Im buying a Fire TV Cube so I never have to watch the same old Christmas movies again

Date:
Sun, 19 Dec 2021 13:00:17 +0000

Description:
This Christmas, Im mixing things up with a Fire TV Cube, to take a break from the same selection of movies we watch year in, year out.

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Die Hard. Home Alone. Gremlins. All three are legendary Christmas movies that I never get tired of watching, especially when huddled in the living room under a heated blanket, eagerly devouring the leftovers of Christmas dinner
in the process. But this year, Im thinking of taking a break from these undoubtedly brilliant films, and throwing caution to the wind with the purchase of a Fire TV Cube .

Why? For a couple of reasons. First, Amazon has knocked down the price of its marquee streaming box to its lowest ever , to just $74.99 / 59.99 . Thats a hefty saving over the typical retail price of $119.99 / 109.99. If that wasnt a sound enough reason, buying a Fire TV Cube also opens up a litany of
options with regards to the streaming apps we can access between Christmas
and New Years Day.

Not only is this a great reason to explore a ton of the best streaming apps through one device, it provides myself and my family with the opportunity to binge on a variety of movies and TV shows that weve been meaning to check out for some time, whether theyre Christmas themed or not. Between Disney Plus s Marvel and Star Wars collections and Netflix s influx of high-quality Korean dramas, well no longer be stuck watching five separate adaptations of A Christmas Carol. We'll still make room for The Muppets, though, of course.
The Christmas Cube (Image credit: Amazon)

But why a Fire TV Cube specifically? Amazons streamer isnt as affordable as the more discreet Roku Express 4K . Nor does it come loaded with the premium features seen with the Apple TV 4K . It isnt quite as robust as Sky Q s collection of admittedly, relatively expensive entertainment packages, either.

The truth is that while the Fire TV Cube is a bit of an underdog on the streaming device scene, I feel it hits a sweet spot for app variety and
price, as well as image and audio quality features that ensure a rock-solid viewing experience. Oh, and it has a built-in speaker, too, which makes it ideal for larger Christmas gatherings if you dont already own one of the best soundbars .

Theres great value in this jack-of-all-trades design. This is especially true if youre looking for a no-fuss streaming device for the holiday period that doesnt suffer terribly for its shortcomings. Those being a home screen thats tailored a little too much in favor of Amazon Prime Video content, as well as imperfect language recognition from the built-in Alexa voice assistant functionality. Oh, youll have to supply your own HDMI cable, too.

Despite this, and the fact that the latest Fire TV Cube model is indeed a couple of years old at this point (were desperately awaiting a new, third-generation model), its 4K HDR (as well as support for Dolby Vision ) output and admirable upscaling make it a streamer still well worth buying, especially with that aforementioned price drop. Not the only streamer in town (Image credit: Future)

Im not looking to be a Fire TV Cube shill, though. While I do think its an awesome product, it isnt the only streaming device on the block. As a proponent of the tech in general, Id absolutely recommend a number of streamers if Amazons own doesnt take your fancy.

After all, even with that price drop, Id still consider the Fire TV Cube to
be relatively pricey compared to similar streaming devices, and Im sure many of you arent keen on bursting the dam that is your Christmas budget. In this case Id move to recommend a more affordable streamer.

The aforementioned Roku Express 4K fits the bill there, as do most of the
best Roku devices . These compact streaming sticks plug directly into your
TVs HDMI port, meaning theres no hassle (or extra cables) to worry about. Simply plug in, complete a basic setup phase and youre golden.

Similarly affordable is the utterly brilliant Chromecast with Google TV . Googles most recent streamer boasts HDR10+ , Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos support. Its a powerful streaming device for its price, and has just received a pretty substantial firmware update ahead of the holidays.

If you can afford to pay a bit more, though, the Apple TV 4K is also well worth a look. Its definitely one of the more expensive streaming devices at $179 / 169, but if top-notch picture quality (and a brilliant Siri remote) is what youre after this Christmas, few streamers deliver better than Apple.

Oh, and youre getting access to both the Apple TV Plus streaming app and the wonderful Apple Arcade , which can provide a decent gaming distraction if youre truly sick of nodding along to dads Steven Spielberg marathon. Season's streamings (Image credit: Amazon)

The point, then, isnt necessarily to get you to buy a Fire TV Cube specifically. Its more to make you aware that pretty much any of the best streaming devices you can buy are a superb alternative to defaulting to terrestrial channels or dusting off your stack of Christmas DVDs and Blu-rays.

This is especially true when you consider that so many fantastic movies and
TV shows released this year might have passed you by. Youve likely heard of the award-winning Ted Lasso , for example, but the sitcoms Apple TV Plus exclusivity means it isnt the easiest show to watch without the right streaming device.

Theres also a surprising number of really quite good Christmas movies across
a variety of streaming apps. For example, Netflix has a few great originals, including The Christmas Chronicles and its sequel. Starring Kurt Russell, which is almost always a sign that the movie is good, both are great for some lighthearted family viewing. Theres also Klaus, a delightfully heartwarming animated Netflix original thats a good deal more sincere than most cartoon Christmas flicks.

So, if you need a break from The Snowman or Frozen, I cant recommend a streaming device such as the Fire TV Cube or similar enough. Streaming apps are a veritable treasure trove of both good and bad content, but can nevertheless be a fantastic way to break the ice at a family gathering.

And if youre using one to stream the same old movies and shows you watch year in, year out, thats totally cool, too. Theyre considered timeless for a reason, after all. Best Netflix Christmas movies: 16 holiday films streaming now



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