Amazon Alexa and Echo FAQ

givecredit

degsie wrote: »

Care to share more information as to your setup? How are you powering the echo? Are you using a mobile hotspot....?

https://turbofuture.com/consumer-electronics/how-to-connect-amazons-echo-dot-to-your-car

whiz

Irish Gunner wrote: »

I use Harmony Hub for this and you would need a hub or a smart plug I'm open to others to disagree

I see the cheapest option is £60 Sterling, is there cheaper options to turn on or off TV or TV channels ?

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B07832WJ2C/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1515855033&sr=8-2&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=harmony+hub&dpPl=1&dpID=315PvHdFtdL

scamalert

80s Synth Pop wrote: »

I have to say alexa is getting far better at understanding. Now you can just say "alexa turn on rte radio 1" (no need for "on tunedin"). Or "alexa play michael jackson" (no need for "on spotify"). It's getting very slick.


I see the official app is in the play store. Does this mean room calling is suppprted now??

when i first setup dots i didnt have that option since i got app on my tablet, but once installed it on one of the phones then you can call anyone in the house or people who also has dots.its really handy function only issue is getting others to use it

whiz wrote: »

I see the cheapest option is £60 Sterling, is there cheaper options to turn on or off TV or TV channels ?

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B07832WJ2C/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1515855033&sr=8-2&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=harmony+hub&dpPl=1&dpID=315PvHdFtdL

appereantly some news tvs already support it by default even thou have samsung gen 6 and sony bravia tvs few years old theres no support for them, i reckon most smart tv's just need some developer to create skills for them,since tvs have already wifi and apps its matter of time before someone comes up with a loop idea how to program them functions into them.
smth like this https://hackernoon.com/make-your-tv-voice-controlled-through-amazon-alexa-and-raspberry-pi-a6373b7cf871 is also an option if one is into tech.

80s Synth Pop

clintondaly wrote: »

Room calling /Intercom has been up and running a while as is the ability to play music to all alexa devices or set up groups etc.

As a side note,I have had one contact show up on my Alexa contacts list for the whole of 2017 now it seems to have expanded greatly with the amount of people in my contacts book who have got them over Xmas and set them up

Thanks. I set up "drop in" from the alexa app on the phone. I had to give my mobile number so I was reluctant but I blocked access to my contacts. The app needed permissions for voice recording (understandable) but also video before I would enable drop in (even though I've only gen 1 echos with no video)

Also, why does it need your phone number and confirm it by SMS for using internal alexa to alexa drop in? Now amazon has my email and mobile phone number I'm afraid now it's done a "viber" and notified everyone using alexa that has my phone/email in their contacts list that I've joined.......

About using external contacts with Alexa drop in - Not sure I'd like a random interruption from someone on my contact list doing a "drop in" at 2 am. Can you reject it or does it always cut in? Imagine you had the video version!! No privacy with drop in

garbeth

You can stop a contact from using drop in

alanhiggyno1

degsie wrote: »

Care to share more information as to your setup? How are you powering the echo? Are you using a mobile hotspot....?

Sorry been away working all day lol.have it powered by USB socket for now until I get time to hard wire it. Connected to mobile hotspot and works brilliant.

whiz

whiz wrote: »

I see the cheapest option is £60 Sterling, is there cheaper options to turn on or off TV or TV channels ?

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B07832WJ2C/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1515855033&sr=8-2&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=harmony+hub&dpPl=1&dpID=315PvHdFtdL

Hi Guys, is there any other options ?

iamtony

whiz wrote: »

Hi Guys, is there any other options ?

Download AnyMote on your phone and see can you set it up with your TV. I can do it over WiFi as my phone doesn't have an ir blaster, so theres a bit of a delay.
Next enable the AnyMote skill in the alexa app and pair them and then you can control the TV for power off and volume up etc but I can't get it to turn my TV on unfortunately as the TV kills its WiFi connection while in standby.

TitianGerm

Echo Spot available to preorder on Amazon now.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01J2BK6CO/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_EVExAb5MQDT0X

£119 for one or £200 for two.

duffer247

Hi all
Quick query; if I'm listening to say a flash briefing on Echo downstairs and want to continue it upstairs on Echo dot - what command should I give? I don't want the flash briefing to begin from the start.

thanks in advance

clintondaly

duffer247 wrote: »

Hi all
Quick query; if I'm listening to say a flash briefing on Echo downstairs and want to continue it upstairs on Echo dot - what command should I give? I don't want the flash briefing to begin from the start.

thanks in advance

I would imagine the "play everywhere" instruction would work presuming you have the group set up ,although a quick google suggests its purely a music playback functionally ,but it may work for briefings etc.

Lord TSC

Hey guys and gals,

Quick question. We got my brother an Echo for Xmas, and we've all fallen in love with it. We're looking to get another two, basically, since the one we got has now taken up residence in our sitting room, and we want one for each of our bedrooms.

Question is, is there a dramatic difference between audio clarity on the Dot and the standard echo? I'd be using mine to listen to a podcast every now and again, maybe a bit of music in the morning or the news headlines. Is the sound quality difference between the two pronounced?

degsie

Lord TSC wrote: »

Hey guys and gals,

Quick question. We got my brother an Echo for Xmas, and we've all fallen in love with it. We're looking to get another two, basically, since the one we got has now taken up residence in our sitting room, and we want one for each of our bedrooms.

