Control Your TV,The Alexa voice assistant thru Echo or comparable clever audio system can paintings together with your TV in numerous different approaches. This article covers six key ways you may use Alexa together with your TV:
- Using a Fire TV device
- Using a TV that works with Alexa (LG, Sony, and Vizio)
- Using Alexa with Logitech Harmony far flung control machine
- Using Roku (sure, you can use Alexa with Roku!)
- Using the URC custom remote control device
- Using Dish or DirecTV
Use Alexa with Fire TV Devices
Control Your TV,The most primary manner you could use Alexa with your TV is via a plug-in Amazon Fire TV stick or Fire TV 4K media streamer, or with the aid of the usage of a Fire Edition Smart TV.
If using an external Fire TV device with your TV (HDMI connection required), go through the specified setup technique. You can then talk voice commands using Alexa by using urgent the microphone button at the faraway manage.
If you have a Fire Edition TV, you could use its supplied Alexa Voice-enabled remote manage in the same manner.
However, if you have an Amazon Echo or similar Alexa-enabled smart speaker in your house, you could link it to a Fire TV streamer or Fire Edition TV and perform Fire TV functions using hand’s unfastened voice instructions as a substitute of having to press a microphone button on a far off manipulate first.
To link an Alexa Echo-type tool to a Fire TV or Fire Edition TV, carry out the following steps using the Alexa App which you hooked up in your smartphone when you first of all installation your Echo or similar device:
- Open the Alexa app and faucet the Menu icon (three white traces on the top left corner – just left to the phrase Home.
- Tap Music, Video, and Books.
- Tap on Fire TV.
- Follow any additional setup commands.
- Tap on Link Devices – make sure this is confirmed.
After the hyperlink is showed you may use your Echo to govern Fire TV functions and content material get entry to, which can be regarded in your TV
If your TV has the HDMI-CEC function, you could also use Alexa to ship a voice command to a plug-in Fire TV streamer with the intention to switch the TV to the HDMI input that the Fire TV is attached to.
In addition, HDMI-CEC permits Alexa to tell Fire TV to show your TV on or off.
Note: When an Amazon Fire Edition TV is off or in standby mode, it can’t get hold of any commands from Alexa until you have got enabled the setting “Turn on TV with Alexa”. This putting is routinely enabled after the TV receives the first command from Alexa.
For Fire Edition TVs, you can additionally use Alexa to get admission to some of the TV’s placing alternatives. This approach that you may use an Echo-kind tool to update the Alexa-enabled TV remote for plenty TV functions.
Use a TV That “Works With Alexa”
Linking Alexa and FireTV gadgets is one manner to apply voice commands to circulate video and manage your TV, but there some of TVs that are not FireTVs but can “Work with Alexa” via an Echo-type tool.
“Works with Alexa” functionality is presently available on pick out TV models from LG (2018), Sony (2016, 2017, 2018), and Vizio (2017 and 2018), and may be available on coming near near choose 2018 models from Hisense.
For LG TVs:
- Launch the Set-Up TV for Amazon Alexa App from the house screen of your LG TV running the webOS 4.0 TV working system or higher).
- Follow the instructions and log into your LG account (or create one) and choose the name of your TV.
- Go to the cell setup manual web page, and visit the Alexa App to your telephone to allow LG SmartThinQ Alexa ability and hyperlink your money owed.
- Complete any additional setup instructions precipitated by your TV.
For Sony TVs:
- Open the TV Control Setup with Amazon Alexa App from the Home display of your TV.
- Select your Google account (or create one) and call your TV.
- Follow instructions and locate and enable the Sony TV Alexa App to your phone and observe extra instructions to link the TV and Echo-type devices.
For Vizio TVs:
- Launch the Vizio TV SmartCast home display screen.
- Using your TV far off, press up and click at the Extras tab at the menu bar.
- Select Voice Settings, after which Pair Display.
- Using your smartphone go to dms.Vizio.Com/alexa and enter the PIN proven your TV screen.
- When precipitated, go back to the Alexa App on your smartphone to allow Alexa voice abilities, link bills, and devices.
Use Alexa With Logitech Harmony Remote Control System
Another way you may use Alexa along with your TV is through a Logitech Harmony Elite, Ultimate, Ultimate Home, Harmony Hub, Harmony Pro faraway manage system.
Linking Alexa with a like minded Harmony system permits far flung manipulate and content material get admission to capabilities to your TV the usage of Alexa voice command via the Alexa App, or Amazon Echo devices.
Here are the preliminary steps to hyperlink Alexa with a well matched Harmony Remote device.
- Open the Alexa App on your Smartphone.
- Tap on the Menu icon.
- Go to Skills and look for Harmony.
- Tap the blue Harmony icon to permit the Alexa/Harmony Skill.
- Go to the Select Activities web page to further personalize what gadgets and commands you need Alexa to accomplice with the Harmony faraway manipulate gadget.
- Next, you may be taken to a display that announces Now For The Fun Part – at the bottom of the display, click on on Link Account to complete the setup.
For a evaluation of the hyperlink steps, in addition to the way to customise Alexa/Harmony link functions in addition, together with pattern instructions and voice control shortcuts, take a look at out the Logitech Harmony Experience with Alexa page.
Another way Alexa can have interaction with Harmony remotes is via the IFTTT App. To use IFTTT, installation the app for your smartphone, then do the subsequent:
- Open the IFTTT App.
- Tap the web page icon on the bottom proper corner of the screen.
- Tap the Alexa phase. It Alexa does now not show up at the web page, tap on Search and sort it in. When you find it faucet it and comply with the setup instructions.
