Amazon Fire TV Cube (3rd Gen) Review

Amazon Fire TV Cube (3rd Gen) Review | If it ain't broke...

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Күн бұрын

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@PhilNickinson Жыл бұрын

My tl;dr: It's really good and HDMI-in is a cool feature to have if you need it. But it doesn't re-invent the Fire TV Cube or anything, and switching HDMI internally like that really isn't much faster than switching from one app to another.

@DannySilvester Жыл бұрын

Thanks for this review! Do you know if the HDMI input supports HLG HDR pass through?

@bbllaakkee Жыл бұрын

what happened to your channel? everything is gone

@Boricua0082 Жыл бұрын

Phil what happened to your modern dad channel? Is it abandoned for good?

@PhilNickinson Жыл бұрын

@@Boricua0082 It was never actually my channel. When I left the company that owns it in 2021, that was the end of the story for me. Too bad, too - I always loved the brand.

@nrtv20 Жыл бұрын

Phil!!! So awesome to see you at digital trends. Been a fan since the early days at Android Central... Keep up the great work my friend!!!

@KimberlyDupres Жыл бұрын

This is so much better than the previous version. Switching between apps is FAST! My previous version really struggled with this in the past few months.

@ArnetPhotography Жыл бұрын

Good short review, tells me what I needed to know without to much bloat. I like that stuff, but for a product like this it's not needed. Well done.

@SkepticCyclist Жыл бұрын

The only issue I have with FireTV is their UI. They have the worse UI of all streaming devices, including other Android OS devices It is more complicated than it needs to be It is too loud with too much ad space The favorite APP row (which people use the most) is too small. It should take up the most space, not the least. The simplicity of Apple tvOS and RokuOS makes them the best UI

@JC-bl9bo Жыл бұрын

Mine should be on my doorstep when I get home from work! Replacing my 2nd generation Cube. Old one goes upstairs to bedroom. My goes straight to my home theater receiver. It literally runs everything. Turns on my TV, receiver, amp and it's the absolute best. Volume of receiver is through the Cube. Love this device.

@PhilNickinson Жыл бұрын

Lemme know what you think when you get it up and running!

@craigosterberg5045 Жыл бұрын

Nice features upscaling and hook ing up cable.

@ssalahed Жыл бұрын

Luv this guy

@Viper1171 Жыл бұрын

Pre ordered it for $99 since it's better than previous gen of units. The look, additional connections on rear & performance increase are worth it. I wouldn't pay the $139 price though & would instead get the Nvidia Shield, I already own three (3) of those already.

@Suavemente173 Жыл бұрын

Awsome review. It's exactly what I needed to hear. I own the first gen, and I was waiting to see if theirs enough improvement to buy a second one for the living room. I like the way it looks . Very different and the extra add on is great. Will be buying it soon. Thank you.

@PhilNickinson Жыл бұрын

Thanks!

@MichaelCDavis1 Жыл бұрын

I have the cube version 1 and 2 and both have always been kind of slow to navigate the Amazon menu. Guide and launching apps has been slow as well and some apps will close unexpectedly. I got the firestick max on a whim with the sales last month and it laps both prior cubes. The even the Amazon guide for "live tv" shows the actual channels video as you navigate, whereas the cubes both struggled to even show the pictures of what is airing on the streaming channels. I will probably pick up the new cube when it hits a black Friday sale but I find the 4k max better than both prior cubes and the voice remote does the same as the cubes. You may save some money going for the max.

@patrickcroker7532 Жыл бұрын

I think you will find that this is a HUGE leap compared to 1st gen, I had the 1st one for about a year then after an update it slowed down considerably. 2nd Gen was much much faster and I did not see the massive slow down that I did with the 1st gen in the almost 2 years I have owned it.

@Suavemente173 Жыл бұрын

@@patrickcroker7532 I do agree that the first gen in slow and sometimes glitches between app. Had the cube since it came out about a few years. The second gen didn't get my attention. But now I'm looking forward of buying the third gen cube. I might buy two .

