Amazon has finally seen fit to add support for Zoom video calls to its second-generation Fire TV Cube devices. While video conferencing has been a mainstay on Fire TV and Alexa devices for a while now, Zoom is the latest addition to make the feature even more robust.
Amazon laid out the minimum requirements for making use of Zoom on its blog post about the update. Firstly, they must own a webcam that can support UVC (USB Video Class) with a resolution of at least 720p and 30fps refresh rate. The webcam must then be connected to your Fire TV Cube with a Micro-USB to USB adapter.
Of course, you’ll also need to download the Zoom app onto your Fire TV Cube and create an account if you haven’t done so already. If all goes well with the setup, then, users can then join scheduled meetings with a phrase like “Alexa, join my Zoom meeting,” to which Alexa will prompt the user for the meeting’s ID and password which can be entered using the remote or one’s own voice.
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Zoom is one of the world’s leading pieces of video conferencing software. Great for work, family and social meetings, Zoom can host up to 1,000 participants on a single call, making it a great choice for medium and large-sized enterprises.
It’s worth noting that Zoom has been doing the rounds on Amazon devices for a while now. The Fire TV Cube has only just been updated to support the software, but Zoom has been available to use on Amazon Echo Show devices since last year. So why did Fire TV Cube users have to wait so long?
Analysis: Too little, too late?
While Zoom is undoubtedly a useful app to have as many of us continue to work from home, we can’t help but think the addition of the video conferencing software would’ve been far more beneficial last year, in the initial round of lockdowns around the globe.
As mentioned above, Zoom has been available for use on Echo Show devices for quite a while. This might be because the Echo Show is more portable, thanks to the screen being on the device itself. It’s also cheaper than the Fire TV Cube, which likely doesn’t have as wide a user base as the Echo Show 5, Echo Show 8, and the like.
Getting Zoom on the Fire TV Cube may not have been priority one for Amazon, then. As the device connects to your TV, it’s objectively less portable. Not to mention that Zoom meetings on your TV may have been considered something of a niche situation.
That said, the benefits that Zoom brings to TVs aren’t insignificant. The app can host a lot of participants all at once, all of which can be displayed in a much clearer way if you’re using Zoom on a large 4K TV. Comfort and convenience could be a big factor too, with Alexa voice commands making it easy to join meetings without touching a button, and tune into a meeting from the comfort of your couch.
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