Amazon Fireplace TV Dice (2022)

Verdict

A strong media streaming machine from Amazon that takes steps ahead in its processing capabilities and connectivity choices however a number of steps again with its lower than democratic and dense interface. These with out the necessity to combine a streamer inside a house cinema set-up shall be suited simply high quality by the Fireplace TV Stick 4K Max as a substitute.

Introduction

Amazon’s third-gen Fireplace TV Dice is its most premium and superior effort but, and proper from the off you need to know that it’s not one for informal customers however dwelling cinema fans seeking to corral each machine in the lounge into its an Alexa-centric paddock.

There’s not as a lot competitors at this value however what is offered is formidable within the type of the five-star Apple TV 4K. With a brand new look, extra highly effective processing, upgraded Wi-Fi and an HDMI enter, can the Fireplace TV Dice fend off the competitors from Apple? And would it not have been too tough for Amazon to name it Fireplace TV Cube³?

Design

• Natty new look
• Arms-free Alexa

This all-new model is decked in smarter apparel than its predecessor. The two^nd Gen mannequin’s shiny floor was a magnet for mud and smudges, however the 3^rd Gen’s wraparound material cowl is as if the Fireplace TV Dice has placed on a jumper – and it appears significantly better for it.

However video streamers aren’t meant to be ogled at. For many, it’ll reside behind the TV, however for many who discover smudges irritating (and I’m one in every of them), this natty apparel helps the streamer match alongside extra upmarket soundbars and TVs.

The long-lasting Alexa ribbon strip will be discovered on the entrance of the streamer, neatly built-in above the material cowl. On the highest floor are 4 buttons: quantity up/down, an motion button for Alexa and a mute button that turns off the microphones for privateness.

Controls corresponding to these are doubtless for use solely while you’re away from the consolation of the couch, in spite of everything, the primary goal of Fireplace TV units is to permit for hands-free Alexa.

One other technique of management is the distant and the Fireplace TV Dice helps two variations: the usual Alexa distant and the dearer Alexa Professional model.

Interface

• Too weighted in favour of Amazon/Freevee content material
• Numerous apps to select from
• Ideas don’t really feel too personalised

It’s apparent what you’re getting from a tool with Amazon within the title. The main focus is on Amazon content material and there are a number of adverts peppered all through the interface (however not as many as you may assume). The age-old argument is that some would favor to not have adverts, however Amazon would argue they assist in discovering new apps and titles. I’d say that each arguments carry weight.

However in its present guise the interface is one thing of a jumble. Apart from a number of sponsored and curated rows of titles for iPlayer, Netflix and ITVX, the house web page is dominated by content material from Prime Video and Freevee; titles from likes of Disney+ and Paramount+ are buried amid style particular rows (motion, thriller).

Extra apparent rows for the likes of Apple TV+ and Disney+ would assist, in addition to being positioned greater up the interface as at the moment what content material there’s from different companies is submerged below rows of Prime and Freevee. Sky Stream and Sky’s Leisure OS does a significantly better job of content material discovery in a non-partisan manner.

The ‘Subsequent up’ row might use some fine-tuning too, as what foundation there’s for its options eludes me. It’s recommended I watch the primary collection of His Darkish Supplies and Andor, each of which I’ve seen, and among the many different titles are Moonfall, A Personal Affair, Amsterdam, Elementary and The Final Ship. I can’t see a rhyme or motive behind that choice.

A minimum of the Fireplace TV platform is dwelling to an enormous variety of apps. Netflix, Disney+, Paramount+, UFC, NOW, BT Sport, NFL, Eurosport, Spotify, Tidal, BBC Sounds, Deezer, ROXi, Amazon Music, Audible, Hayu, Peloton are a number of the many apps Fireplace TV options.

And there’s additionally the Prime Video Channels the place you possibly can subscribe to the likes of LaLiga TV, Mubi, BritBox and Lionsgate+ as add-ons to the primary Prime Video sub and cancel anytime.

Options

• USB and HDMI inputs
• Wi-Fi 6E assist
• Helps Alexa Professional distant
• Alexa assist over HDMI

Across the again is an HDMI output (for a TV) and an HDMI enter (for plugging a supply into the Dice), each of that are ratified to the HDMI 2.1 normal, and the Fireplace TV Dice recognises gaming units with its auto low latency mode.

There’s additionally a USB 2.0 port (an improve from mini-USB), IR extender port and a ten/100 Mbps Ethernet port for hardwired connection (the earlier mannequin required an Ethernet adaptor by way of the mini-USB port). Regardless of the optimistic information on the connection entrance, much less welcome is that the Fireplace TV Dice now not ships with an IR extender cable. You aren’t supplied with an HDMI cable both, however that’s the identical because it ever was.

There’s additionally no assist for Gigabit ethernet connections the 128GB Apple TV 4K field has, and storage is smaller than both Apple TV streamer at 16GB (technically 12.83GB).

Nonetheless, the three^rd Gen Fireplace TV Dice is the primary streamer to supply a HDMI enter, permitting one other supply to be added if all those in your TV are used up. I’ve plugged in a PS4 and PS5 console and it’s labored each time with no points.

The brand new USB port additionally means you possibly can add a tough drive and reap the benefits of the media participant to play movies, audio or view footage. Or you possibly can join a webcam and switch the Fireplace TV Dice into an Echo Present.

The Fireplace TV Dice comes with the de facto Alexa voice distant, but additionally helps the Alexa Voice Distant Professional. The ‘Professional’ distant is offered individually at £34.99, an annoyance contemplating that is the premium Fireplace TV streamer and I’d count on it to have all the pieces. It makes the Fireplace TV Dice really feel incomplete, and incurs extra expense on prime of the worth hike over the earlier mannequin. The Professional Distant is appropriate to make use of with different Fireplace TV Sticks and older Cubes.