@timvonr2802 Жыл бұрын

Now we finally need a way to stream the cube sound to the multiroom option of Amazon echo devices… with the input this would be a gamechanger

@patrickcroker7532 Жыл бұрын

I just got mine and am disappointed in 3 things so far that I have found. 1. Does NOT include the new Alexa Fire Remote Pro with the backlit keys as was stated in the video. This is Amazon's premier streaming device, it should include that for $139! 2. On the trade in website for the discount on a new item, the 1st and 2nd gen Cube are NOT listed to trade in. 3. Compared to the 2nd Gen, honestly does not seem that much faster and it DOES NOT include the IR blaster like the first 2 gens did. -I do like the fact that they got rid of the dongle for Eithernet and USB C and now on the back of the Cube itself. -Speaker is now facing forward instead of downward and is louder for those who also use it as a standard Alexa when the TV/receiver is not on. I give it a 7/10 where as I gave the 2nd gen a 9/10

@PhilNickinson Жыл бұрын

Whooaaaaaaa. Someone's coming for my job. Excellent points!

@batman200 Жыл бұрын

New firmware improved this please do a updated review it improved the upscaling and audio and maybe other things.

@asan1050 Жыл бұрын

Thanks Much!

@christophermirabito9544 4 ай бұрын

Can you channel surf KZfaq Tv? Meaning flipping channels up and down on the remote?

@RockinJohnny Жыл бұрын

Just bought it, at first wouldnt recognise my Amazon password after several attempts but luckily the scan function went better, other than that a great reliable device , makes life much easier n enjoyable and convenient, the hdmi input is a life saver to me ad I can switch back n forth from my PC or fire

@rogerowens7888 3 ай бұрын

Great video… Q, would I have the same storage issues with Amazon apps being included without consent

@730Frankr Жыл бұрын

Great video.... this helped me determine if I should get the Fire Cube gen 3. I am looking for a better solution to having Alexa turn on and off my TV and Directv satellite. With my current Echo Show it is a hit or miss to get it to turn on the TV & Directv Satellite...not sure why but I tried a number of different methods including downloading the Directv skills etc... The cube appears to have the ability to connect directly to the Directv Satellite box...so that should be more dependable...or as dependable as Amazon can be...LOL!

@adamwigley4863 Жыл бұрын

I’ve got mine coming Friday

@WeirdEdz Жыл бұрын

I cant get my Panasonic bluray to display using the hdmi input on the new cube. Im thinking its because of the hue sync box but really there shouldn't be a problem. Must be a handshake issue. I just get a black screen and a couple flashes when I pause or hit play. The player will work when plugged back into the huesync box directly.

@chadnoty5086 Жыл бұрын

I wanted to get this but i think i will stick with the Second generation for now. I feel they could have done a lot more to it. Put more ram more storage and at least 1 gig ethernet port.

@PSYCHOV3N0M Жыл бұрын

THIS^^^

@MrChayatocha Жыл бұрын

Hi do you know if the two hdmi ports are 2.1

@TriplePinesStudios Жыл бұрын

I’m kind of staying away from Amazon streaming devices at the moment because of the Dolby Atmos Disney+ issue. Once they fix that then I will go back to Amazon streaming devices.

@1982jruiz Жыл бұрын

QUESTION.... I, will soon have (finally after 2 years), another echo studio and subwoofer to complete the set... if i buy the new fire cube and connect my xbox one X to it... will the sound come out through the speakers after they are paired and the xbox connected via the HDMI Input?

@alpay389 7 ай бұрын

is the upscaling tech equal to sonys "xr tv" internal upscaling?

@An.Individual Жыл бұрын

Will it natively read a USB HDD formatted with NTFS?

@bingobaz6402 Жыл бұрын

Just got this and second one they sent, I was on the phone for ages with Amazon rep yesterday, so they sent me out another cube. I wish someone would upload a video on how to set up a sky HD box to this. I plugged it into the input on this. But when going through the set up it asked me to switch to the input the sky box was on. Well to go home and select input at the top left, it exits the set up process. So obviously can't set up voice command via the input. So tried it a different way without using input. Can't get the voice command to work there. Been trying to do this for 3 days.

@AJxB Жыл бұрын

Would love a comparison between this, the shield pro, and the Apple TV 4K, specifically for 4K content on Plex.

@kevgorman9341 Жыл бұрын

will the ugreen usb ethernet adapter get over 100 meg on usb

@arealhebrew Жыл бұрын

Amazon Fire Cube 2022 Generation 3 black screen constantly any solutions

@ILeapZHD Жыл бұрын

Does this mean gen 2 will be a Black Friday deal?

