Professional’s Ranking
Professionals
- Glorious, quick efficiency
- HDMI passthrough
- Doubles as an Echo Dot
Cons
- Costly
- Advert-heavy software program
Our Verdict
The third Gen Hearth TV Dice is among the strongest media streamers round, and pulls double obligation as an Echo Dot equal, however the steep worth is difficult to swallow.
Now in its third technology, the Hearth TV Dice is a fairly easy proposition: a mixture of a Hearth TV Follow an Echo Dot; a TV media streamer that may double as a wise speaker.
Upgraded {hardware} imply the Hearth TV Dice is slick and quick, and Alexa brings with it succesful hands-free controls. The one actual hesitations are the excessive worth – although extra amenable in case you want an Echo Dot anyway – and the truth that Amazon’s busy, ad-laden Hearth TV software program is at occasions a frustration.
Design & construct
- Clear, minimalist design
- Seems extra like a speaker than a streamer
The Hearth TV Dice’s third technology appears very similar to those that got here earlier than it.
This can be a compact dice (humorous, that…) supposed to sit down subsequent to or close to your TV, moderately than disguise away behind it, as you’ll want it out within the open for the voice controls to work effectively.
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
That implies that not like different media streamers you’ll want a spot for the Dice to sit down out, and also you’ll must be proud of the way it appears.
Fortunately the minimalist charcoal design is pretty unobjectionable, solely often interrupted by the intense blue LED border that kicks in together with the Alexa voice controls.
You’ll want a spot for the Dice to sit down out, and also you’ll must be proud of the way it appears
There’s a merciful lack of seen logos throughout the material mesh wrapper (they’re restricted to the dice’s underside) and solely 4 easy buttons to interrupt the highest, which might be acquainted to any Echo homeowners: two quantity buttons, a choose button, and a microphone mute button.
The threerd-gen Dice additionally comes with a barely upgraded distant designed to supply a extra well-rounded TV expertise because of channel up and down buttons, a shortcut to the Settings menu, and a Recents button that helps you dive between apps with out returning to the house display screen each time.
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
Past that it’s a fairly normal distant, powered by a few AAA cells, with a choice of pre-set app buttons on the backside (Prime Video, Netflix, Disney+, and Amazon Music on mine – however it will differ by nation) and naturally an Alexa button on the high.
Ports & efficiency
- HDMI passthrough
- Impressively quick because of 8-core processor
- 4K upscaling
There are extra ports on the again of this Hearth TV Dice than ever earlier than, and for good purpose. Alongside the facility socket, you’ll discover an IR extender (helpful in case you do need to tuck the Dice out of sight), USB-A port, 100Mbps Ethernet, and a pair of HDMI sockets.
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
The USB-A port means that you can join up recreation controllers, webcams, exhausting drives, and different primary USB units, which is welcome. Ethernet in fact permits for sooner and extra dependable web connections, although the Wi-Fi 6E onboard needs to be ok for most individuals anyway.
The twin HDMI ports are an enter and output respectively, driving one of many Dice’s neater tips: HDMI passthrough, which lets you join one other gadget to your TV by means of the Amazon package.
That is finest suited to set-top bins like Sky, or cable in case you’re within the US, as you’re then ready to make use of the Hearth distant or Alexa to vary channels or drive different controls, each saving you an HDMI port and streamlining your setup so that you just don’t have to change HDMI inputs each time you need to hearth up your cable field.
You should use it for a recreation console, however you most likely don’t need to, because the passthrough provides a bit additional lag to the connection – not an issue for TV, however irritating for gameplay.
From a pure efficiency perspective, that is exhausting to beat
One of many different advantages of the passthrough is that you just’ll get the advantage of the Hearth TV Dice’s 4K upscaling, which works for each its personal content material and something on the passthrough. This is a bit more superior than the default upscaling your TV would possibly already provide, although in apply the consequences nonetheless aren’t life-changing.
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
What’s spectacular is the all-round efficiency pushed by the octa-core processor contained in the Dice. This factor is quick, loading nearly each app in seconds. It’s considerably sooner than the Amazon-powered JVC Hearth TV I take advantage of day-to-day, but additionally nippier than any of the current Roku or Chromecast streamers I’ve examined not too long ago.