Question is, is there a dramatic difference between audio clarity on the Dot and the standard echo? I'd be using mine to listen to a podcast every now and again, maybe a bit of music in the morning or the news headlines. Is the sound quality difference between the two pronounced?

There is a significant difference in sound quality. You could add a decent speaker to the dot, wired or blue-tooth, to improve the quality.

clintondaly

degsie wrote: »

There is a significant difference in sound quality. You could add a decent speaker to the dot, wired or blue-tooth, to improve the quality.

Agreed on the above,one further point to be aware of,if getting a bluetooth speaker etc. be careful with regards auto standby of the speaker etc.as you will find it has shut down and you have to turn it on each time before use,this will also be the case even with an aux cable

scamalert

having only the dots,never tested echo i can say sound quality is more then enough from dot for a room, on lvl 8 it could be easily heard in another room, now if you need the bang out of it worth checking likes of 2.1 speaker systems logitech always does em and you could get likes of tp-link switch to turn it on off rather then bluetooth speaker/s ,since sometimes on loud setting alexa voice could be annoying not smth one would want to hear over couple hundred watt speaker,on daily basis.

faceman

One of my gripes with Alexa. I ask her to switch on/off a light etc, which she does. Then she says ok afterward. Kinda unnecessary.

maxsmum

faceman wrote: »

One of my gripes with Alexa. I ask her to switch on/off a light etc, which she does. Then she says ok afterward. Kinda unnecessary.

I hate this!

scamalert

faceman wrote: »

One of my gripes with Alexa. I ask her to switch on/off a light etc, which she does. Then she says ok afterward. Kinda unnecessary.

I found serveral devices matching that name which one do you want

desk light

sorry couldn't find nest light :pac:

fck me

PreCocious

faceman wrote: »

One of my gripes with Alexa. I ask her to switch on/off a light etc, which she does. Then she says ok afterward. Kinda unnecessary.

Google home - "OK google turn off Light x" "There you go, I've turned off Light X for you". Ger thanks, I didn't notice.

Panrich

faceman wrote: »

One of my gripes with Alexa. I ask her to switch on/off a light etc, which she does. Then she says ok afterward. Kinda unnecessary.

I suppose it lets you know that it has worked especially if you are asking to turn on/off a light in another room for some reason.

cletus

Panrich wrote: »

I suppose it lets you know that it has worked especially if you are asking to turn on/off a light in another room for some reason.

That's what I figured. We'd leave the landing light on till our boys fall asleep. When I ask Alexa (located in the sitting room) to turn it off, the 'ok' saves me from getting up to check.

Although given how often she tells me she can't find living room lights when I ask her to turn on or off the sitting room lights, I'm sorely tempted to just rename the damned thing

viperlogic

Has the harmony skill disappeared? When I search for "harmony", says 4 results but only shows 2! Yonomi and Quick Remote

scamalert

viperlogic wrote: »

Has the harmony skill disappeared? When I search for "harmony", says 4 results but only shows 2! Yonomi and Quick Remote

try updating app.just a guess

viperlogic

scamalert wrote: »

try updating app.just a guess

No luck with reinstall of app also. Same via web interface.

scamalert

viperlogic wrote: »

No luck with reinstall of app also. Same via web interface.

same just checked on tablet says 4 results but if you search logitech you get rest which are unrelated to harmony, tried changing location to US on my dot and still no harmony :cool: app appearing, reading online seems only US and partial UK support which is total joke if its true.

think work around is to get US apk from online - to get full functions thou again just trying to help here as dont own harmony so my 2c. before someone comes up with better answer.

viperlogic

Thing is that I used to have the harmony skill and now it’s gone. Amazon up to tricks!

paulbok

Lord TSC wrote: »

Hey guys and gals,

Quick question. We got my brother an Echo for Xmas, and we've all fallen in love with it. We're looking to get another two, basically, since the one we got has now taken up residence in our sitting room, and we want one for each of our bedrooms.

Question is, is there a dramatic difference between audio clarity on the Dot and the standard echo? I'd be using mine to listen to a podcast every now and again, maybe a bit of music in the morning or the news headlines. Is the sound quality difference between the two pronounced?

I use a dot in the home office so it is for background music, news etc. The sound quality is more than good enough for that. Have a standard Echo in the kitchen and prefer to have better sound there.
The dot will be fine for what you describe, and as mentioned you can always add a Bluetooth speaker if required.

paulbok

emmetkenny wrote: »

Echo Spot available to preorder on Amazon now.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01J2BK6CO/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_EVExAb5MQDT0X

£119 for one or £200 for two.

Excited to see this available,
checks bank account.
Cries.

80s Synth Pop

Is there anyway to trigger a skill without having to say "turn on" first?

I have the somfy blinds set up via tahoma and it works but sounded odd having to say "alexa turn on open all blinds" and "alexa turn on close all blinds"

80s Synth Pop

viperlogic wrote: »

Thing is that I used to have the harmony skill and now it’s gone. Amazon up to tricks!

Some skills are only available for different locations. I had to change my amazon digital location yesterday to .CO.UK to get the tahoma skill as it was not listed for me at first since my digital country was set to amazon.com somehow. Try opening the skill page via a pc browser and it will tell you in the top right if you need to change your country
https://www.amazon.com/Logitech-Harmony/dp/B01M4LDPX3


If you change your country though you have to set everything up again.