Hey Alexa, Hey Alexa - Night and day it's Hey Alexa. Make the fire, fix the breakfast, Wash the dishes, do the mopping!
Ok, so I haven't figured out how to make Alexa clean my house like Cinderella...yet. But I'm working on it. In the meantime, I have figured out that she is much more than a glorified alarm clock or DJ. Although, you should know that alarms are "not currently supported on this device," like they are on the Echo. This is a more basic version of Alexa. It doesn't have her full functionality.
ABOUT ME
I'm not sure what the target demographic for this product is, but I am a professional female in my early thirties, who is in a committed relationship. That is a nice way of saying that my partying days are behind me and my boyfriend and I spend a lot of time binge watching stuff on the sofa. Yes. We are suburban couch potatoes. No shame here. Also, I am an Amazon Prime member, but do not have a 4k TV.
I used to have a Roku that I used for Netflix and Hulu. However, I was more interested in free shipping, so I moved to Prime and got a Fire TV Stick when it was offered for $19.99. For me the stick is a glorified HDMl cable. You could get the same benefits by connecting your laptop to your TV. It's less cumbersome, but that's about it. I wanted it because it said it could mirror your device's screen onto your TV. It didn't explain clearly enough that the only "device" it could do that with was a Kindle (although this has since changed and can now be done). That is why I didn't order the Echo when it came out. It sounded cool but I couldn't figure out what it actually did. Since then, my father got one for my mother, who had a stroke, and it is awesome. The Echo is very cool, but it is also an incredibly useful tool, particularly for those with a physical disability or technology aversion.
So now having experienced the fire stick and the program for the Echo (which is called Alexa), I was actually excited to see a device that combined the two.
DIMENSIONS AND PORTABILITY
As for the device itself, it is 10 oz, 4.5" wide, 4.5" long, and 5/8" thick. The remote is 6" long, 1.5" wide, 1/2" thick and weighs 2.5 oz. It connects via HDMI cable (not included) and plugs into a wall power outlet. It comes with its own special cord; it doesn't use a universal microUSB like the Fire Stick does. So, the Fire TV isn't big, but it isn't as portable as the stick, and you better not lose the cord. However, it beats out the stick in every other category, and it is plug and play, so you can take it anywhere you want.
CONNECTION AND SET UP
It connects quickly and easily to your Prime account because Amazon sends it to you already setup with the information. So, if you are buying it as a gift, you need to specify that while you are checking out. However, during the set up process it does give you the option to change the account associated with the device. The problem is that your account is preloaded (if you don't specify it is a gift) and it doesn't require a password during set up. You can set up Amazon FreeTime on it, though, so you don't have to worry about your kids making unauthorized purchases or overusing it.
AUDIO AND VIDEO
As for HD quality, it does provide a slightly better picture on my 5 year old Panasonic plasma than the stick does. I suspect it would improve more with newer TVs. Also, it does process tasks faster than my Fire Stick, both of which are connected to Verizon Fios via Wifi. The surround sound (Dolby) is great with anything Prime, but Netflix and other apps don't support surround sound.
VOICE CONTROL
However, the best part is definitely Alexa and the voice activated remote. You can say things like, "Alexa, show me comedic movies." It will take you to a list of comedies. You can access anything on the box, such as games and apps, but it is also a virtual search engine. You can ask, "What is the overnight weather forecast for San Diego, CA?" It will both tell you and show you on the screen. It hasn't figured out how to open my Watchlist yet. It processes the command properly, but takes me to the wrong place.
It is fast, it is responsive, and best of all it is accurate. Accuracy is an issue with most of these voice operated items. There is a learning curve, but Alexa rarely gets mixed up or confused once she figures you out. There is definitely a period of time when it's almost like talking to an elderly patient who didn't bring their hearing aid to the hospital with them (I'm a nurse). "You think I'm too hairy?!" "No. I said to play Katy Perry!" That kind of thing. But, Alexa is a quick learner.