The Dice additionally helps a strong array of requirements, with HDR10+ and Dolby Imaginative and prescient there to offer 4K HDR video, and Dolby Atmos alongside the 7.1 encompass assist.
From a pure efficiency perspective, that is exhausting to beat.
Software program & sensible options
- Busy Hearth TV interface
- Plenty of adverts and promoted parts
- Easy voice controls
The software program and smarts aspect of this can be a combined bag.
I’m very used to Amazon’s Hearth TV software program – like I mentioned, I take advantage of a Hearth TV – however even I’ve to confess that it’s removed from the very best round.
The great is that it’s pretty easy and simple to make use of, with settings laid out merely and an interface that simply is smart more often than not.
The dangerous is that there’s a complete lot of that interface, with rows upon rows of content material the second you flip the TV on, and massive banners dedicated to Amazon’s newest collection and software program. Half of your property display screen tends to be made up of adverts, a method or one other, so that you’ll must get used to Amazon utilizing your TV to push content material on you.
Jared Newman / Foundry
You possibly can in fact set up the complete vary of third-party apps you’d count on on a contemporary streamer, and all work easily. The one draw back right here is that the interface’s deal with content material over apps makes it take a bit longer to get to them, they usually’re additionally not built-in into the ‘Lately watched’ row – solely Prime collection and reside TV channels seem right here.
That is functionally an Echo Dot along with a TV streamer, with all the standard advantages of a small sensible speaker
Setting apart what’s on the display screen, you additionally get all the advantages of Alexa in that little field. The plain stage is that it means you should use Alexa to navigate the TV interface, although in fact most Hearth TV units have had this in some kind for some time because of together with voice management remotes.
The larger good thing about the Hearth TV Dice is that Alexa works hands-free, and even when the TV is off. That is functionally an Echo Dot along with a TV streamer, with all the standard advantages of a small sensible speaker: reminders, queries, sensible dwelling controls, and music playback (right here getting all the advantages of no matter sound system you might have hooked as much as the TV).
Meaning the Hearth TV Dice pulls double obligation, saving you the price of an Echo Dot (or permitting you to maneuver an present one to a different room in the home). Assuming you’re completely satisfied to have Amazon drive your sensible dwelling’s smarts, that’s an enormous enchantment and softens the steep worth level.
Worth & availability
The Hearth TV Dice is available now from Amazon (in fact) although you can even choose one up from different tech retailers like Finest Purchase within the US, or Currys within the UK.
The worth is the sticking level right here. At $140/£140 that is dearer than any Roku or Google Chromecast gadget by fairly a way, and greater than double Amazon’s personal Hearth TV Stick 4K Max.
Of the mainstream choices, solely the Apple TV 4K is across the similar worth, which ought to inform you one thing in regards to the premium positioning right here.
Even subtracting the $50/£55 worth of an Echo Dot, assuming you would possibly in any other case purchase one, the Hearth TV Dice nonetheless comes out as probably the most costly streamers in the marketplace.
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
Try our information to the very best streaming sticks to see a few of these extra reasonably priced choices.
Verdict
Should you’re already all-in on Amazon, or trying to choose up an Echo Dot anyway, then the threerd gen Hearth TV Dice would possibly effectively be worthwhile, particularly contemplating the sleek efficiency and perks like HDMI passthrough.
However this gained’t be the gadget to win individuals over to the Alexa ecosystem, as you’ll be capable of discover lots of the core options elsewhere for much less.
If nothing else, if Amazon goes to insist on promoting so aggressively in its interface, the least it may do is provide higher worth on the {hardware}.
Specs
- Processor: Octa-core 2.0GHz CPU
- Graphics: 800MHz GPU
- Reminiscence: 2GB RAM
- Storage: 16GB
- Video: 2160p/1080p/720p as much as 60fps
- HDR10 + Dolby Imaginative and prescient
- Audio 7.1 encompass sound, 2-channel stereo, Dolby Atmos
- Ports: HDMI enter, HDMI output, USB-A, 100Mbps Ethernet, IR extender, energy
- Connectivity: Wi-Fi 6E tri-band, Bluetooth 5.0 + LE, IR
- Dimensions: 86×86×77mm
- Weight: 513g