@DR19X Жыл бұрын

I read that the remote does not have IR unlike the firestick. so longer remote with more clutter and without IR

@andyjip6367 11 ай бұрын

Does this support uhd on Vudu, I heard it didn't

@TheHandsomeman Жыл бұрын

The voice sync ios out, so sent it back......Which I think only happens with bluetooth signals, so why?

@Mjaybird Жыл бұрын

Just ordered the cube

@nunomelo9028 Жыл бұрын

I have a PS5 and a cable provider inside a drawer, meaning I can not use IR directly. So far I was using a harmony logitech with a IR blaster. The question is: if the amazon Fire only has one HDMI input, can it control my cable provider and PS5? how?

@chekiechen Жыл бұрын

USB is 2.0 and Ethernet is just 10/100Mb. Not sure why they even bother.

@jeo2222 Жыл бұрын

I wonder how the 4k up-scaling compares to the nvidia shield pro?

@deputyvanhalen6386 Жыл бұрын

I would want it to be noticeably good at upscaling, good like I am thinking i am watching a normal film that now looks like 8k and 120fps...basically I watch and go "WOW!"

@lammbo1986 Жыл бұрын

Will you be reviewing the up and coming Amazon TV launching on October 27? I think it’s called Amazon Fire TV Omni QLED

@PhilNickinson Жыл бұрын

We'll find out on October 27. ;)

@MarkGoffee Жыл бұрын

I heard the CPU is good. Can you bench test it please ?

@DnMcDy Жыл бұрын

Turns out you can't use a too fast HDMI cable on the Cube. I used an 8K HDMI cable and it setup goes blank. I had to switch to older HDMI cable for it to work.

@meshalm6480 Жыл бұрын

Is there an option to match the content frame rate and dynamic range?

@asm_canucks Жыл бұрын

I have the exact same question here!! Very important to me!

@jasontcp5757 Жыл бұрын

100 Mbps Internet port and USB 2 in 2022 its a hard pass

@Viper1171 Жыл бұрын

4k requires 25mbs speed internet so having 100mps internet port is just fine! Secondly apps installed onto usb for added storage are not huge so usb 2 over usb 3 again is not an issue, unless your transferring Gigs of data then yeah it matters!

@DannerBanks Жыл бұрын

Yeah very surprised he didn't speak to these points

@DR19X Жыл бұрын

my firestick 4k max gets over 300 on wifi. 100Mbps ethernet in 2022 is a wasted opportunity.

@Viper1171 Жыл бұрын

@@DR19X Your missing the point, direct ethernet connectivity gives you reliable speed & no interference. If you use a meter you will see the signal drop and raise on wifi, not like on a wired connection, so a wasted opportunity on a reliable wired connection...think not.

@DR19X Жыл бұрын

@@Viper1171 is not the wifi 6E 6 GHz supposed to help wit the interference? how is the ethernet option on this model different from previous model or the adapter on the firestick in terms of reliable speed? both the shield and apple tv give you higher speed ethernet. Also the ethernet port is not just for streaming from internet. Some might use it to play and transfer files from local media servers.

@rwhealthy Жыл бұрын

Still no backlite on the remote, ugh (or a charging station for that matter)

@shackdaddy7106 Жыл бұрын

Now that Apple has announced its new Apple TV 4K with the starting price of $129, they have undercut Amazon pricewise. The fire cube will be selling for $139. It will be interesting to see how Amazon responds. Because Apple has always been more expensive than Amazon when it comes to electronic products. And they ship it out with a fire TV remote. This is ridiculous. And they make you pay $35 to get the correct remote. I know they will both be discounted as the holidays approach, but I do not understand Amazons approach at all this year.

@salvamando1 Жыл бұрын

Great point, additionally, not only is the new remote an extra cost, it is NOT launching until mid November! I don't get why they did not release it at the same time as the new cube.

@SomeUnremarkableGuy Жыл бұрын

Plus new Apple TV 4k is far more powerful than the Fire Cube.

@DR19X Жыл бұрын

adding to that, apple tv has 3gb ram and way higher storage and the ability to calibrate colors with an iphone. Firetv's advantage is with the android apks like kodi

@shackdaddy7106 Жыл бұрын

@@DR19X also, Alexa is an advantage for Amazon as well. It is way better than Siri.