Once the initial awkward dating period is over and you get to know each other better, Alexa is great with Prime Music. Say, "Alexa, play Walk like an Egyptian,'' and she will. Prime music has no commercials, and you can listen to specific songs or even entire albums with a quick verbal command. Sometimes, Alexa is smarter than you are. I said, "Alexa, play the pop radio station." She responded with, "Playing the Top Pop Prime Station," and put it on. And maybe she knows that secretly you really don't like Katy Perry that much. Prime music also scrolls the words on the screen as the song plays.
COOL FUNCTIONS
Another cool thing is that it can connect to bluetooth items. So, let's say that you like to have peace and quiet when you sleep, but your boyfriend likes to fall asleep with the TV on. He can put on a pair of bluetooth ear buds and let you sleep. You can also project sound to bluetooth speakers, if you wanted to.
Lastly, you can finally share items from devices other than a Kindle. By saving your media to your Amazon cloud account, you can easily transfer and view them on your TV. It can supposedly mirror other devices as well, like an LG phone. But I haven't gotten it to work with my Samsung Note Edge yet. Still working on it. And I doubt it will ever work with any Apple products, but you never know.
GAMING
At this time, the gaming remote is $49.99 and isn't being released until October 22. It can be used with the new Fire stick also and you can use more than one gaming remote with each Fire TV (so kids can play multi-player games). However, if you want to play games it is a better deal to buy the Fire TV gaming version, Which is $139.99 and includes the game controller. It is at this link.
Amazon Fire TV Gaming Edition
Also, if you want to game, you can put up to 128gb of expandable memory in it.
The only reason I didn't buy that version (which includes a couple of free games) is because it doesn't also come with a regular remote. I don't want to always have to use a giant game controller, even with Alexa doing most of the work. Although, you can use your mobile phone as a remote for the Fire TV, using the Alexa App that Amazon offers.
WHAT IS MISSING
Please note that while Alexa works for everything offered by Amazon, and the voice commands work to take you to certain apps such as Hulu, I couldn't get it to take me to Netflix and the apps do not yet offer voice commands once you open them.
Also please note, it does NOT come with its own HDMI cable. And although you can play games with the remote that is provided, there is an additional gaming remote that is more tailored to that purpose.
There is one thing I wish Alexa could do, but doesn't. I wish she had the ability to make VOIP emergency calls. There are all sorts of apps now that can make phone calls. I noticed that when the Echo came out, it was a huge hit with disabled people, like my mother who had a stroke and never learned how to use electronics. It would be really nice if you could say, "Alexa, call 911" or "Alexa, call my emergency contact." It would only have to store 911 and maybe 1-2 emergency numbers. And it could be a life saver, literally. Amazon already sends texts to your verified phone number regarding delivery. You could set the device to show your verified number as the caller ID number. You could prevent pranks or accidents by setting a code word. "Alexa, call 911, codeword: ambulance." I think that would be amazing, but that's just me.
SUMMARY
If you need this mostly for Prime content, you will be very happy. You will have to wait for the updates to see if Amazon fixes the issues with the other apps. It looks like they hope to fix the surround sound issue with Netflix no later than Oct 22.
Sorry my review is practically a novel. If you were able to get through it, I hope it was useful. Feel free to leave any questions or comments. I always do my best to answer/respond.
