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This article will compare and review the Fire TV Cube 3rd Gen and Roku Ultra 2022.
In 2022, Amazon and Roku both launched their latest streaming devices, the Fire TV Cube 3rd Gen and the Roku Ultra. If you already own either of them, then you may be wondering what the upgrade is. If you're considering adding a streaming device to your TV, these two high-end streaming devices could also be part of your choice list. In this article, we'll compare the Fire TV Cube 3rd Gen vs Roku Ultra 2022 to help you make a more educated choice.
If you're already used to the Amazon TV ecosystem, the Fire TV Cube 3rd Gen is the best TV streaming device available today. Launching in 2022, the Fire TV Cube 3rd Gen is an improvement over its predecessor in terms of looks and performance.
The overall look of the Amazon Fire TV Cube is similar to its predecessor, with the biggest change being that the front side now has a fabric overlay similar to the Echo and Echo Dot and slightly rounder corners, with a light bar still on the top edge to indicate Alexa. On the top, is the same four-button setup with volume buttons, microphone mute button, and action buttons, with the ports on the back. Another new feature of the latest generation is the addition of an HDMI input port that allows you to connect the hardware, such as gaming devices.
The latest Fire TV Cube 3rd Gen device is fitted with a 32-bit Amlogic POP1-G processor with four 2.2GHz ARM Cortex-A73 CPU cores and four 2GHz Cortex-A53 cores. This means that Amazon's 3rd Gen Cube is very fast. As for the streaming picture quality experience, this Amazon Fire TV Cube 3rd Gen device supports 4K resolution, Dolby Vision, Dolby Atmos, HDR 10, HDR10+, and HLG. Therefore, you won't be disappointed with its picture quality.
In addition, this Fire TV Cube 3rd Gen has 2GB+16GB running space and storage capacity, support for wired internet connection, WiFi6E and Bluetooth 5.0 and Chromecast. All in all, Amazon Fire TV Cube is a high-end TV box device with awesome performance. If you buy it, you'll be spending less than $140 to make your TV smart and powerful.
Pros
Cons
The Roku Ultra box is made of tapered matte plastic and should fit easily in a cabinet or on a stand under your TV. The remote viewfinder button is located on the right side of the unit, and there's a USB-A port, HDMI output and Ethernet port on the back.
The Voice Remote Pro has the same plastic finish and rubberized buttons as other Roku devices, with volume and mute controls on the right side. On the left side is a switch to disable the always-on microphone and a 3.5 mm headphone jack for private listening. The included earbuds are basic, but they get the job done.
Bluetooth is available on the Ultra, but this can only be used to transfer audio from a phone, tablet or computer, not to pair Bluetooth headphones. The remote viewfinder feature is still one of my favorite features of the Ultra. You can tap the side button on the box or say "Hey Roku, find my remote" and have the controller start beeping.
The Roku Ultra 2022 supports 4K Up to 2160p at 60fp, Dolby Vision at 60fps, HDR10/10+ HLG, and its picture quality is just as good. Plus, the remote has two programmable shortcut buttons in addition to Roku pre-load options for Netflix, Disney Plus, Apple TV Plus and Paramount Plus. Overall, this Roku Ultra 2022 is still powerful, but it's more expensive compared to its Roku counterpart, and the latest version isn't an upgrade from its predecessor.
Pros
As you've already learned from the Fire TV Cube 3rd Gen and Roku Ultra 2022 reviews, both TV streaming devices support Dolby Vision, Dolby Atmos, HDR 10, HDR10 and HLG displays, so there's no significant difference in their picture quality. The difference is that the Roku Ultra is a small TV box, and it does not come with speakers. The Fire TV Cube 3rd Gen, on the other hand, is a speaker-like cube and it has built-in speakers, although Amazon will not consider the Fire TV Cube as a replacement for the TV's existing sound system.
One of the differences between the Fire TV Cube 3rd Gen and the Roku Ultra 2022 is their remotes, and the main update to the Roku Ultra 2022 is the great Voice Remote Pro.
You can charge the Roku Voice Remote Pro via USB and listen to shows and music through the Roku Ultra via a pair of headphones connected to the remote. The best feature of the remote is the addition of a remote retrieval feature. If you want to watch a TV show but can't find the remote, that's annoying for anyone. With the remote finder feature, all you have to do is press the side button of the Roku Ultra or say: Hey, Roku, find my remote. Then your remote will beep to guide you to it.
