Amazon Fireplace TV Dice (third Gen, 2022) overview

Regardless of a refreshed Amazon Fire Stick line up only in the near past, the Fireplace TV Dice remains to be the highest canine of Amazon’s streaming line up. Now in its third technology, it brings some enhancements corresponding to a sooner processor and higher connectivity, whereas sticking to its unique MO of being a Fireplace TV Stick and Echo speaker in a single.

Which means hands-free Alexa and all that Alexa gives is only a voice command away, alongside 4K HDR streaming from just about your entire favorite streaming providers. It doesn’t come low-cost although, and at double the worth of the Max, does it make sense to spend money on the little field of methods? Preserve studying to search out out.

Specs, pricing and availability

The Fireplace TV Dice (third Gen) was introduced on 28 September 2022 for a 25 October 2022 launch, and it changed the earlier model so it’s not accessible. The Fireplace TV Dice prices $139.99/£139.99, in contrast with the Fireplace TV Stick 4K Max at $69.99/£69.99 and the usual Fireplace TV Stick 4K costing $59.99/£59.99, although it’s value all of those will see gross sales at numerous factors of the 12 months – significantly on Prime Day and Black Friday.

Its largest competitors goes to be the Apple TV 4K, which prices $149/£169 with ethernet – one thing the Fireplace TV Dice has as customary. Nonetheless, you get a complete lot extra storage with Apple, at 128GB versus 16GB. One thing to consider if you happen to fancy doubling up your streaming field as an informal video games machine too, however extra on that in a bit bit.

Design and connectivity

Whereas the dimensions and form of the Fireplace TV Dice are just about similar to the earlier technology, there was a slight design change in end – with a transfer from shiny plastic to material wrapped round its midsection.

This helps to maintain it wanting a bit smarter and fewer liable to fingerprints and dirt, whereas additionally bringing it extra into line with Amazon’s Echo audio system too.

On high, there’s a plastic part that holds primary controls – quantity up and down, an Alexa motion button and a bodily mute button for once you desire a little bit of privateness. There’s additionally a distant included within the field, the usual Alexa model, although it would work with the non-compulsory Professional model too.

If I’m being choosy, I’d have appreciated to have seen the beefed up distant included right here. It looks like a no brainer to, to supply the final word Fireplace TV expertise. Nonetheless because it stands, you’ll must pay an additional $34.99/£34.99 for it, which pushes the worth as much as a reasonably excessive one certainly.

The distant within the field is completely practical although, with all of the controls you could possibly need together with shortcuts to common apps. It makes use of a Bluetooth connection to the Fireplace TV Dice, in order that it doesn’t want line of sight to function, although nonetheless has IR on board to have the ability to management your TV when wanted.

Whereas the Alexa button is on the distant, you don’t want it to entry Alexa in any respect. Merely say your command out loud and Alexa will leap into motion, because of the built-in four-mic array. A small LED strip alongside the entrance lights up blue once you do to acknowledge your request – your TV doesn’t even must be on.

Across the again, there are some adjustments with connectivity, which does open up the usefulness of the Fireplace TV Dice additional. Alongside the HDMI 2.1 output (it’s value noting there’s no HDMI cable within the field, so add one to your basket on the identical time) and port for an IR repeater, there may be now a extra helpful standard-sized USB port, and an ethernet connection for hardwiring.

There’s additionally an HDMI 2.1 enter which lets you join a set-top field, Blu-ray participant or console by the Dice, and have entry to the Alexa overlay when utilizing it and a few quantity of Alexa management too. Simply remember that the port is restricted to 4K/60Hz, so isn’t able to 120Hz playback nor VRR, and so will not be the very best for a PS5 or Xbox Series X/S, which looks like a little bit of a missed alternative.

The final connectivity improve right here is one thing you’ll be able to’t see – it’s the inclusion of Wi-Fi 6E, upgrading from Wi-Fi 6 discovered within the Fireplace TV Dice’s final technology. You’ll must have a 6E-compatible router to entry it, however if you happen to do, you need to get smoother streaming in even the busiest family of linked gadgets.

Options

As Amazon’s high streaming gadget, the Fireplace TV Dice is as highly effective as you’d hope it could be, with a 2.0GHz octa-core processor and 2GB RAM that retains all the things working easily throughout testing.

It’s twice as highly effective because the quad-core processor within the Fire TV Stick 4K Max – a declare Amazon is sticking to even after the brand new Sticks have been launched.

Simply as earlier than, the Dice is able to 4K streaming with assist for all of the HDR formats, together with HDR10+ and Dolby Vision, plus assist for passing by Dolby Atmos content material too.

There’s a Tremendous Decision characteristic on board right here, which goals to upscale any 720p or 1080p content material you could be watching, as much as 4K. Nonetheless, the chances are your TV’s built-in upscaling could effectively do a greater job of this, significantly these with extra refined AI-based upscaling, however when you have a really reasonably priced or barely older 4K TV, it’s value a attempt to see the distinction.

You’ll get 16GB of on-board storage, which isn’t loads in contrast with the competitors (however is double that on the Fireplace TV Stick 4K Max). Nonetheless, this received’t be a problem for most individuals contemplating you’ll be streaming nearly all of content material immediately from the cloud.

If you wish to obtain a variety of apps and video games from Amazon’s Appstore, although, you could end up developing brief. Fortunately the USB port does imply including further storage is now an possibility if you happen to want.