There is a newer version of this item:
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Hey Alexa, Hey Alexa - Night and day it's Hey Alexa. Make the fire, fix the breakfast, Wash the dishes, do the mopping!Ok, so I haven't figured out how to make Alexa clean my house like Cinderella...yet. But I'm working on it. In the meantime, I have figured out that she is much more than a glorified alarm clock or DJ. Although, you should know that alarms are "not currently supported on this device," like they are on the Echo. This is a more basic version of Alexa. It doesn't have her full functionality.ABOUT MEI'm not sure what the target demographic for this product is, but I am a professional female in my early thirties, who is in a committed relationship. That is a nice way of saying that my partying days are behind me and my boyfriend and I spend a lot of time binge watching stuff on the sofa. Yes. We are suburban couch potatoes. No shame here. Also, I am an Amazon Prime member, but do not have a 4k TV.I used to have a Roku that I used for Netflix and Hulu. However, I was more interested in free shipping, so I moved to Prime and got a Fire TV Stick when it was offered for $19.99. For me the stick is a glorified HDMl cable. You could get the same benefits by connecting your laptop to your TV. It's less cumbersome, but that's about it. I wanted it because it said it could mirror your device's screen onto your TV. It didn't explain clearly enough that the only "device" it could do that with was a Kindle (although this has since changed and can now be done). That is why I didn't order the Echo when it came out. It sounded cool but I couldn't figure out what it actually did. Since then, my father got one for my mother, who had a stroke, and it is awesome. The Echo is very cool, but it is also an incredibly useful tool, particularly for those with a physical disability or technology aversion.So now having experienced the fire stick and the program for the Echo (which is called Alexa), I was actually excited to see a device that combined the two.DIMENSIONS AND PORTABILITYAs for the device itself, it is 10 oz, 4.5" wide, 4.5" long, and 5/8" thick. The remote is 6" long, 1.5" wide, 1/2" thick and weighs 2.5 oz. It connects via HDMI cable (not included) and plugs into a wall power outlet. It comes with its own special cord; it doesn't use a universal microUSB like the Fire Stick does. So, the Fire TV isn't big, but it isn't as portable as the stick, and you better not lose the cord. However, it beats out the stick in every other category, and it is plug and play, so you can take it anywhere you want.CONNECTION AND SET UPIt connects quickly and easily to your Prime account because Amazon sends it to you already setup with the information. So, if you are buying it as a gift, you need to specify that while you are checking out. However, during the set up process it does give you the option to change the account associated with the device. The problem is that your account is preloaded (if you don't specify it is a gift) and it doesn't require a password during set up. You can set up Amazon FreeTime on it, though, so you don't have to worry about your kids making unauthorized purchases or overusing it.AUDIO AND VIDEOAs for HD quality, it does provide a slightly better picture on my 5 year old Panasonic plasma than the stick does. I suspect it would improve more with newer TVs. Also, it does process tasks faster than my Fire Stick, both of which are connected to Verizon Fios via Wifi. The surround sound (Dolby) is great with anything Prime, but Netflix and other apps don't support surround sound.VOICE CONTROLHowever, the best part is definitely Alexa and the voice activated remote. You can say things like, "Alexa, show me comedic movies." It will take you to a list of comedies. You can access anything on the box, such as games and apps, but it is also a virtual search engine. You can ask, "What is the overnight weather forecast for San Diego, CA?" It will both tell you and show you on the screen. It hasn't figured out how to open my Watchlist yet. It processes the command properly, but takes me to the wrong place.It is fast, it is responsive, and best of all it is accurate. Accuracy is an issue with most of these voice operated items. There is a learning curve, but Alexa rarely gets mixed up or confused once she figures you out. There is definitely a period of time when it's almost like talking to an elderly patient who didn't bring their hearing aid to the hospital with them (I'm a nurse). "You think I'm too hairy?!" "No. I said to play Katy Perry!" That kind of thing. But, Alexa is a quick learner.Once the initial awkward dating period is over and you get to know each other better, Alexa is great with Prime Music. Say, "Alexa, play Walk like an Egyptian,'' and she will. Prime music has no commercials, and you can listen to specific songs or even entire albums with a quick verbal command. Sometimes, Alexa is smarter than you are. I said, "Alexa, play the pop radio station." She responded with, "Playing the Top Pop Prime Station," and put it on. And maybe she knows that secretly you really don't like Katy Perry that much. Prime music also scrolls the words on the screen as the song plays.COOL FUNCTIONSAnother cool thing is that it can connect to bluetooth items. So, let's say that you like to have peace and quiet when you sleep, but your boyfriend likes to fall asleep with the TV on. He can put on a pair of bluetooth ear buds and let you sleep. You can also project sound to bluetooth speakers, if you wanted to.Lastly, you can finally share