New from Amazon in the same year as the Fire TV Cube 3rd Gen includes the Alexa Voice Remote Pro, which comes with the same remote finder functionality as the Roku Voice Remote Pro. But unfortunately, it's not included in the Fire TV Cube 3rd Gen. The Fire TV Cube 3rd Gen is equipped with the 4th Gen Fire TV Alexa Voice Remote, which supports voice control of specific channel programming features.
When we come to streaming connectivity, the Fire TV Cube 3rd Gen and Roku Ultra 2022 devices offer basic power, HDMI, USB, and Ethernet ports in their compact bodies. Both devices can be connected to the internet via wired or wifi, or to other devices via Bluetooth.
The difference is that the Fire TV Cube 3rd Gen offers two HDMI ports for input and input data. In addition, the Fire TV Cube 3rd Gen offers faster transmission with WIFI6E. This is a huge advantage in a crowded network.
Finally, if you wish to share content from your phone or other devices to your streaming device, both devices support Chromecast and Apple AirPlay respectively.
Since the Fire TV Cube 3rd Gen and Roku Ultra 2022 come from two different brands, the biggest difference between them will be the systems they run on: Fire OS and Roku OS.The interfaces of these two streaming TVs are completely different and reflect the characteristics of their respective brands. Both the Fire TV Cube 3rd Gen and Roku Ultra offer a very complete selection of streaming applications. But the Fire TV platform interface prioritizes Amazon's content, though not to an arbitrary extent - it offers the Prime Video service at the top of the home screen - but also aggregates content suggestions from other major services.
Roku has transformed its streaming platform into an all-smart TV interface called Roku TV, which is open to any TV maker who wants to license it. the great thing about Roku TV is that it's one of the most intuitive smart TV interfaces to use, even if you're not very tech-savvy. Roku offers an impressive array of apps and streaming services that it calls channels. The Roku channels are especially popular, but you can also use many free channels. However, it currently lacks Twitch channel.
Overall, the interface of the Fire TV Cube 3rd Gen presents different characteristics than the interface of the Roku Ultra 2022, with the former being more Amazon content-oriented and the latter being more simple. It depends on each person's usage habits.
Also, both streaming devices come with 2GB of running space, but the Fire TV Cube 3rd Gen has a larger 16GB storage space, which means you can download more useful programs to the Fire TV without worrying about lagging.
Finally, after comparing the Fire TV Cube 3rd Gen and the Roku Ultra 2022, we found that they both perform equally well in terms of picture quality and both have Ethernet to connect to a wired network.
The Fire TV Cube 3rd Gen is a newer device, more expensive, and there are no discounts available right now, which seems to give some hesitation. If you read the Fire TV Cube 3rd Gen vs Apple TV 4K comparison, then you'll see that there are more options at that price.
The Roku Ultra 2022 is still a 2020 Roku Ultra device despite the upgraded remote control feature, which is not necessary for those who already own the previous generation to update. But for those who are looking for a high-end TV streaming device, the Roku Ultra 2022 is indeed a good choice.
Fire TV Cube 3rd Gen vs Roku Ultra 2022 Review
In 2022, Amazon and Roku both launched their latest streaming devices, the Fire TV Cube 3rd Gen and the Roku Ultra. If you already own either of them, then you may be wondering what the upgrade is. If you're considering adding a streaming device to your TV, these two high-end streaming devices could also be part of your choice list. In this article, we'll compare the Fire TV Cube 3rd Gen vs Roku Ultra 2022 to help you make a more educated choice.
