Starting today, you can use a second-generation Fire TV Cube to take part in two-way Zoom calls. For the best experience, Amazon recommends a webcam with a 60- to 90-degree field of view that can capture video at 1080p. The company also suggests mounting the device on the top of your TV set, and that you sit about six to 10 feet away. At the very least, you’ll want a 720p camera that supports USB Video Class (UVC). You’ll also need a Micro USB-to-USB adapter since the second-generation Fire TV Cube doesn’t have a full-sized USB-A port. One thing to note is Amazon recommends against using a 4K-capable camera. Outside of those requirements, you’ll need to download the latest Fire TV Cube update and the Zoom app from the Fire TV Appstore.
Once you have everything ready to go, you can tell Alexa to join a video call for you, at which point the voice assistant will ask you to provide a meeting ID and passcode. It’s also possible to link your calendar to Alexa, which will allow you to more seamlessly join any Zoom meetings you have on your schedule.
Amazon isn’t the first company to allow you to use your TV for video calls. Since last August, you’ve been able to stream Google Meet calls to Chromecast and other Cast-enabled devices. Over that same time frame, Amazon has offered two-way video calling between Fire TV Cube and camera-enabled Alexa devices. It might seem like a late offering, but with the return-to-office plans of most companies constantly shifting due to new developments in the pandemic, it’s a feature that’s likely to get plenty of use.