items from devices other than a Kindle. By saving your media to your Amazon cloud account, you can easily transfer and view them on your TV. It can supposedly mirror other devices as well, like an LG phone. But I haven't gotten it to work with my Samsung Note Edge yet. Still working on it. And I doubt it will ever work with any Apple products, but you never know.GAMINGAt this time, the gaming remote is $49.99 and isn't being released until October 22. It can be used with the new Fire stick also and you can use more than one gaming remote with each Fire TV (so kids can play multi-player games). However, if you want to play games it is a better deal to buy the Fire TV gaming version, Which is $139.99 and includes the game controller. It is at this link. Amazon Fire TV Gaming Edition Also, if you want to game, you can put up to 128gb of expandable memory in it.The only reason I didn't buy that version (which includes a couple of free games) is because it doesn't also come with a regular remote. I don't want to always have to use a giant game controller, even with Alexa doing most of the work. Although, you can use your mobile phone as a remote for the Fire TV, using the Alexa App that Amazon offers.WHAT IS MISSINGPlease note that while Alexa works for everything offered by Amazon, and the voice commands work to take you to certain apps such as Hulu, I couldn't get it to take me to Netflix and the apps do not yet offer voice commands once you open them.Also please note, it does NOT come with its own HDMI cable. And although you can play games with the remote that is provided, there is an additional gaming remote that is more tailored to that purpose.There is one thing I wish Alexa could do, but doesn't. I wish she had the ability to make VOIP emergency calls. There are all sorts of apps now that can make phone calls. I noticed that when the Echo came out, it was a huge hit with disabled people, like my mother who had a stroke and never learned how to use electronics. It would be really nice if you could say, "Alexa, call 911" or "Alexa, call my emergency contact." It would only have to store 911 and maybe 1-2 emergency numbers. And it could be a life saver, literally. Amazon already sends texts to your verified phone number regarding delivery. You could set the device to show your verified number as the caller ID number. You could prevent pranks or accidents by setting a code word. "Alexa, call 911, codeword: ambulance." I think that would be amazing, but that's just me.SUMMARYIf you need this mostly for Prime content, you will be very happy. You will have to wait for the updates to see if Amazon fixes the issues with the other apps. It looks like they hope to fix the surround sound issue with Netflix no later than Oct 22.Sorry my review is practically a novel. If you were able to get through it, I hope it was useful. Feel free to leave any questions or comments. I always do my best to answer/respond.
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Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on October 6, 2015
Hey Alexa, Hey Alexa - Night and day it's Hey Alexa. Make the fire, fix the breakfast, Wash the dishes, do the mopping!
Ok, so I haven't figured out how to make Alexa clean my house like Cinderella...yet. But I'm working on it. In the meantime, I have figured out that she is much more than a glorified alarm clock or DJ. Although, you should know that alarms are "not currently supported on this device," like they are on the Echo. This is a more basic version of Alexa. It doesn't have her full functionality.
ABOUT ME
I'm not sure what the target demographic for this product is, but I am a professional female in my early thirties, who is in a committed relationship. That is a nice way of saying that my partying days are behind me and my boyfriend and I spend a lot of time binge watching stuff on the sofa. Yes. We are suburban couch potatoes. No shame here. Also, I am an Amazon Prime member, but do not have a 4k TV.
I used to have a Roku that I used for Netflix and Hulu. However, I was more interested in free shipping, so I moved to Prime and got a Fire TV Stick when it was offered for $19.99. For me the stick is a glorified HDMl cable. You could get the same benefits by connecting your laptop to your TV. It's less cumbersome, but that's about it. I wanted it because it said it could mirror your device's screen onto your TV. It didn't explain clearly enough that the only "device" it could do that with was a Kindle (although this has since changed and can now be done). That is why I didn't order the Echo when it came out. It sounded cool but I couldn't figure out what it actually did. Since then, my father got one for my mother, who had a stroke, and it is awesome. The Echo is very cool, but it is also an incredibly useful tool, particularly for those with a physical disability or technology aversion.
So now having experienced the fire stick and the program for the Echo (which is called Alexa), I was actually excited to see a device that combined the two.
DIMENSIONS AND PORTABILITY
As for the device itself, it is 10 oz, 4.5" wide, 4.5" long, and 5/8" thick. The remote is 6" long, 1.5" wide, 1/2" thick and weighs 2.5 oz. It connects via HDMI cable (not included) and plugs into a wall power outlet. It comes with its own special cord; it doesn't use a universal microUSB like the Fire Stick does. So, the Fire TV isn't big, but it isn't as portable as the stick, and you better not lose the cord. However, it beats out the stick in every other category, and it is plug and play, so you can take it anywhere you want.
