Is it worth upgrading?

Amazon is eager for you to buy a Fire TV if you already have one or are in the market for one. AlexaVoice Remote Pro add-on. I was able to test it and see if it makes a difference in your media streaming experience.

The Voice Remote Pro is a $35 replacement to the standard Alexa voice remote and compatible with most devices. Streamers mediaThen there’s the televisionsBased on Amazon Fire TV platform. It’s not available as a bundle — even the best-in-line Fire TV Omni QLED comes with the vanilla Voice Remote. You get additional buttons, backlighting, a Remote Finder feature, and minor upgrades. We’ll be covering all of these soon.

Amazon’s official site is a good place to start. Compatibility listThere are very few products that it can’t be paired up with before you buy one. This includes the Fire TV’s first and second generation, as well as the Echo Show 15, Fire TV Stick, and the Element Fire TV Edition. You can’t pair it up with a Hisense H6HF ULED, despite the fact that this TV was released in May 2020. It won’t work with Insignia HD and FHD TVs. However, it will work with the brand’s UHD or F20 sets.

Voice Remote Pro was tested by me with a Fire TV Stick 4K MaxIt is second only behind the Fire TV Cube in Amazon’s range of streaming boxes and sticks. Amazon supplies both the Max as well as the Remote. During first-time setup, I discovered that you absolutely have to pair the Max’s Voice Remote before you can add the Voice Remote Pro—the stick refused to acknowledge the Pro in its setup wizard. This was not a problem as I added the Pro to my Fire TV’s Settings menu later. Both controllers can be used simultaneously. In fact, having a spare remote can prove useful for reasons that we’ll discuss in a moment.

The Pro has a few small but very important features. There are two buttons: a channel selector, a dedicated settings option, and a button for the headphone that navigates to Bluetooth’s menu for faster wireless audio pairing. The latter is kind of a niche, but it’s a mystery the lack of a Settings button on the standard voice control — Fire TV users need to open Settings on a semi-regular basis to check notifications and force app updates, regardless of other controls.

On some third-party remotes, such as the Insignia one, you’ll find the settings button and/or channel selector. The best thing about this feature is the addition of two customizable shortcuts labeled “1” and “2”. You can assign a variety actions by pressing and holding the button. The primary options are to launch or launch apps. Alexa voice commands. I assigned 1 and 2 to YouTube, respectively, and 2 were to Alexa to “Alexa, turn the living room lights on”. If you trigger an Alexa command in this manner, you won’t hear any voice responses.

Because shortcuts on other Fire TV remotes can be locked to services you may not use, customisable app shortcuts can be very useful. You’re probably salivating at the mentions. NetflixThen there’s the Disney Pluswow Prime VideoFire TV devices may only have one subscription. This means that some services may be more valuable to some viewers than others. Custom shortcuts have one drawback: you must remember what each one is for and share that information with others in your house.

Remote finder

You can ask your Alexa device or Fire TV app to find your Pro if you’ve lost it. This will trigger a loud chime that makes it easy to locate the Pro, at least if it is within earshot.

There are two additional caveats. The feature can only be used within 30 feet (10m) of your TV. Fire TV must be turned on to activate the feature. If that’s the reason why you’re searching for the remote, it could be Catch-22. As a backup, you can use the standard voice remote control.

Backlight

The buttons on the Pro can be used to dim the lights for mood. This clever addition makes it easy to see what buttons you press, but in pitch black rooms you might still need to fiddle around to find the remote because it is almost entirely black.

Build better

Pro is made solidly. It is still made of plastic but feels more stable than other Fire TV remotes and is less slippery. It’s also much easier to access your battery compartment, unlike Amazon’s default voice remote. While that requires a single position of the hand and fingers, and sometimes a lot of force, the Pro just unlocks by pressing down on the arrow mark and sliding—the way it should be.

Do you need a professional? You don’t need a pro, especially if Alexa is familiar to you. Although the buttons are convenient for a few seconds, voice commands can do most of what you need. Fire TV Cube, Fire TV Omn, or a Fire TV Cube. Alexa speakerYou don’t need a remote control. You can launch apps by using your voice before you even sit down.

It doesn’t matter if you like physical controls or don’t like Alexa. The standard voice remote is adequate, but the Pro simplifies common actions and makes Fire TV more enjoyable. The Remote Finder feature might be worth the cost if you live in a home with misplaced items.

If you’re looking for a Pro and have the money, there’s no reason to not get one. The upgrade is so good that it should come with premium Fire TV hardware.