Professional’s Ranking
Professionals
- Wonderful, quick efficiency
- HDMI passthrough
- Doubles as an Echo Dot
Cons
- Costly
- Advert-heavy software program
Our Verdict
The third Gen Hearth TV Dice is likely one of the strongest media streamers round, and pulls double responsibility as an Echo Dot equal, however the steep value is difficult to swallow.
Value When Reviewed
$139.99
Greatest Costs At present: Amazon Hearth TV Dice (third Gen)
$139.99
$139.99
Now in its third technology, the Hearth TV Dice is a fairly easy proposition: a mixture of a Hearth TV Keep on with an Echo Dot; a TV media streamer that can 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 value – although extra amenable when you want an Echo Dot anyway – and the truth that Amazon’s busy, ad-laden Hearth TV software program is at instances a frustration.
Design & construct
- Clear, minimalist design
- Appears extra like a speaker than a streamer
The Hearth TV Dice’s third technology appears to be like very like those that got here earlier than it.
It is a compact dice (humorous, that…) supposed to sit down subsequent to or close to your TV, somewhat than conceal 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 in contrast to different media streamers you’ll want a spot for the Dice to sit down out, and also you’ll should be pleased with the way it appears to be like.
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 should be pleased with the way it appears to be like
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 shall be acquainted to any Echo house owners: 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 customary distant, powered by a few AAA cells, with a collection of pre-set app buttons on the backside (Prime Video, Netflix, Disney+, and Amazon Music on mine – however this can range 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 motive. Alongside the facility socket, you’ll discover an IR extender (helpful when 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, onerous drives, and different fundamental USB units, which is welcome. Ethernet after all 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 via the Amazon package.
That is greatest suited to set-top containers like Sky, or cable when you’re within the US, as you’re then in a position to make use of the Hearth distant or Alexa to alter channels or drive different controls, each saving you an HDMI port and streamlining your setup so that you simply don’t have to change HDMI inputs each time you need to hearth up your cable field.
You should utilize it for a recreation console, however you most likely don’t need to, because the passthrough provides a little bit further lag to the connection – not an issue for TV, however irritating for gameplay.
From a pure efficiency perspective, that is onerous to beat
One of many different advantages of the passthrough is that you simply’ll get the good thing about 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 follow the results 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 in addition nippier than any of the current Roku or Chromecast streamers I’ve examined just lately.
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 help.
From a pure efficiency perspective, that is onerous to beat.
Software program & sensible options
- Busy Hearth TV interface
- A lot of adverts and promoted parts
- Easy voice controls
The software program and smarts aspect of it is 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 one of the best round.
The great is that it’s pretty easy and easy to make use of, with settings laid out merely and an interface that simply is sensible 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 large banners dedicated to Amazon’s newest sequence and software program. Half of your private home display screen tends to be made up of adverts, a method or one other, so that you’ll should get used to Amazon utilizing your TV to push content material on you.
Jared Newman / Foundry
You possibly can after all 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 little bit longer to get to them, and so they’re additionally not built-in into the ‘Just lately watched’ row – solely Prime sequence 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 apparent stage is that it means you should use Alexa to navigate the TV interface, although after all most Hearth TV units have had this in some kind for some time because of together with voice management remotes.
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
The larger advantage of 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 may have hooked as much as the TV).
Which means the Hearth TV Dice pulls double responsibility, saving you the price of an Echo Dot (or permitting you to maneuver an current one to a different room in the home). Assuming you’re joyful to have Amazon drive your sensible dwelling’s smarts, that’s a giant enchantment and softens the steep value level.
Value & availability
The Hearth TV Dice is obtainable now from Amazon (after all) although you too can choose one up from different tech retailers like Greatest Purchase within the US, or Currys within the UK.
The worth is the sticking level right here. At $140/£140 that is costlier 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 identical value, which ought to inform you one thing in regards to the premium positioning right here.
Even subtracting the $50/£55 value of an Echo Dot, assuming you would possibly in any other case purchase one, the Hearth TV Dice nonetheless comes out as one of the costly streamers in the marketplace.
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
Try our information to one of the best streaming sticks to see a few of these extra inexpensive choices.
Verdict
If you happen to’re already all-in on Amazon, or seeking to choose up an Echo Dot anyway, then the threerd gen Hearth TV Dice would possibly effectively be worthwhile, particularly contemplating the graceful efficiency and perks like HDMI passthrough.
However this gained’t be the gadget to win folks over to the Alexa ecosystem, as you’ll have the ability to 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 might 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