CONNECTION AND SET UP
It connects quickly and easily to your Prime account because Amazon sends it to you already setup with the information. So, if you are buying it as a gift, you need to specify that while you are checking out. However, during the set up process it does give you the option to change the account associated with the device. The problem is that your account is preloaded (if you don't specify it is a gift) and it doesn't require a password during set up. You can set up Amazon FreeTime on it, though, so you don't have to worry about your kids making unauthorized purchases or overusing it.
AUDIO AND VIDEO
As for HD quality, it does provide a slightly better picture on my 5 year old Panasonic plasma than the stick does. I suspect it would improve more with newer TVs. Also, it does process tasks faster than my Fire Stick, both of which are connected to Verizon Fios via Wifi. The surround sound (Dolby) is great with anything Prime, but Netflix and other apps don't support surround sound.
VOICE CONTROL
However, the best part is definitely Alexa and the voice activated remote. You can say things like, "Alexa, show me comedic movies." It will take you to a list of comedies. You can access anything on the box, such as games and apps, but it is also a virtual search engine. You can ask, "What is the overnight weather forecast for San Diego, CA?" It will both tell you and show you on the screen. It hasn't figured out how to open my Watchlist yet. It processes the command properly, but takes me to the wrong place.
It is fast, it is responsive, and best of all it is accurate. Accuracy is an issue with most of these voice operated items. There is a learning curve, but Alexa rarely gets mixed up or confused once she figures you out. There is definitely a period of time when it's almost like talking to an elderly patient who didn't bring their hearing aid to the hospital with them (I'm a nurse). "You think I'm too hairy?!" "No. I said to play Katy Perry!" That kind of thing. But, Alexa is a quick learner.
Once the initial awkward dating period is over and you get to know each other better, Alexa is great with Prime Music. Say, "Alexa, play Walk like an Egyptian,'' and she will. Prime music has no commercials, and you can listen to specific songs or even entire albums with a quick verbal command. Sometimes, Alexa is smarter than you are. I said, "Alexa, play the pop radio station." She responded with, "Playing the Top Pop Prime Station," and put it on. And maybe she knows that secretly you really don't like Katy Perry that much. Prime music also scrolls the words on the screen as the song plays.
COOL FUNCTIONS
Another cool thing is that it can connect to bluetooth items. So, let's say that you like to have peace and quiet when you sleep, but your boyfriend likes to fall asleep with the TV on. He can put on a pair of bluetooth ear buds and let you sleep. You can also project sound to bluetooth speakers, if you wanted to.
Lastly, you can finally share items from devices other than a Kindle. By saving your media to your Amazon cloud account, you can easily transfer and view them on your TV. It can supposedly mirror other devices as well, like an LG phone. But I haven't gotten it to work with my Samsung Note Edge yet. Still working on it. And I doubt it will ever work with any Apple products, but you never know.
GAMING
At this time, the gaming remote is $49.99 and isn't being released until October 22. It can be used with the new Fire stick also and you can use more than one gaming remote with each Fire TV (so kids can play multi-player games). However, if you want to play games it is a better deal to buy the Fire TV gaming version, Which is $139.99 and includes the game controller. It is at this link. [[ASIN:B00XNQECFM Amazon Fire TV Gaming Edition]] Also, if you want to game, you can put up to 128gb of expandable memory in it.
The only reason I didn't buy that version (which includes a couple of free games) is because it doesn't also come with a regular remote. I don't want to always have to use a giant game controller, even with Alexa doing most of the work. Although, you can use your mobile phone as a remote for the Fire TV, using the Alexa App that Amazon offers.
WHAT IS MISSING
Please note that while Alexa works for everything offered by Amazon, and the voice commands work to take you to certain apps such as Hulu, I couldn't get it to take me to Netflix and the apps do not yet offer voice commands once you open them.
Also please note, it does NOT come with its own HDMI cable. And although you can play games with the remote that is provided, there is an additional gaming remote that is more tailored to that purpose.
