Author: Craig Lloyd / Source: howtogeek.com
The Fire TV Cube may just seem like an ordinary Fire TV with Alexa capabilities built in, but its biggest feature by far is the ability to use it as a voice-activated universal remote of sorts.
What Is the Fire TV Cube?
The Fire TV Cube which, as you may have gathered from the name, is the latest Fire TV streaming set-top box from Amazon, but with a bit more added on.
It’s pretty much a combination of the company’s Fire TV and an Echo Dot. So instead of having two separate devices, you can have a two-in-one box that fits nicely on your home theater stand.
However, that’s really just the tip of the iceberg and it’s not even the coolest thing about the Fire TV Cube. Nope, the coolest feature is an integrated IR blaster that gives you voice control of your TV, soundbar, AV receiver, and whatever else you have. And of course, you can also use your voice to search for and play various content.
The Fire TV Cube still comes with Amazon’s voice remote, in case you want to control the box the old-fashioned way. And you can still use your regular remotes for your TV and other home theater devices.
Using It As a Voice-Activated Universal Remote (When It Works)
You might already have a setup like this, thanks to Logitech’s Harmony Hub and an Echo. However, the Fire TV Cube has the capabilities of both of these devices (with a streaming set-top box tacked on for good measure) at roughly the same price—you’re basically getting a Fire TV for free (normally $70) when you go with the Fire TV Cube instead of a Harmony Hub/Echo Dot combo.
What may also drive you to go with the Fire TV Cube is its incredibly easy setup process for detecting your home theater equipment, whereas the Harmony line of products aren’t the easiest in…
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