Amazon.com Inc. has finally combined the Alexa service found in its range of Echo devices into its television streaming devices in the form of the newly launched Amazon Fire TV Cube.

The device delivers the same streaming services as existing Fire TV devices, including access to Netflix, Hulu, PS Vue and Amazon Prime Video, though notably not YouTube.

On the hardware side, the Cube has nearly the same hardware as that of the latest version of the Fire TV Stick: a 1.5-gigahertz quad-core ARM Cortex-A53 processor with Mali-450 MP3 graphics, Dolby Atmos 7.1 channel audio and 4K HDR video support. The only tweak is memory doubling to 16GB, but that’s where the similarities end.

Alexa support is included in the device, in particular to operate the device itself, fully negating the need for a remote control thanks to a built-in speaker and far-field voice detection.

Via a built-in infrared blaster, Alexa voice commands can control TV volume, A/V receivers, soundbars and other IR-equipped devices. If a user has a cable TV service, Alexa in the device can also switch to settop boxes.

Although the ability to turn a TV on and off via Alexa sounds interesting, it’s a feature that was previously available to users who own an Amazon Echo along with a Fire 4K TV. What the Fire TV Cube does is combine the feature in the one device, complete with full Alexa functions such as the ability to ask questions, order products from Amazon and interact with “internet of things” devices on a network. Given that it’s a TV device, users can also ask Alexa to display video from IoT devices such as connected CCTV cameras.

So far, the reviews for the device have been mostly positive, though some noted that sometimes Alexa struggles with accepting commands when entertainment is being played. As Dan Seifert at The Verge noted, “There were a handful of instances where I had to repeat a command … but for the most part, I could casually ask Alexa to do things and the Cube would comply.”

Jared Newman at Techhive claimed that “Alexa often fails at searching for content, is inconsistent at controlling video playback and doesn’t yet work with a large number of apps” on the Fire TV Cube.

Others were far more positive, with Todd Haselton at CNBC saying that he loved it so much that he wants one for every TV in his house.

In relation to existing Amazon Echo products, the $119.99 price for the Amazon Fire TV Cube compares well given that it’s a TV streaming device as well. The second-generation Amazon Echo retails for $99, while other types of Echo devices range from $49.99 through to $229.99.

Image: Amazon