There is one thing I wish Alexa could do, but doesn't. I wish she had the ability to make VOIP emergency calls. There are all sorts of apps now that can make phone calls. I noticed that when the Echo came out, it was a huge hit with disabled people, like my mother who had a stroke and never learned how to use electronics. It would be really nice if you could say, "Alexa, call 911" or "Alexa, call my emergency contact." It would only have to store 911 and maybe 1-2 emergency numbers. And it could be a life saver, literally. Amazon already sends texts to your verified phone number regarding delivery. You could set the device to show your verified number as the caller ID number. You could prevent pranks or accidents by setting a code word. "Alexa, call 911, codeword: ambulance." I think that would be amazing, but that's just me.
SUMMARY
If you need this mostly for Prime content, you will be very happy. You will have to wait for the updates to see if Amazon fixes the issues with the other apps. It looks like they hope to fix the surround sound issue with Netflix no later than Oct 22.
Sorry my review is practically a novel. If you were able to get through it, I hope it was useful. Feel free to leave any questions or comments. I always do my best to answer/respond.
Ok, so I haven't figured out how to make Alexa clean my house like Cinderella...yet. But I'm working on it. In the meantime, I have figured out that she is much more than a glorified alarm clock or DJ. Although, you should know that alarms are "not currently supported on this device," like they are on the Echo. This is a more basic version of Alexa. It doesn't have her full functionality.
ABOUT ME
I'm not sure what the target demographic for this product is, but I am a professional female in my early thirties, who is in a committed relationship. That is a nice way of saying that my partying days are behind me and my boyfriend and I spend a lot of time binge watching stuff on the sofa. Yes. We are suburban couch potatoes. No shame here. Also, I am an Amazon Prime member, but do not have a 4k TV.
I used to have a Roku that I used for Netflix and Hulu. However, I was more interested in free shipping, so I moved to Prime and got a Fire TV Stick when it was offered for $19.99. For me the stick is a glorified HDMl cable. You could get the same benefits by connecting your laptop to your TV. It's less cumbersome, but that's about it. I wanted it because it said it could mirror your device's screen onto your TV. It didn't explain clearly enough that the only "device" it could do that with was a Kindle (although this has since changed and can now be done). That is why I didn't order the Echo when it came out. It sounded cool but I couldn't figure out what it actually did. Since then, my father got one for my mother, who had a stroke, and it is awesome. The Echo is very cool, but it is also an incredibly useful tool, particularly for those with a physical disability or technology aversion.
So now having experienced the fire stick and the program for the Echo (which is called Alexa), I was actually excited to see a device that combined the two.
DIMENSIONS AND PORTABILITY
As for the device itself, it is 10 oz, 4.5" wide, 4.5" long, and 5/8" thick. The remote is 6" long, 1.5" wide, 1/2" thick and weighs 2.5 oz. It connects via HDMI cable (not included) and plugs into a wall power outlet. It comes with its own special cord; it doesn't use a universal microUSB like the Fire Stick does. So, the Fire TV isn't big, but it isn't as portable as the stick, and you better not lose the cord. However, it beats out the stick in every other category, and it is plug and play, so you can take it anywhere you want.
CONNECTION AND SET UP
It connects quickly and easily to your Prime account because Amazon sends it to you already setup with the information. So, if you are buying it as a gift, you need to specify that while you are checking out. However, during the set up process it does give you the option to change the account associated with the device. The problem is that your account is preloaded (if you don't specify it is a gift) and it doesn't require a password during set up. You can set up Amazon FreeTime on it, though, so you don't have to worry about your kids making unauthorized purchases or overusing it.
AUDIO AND VIDEO
As for HD quality, it does provide a slightly better picture on my 5 year old Panasonic plasma than the stick does. I suspect it would improve more with newer TVs. Also, it does process tasks faster than my Fire Stick, both of which are connected to Verizon Fios via Wifi. The surround sound (Dolby) is great with anything Prime, but Netflix and other apps don't support surround sound.
VOICE CONTROL
However, the best part is definitely Alexa and the voice activated remote. You can say things like, "Alexa, show me comedic movies." It will take you to a list of comedies. You can access anything on the box, such as games and apps, but it is also a virtual search engine. You can ask, "What is the overnight weather forecast for San Diego, CA?" It will both tell you and show you on the screen. It hasn't figured out how to open my Watchlist yet. It processes the command properly, but takes me to the wrong place.
