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Items we loved during Lockdown

What is Amazon Prime?

For an annual fee of £79, Amazon Prime members can:

  • Get unlimited, FREE One-Day Delivery on millions of items

  • Watch over 15,000 movies and TV episodes with unlimited instant streaming

  • Borrow from thousands of titles from the Kindle Owners' Lending Library

  • Secure, unlimited photo storage with anywhere access

  • Listen to over 2 million songs on Prime Music

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Amazon Devices

The Amazon Fire TV Stick with Alexa Remote

 

We had actually been on Amazon Prime for quite a while for the faster (and free-ish*) deliveries but, before the lockdown we had never really got involved in any other part of it. However I wanted to mirror my phone to our television and this seemed like the simplest way to do it. Once we had the Fire TV stick, not only could I do the mirroring, but we also found lots of other things that were a great help to us. We set up Playlists on Amazon Music; hearing 'Fight Song' by Rachel Platten; 'Rise Up' by Andra Day and, in particular, 'Shallow' by Bradley Cooper & Lady GaGa will always remind us of the lock-down period.

We also watched some great films and television series, and we got into watching lots of things on YouTube via the stick; lots of ballets and ballet orientated videos were watched; MANIFEST was a particular favourite. We watched a lot of THE GRAND TOUR with Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May on Amazon Prime. You can watch services like Netflix, Disney+, BBC iplayer, ITV Hub, Hay-u, Amazon Prime Video and many others, although some of these have extra subscription charges which we didn't get involved with. All in all this was a great piece of kit that we wouldn't be without now. During the lockdown we ordered so many items from Amazon, and even though there were a few delays, most items we purchased were delivered within a couple of days which was an invaluable service in the situation we all found ourselves in. Definitely worth a try - you can cancel at any time.

* You have to pay £7.99 per month currently for Amazon Prime or £79 per year if you want it a bit cheaper. For that there are lots of benefits which you can find out more about below.

Echo Dot (3rd Gen) - Smart speaker with Alexa - Charcoal Fabric

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  • Our most popular smart speaker: now with a fabric design and improved speaker for richer and louder sound.

  • Voice control your music: stream songs from Amazon Music, Apple Music, Spotify, TuneIn and others. You can also listen to audiobooks from Audible.

  • Bigger, better sound: pair with a second Echo Dot for rich, stereo sound. Fill your home with music with compatible Echo devices in different rooms.

  • Ready to help: ask Alexa to play music, answer questions, read the news, check the weather, set alarms, control compatible smart home devices and more.

  • Connect with others: call almost anyone hands free including UK mobile and residential numbers (from UK only), other Echo devices, Alexa app and Skype. Link your Vodafone account to make and receive mobile calls. Instantly drop in on other rooms in your home or make an announcement to every room with a compatible Echo device.

  • Alexa has skills: with tens of thousands of skills, Alexa is always getting smarter and adding new skills like tracking fitness, playing games and more.

  • Voice control your smart home: turn on lights, adjust thermostats, lock doors and more, with compatible connected devices.

  • Designed to protect your privacy: built with multiple layers of privacy protection and control, including a Microphone Off button that electronically disconnects the microphones.

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There is also a 4K Ultra HD version which is slightly more expensive but great for 4K Streaming, and a Fire TV Cube so we've put some details on those here as well. We also have 2 Echo Dots; one in the kids bedroom and one in ours, which are also very practical and can be used to run other devices around the house.

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Fire TV Stick 4K Ultra HD with Alexa Voice Remote | streaming media player

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  • The most powerful streaming media stick with a new Wi-Fi antenna design optimized for 4K Ultra HD streaming.

  • Launch and control your favourite movies and TV shows with the Alexa Voice Remote. Use the dedicated power, volume and mute buttons to control your compatible TV, soundbar and receiver.

  • Enjoy brilliant picture with access to 4K Ultra HD, Dolby Vision, HDR, and HDR10+. Experience immersive sound with access to Dolby Atmos on selected Prime Video titles.

  • Enjoy favourites from BBC iPlayer, Netflix, Prime Video, YouTube, ITV Hub, All 4, Disney+, Apple TV and others (subscription fees may apply).

  • Experience thousands of apps, Alexa skills and channels plus millions of websites such as Facebook and Reddit.

  • Do more with Alexa — view supported live camera feeds, check the weather, dim lights, and stream music.

  • Amazon Prime members get unlimited access to thousands of movies and TV episodes, plus ad-free listening to over 2 million songs with Prime Music.

  • With top apps from BBC, ITV, Sky News and more, watch your favourite programmes live, as they happen. Or if you miss your favourite show, you can watch it on demand later.

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Fire TV Cube | Hands free with Alexa, 4K Ultra HD streaming media player

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  • Fire TV Cube is the fastest, most powerful Fire TV ever, delivering a fast, fluid experience for your favourite films and TV programmes.

  • Control your compatible soundbar and A/V receiver; change satellite channels with your voice.

  • From across the room, just ask Alexa to turn on the TV, dim compatible lights and play what you want to watch.

  • With an ultra-powerful hexa-core processor, enjoy instant access to 4K ultra HD content, plus support for Dolby Vision and HDR, and HDR10+. Support for Dolby Atmos is available on select Prime Video and Netflix titles.

  • Watch favourites from Netflix, Prime Video, YouTube, ITV Hub, All 4, Disney+, Apple TV and more. Subscriptions may be required.

  • Designed to protect your privacy - Built with privacy protections and controls, including a microphone off button that electronically disconnects the microphones.

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