@copperrobocop978 Жыл бұрын

Isn't the ethernet just 10/100? So what's the point ?

@khobia2 Жыл бұрын

$139.00 and only 10 GB. No thanks.

@DonaldDnicefromtwitcH Жыл бұрын

Still with a fire stick max wins by price period

@Viper1171 Жыл бұрын

It has USB for adding storage like a 256GB thumb drive. Also I pre ordered mine for $99 so yeah!

@brightmanfan Жыл бұрын

Had the first 2 versions of the Cube don't use them anymore, I didn't care the for dongle 10/100 Mbps ethernet on those versions. The 3rd gen now has built-in ethernet but still only 10/100 Mbps. I connect all streaming boxes via ethernet, my Apple TV4K and Nvidia Shield Pro both have 1 gig ethernet.

@stephenmeinhold5452 Жыл бұрын

We have this stuff built into our Smart Tv and it’s top of the tree Dolby atmos 4k HDR and a whole lot more. Is it for people that have monitors?

@Viper1171 Жыл бұрын

Always buy a TV for the purpose of its color quality, size and connections for external units. Never use a smart tv for streaming, always use an add on stick/box to do the horsepower for that. You get more features, connections & options that a smart TV can't give you. Also if the wifi in the tv dies or the tv itself dies you have to toss it all in the trash. With streaming sticks/boxes you can always get newer ones or replace them if they malfunction.

@stephenmeinhold5452 Жыл бұрын

@@Viper1171 maybe in the past but now the high end tvs are fully featured as I said and if the tv goes it will be the screen and if that goes it’s game over. I have a Samsung 75 inch nano cell and it’s true Color 120hz I can see one advantage you can take it with you and plug it in anywhere you are.

@Viper1171 Жыл бұрын

@@stephenmeinhold5452 Processors in Smart TV units processors are slow and you can't customize the UI or apps to your liking. Your being sold on what the manufacturer wants you to see on the "Home" screen. I have a LG C1 top selling tv and I still use my Nvidia Shield boxes for the obvious!

@stephenmeinhold5452 Жыл бұрын

@@Viper1171 Nvidia shield is something else, i know that would be usefull to me.

@Fatimajan92 Жыл бұрын

Do you think the price gap with the 4K Max Firestick makes this new cube worthwhile?

@PhilNickinson Жыл бұрын

I think if you need the HDMI-in and maybe Ethernet, then spend the money. Otherwise Max should do ya.

@Fatimajan92 Жыл бұрын

@@PhilNickinson thank you

@robertpoteete8154 Жыл бұрын

If you use a ethernet adapter you get more than 100. I used a 1gb adapter and get 400 of my 500 speeds.

@mistercrimp Жыл бұрын

If I plug my PS5 into the HDMI slot on the cube and have an ethernet cable connected, does the PS5 use the ethernet via the cube or do I still need to ethernet the PS5?

@punkskaterboy69 Жыл бұрын

Ethernet will not transfer through hdmi if that is what you mean.

@ThaTexan Жыл бұрын

Can you stream music on it without the TV being on? You couldn't do that on the old ones

@EntropyGuardian Жыл бұрын

I have a 1st Gen cube. Can't you tell it to play music, then tell it "I can't hear you" and it will output the audio from the cube instead of the TV?

@ThaTexan Жыл бұрын

@@EntropyGuardian not that I'm aware of. Please share link with me if that's true and proven somewhere.

@TJDawgs72 Жыл бұрын

I've been a user of the Fire sticks for several years and have been thinking of getting the Fire Cube for my main tv mostly for the bigger storage space alone...and I love that I can add a thumb drive on this for even more space. Having an option to connect via ethernet has me thinking if I need to go that rout instead of Wi-Fi. I have a new Eero mesh router with Wi-Fi 6 so I not really sure if connecting via the ethernet line would really be that much better. Any thoughts on the difference? And thanks for the review...I'll be buying one of these when they go on sale for Cyber Monday.

@PhilNickinson Жыл бұрын

First, recognize that the Ethernet is 10/100 and not gigabit. So there's that. You might get a more stable connection, but not necessarily faster.

@jaxphotobuff9252 Жыл бұрын

@@PhilNickinson It's nuts that they don't include a gigabit Ethernet port in a product refresh like this.

