Amazon Fire TV Cube (2nd gen, 2019)

Dolby Vision and HDR+ ; Can handle most video viewing commands ; Support for all the major streaming services ; Much faster response times

Sometimes prefers some apps over others ; Can’t voice search for channels or content on YouTube TV

Unprecedented hardware control ; Lightning fast processor ; Intuitive voice recognition ; 4K, HDR, Dolby Atmos ; Ethernet adapter included

No Dolby Vision

No. The Roku Ultra is also an awesome streaming set-top box, and we love some of the app integration and search function the Roku platform affords, but when it comes to hardware control and voice control, there’s nothing out there like the Fire TV Cube.

Hands-free Alexa voice support. Infrared blaster can control your home theater by voice. Fast performance. Supports all major HDR formats.

Expensive compared with smaller 4K media streamers.

Bottom Line: The second-generation Amazon Fire TV Cube improves on the the media streaming capabilities and hands-free Alexa controls from the first version with faster performance and expanded HDR support.

Hands-free voice control with Alexa. Lots of connected apps and services. Far-field microphone array can understand your voice over TV audio. Voice control works for home theater as well as smart home devices.

Does not support Google Play content. No Dolby Vision capability. Alexa can occasionally get confused by syntax.

Bottom Line: The Amazon Fire TV Cube combines the best features of the Fire TV with the hands-free voice control and Alexa capabilities of the Echo, in a single media streamer.

Hands-free voice control makes launching videos fast and easy ; Fastest Fire TV streaming device yet ; Broad HDR and surround-sound audio format support

Not all apps play nice with Alexa ; The Fire TV interface is still too chaotic ; Alexa could use better privacy controls

The Fire TV Cube isn’t the only Amazon streamer that supports hands-free voice control. With any other Fire TV device, you can pair an external Alexa speaker such as an Amazon Echo, and use many of the same voice commands.

The Fire TV Cube stands as Amazon’s premier and most efficient 4K streaming device, boasting a sleek interface and an impressive array of features. While the inclusion of voice controls may not be a critical factor for everyone, their integration is...

Faster and better ; Hands-free Alexa ; Powerful

Expensive ; No HDMI cable

Amazon Alexa ; 4K, HDR10+, Dolby Vision support ; Dolby Atmos support ; Handy ethernet adapter ; Fast hexa-core processor ; Content galore

Poor speaker quality ; No USB-A port ; Ads appear in user interface

The Amazon Fire TV Cube is the streaming device to get if you want an Amazon Alexa speaker and streaming device combined in one product.

Speedier performance ; Alexa's cable box controls are great ; Great 4K HDR picture quality ; Lively interface

Home screen can't be edited, packs ads ; Awkward Ethernet adapter

For more complete control of your home screen, the Apple TV 4K is the best option, as it doesn't even have the ads that appear on the Roku Ultra. The Fire TV Cube's view of voice-activated entertainment is superior, and makes a strong case for its high...

Hands-free Alexa voice support. Infrared blaster can control your home theater by voice. Fast performance. Supports all major HDR formats.

Expensive compared with smaller 4K media streamers.

The second-generation Amazon Fire TV Cube improves on the the media streaming capabilities and hands-free Alexa controls from the first version with faster performance and expanded HDR support.