I got from switching was worth it for me, though I had hoped to enhance my set up and not replace it... With that said, this is a perfect addition to your smart home journey. ( would not recommend standard alexa speakers for home theater, even a cheap soundbar out performs two Alexas, but in my opinion, the alexa studios are a great trade even without the optional sub woofer.) The cube is capable of being a standalone alexa device if you don't have other devices, and on its own, the cube will play audio through a soundbar, TV, and I believe even an auxiliary audio source if you choose not to do a home theater with Alexa but don't quote me on that last one because I didn't try it. The cube can also easily pair to Bluetooth devices, so at night, I like to use my wireless earbuds without being too noisy. Like I said the cube can be a stand alone alexa device if you don't have any other alexa devices, so if your on the fence about a smart assistant, this could be a really great way to break into that, while still having a device that can do more than just being a smart assistant.

I’ve been a loyal Fire Stick user for years, but I finally hit a breaking point with the constant lag and "loading" wheels. I decided to splurge on the Cube during a sale, and after two weeks of heavy use, I can honestly say I should have done this a long time ago. The Speed is Real: If you’re coming from a Stick, the first thing you’ll notice is how snappy it is. Apps like Netflix and Disney+ open almost instantly. There’s no stuttering when scrolling through the home screen, which used to drive me crazy. It feels more like a high-end gaming console than a little streaming box. Hands-Free Alexa (The "Magic" Factor): This is the feature I thought I wouldn't use, but now I’m hooked. Being able to walk into the living room with a bowl of popcorn and just say, "Alexa, play The Bear on Hulu" without hunting for the remote is a game-changer. It even turns my TV and soundbar on for me. It basically turned my living room into a hands-free Echo Show. Pros: • The Processor: Zero lag. Period. It handles 4K content like it’s nothing. • Connectivity: It has an Ethernet port and an extra HDMI-in port. I actually plugged my cable box into it so I can switch to live TV just by asking Alexa. • Wi-Fi 6E: My router is in the other room, but the connection has been rock solid with no buffering. Cons (The "Real Talk"): • The Price: It’s definitely an investment. If you only watch TV for an hour a week, it’s probably overkill. • No HDMI Cable: For this price, Amazon really should include an HDMI cable in the box. Make sure you have a spare 4K-rated one ready to go. • The Ads: Like all Fire TV products, the home screen is still pretty cluttered with sponsored content/ads. You get used to it, but it’s there. If you’re a "power user" who hates waiting for apps to load, or if you just want to control your entire home theater with your voice, this is the best device Amazon makes. It’s powerful, smart, and actually makes the TV experience feel "premium."

Update: Reduced rating from 2-star to 1-star because I will be returning this third Fire TV Cube Gen 3 for the exact same reasons I returned the previous two, except now I can add "vanishing menus, frequent disconnect from remote control, and repeated disconnect of 3 different bluetooth headphones/earbuds" to the list of problems. Most importantly, the problems with Ring announcement settings continue to reset back to being on, and we continue to be woken up in the middle of the night to maximum volume announcements of "MOTION DETECTED IN DRIVEWAY/FRONT DOOR!!!" My wife, who is highly technical herself and actually works for Amazon as a Principle Security Engineer, is really annoyed with me for continuing to try to get this working when this device (or at least a recent update) is clearly defective. As a replacement for the Fire TV Cube Gen 3, tried the Onn 4k Plus Streaming Device (GoogleTV) as well as the Google 4k TV Streamer (also GoogleTV). Both of these performed better than the Fire TV Cube Gen 3, but unfortunately, both of these devices had other show-stopping issues that made them simply not a solution I was willing to go with on my primary TV. I am actually appalled at the current state of the latest streaming devices. So, my solution was to go back to what I had (and was very satisfied with) -- the Fire TV Cube Gen 1. This bumped my various Fire TV devices around again (FireTV 4K Max Stick, FireTV 4K Stick, etc.), but guess what? They all work great. I just don't know what I'm going to do when Amazon forces this new OS on all these devices, because I'm sure it's going to mess them up as well, and then I have no idea what streaming device I will use. Maybe go back to Roku? ============================== I'm not going to discuss the specs or capabilities -- it's actually a top-of-the-line streaming device (or at least it should be). Unfortunately, I'm on my 3rd unit in 3 months. They keep locking up, stuttering, buffering, failing to load apps, and no matter what I do and how many times I turn it off in multiple locations in Alexa, Ring, and Fire TV, my Ring doorbell and Ring Camera keep reconnecting with the Fire TV Cube Gen 3, which results in the Fire TV Cube Gen 3 literally SCREAMING in the middle of the night (when a lizard, frog, or baby opossum crosses the driveway) "MOTION DETECTED IN YOUR DRIVEWAY" or "MOTION DETECTED AT YOUR FRONT DOOR". I even have the volume on the built-in Alexa turned down to zero, and it keeps resetting to full volume. I suspect this happens because I frequently have to reboot the Fire TV Cube Gen 3 because it locks up multiple times per day. And that's usually by unplugging the power adapter and plugging it back in because the reset feature in the Fire TV Cube Gen 3 menus will lock it up, too! On all three of these Fire TV Cube Gen 3 devices I have only had the usual streaming services apps -- Netflix, HBOMAX, Disney+, YouTube, YouTube TV, Prime Video (even AMAZON Prime Video locks up this AMAZON device!), ESPN, etc. Still locks up multiple times per day, usually when simply trying to load one of these apps to watch a movie. The third unit I received does seem to be doing a little better than the previous two, but if this one starts acting up the same way as the other two, my next return will not be an exchange -- it will be for a refund, and I will simply move on to something else like the Onn 4K Pro or Google 4k TV Streamer. Like the title of this review says -- I LOVE my Fire TV Cube Gen 1! The only reason I bought the Gen 3 was because it was on Black Friday sale and I needed another Fire TV device and didn't want to go with a Stick. The only Fire TV Cube model available now is the Gen 3, so that's what I had to buy. Amazon product support was zero help, and in fact became frustrated and gave up long before I did. All they ended up concluding was that it will likely be corrected in a future system update. So, until then I just have tolerate a $140 device locking up multiple times per day? Honestly, giving the Fire TV Cube Gen 3 a two-star review is generous.

I got the cube to replace the firestick 4K in my living room, enabling me to move the 4K firestick to a bedroom. The advantages are worth it. If you have Amazon Prime, this replaced my Alexa box and allows me to control my AVR, TV and use the built in Alexa features to check weather or anything else I was doing before. I have the cube inside a cabinet, and it works well because I used my pre-exiting IR to control it. The firestick 4K was fast, but this cube with the 16G of internal RAM has made it much quicker and the clarity from both of the Firestick and Cube is amazing.. If you have Amazon, and use Alexa, you can't go wrong with this device. Rather than backhaul (ethernet connected), I use wi-fi. Prior to installing, I had installed the mesh system EERO 6, to expand the speed coverage of my 1G fiber throughout the house and outside. Before that, there would be occasional pixelation or freeze ups, but it was not due to shortcomings in the device. The cost of the mesh system and the firestick systems are more than offset by the savings I've realized by cutting the cord with the major cable or satellite providers. Set up was easy, using information I found on the internet and once it was completed, it has automated the TV experience for us. If you order through Amazon, it takes an extra day to get it, but that is due to them preloading your Amazon account details and allowing for a smoother installation process. I have used ROKU devices, but if you have an Amazon Prime membership and are considering this as an option, I encourage you to take the plunge.