It’s truthful to say that Amazon’s Fireplace TV Dice is much from a robust gaming machine – an Nvidia Shield and even Apple TV 4K will do a greater job – however informal avid gamers could get pleasure from a number of the sport choices accessible (and Amazon’s cloud-gaming platform Luna can be value a glance too).

Alexa voice management works effectively right here, with the power to show your TV on or off, management playback, request content material and change HDMI inputs alongside your entire regular Alexa instructions.

I’ve a Ring Video Doorbell Plus and it means I can see who’s at my door on the large display, management different good house gadgets that I handle with Alexa, and use issues like Alexa Calling – all by way of the Fireplace TV Dice.

It truly is like having an Echo Dot constructed into your Fireplace TV streaming gadget, and it’s labored simply as seamlessly as one throughout testing. Contemplating the problems we reported in our overview of the earlier technology, evidently Amazon has completed its bit to enhance the efficiency of the microphones right here, and I’ve had no points with being left unheard – even once I’ve tried to catch it out.

Setup and interface

Getting the Fireplace TV Dice up and working is admittedly straight ahead, with the on-screen interface strolling you thru step-by-step to get your gadget onto your community and registered in your Amazon account. It’ll additionally attempt to perceive what TV you may have and another package you may have linked to it – it’ll attempt to do this mechanically (which it did for my Samsung TV), however when you have an older TV it could want a serving to hand.

Including your streaming service accounts is tremendous simple too now, with QR codes that may allow you to approve your logins by way of your cellphone – a lot simpler than prolonged typing on on-screen keyboards.

In case you’ve used a Fireplace TV gadget earlier than, the interface can be very acquainted certainly. It is rather closely Amazon targeted, as you would possibly count on, which suggests you’ll see a variety of Prime and Freevee content material within the banners for really useful content material. In some methods, it’s no worse a offender for this than Apple, nevertheless it’s one thing to remember if you happen to aren’t a Prime subscriber and have little interest in turning into one.

It would floor different content material by different suppliers as suggestions however they characteristic much less for positive. Nonetheless, it has a lot of the different apps you’d need, together with Netflix, Disney+, Apple TV+, Paramount+, YouTube, plus the entire UK catch up apps.

Within the States, HBO Max, Hulu and Peacock are all current and proper, whereas music streaming providers like Spotify, Tidal, Deezer and TuneInRadio can be found throughout the board – solely Apple Music seems to be lacking from the large gamers. There’s nonetheless no potential to solid from apps exterior of Prime to the Fireplace TV Dice, or use AirPlay 2, which stays a little bit of a disgrace.

You possibly can choose six favorite apps to pin to the highest of your homescreen for straightforward entry, and as you scroll down you’ll discover numerous rails of content material to assist in giving you some inspiration. That serves up “subsequent up” choices from reveals you’ve just lately watched, in addition to just lately accessed apps and reveals beneath that.

You’ll additionally get present and movie suggestions by app or style and a snapshot of reveals presently enjoying on Stay TV. You’ll spot some sponsored content material and adverts as you scroll down too, and elsewhere within the interface in banners, that are maybe overly current contemplating the worth tag the Fireplace TV Dice carries. I do not thoughts a lot these which are related – reveals I would like, for instance – however straight up advertisements are a bit extra annoying.

Totally different customers can arrange their very own profiles inside Fireplace TV, for various histories and homepage setups. That is accessible beneath the person profile icon, which sits subsequent to choices for search, “Stay” (which takes you to an EPG-style interface for TV reveals on now), My Stuff (your saved Prime playlists) and supply, for switching between linked gadgets.

Efficiency

In use, the Fireplace TV Dice performs precisely how I’d hope. Aside from one subject the place the homepage didn’t appear to load correctly on begin up, and required a reboot, I’ve had no points in time period of navigating the interface, buffering time or freezing.

It’s undoubtedly sooner than the 2nd Technology Dice – I’m unsure it’s improve worthy however there’s a velocity enchancment all the identical.

Photos seems to be nice, significantly with 4K footage. John Wick 4 seems to be excellent in HDR10+, as does Stranger Issues in Dolby Imaginative and prescient – the Fireplace TV Dice does its half at passing over sharp and detailed photographs to the TV, with punchy colors and really minimal noise – solely sometimes noticeable in some darker scenes.

Even HD movies streamed from Netflix appeared nearly as sharp and nuanced. The one photos that don’t fare so effectively is standard-def TV, which seems to be decidedly extra fuzzy and missing intimately than watching it immediately from my Sky Q field in the identical decision.

Verdict

The Fireplace TV Dice is a robust streaming gadget that does its half to sit down fairly atop Amazon’s streaming gadgets line up. It’s sooner than it was earlier than, gives improved connectivity (even when the 60Hz passthrough looks like a missed alternative) and the hands-free Alexa expertise is stable – one of many foremost causes to choose it up over Amazon’s different streamers, and certainly, a number of the competitors.

Fireplace TV remains to be – shock, shock – very closely geared in the direction of surfacing Amazon content material initially, which is ok if you happen to’re a Prime person however not a lot if you happen to aren’t. Actually, I might go up to now to say that if you happen to aren’t, you need to look elsewhere or take into account turning into one.

The sticking level stays the worth. In case you can choose it up throughout a sale, all the higher, however the truth is that the many individuals can be fairly pleased with the efficiency and options supplied by the Fireplace TV Stick 4K Max, for half the worth.

Nonetheless, if you happen to’re in search of the perfect streaming gadget that Amazon gives, and the hands-free Alexa integration appeals, the Amazon Fireplace TV Dice gives a lot to love, with a efficiency that received’t go away you wanting.