It is fast, it is responsive, and best of all it is accurate. Accuracy is an issue with most of these voice operated items. There is a learning curve, but Alexa rarely gets mixed up or confused once she figures you out. There is definitely a period of time when it's almost like talking to an elderly patient who didn't bring their hearing aid to the hospital with them (I'm a nurse). "You think I'm too hairy?!" "No. I said to play Katy Perry!" That kind of thing. But, Alexa is a quick learner.
Once the initial awkward dating period is over and you get to know each other better, Alexa is great with Prime Music. Say, "Alexa, play Walk like an Egyptian,'' and she will. Prime music has no commercials, and you can listen to specific songs or even entire albums with a quick verbal command. Sometimes, Alexa is smarter than you are. I said, "Alexa, play the pop radio station." She responded with, "Playing the Top Pop Prime Station," and put it on. And maybe she knows that secretly you really don't like Katy Perry that much. Prime music also scrolls the words on the screen as the song plays.
COOL FUNCTIONS
Another cool thing is that it can connect to bluetooth items. So, let's say that you like to have peace and quiet when you sleep, but your boyfriend likes to fall asleep with the TV on. He can put on a pair of bluetooth ear buds and let you sleep. You can also project sound to bluetooth speakers, if you wanted to.
Lastly, you can finally share items from devices other than a Kindle. By saving your media to your Amazon cloud account, you can easily transfer and view them on your TV. It can supposedly mirror other devices as well, like an LG phone. But I haven't gotten it to work with my Samsung Note Edge yet. Still working on it. And I doubt it will ever work with any Apple products, but you never know.
GAMING
At this time, the gaming remote is $49.99 and isn't being released until October 22. It can be used with the new Fire stick also and you can use more than one gaming remote with each Fire TV (so kids can play multi-player games). However, if you want to play games it is a better deal to buy the Fire TV gaming version, Which is $139.99 and includes the game controller. It is at this link. [[ASIN:B00XNQECFM Amazon Fire TV Gaming Edition]] Also, if you want to game, you can put up to 128gb of expandable memory in it.
The only reason I didn't buy that version (which includes a couple of free games) is because it doesn't also come with a regular remote. I don't want to always have to use a giant game controller, even with Alexa doing most of the work. Although, you can use your mobile phone as a remote for the Fire TV, using the Alexa App that Amazon offers.
WHAT IS MISSING
Please note that while Alexa works for everything offered by Amazon, and the voice commands work to take you to certain apps such as Hulu, I couldn't get it to take me to Netflix and the apps do not yet offer voice commands once you open them.
Also please note, it does NOT come with its own HDMI cable. And although you can play games with the remote that is provided, there is an additional gaming remote that is more tailored to that purpose.
There is one thing I wish Alexa could do, but doesn't. I wish she had the ability to make VOIP emergency calls. There are all sorts of apps now that can make phone calls. I noticed that when the Echo came out, it was a huge hit with disabled people, like my mother who had a stroke and never learned how to use electronics. It would be really nice if you could say, "Alexa, call 911" or "Alexa, call my emergency contact." It would only have to store 911 and maybe 1-2 emergency numbers. And it could be a life saver, literally. Amazon already sends texts to your verified phone number regarding delivery. You could set the device to show your verified number as the caller ID number. You could prevent pranks or accidents by setting a code word. "Alexa, call 911, codeword: ambulance." I think that would be amazing, but that's just me.
SUMMARY
If you need this mostly for Prime content, you will be very happy. You will have to wait for the updates to see if Amazon fixes the issues with the other apps. It looks like they hope to fix the surround sound issue with Netflix no later than Oct 22.
Sorry my review is practically a novel. If you were able to get through it, I hope it was useful. Feel free to leave any questions or comments. I always do my best to answer/respond.
Images in this review
REMOTE ISSUE, Netflix 5.1 sound issue and some video bugs in 3rd party apps. Hold off purchasing for a few days!
Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on October 6, 2015
