How many Alexa devices do we need? One more wouldn't hurt

What happens when the Amazon Fire TV Stick marries into one of Amazon's Echo smart speakers? You get a two-in-one gadget which you didn't know you needed!

What happens when the Amazon Fire TV Stick marries into one of Amazon's Echo smart speakers? You get a two-in-one gadget which you didn't know you needed!

It is my personal ambition to have a smart home controlled by a voice assistant. Hear me out before you mock me.

In a Utopian world, Geysers would switch off by themselves without someone yelling at me to remember to turn them off. 

In a Utopian world, my son's online classes would be on auto-pilot mode with a voice assistant politely telling him to sit down and focus instead of me barking instructions at him. 

In a Utopian world, the lights would turn off promptly at 8 pm and lull my energetic toddler into a slumber so mommy can watch the latest season of Real Housewives (guilty)!

For now, I will have to settle with barking orders at Alexa who can control my entertainment at the very least!

Say hello to the Fire TV Cube. 

I am pretty late to this party since I was trying to find a use case for this gadget. I already have the Fire TV Stick and the recent Echo Show 10.(Also Read: Alexa can now follow you around) So why do I need another Alexa-enabled device just to watch content?

Well, this is a unique two-in-one offering which has one undeniable selling point. It reduces that dreaded clutter, that ugly spaghetti of cables that you see beneath your television. For a house with children, it is dangerous to say the least. With this little Cube, you can voice-control your TV, Set Top Box and smart home devices.

The Amazon Fire TV Cube combines the features of the Echo speakers with the high functionality of the Fire TV stick. It is priced at Rs 12,999.

You can control your TV through the box and Alexa will play what you want. And yes, I have packed up my Fire TV stick and speaker for now and don't miss them!

How does it work?

Simply plug in the Cube into your TV through the HDMI port. It also can be connected to a wired ethernet cable for great connectivity which already gives it points over the humble yet powerful Fire TV stick. Remember to place the Fire TV Cube at least one to two feet away from the speakers.

The Cube comes with the brilliantly-designed Amazon voice-enabled remote which makes navigation a breeze. You get a separate button for Netflix, YouTube and Prime Video of course. But here's my favourite part, for kids with sticky hands, put the remote aside and let them tell Alexa what they want to watch -- under parental supervision of course!

The voice recognition is quick and smooth and your TV responds within seconds.

The TV interface looks neater

I hate cluttered homescreens and with the Fire TV Cube, you get a great discovery center with your favourite content platforms neatly stacked making your viewing experience enjoyable. The layout is classic, tasteful yet functional.

Voice recognition remains the forte

Gone are the days when Alexa struggled to understand your accent. This one grasps all your commands and delivers the content in seconds giving you a hands-free viewing experience. I enjoyed this on the Echo Show 10 as well but to be able to enjoy it seamlessly on my TV is a whole other ballgame.

Speakers could have been better

I have always thought that every TV needs a soundbar for the ideal viewing experience especially if you love high adrenalin action blockbusters. So I wasn't surprised to be disappointed by the Cube's speakers. The Amazon Echo Show 10 audio quality is far superior. So I wouldn't use this to listen to songs, instead, treat this as the brain behind your television.

For your viewing pleasure

The Fire TV Cube supports 4K UHD, Dolby Atmos Sound and Dolby Vision video along with HDR content right out of the box. Watching content was an absolute delight especially due to the hands-free experience.

Who should buy the Fire TV cube?

If you don't have the Fire TV stick, then I would say, invest in the Amazon Fire TV Cube. It takes the company's star offerings and combines them to make a multi-purpose gadget with great value additions. At nearly Rs 13,000, it is a big hike from the Fire TV Stick (under Rs 3,000) but the uses are far more and the functionality far better.

Think of it as like this, when your kid hides the remote and is throwing a tantrum, you can tell Alexa to play Cocomelon and call it a day!