Specs | Fire TV Cube 3rd Gen | 2022 Roku Ultra |
Launch Year | 2022 | 2022 |
Price | $139.99 | $99.99/$68.84 |
System chip (SoC) | Octa-core 4x 2.2GHz 4x 2.0GHz, with 800 MHz GPU Fire OS 6 | Roku OS, CPU ARM Cortex A55 |
RAM+ROM | 2GB+16GB | 2GB+4GB |
Video | Dolby Vision, Dolby Atmos HDR 10, HDR10+ HLG, H.265, H.264, VP9, AV1 4K | HD TVs 4K TVs*(Up to 2160p at 60fp) 4K HDR TVs*(Dolby Vision® at 60fps, HDR10/10+ HLG) |
Audio | AAC-LC, AC3, eAC3 (Dolby Digital Plus), FLAC, MP3, PCM/Wave, Vorbis, Dolby Atmos (EC3_JOC), Dolby MAT | Digital stereo over HDMI DTS Digital Surround Dolby Atmos |
Voice Remote | 4th Gen Fire TV Alexa Voice Remote | Roku Voice Remote Pro |
Streaming | Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, Disney Plus, Now, BBC iPlayer, ITV Hub, All 4, My5, UKTV Play, IMDb TV, Eurosport | Sling, Hulu, Netflix, Disney+, Prime Video, HBO Max |
Connectivity | Power Port 2*HDMI Input/Out USB-A Port Ethernet port Wi-Fi 6E, 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax IR Extender Bluetooth 5.0 Chromecast | Power Port HDMI 2.0b USB 3.0 Ethernet 10/100 802.11ac dual-band MIMO Wi-Fi(2.4 GHz / 5 GHz) Bluetooth Apple AirPlay |
Fire TV Cube 3rd Gen Quick Review
If you're already used to the Amazon TV ecosystem, the Fire TV Cube 3rd Gen is the best TV streaming device available today. Launching in 2022, the Fire TV Cube 3rd Gen is an improvement over its predecessor in terms of looks and performance.
The overall look of the Amazon Fire TV Cube is similar to its predecessor, with the biggest change being that the front side now has a fabric overlay similar to the Echo and Echo Dot and slightly rounder corners, with a light bar still on the top edge to indicate Alexa. On the top, is the same four-button setup with volume buttons, microphone mute button, and action buttons, with the ports on the back. Another new feature of the latest generation is the addition of an HDMI input port that allows you to connect the hardware, such as gaming devices.
The latest Fire TV Cube 3rd Gen device is fitted with a 32-bit Amlogic POP1-G processor with four 2.2GHz ARM Cortex-A73 CPU cores and four 2GHz Cortex-A53 cores. This means that Amazon's 3rd Gen Cube is very fast. As for the streaming picture quality experience, this Amazon Fire TV Cube 3rd Gen device supports 4K resolution, Dolby Vision, Dolby Atmos, HDR 10, HDR10+, and HLG. Therefore, you won't be disappointed with its picture quality.
In addition, this Fire TV Cube 3rd Gen has 2GB+16GB running space and storage capacity, support for wired internet connection, WiFi6E and Bluetooth 5.0 and Chromecast. All in all, Amazon Fire TV Cube is a high-end TV box device with awesome performance. If you buy it, you'll be spending less than $140 to make your TV smart and powerful.
Pros
- HDMI direct access with Alexa overlay
- Fire OS fast performance
- Wi-Fi 6E support
Cons
- Limited remote capabilities
- Built-in speakers for Alexa only
- Expensive
Roku Ultra 2022 Quick Review
Roku does have a new Ultra streaming device coming in 2022, but "new" might be a stretch since it's still a 2020 Roku Ultra device itself, but with a new Voice Remote Pro that still costs $100. But now you can buy it on a discounted for less than $70.The Roku Ultra box is made of tapered matte plastic and should fit easily in a cabinet or on a stand under your TV. The remote viewfinder button is located on the right side of the unit, and there's a USB-A port, HDMI output and Ethernet port on the back.
The Voice Remote Pro has the same plastic finish and rubberized buttons as other Roku devices, with volume and mute controls on the right side. On the left side is a switch to disable the always-on microphone and a 3.5 mm headphone jack for private listening. The included earbuds are basic, but they get the job done.
Bluetooth is available on the Ultra, but this can only be used to transfer audio from a phone, tablet or computer, not to pair Bluetooth headphones. The remote viewfinder feature is still one of my favorite features of the Ultra. You can tap the side button on the box or say "Hey Roku, find my remote" and have the controller start beeping.
The Roku Ultra 2022 supports 4K Up to 2160p at 60fp, Dolby Vision at 60fps, HDR10/10+ HLG, and its picture quality is just as good. Plus, the remote has two programmable shortcut buttons in addition to Roku pre-load options for Netflix, Disney Plus, Apple TV Plus and Paramount Plus. Overall, this Roku Ultra 2022 is still powerful, but it's more expensive compared to its Roku counterpart, and the latest version isn't an upgrade from its predecessor.
