TOP 7 BEST SELLER Echo Dot (3rd gen) – Smart speaker with Alexa – Charcoal

★★★★★ Honestly I'm seeing such low reviews for this product and it drives me crazy lol...Alexa isn't going to make a sandwich for you or put your kids to bed! Maybe expectations are a little high lol...... I received my 3 Echo Dot devices for the Black Friday Special...and I'm ready to order 3 more! Installation was incredibly easy, pairing echo dots in groups was incredibly easy, setting reminders, playing Spotify, CBC News briefing, everything is incredible! If your in doubt honestly you will not regret buying these! The packaging is even gorgeous. Sound is great. I have two on my main floor living... Ask Alexa to set volume to 4 or 5 and your rocking! I've been a heavy smart phone user for years, I've had apple, Siri is junk, Google assistant mehhhh... but Alexa.... amazing! Feels like part of the family lol... All jokes aside you will not be disappointed with this purchase!

★★★★★ Decent sound for something the size of a hockey puck. Pretty handy i must say. Keep it in the kitchen, good for timers music, conversions, weather and asking general or even area specific. questions etc. I was surprised how well it picks up voice. Wife still basically can’t fight the instinct to yell at it like an overseas call. My two year old somehow gets her to play whitney houston consistency even though she is speaking gibberish. I’m starting to think its an actual language that only alexa understands. Some free advice: never ask it to play hide and seek, it will never shut up, be warned. Would reccomend to people who aren’t afraid of robots eventually taking over the world. I think it would be a bit overwhelming for my mom’s generation.(no offence to you oldr folks). Thumbs up.

★★☆☆☆ Bonjour je viens de recevoir mon echo dot. Je dois dire que j ai eu de la difficulté due as une erreur de mots de passe de ma part. A moi la faute mais réparer cette erreur n as pas été chose facile après deux appelles aux service technique ça fonctionné. Merci a eux. Ma plus grande déception a été de voir que je ne pouvais pas faire grand choses avec Alexia. Quand j ai demander ecouter ma musique elle a lancer essais gratuit sur amazon.Donc une fois les 14 jours terminer.Je ne pourrais pas écouter de musique sauf si je paye de la musique que j ai déjà. Pourquoi pas les fameux skills et bien la coût de génie . Le canada pour votre information est bilingue Anglais et français. Ma province le québec est une des plus grande province et elle est unilingue FRANÇAISE . Vos skills pour le canada français sont presque inexistant a part les flashs de radio canada. ça rend votre Alexa très démunie. Pourtant en france il y as des skill géniaux encore la quelle deception . Je ne peux pas les activer car je suis au canada. Pas de recherche internet possible. finalement Alexia de sert pas a grand chose pour moi canadien francais. Bien a vous, Patrice Veilleux