What you get with the Professional Distant over the usual model are two customisable buttons (labelled 1 and a couple of). These could possibly be personalised for favorite apps, channels, Alexa routines and even provoke latest voice instructions. A press and a maintain can reset it, however solely within the sense of selecting one other shortcut.

The Alexa Voice Distant Professional additionally helps motion-activated backlighting (helpful at nighttime) and there’s a built-in speaker. In the event you lose it, you possibly can ask Alexa to find the distant and it’ll emit a bleeping sound that lasts for 30 seconds or so.

The Dice’s Wi-Fi connection has been boosted from Wi-Fi 5 to Wi-Fi 6E, permitting entry to 6GHz bands for quicker speeds and decrease latency. Nonetheless, W-Fi 6E routers are nonetheless costly even when there are extra cheaper choices than there have been when the Fireplace TV Dice 2022 launched.

There’s the combination of good merchandise from Ring cameras that seem as a pop-up dwell feed to regulate over good lights. This may be carried out from the Good Residence Dashboard when you’ve added units.

And if that weren’t sufficient, the Fireplace TV Dice can command different dwelling cinema units. It’s capable of management a soundbar, dwelling cinema receiver and the TV, or carry out actions corresponding to quantity and enter switching over HDMI (by means of your TV). The IR extender expands the streamer’s attain to regulate different units it may well’t do by means of HDMI.

Efficiency

• Glorious streaming efficiency
• Sooner navigation and Alexa response
• Audio efficiency just about similar to older mannequin

The Fireplace TV Dice must be positioned round 30cm from any speaker so Alexa doesn’t get confused by audio that would sound like a command. It additionally shouldn’t be enclosed inside a cupboard which is able to make it tougher for it to listen to what you’re saying.

Set-up is speedy if in case you have a) an Amazon account and b) had a previous Fireplace TV streamer as you possibly can switch your particulars over.

As soon as up and operating it’s noticeably quicker than the two^nd Gen mannequin. Scrolling by means of the menus and opening apps is speedier due to the octa-core processor, with no noticeable lag navigating the menus or with button presses. I’ve not encountered many points by way of streaming; the Fireplace TV Dice (2022) will get up to the mark promptly. Buffering points have been uncommon – albeit that’s on a quick web line.

The Fireplace TV Dice’s near- and far-field microphones simply picked my voice from a number of metres away, and she or he’s fast to reply and fetch outcomes. She appears to get the gist of what you’re saying higher than rival voice assist. Looking for Disney+’s Andor has confirmed difficult for different voice assistants to cope with, however Alexa received it first time.

By way of its AV efficiency, HDR10, HLG, HDR10+ and Dolby Imaginative and prescient assist are all supplied. The inclusion of HDR10+ and Dolby Imaginative and prescient dynamic metadata permits your TV to provide an optimum HDR efficiency with appropriate apps. In fact, your TV should assist HDR10+ and Dolby Imaginative and prescient, and HLG assist means you possibly can watch 4K HDR content material on iPlayer (the Apple TV 4K doesn’t assist HLG for iPlayer).

Image high quality is resoundingly good, although dependent in your TV’s efficiency, web pace and high quality of the supply. The Traitors (HD) on iPlayer featured steady black ranges, and the inexperienced and brown tones of the Scottish highlands come out effectively.

Giri/Haji on Netflix in Dolby Imaginative and prescient has an deliberately tender look however there’s nonetheless loads of element and readability within the stream to select up on. Season three of Jack Ryan on Prime Video appears spectacular in 4K HDR10, sharp and detailed in a manner that brings out the prime quality of the manufacturing. Wednesday in Dolby Imaginative and prescient on Netflix is stuffed with strong and wealthy trying colors and large contrasts on a Sony A8 OLED.

The Dice helps Amazon’s Tremendous Decision know-how, which ‘converts’ HD content material in 4K for “better element, distinction and readability”, in addition to producing a sharper image. Watching The Bear on Disney+ and Gangs of New York (All4) and I wrestle to see a lot of a distinction with Tremendous Decision on or off. I can see no development intimately, readability or added sharpness. I’m wondering if it has extra of an affect on cheaper TVs, however I can also’t see this streamer being paired with extra inexpensive tellies both.

The audio efficiency of the Fireplace TV steamers has, I’d say, been higher than the competitors, and the Fireplace TV Dice (2022) continues that good run, although it’s not a lot completely different from the earlier Dice. In truth, I’d say they’re on par with one another.

Watching the primary episode of Wednesday in Dolby Atmos, each streamers sound close to similar when coping with the readability of Jenna Ortega’s deadpan supply and positioning of results (if something the brand new Fireplace TV Dice brings out a bit extra element within the surrounds).

Watching Final Christmas on iPlayer, the older mannequin was really louder. The opening scene in a bar featured raised voices (male voices had a bassier inflection) and I might pick the background noise within the scene higher. I might hear an identical distinction in ‘loudness’ watching Gangs of New York on All4 however with Atmos tracks each Cubes had been just about similar.

Musically the Cubes are comparable too. Performs of the Harlem Shuffle, Lupe Fiasco’s Gold Watch and Rey’s Theme from The Power Awakens in Amazon Music all resulted in a like-for-like sound. Disappointingly there’s no bump in Hello-res audio assist. It nonetheless tops out at 16-bit/192kHz, so UHD tracks in Amazon Music are downscaled.

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