Pros
- Improved Voice Remote Pro
- Great remote finder function
- Quick launch app
- Weaker voice assistant than Amazon and Google streaming
- No support for Bluetooth headsets or Wi-Fi 6
Fire TV Cube 3rd Gen vs Roku Ultra 2022 Comparison
Display and Audio
As you've already learned from the Fire TV Cube 3rd Gen and Roku Ultra 2022 reviews, both TV streaming devices support Dolby Vision, Dolby Atmos, HDR 10, HDR10 and HLG displays, so there's no significant difference in their picture quality. The difference is that the Roku Ultra is a small TV box, and it does not come with speakers. The Fire TV Cube 3rd Gen, on the other hand, is a speaker-like cube and it has built-in speakers, although Amazon will not consider the Fire TV Cube as a replacement for the TV's existing sound system.
Voice Remote
One of the differences between the Fire TV Cube 3rd Gen and the Roku Ultra 2022 is their remotes, and the main update to the Roku Ultra 2022 is the great Voice Remote Pro.
You can charge the Roku Voice Remote Pro via USB and listen to shows and music through the Roku Ultra via a pair of headphones connected to the remote. The best feature of the remote is the addition of a remote retrieval feature. If you want to watch a TV show but can't find the remote, that's annoying for anyone. With the remote finder feature, all you have to do is press the side button of the Roku Ultra or say: Hey, Roku, find my remote. Then your remote will beep to guide you to it.
Connectivity
When we come to streaming connectivity, the Fire TV Cube 3rd Gen and Roku Ultra 2022 devices offer basic power, HDMI, USB, and Ethernet ports in their compact bodies. Both devices can be connected to the internet via wired or wifi, or to other devices via Bluetooth.
The difference is that the Fire TV Cube 3rd Gen offers two HDMI ports for input and input data. In addition, the Fire TV Cube 3rd Gen offers faster transmission with WIFI6E. This is a huge advantage in a crowded network.
Finally, if you wish to share content from your phone or other devices to your streaming device, both devices support Chromecast and Apple AirPlay respectively.
OS, RAM+ROM
Since the Fire TV Cube 3rd Gen and Roku Ultra 2022 come from two different brands, the biggest difference between them will be the systems they run on: Fire OS and Roku OS.The interfaces of these two streaming TVs are completely different and reflect the characteristics of their respective brands. Both the Fire TV Cube 3rd Gen and Roku Ultra offer a very complete selection of streaming applications. But the Fire TV platform interface prioritizes Amazon's content, though not to an arbitrary extent - it offers the Prime Video service at the top of the home screen - but also aggregates content suggestions from other major services.
Roku has transformed its streaming platform into an all-smart TV interface called Roku TV, which is open to any TV maker who wants to license it. the great thing about Roku TV is that it's one of the most intuitive smart TV interfaces to use, even if you're not very tech-savvy. Roku offers an impressive array of apps and streaming services that it calls channels. The Roku channels are especially popular, but you can also use many free channels. However, it currently lacks Twitch channel.
Overall, the interface of the Fire TV Cube 3rd Gen presents different characteristics than the interface of the Roku Ultra 2022, with the former being more Amazon content-oriented and the latter being more simple. It depends on each person's usage habits.
Also, both streaming devices come with 2GB of running space, but the Fire TV Cube 3rd Gen has a larger 16GB storage space, which means you can download more useful programs to the Fire TV without worrying about lagging.
Fire TV Cube 3rd Gen and Roku Ultra 2022 Summary Verdict
Finally, after comparing the Fire TV Cube 3rd Gen and the Roku Ultra 2022, we found that they both perform equally well in terms of picture quality and both have Ethernet to connect to a wired network.
The Fire TV Cube 3rd Gen is a newer device, more expensive, and there are no discounts available right now, which seems to give some hesitation. If you read the Fire TV Cube 3rd Gen vs Apple TV 4K comparison, then you'll see that there are more options at that price.
The Roku Ultra 2022 is still a 2020 Roku Ultra device despite the upgraded remote control feature, which is not necessary for those who already own the previous generation to update. But for those who are looking for a high-end TV streaming device, the Roku Ultra 2022 is indeed a good choice.