★★★★★ When Amazon launched Amazon Fire TV stick-Basic Edition in Canada in November 2017, I decided to give it a try. It turned out to be right decision as I was able to not only convert my older HDTV into Smart TV, but it also opened door for lots of content including Amazon Prime Video. It should be noted that Amazon Prime Video is totally free for Amazon Prime Members. Now, most of people have 4K UHD TV and considering lots of content is now available in 4K, there was quite an urgent need for having an update to Basic version of Fire TV which only supported 1080p-full HD to 4K version in the same small form factor. I am glad that Amazon has released this much awaited and anticipated update in Canada. I am also using Amazon Echo Dot and there are few more Alexa compatible devices in home so updated remote with Alexa support is another welcome update. Amazon claims that new Fire TV Stick 4K is company’s most powerful streaming stick to date.I pre-ordered The Fire TV Stick and it was delivered on the release day-thanks to free 1-day shipping with my Prime Membership. Stick connects to your TV’s HDMI port. Set up was very easy - Just connect stick to power port and HDMI port of TV, enter WI-Fi password and after software update, Amazon Fire TV stick was ready to use in minutes. It even asked me if I want to set up parental controls. It asked me to press Volume Up and Down buttons which in turn successfully paired my TV to the remote and now I can control TV with Amazon remote. The stick came pre-registered to my name and Amazon Account. I didn’t need to do any account set up. I just chose my Amazon account and everything was ready in few minutes. After setup, it played a brief introduction video showing key features of Amazon Fire TV.IMPORTANT:People buying it as a gift should note that you should make sure that you check “THIS IS A GIFT” option when you add this to the cart. This will ensure that Fire Stick will NOT come pre-registered to your account and gift recipient can register to their own Amazon account. This will ensure that they are not using your account.SUMMARY OF MAJOR CHANGES FROM FIRE TV BASIC EDITION:(1) Up to 2160p/4K output resolution with Dolby Vision, HDR10+, and HDR10 format support(2) 80% more Powerful due to upgraded 1.7 GHz quad-core processor(3) Upgraded 802.11ac Wi-Fi chip(4) Upgraded remote with Alexa support and added Volume and Mute buttons.(5) Upgraded Audio from Dolby Audio to Dolby Atmos(6) Added Ethernet Support. You need to buy “Amazon Ethernet Adapter for Amazon Fire TV Devices for $19.99THE STICK:Amazon claims that Fire TV Stick 4K is 80% more powerful than previous version and this is mainly due to upgraded quad-core processor and Wi-Fi chipset. This enables not just 4K video streaming, but also support for HDR in both HDR10+ and Dolby Vision. I think this stick checks all the boxes for home theatre enthusiasts in terms of both video and audio.There are lots of applications pre-configured and you can browse and download thousands of applications and games. There is also Firefox browser support to browse internet. This Edition has 8GB of storage, a 1.7 GHz quad-core processor. It can stream movies and TV shows at 720p, 1080p HD and 2160p 4K at up to 60 fps. The compact size makes it useful for traveling as well and weight is only 54 grams. Once you connect to TV, you find that everything is laid out nicely and browsing through the content is quite user-friendly. It should be mentioned that YouTube application is not available as Google has removed support long back but you can always use Firefox or Silk browser. It’s bit of hassle but it seems feud between Amazon and Google will never end.Stick comes with dual-band, dual-antenna WI-Fi and provides seamless Wi-Fi performance. It features upgraded 802.11ac Wi-Fi chip that helps with bandwidth requirements of 4K programming which will ensure no buffering and quick load times. If you have issues with Wi-Fi connectivity, you can buy “Amazon Ethernet Adapter for Amazon Fire TV Devices” which is sold separately for $19.99. Also included in the box is HDMI extender cable in case you need it for better remote or Wi-Fi performance.It should be noted that stick works with both 4K as well as normal HD TV.THE REMOTE:The most appealing functionality upgrade on the remote is Alexa Voice Support. I have Echo Dot and I knew this will work well and I found this to be case. Voice Control worked almost perfectly. The Alexa Voice Remote combines Bluetooth with infrared to control both the Fire TV Stick as well as other home entertainment devices, including your TV and cable box. Alexa powered remote is great upgrade as you can just talk to Alexa to find things for you. Another impressive find is though remote includes in-built microphone and you can command remote to do almost anything, if you have Amazon Echo, you can also link it to Echo to have hands-free Alexa compatibility. In fact as soon as I set up fire TV, Amazon Echo Dot immediately announced :” I found TV”. I also got message on my Alexa iOS application as well if I want to control new TV.For Example, you can ask :“Alexa, Open Netflix”,“Alexa, Open Amazon Prime Video”“Alexa, Find Thriller Movies” ,“Alexa, play Grand Tour”“Alexa, find 4K TV Shows”.If can also control compatible devices like TV and Sound Bards or ask Alexa to dim the light. I also tried things like “Alexa, What is the weather now” and “Alexa, Set thermostat temperature to 21 degrees”.Alexa Remote has also got upgrade in terms of added Volume and Mute buttons. It should be noted that this remote can be purchased separately to upgrade your remote on older Fire TV.You can also download the Fire TV Remote App to your mobile phone and pair it with your Fire TV device to use as an alternate remote.GENERAL NOTES:For people new to Amazon Fire Stick, it should be noted that there is no monthly charge associated with Amazon Fire TV stick, but you may have to pay for streaming services like Netflix to stream their content. There is lot of free content though. Another thing worth noting is the content is country specific. E.g. Amazon Prime Video content will be different in Canada than US and you can only watch country specific content to which you have subscribed to. Amazon Prime Members will be happy as they do not pay for Amazon Prime Video which has lots of content. Some people may say that other streaming services like Netflix has more content, but I am not even able to watch small fraction of huge amount of stuff available on Amazon Prime and it’s free with my Prime. People using Android box may be disappointed as most of content they were getting free is not available free. You subscribe or pay for the content.THE GOOD:(1) Best in class Video (4K) and Audio (Dolby Atmos) support including Dolby Vision, HDR10+, and HDR10 format support(2) Alexa enable remote with capabilities to control devices like TV, Sound Bar as well as other Alexa devices in home(3) Extremely fast performance. Fast Load Time and no buffering(4) Best in class hardwareTHE BAD:(1) My friend uses Roku and Roku seems to have more selection.(2) Battery Compartment cover was very hard to remove. I had to slide knife into gap and open the cover.FINAL THOUGHTS:Overall, this package feels best-in-class in terms of hardware capabilities and remote functionalities. Some people may lean towards Roku due to more content, but to me being a Prime Member and having few Alexa compatible devices this is definitely a winner. It simply fits well in Alexa ecosystem.People who have used Android TV and Kodi May find that there is lesser free content and you have to pay for many streaming service. Having said that, I read that people seems to be able to install Kodi on previous Basic Edition of stick. As I said earlier, it’s not my cup of tea.

