Amazon Echo Show 8 review
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Need a smart digital assistant with a screen? There is now an option for every size need, budget and task. The latest is Amazon Echo Show 8. If you checked out my review of the Echo Show 5 or 10?? recently, you’ll know that device is a large speaker and screen combo. This is the middle child to both of these devices.
The Echo Show 8 has a 8” HD screen with 1280 x 800 resolution - that’s the same resolution as the 10 but better than the 5, if you’re keeping score. This size is perfect for kitchen or bathroom, or bedside
This device also has a privacy shutter on the front-facing camera so you’re in control of it at all times.
So… Why add a screen? It not only livens up the device with colourful screensavers, and a time and info display, but it also lets you watch videos too from places like Amazon Prime (and YouTube, though that’s not as easy as you think. More later). You can also make video calls, check your video doorbell or security cameras and watch Canadian newscasts.
At times like these when we’re all trying to stay connected virtually, it also gives you an easy and convenient way to video chat with other family and friends who also have an Alexa video-enabled device.
Amazon Echo Show 8’s speaker, is pretty good sounding. Each of it’s two internal speakers has 10W per channel of power….that’s the same as the 10, but minus Dolby processing. you’re not really trading off audio power for a smaller size at all. The sound is clear and good and the bass is surprisingly strong too.
Set up
Set up for one of the Amazon Echo show devices with video screen is a bit different than a traditional screenless Echo device. You will do the bulk of the set up on the device, using the responsive touchscreen.
Here’s how to do it
Let the Show 8 power up. You’ll choose your location and language, then connect to your home’s Wi-Fi network.
So what's it like using Amazon Echo Show on a day to day basis? I found myself using it in a few ways:
setting times and alarms
asking for a daily news briefing as I got ready in the morning
watching videos on Amazon Prime while cooking
asking Alexa for smart home control commands, like turning lights on and off
Viewing my Ring video doorbell cameras
While you'll likely have your own core ways you use it, there's plenty of other things you can do with the Show.
You can ask Alexa to dial up your favourite Prime Video shows, like Bosch or vintage Unsolved Mysteries, by saying ‘Alexa, Open Prime Video.’ This lets you surf using the touch screen to see what’s there. You can also ask for a specific show, and Prime Video will dive right to it.
If you’ve got a Ring Video Doorbell or Stick Up cam, you can pull up the feed just by asking. This assumes, of course, you’ve already linked your Ring account to Alexa.
If you have it’s as easy as saying, ‘Alexa, show me the front door’. If you need to get this skill connected, go to the Alexa app- Skills- and search Ring. You’ll need to sign into your account to link it, but once that’s done, you’ve got a camera feed!
If you have two video-enabled Amazon devices, you can make video calls from room to room using Drop In.
By saying, ‘Alexa, drop in Echo Spot’, or Office, or Kitchen, or whatever you’ve called that camera, it will open a video link to the other device. You can also use Echo Show 8 to make calls to other people who have Echo devices, as long as they’ve enabled that on thier own Alexa app.
With the smaller speaker, the Show 8 is definitely less powerful than the larger 10” Echo Show device, but that doesn't seem to compromise the sound quality overall.
This speaker sounds quite good for its small size. It gets good and loud but the audio is also clear and crisp. The bass is actually pretty decent too on this speaker. The sound overall is big and clear and I was very surprised by how good it sounded.