- Once Alexa is placed in your Services listing, tap it, scroll down and spark off the TV on/off Applets.
The above steps will link the “Alexa, cause activate/off (or any other word) TV” instructions from the applet for your phone or Echo tool to your well suited Harmony Remote control system.
Check out some extra IFTTT Applets that you can use with Alexa and Harmony.
Use Alexa with Roku via Quick Remote
If you have a Roku TV or Roku media streamer plugged into your TV, you could use Alexa to control what you spot to your TV the usage of the Quick Remote App for iOS or Android.
Download and set up the Quick Remote app for your telephone. After installing the app, observe the instructions outlined at the Quick Remote App down load web page to link Quick Remote in your Roku device and Alexa.
Once you hyperlink Quick Remote with your Roku device and Alexa, you could use voice commands to inform Quick Remote to navigate the Roku menu gadget and pick out any app to begin gambling.
The Quick Remote app works the identical way on each plug-in Roku devices and Roku TVs.
Quick Remote can be used with either the Alexa App or an Echo-type tool. This approach if you do not have an Echo tool, you may control your Roku tool or Roku TV the usage of the Alexa app on your smartphone.
If you are not near your Echo device, you furthermore mght have the choice to apply the Quick Remote app keypad out of your phone.
Quick Remote download and installation are unfastened, however you are restrained to 50 free instructions according to month. If you want to use extra than 50 instructions a month, you want to enroll in the Quick Remote Full Pass for $.Ninety nine consistent with month or $nine.99 in keeping with 12 months.
Tip Instead of going thru the Quick Remote App, Roku TVs, sticks, and containers also can be controlled immediately via Alexa and Amazon Echo merchandise through the Roku Alexa Skill for lots commands. Find out how.
Use Alexa with the URC Custom Remote Control System
For custom installed domestic theater systems that encompass a TV, one solution is to link Alexa with a URC Total Control 2.0 system.
To use an Amazon Echo device together with your TV and the URC Total Control 2.0 gadget, an installer is needed to set up the link. The installer additionally develops the entire command infrastructure you want to perform and get right of entry to content to your TV.
You have the selection of letting the installer create the needed voice instructions, or you can tell him/her what commands you would really like to apply.
For example, you may go with some thing basic, such as “Turn at the TV”, or something extra fun like “OK, it’s time for circle of relatives movie night!” The installer then makes the terms work with the Alexa voice assistant platform.
Using the link among Alexa and the URC Total Control system, the installer can combine one or greater obligations with a specific phrase. “OK, it is time for own family film night” can be used to show at the TV, dim the lighting fixtures, transfer to a channel, turn on your private home theater audio system, and so forth.
If you have a custom-hooked up TV/home theater gadget, or simply lots of gadgets that you need or want to paintings together with your TV, linking Alexa thru an Echo-kind device with the URC Total Control 2.Zero system is one choice to take into account.
Use Alexa with Dish or DirecTV Satellite Boxes
Alexa also can work with your TV thru connection through Dish Satellite Boxes (Hopper, Joey, Wally). You can use Alexa, via your Echo tool, to tell your Dish Satellite field what live or Dish DVR recorded content material you want to observe to your TV.
To link a Dish satellite container with Alexa, begin with these steps:
- Open the Alexa App in your cellphone and choose Music, Video, and Books.
- Scroll down the list of skills until you locate Dish TV.
- Turn on an Internet-connection for the Dish Hopper or Wally.
- Go to Menu, then Settings, Amazon Alexa, Get Code.
- Enter the Code you’re furnished in the Alexa App.
- Select Activate.
- When you spot the affirmation message, select Done.
To in addition link Alexa, an Echo device (Echo, Dot, Tap), and a Dish satellite tv for pc container perform the subsequent additional setups:
- In the Alexa smartphone App, Open Devices, and pick out a Hopper, Wally, or Joey.
- Hit Continue
- Next, choose the Echo tool to be linked with the satellite box.
- Hit Link Device.
- If you’ve got a couple of container, repeat the above steps for each field.
Examples of instructions you could use to govern your Dish device the use of the Alexa App or an Echo Device encompass:
- Alexa, change the channel to CBS.
- Alexa, look for motion movies.
- Alexa, tune to channel 110
- Alexa, play The Orville
- Alexa, visit the National Geographic Channel
- Alexa, display me Jennifer Lawrence films
- Alexa, bypass ahead
- Alexa, rewind 15 seconds
- Alexa, pause
- Alexa, resume
For DirecTV Subscribers: There is likewise an Alexa Skill to be had for controlling choose DirecTV set-top packing containers – Genie (HR44, HR54) and Genie Mini’s (C31, C41, C41W, C51, C61, C61K, C61W).
There is likewise an Alexa Skill to be had for controlling choose DirecTV set-top packing containers – Genie and Genie Mini’s.
Also, if you have Alexa connected to both the Logitech Harmony or URC faraway manipulate gadget alternatives mentioned formerly, you can ask Harmony to operate well matched DirecTV merchandise via its manipulate platform.
Some users have certainly created their own custom Alexa Skill for controlling different DirecTV boxes without delay through an Echo device.
The Bottom Line
Alexa can function a valuable voice control hub for home amusement and clever domestic devices and Alexa voice assistant compatibility is being incorporated into increasingly products.
There are several methods to “join” Alexa for your TV that makes accessing content material and controlling it plenty less complicated. In addition, to those listed and discussed above, there are a few additional Alexa faraway manage competencies available such as Smart TV Remote, Smart TV Remote Pro, and Anymote.
If you have an Echo or different branded tool that has Alexa voice assistant built-in, try connecting on your TV the use of one, or more, of the above alternatives and notice how it works for you.