★☆☆☆☆ FireTV is NOT Android Box: Those who are thinking that they are buying a gateway to free content- dont even dream about it. FireTV is just a platform, which allows you to download apps which are mostly paid - neither Amazon OR any app gives you option , chance, to explore what exactly is FREE - i found almost everything is for money.If you are looking for free content- buy android box.FireTV v/s Netflix: I still give NETFLIX a upper hand. FireTV twists your arms, you have to buy Amazon Prime to watch most of the stuff, displayed on your home screen, all those movies, TV shoes, Games, Sports - everything need to be paid of. Netflix offers much better option but it depends on you, if you want to have both NETFLIX and AMAZON PRIME.I would prefer to stay with NETFLIX !FireTv and security risk: Many apps are collecting your data - they are getting you signed for legal purposes, that they can use your data in PROFILING, DATA MINING , ADVERTISING and THIRD PARTY usage. Amazon seems to be either unaware, tolerant on this - wanna see example ? Check out one app Zee5 , and you will be left dreaming...where and which companies will be buying your data from them !FireTV Apps : Many ...many do not offer you freedom to quit without your information, email and phone numbers misused.I do not know why such a huge blunder, scam goes un noticed. May be, I am the first guy raising this question.I DO NOT SUGGEST ANY ONE, specially any CANADIAN to use FIRETV stick !Its all money money money on every click plus your personal information is being sold out legally.NOTE: Got a call from Amazon [ Good, that they care ] and talked in detail about what I saw, observed and I am sure they will take some good, positive steps to make a good customer experience. Also got a email from Zee5, suggesting to delete app and log out. But got no assurance or understanding that they already have your information , collected under agreement - what is proof that after deleting app, your personal information will be deleted for ever !This is something which Amazon needs to look into urgently before they land up in some big scams or claims.

★★★★☆ So I received this on preorder, and at first I was really disappointed. Fired it up to watch Amazon Prime but immediately got a region error code and it didn’t work in Canada. It took a few attempts to call support and after about an hour of waiting I finally talked to someone who could perform a reset on my account. If you shop on both the US and Canada sites your account can very easily get mixed up and your region ends up as US when setting up the device (and you can’t fix it on the device). Ask them to fix it and it worked wonderfully after that. So it seems their system needs some work and they need to iron out these kinks as I was very close to returning it.

★★☆☆☆ Set up was easy, and it worked really well to control the lamp beside my bed... until I asked Alexa to turn it off. When it's off, it makes a quiet, but high-pitched whirring sound which prevented me from sleeping. I returned it and the replacement did exactly the same thing. Won't buy another until this is fixed. Don't get one if you're going to use it where you sleep!

★★★★☆ I like the product, it turns my lamp on as intended. It is marked as UL,NOM,ANCE,FCC, and ICES certifications or compliances. Oddly there doesnt seem to be any CSA mark though.Most people seem to forget that this thing (and most other similar smart plugs) have a tiny little relay in it, and these little relays are only rated for resistive loads, see below:Resistive and Inductive LoadsRelays are often rated for switching resistive loads. Inductive loads can be very hard on the contacts of a relay. A resistive load is a device that stays electrically quiet when powered up, such as an incandescent light bulb. An inductive load typically has a violent startup voltage or amperage requirement, such as a motor or a transformer.Startup and Runtime LoadsInductive loads typically require 2-3 times the runtime voltage or amperage when power is first applied to the device. For instance, a motor rated at 5 Amps, 125 VAC will often require 10-15 amps just to get the shaft of the motor in motion. Once in motion, the the motor may consume no more than 5 amps. When driving these types of loads, choose a relay that exceeds the initial requirement of the motor. In this case, a 20-30 Amp relay should be used for best relay life.As per that description, dont use these things with high amp load devices, especially ones with big motors or heating elements in them, this can be potentially fire causing.

★☆☆☆☆ Just a command ON command OFF device. Packaging instructions mention 'scheduling' capability but the current Amazon App does not allow this. Further, product is much bulkier than the WEMO plug which has scheduling built into the WEMO App and for about the same$$Seriously, I was expecting much more from Amazon on this one... Disappointing and a waste of 35 bucks!!