@PhilNickinson Жыл бұрын

@@jaxphotobuff9252 I agree.

@TJDawgs72 Жыл бұрын

@@PhilNickinson Well I don’t have gigabit ethernet speed in my home anyways so that won’t be an issue. I guess maybe I just need to connect an ethernet line and see what the speed is and then pull it and go to Wi-Fi and check it out for myself.

@sebastianwirtgen1811 Жыл бұрын

Where the upscaling will work? Netflix - if I Had 1080p only ? Streming over Plex / Emby / Jellyfin - If I Had Files @ lower resolution? eventually for the HDMI input - ??? Had read 2 reviews and see now the first Video, but no one was Writin/Speakin about....

@richardnorton9918 Жыл бұрын

Can I tell Alexa or ? to mute my TV sound for 3 minutes? Is there a better way to mute the TV for 3 mins. and then unmute? Stack Commands?

@richiedevincenzo9653 Жыл бұрын

Ethernet not gig supported and still runs on the same OS 7 as the 2nd gen cube

@PhilNickinson Жыл бұрын

Correct.

@martinvegas1327 Жыл бұрын

Should come with an hdmi cable to be plug and play👀

@PhilNickinson Жыл бұрын

Fair.

@TeslaRules1856 Жыл бұрын

I dont believe I have seen this discussed but does using a Fire Cube provide better picture quality then using the built in streaming apps in most Smart TV's ?

@PhilNickinson Жыл бұрын

Bunch of variables there. If the source stream ain't good, ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

@dean7442 Жыл бұрын

100mb/s Ethernet port apparently. A real shame as streaming live TV from a HD Homerun over a LAN often requires in excess of 100mb/s for HD content and above.

@kukister Жыл бұрын

Can anyone tell me if it is 240v? Or only 120v?

@patrickcroker7532 Жыл бұрын

Only 110/120 i believe, uses the standard 15 watt power pack that Amazon sells

@RagnarBlox Жыл бұрын

Ugh, Ethernet port is still 10/100. What is this 1999? Why no gigabyte Ethernet? And for those that say you can't stream at those speeds anyway don't have a PLEX library attached to a NAS with over a thousand movies/tv shows ripped (most in 4K when I can). The whole point of having Ethernet is to allow it to hook to my network and stream everything off my PLEX media player. In 2022 there is no excuse to not have this considering most high end NAS's now support 10gbps. If Nvidia releases a new Shield I'm going that way.

@djthashock Жыл бұрын

The USB Port it's just 2.0 and the Ethernet Port is 10/100 mbit/s... Are you Kidding me Amazon?!

@JoseOrtiz-pp1vm Жыл бұрын

would u be willing to pay oh say 50 dollars more to have it bumed to 3.0 more storage and higher mbit ?.

@djthashock Жыл бұрын

@@JoseOrtiz-pp1vm yes! If i finally have these features. We live in 2022...

@bayern1806 Жыл бұрын

@@JoseOrtiz-pp1vm dude, it would be just $5 more.

@Viper1171 Жыл бұрын

If your willing to pay $50 more then I suggest buying the Nvidia Shield TV Pro, excellent units....I own three (3) of them!

@djthashock Жыл бұрын

@@Viper1171 I think about it. Amazon Life's behind the Moon it seems! 🙄

@eldhojames43 Жыл бұрын

Does firecube gen 3 upscale the things from HDMI in port

@PhilNickinson Жыл бұрын

Yep.

@eldhojames43 Жыл бұрын

@@PhilNickinson thanks for the quick reply It's the one i am waiting for my TV.

@carlosdemelo7819 Жыл бұрын

Don't see the wifi 6e I have a 6e router?

@steveb886 Жыл бұрын

Can't get mine to work with my 6e xfinity router

@carlosdemelo7819 Жыл бұрын

@@steveb886 might be a scam lol

@carlosdemelo7819 Жыл бұрын

Like my phone it says 6e

@JohnnyFantaOrange Жыл бұрын

Why would I like a video, subscribe and then click the bell without seeing the video first?

@PhilNickinson Жыл бұрын

Because I said so.

@JohnnyFantaOrange Жыл бұрын

@@PhilNickinson You're hilarious

@PSYCHOV3N0M Жыл бұрын

Wi-Fi 7 is around the corner so technically this device is already outdated.

@oshaq313 Жыл бұрын

Wouldn't Nvidia shield tv stick be better at same price? AI upscaling, Chromecast, Google play store, more audio codec support. And if your using Ethernet, the 6E selling point is moot.

@PhilNickinson Жыл бұрын

Definitely in the neighborhood, and I should have mentioned it. (And how crazy is it that NVIDIA Shield is still relevant after all these years?)

@Viper1171 Жыл бұрын

Nvidia Shield stick normally sells for MSRP $149.99 and personally I would just get the Shield Pro at MSRP $199.99 they work perfectly, I own three (3) of them.

@kurakuson Жыл бұрын

IPhone! I have this desire to rush to get an iPhone when I didn't before.

@robertclark8546 Жыл бұрын

Yeah, Phil's crossed over to the dark side lol

@PhilNickinson Жыл бұрын

@@robertclark8546 lol. Like, a LONG time ago. Mostly because iMessage and AirDrop, TBH. Doesn't mean I like it, though. :p

@mikeponticelli2724 Жыл бұрын

Will Alexa connect my blue tooth headphones on my fire TV cube?

@jimboknowsit Жыл бұрын

Seems heavier

@orenthaljames2534 Жыл бұрын

appletv 4k 2021 for $99 is such a good deal now

@Skualo-77 Жыл бұрын

Nvidia Shield Pro

@Viper1171 Жыл бұрын

Because the cube 3rd gen was only $99 for pre sale I bought one though I do own three (3) Nvidia Shield TV Pro units. 💪

@DR19X Жыл бұрын

the shield is still powerful. lacks AV1 though which is fine for few years.

@stephanieonlife3657 Жыл бұрын

I have wifi 6E .

@PhilNickinson Жыл бұрын

Well you've got one up on me! :p

@SelimxBradley Жыл бұрын

I have a Fire Stick 4K and the thing is so ridiculously slow. I bought an Apple TV 4k recently and you definitely get what you pay for, granted it's much more expensive.

@PhilNickinson Жыл бұрын

You're absolutely right.

@dennyhiett6271 Жыл бұрын

I have the old 4k firestick and the new 4k firestick and they are super fast. I use a lot app tools such as the debloat tool app and background app and animated Windows app makes a big difference

@SelimxBradley Жыл бұрын

@@dennyhiett6271 I'll look into those apps, thanks!

@dennyhiett6271 Жыл бұрын

@@SelimxBradley tech doctor uk has all those tool apps

@Viper1171 Жыл бұрын

The Firestick 4K Max is fast device!

@firehawk46064 Жыл бұрын

just "bleep" each time you say the word "alexa" and it'll solve your "alexa" problems :)

@54carlje Жыл бұрын

still only 100mb ethernet . When are they going to give us gigabit ethernet?

@AL_BUNDY_1703 Жыл бұрын

For what you need that much?

@HeftyAssociate Жыл бұрын

A device for 2022 with only 2GB of memory, only 16GB of storage, and only 10/100 Ethernet. Yeah I'll get a 2022 Apple TV 4K for $5 more...

@michaelmattichiii1595 Жыл бұрын

still using 10/100,USB 2 and 32 bit, really? You left this out of your review

@DannerBanks Жыл бұрын

This is a lazy review. Why mention the upscaling but not test it?

@DV-tc1yr Жыл бұрын

Don’t buy this item people it will not change your cable channel for you by your voice command I’ve had it for a week several technicians on the phone trying to fix it it’s going back tomorrow waste of money

@bbllaakkee Жыл бұрын

you're much better off getting a new Apple TV 4K... this thing is junk and full of ads

@DonaldDnicefromtwitcH Жыл бұрын

Fire stick max kills it on price alone n its overpriced n why it wnt sell its a money grab device period

@Viper1171 Жыл бұрын

Do the firesticks have mics so you can speak to them? No Is there ethernet ports on the sticks? No Is there usb ports on the fire sticks? No Is there HDMI in on the firesticks? No Are the firesticks the fastest streaming units sold by Amazon? No So I paid $99 for pre launch and it's worth the money hands down. I'm coming from owning three (3) Nvidia Shield TV Pro units so I do own expensive streaming boxes since each Nvidia Shield costs $199.99 each!