YouTube Comes Back to Fire TV

YouTube Returns to Fire TV

Today, Amazon announced the return of a dedicated YouTube App to the Fire TV.  However, they did NOT make this new app easy to find.  TechLaurels went through the steps to find this app and get it activated.  We detailed the steps on our Facebook page. The post is embedded below.

Fire TV Cube vs the Harmony Hub for TV Voice Control

Amazon Introduces the Fire TV Cube

Combines the Features of an Amazon Echo, Fire TV Stick and Harmony Hub in One Device; Adds Voice Control to Your TV and Components

How Does it Compare to the Harmony Hub?

 

Amazon has announced a new version of their Fire TV, called the Fire TV Cube.  This new device adds voice control to your TV and audio-visual components, much like a Harmony Hub.  But the Fire TV Cube takes things a step further, adding control for other Smart Home devices into the mix.  It's almost like the Amazon Echo, the Fire TV Stick, a Harmony Hub, and a Smart Home Hub all got together and had a baby.

What is the Fire TV Cube?

The Fire TV Cube is a small box, (approximately 3.5 inches square,) that connects to your TV via HDMI, and adds Alexa Voice Control to your TV and associated Entertainment Devices.  With the Fire TV Cube, you can turn the TV on and off, change channels, adjust volume, pause, rewind, change inputs, and much more, all via voice.  Unlike a Fire TV Stick, the Fire TV Cube includes a built-in Echo as well as a Voice Remote.  You can issue voice commands through the remote, or hands free.

Amazon Will Stream the Super Bowl for Free

Watch the "Big Game" for Free on your Fire TV

No "Cable Provider" Log-In Required!

Are you a cord-cutter?  Do you want to watch "The Big Game," and are concerned about reception?  Were you thinking you'd need to go out to watch the game, when you'd much rather party at home? Well, you are in luck if you are a Fire TV owner.  Amazon has announced that they will be streaming "The Big Game" live on February 4, 2018.  Even better? All you need to do is say "Alexa,  play the Big Game" to queue up the Super Bowl.

Streaming coverage will begin at noon, EST.  All the pre-game coverage will be streamed for free, as well as the Half Time Show and all of the commercials.  Streaming is free for ALL Fire TV users, regardless of Prime membership status.

You will need to download either the NFL app for Fire TV or the NBC Sports App before The Big Game.  To do so, click on the appropriate link. You will be brought to the Amazon App Store. Make sure you are logged in, then select "Deliver to Fire TV" and click on "Deliver." The app will be available on your Fire TV within minutes. You may also download these apps through the APP Store, accessed via your Fire TV. (Personally, I find it easier to navigate the Amazon App Store on my PC than using the Fire Stick.)

This can also be a cost-effective way to add Super Bowl viewing capabilities to supplemental TVs, especially if your Cable Provider requires "boxes" to access sports packages, and you do not rent boxes for supplemental TVs.  A Fire TV Stick's cost is not much more than the cost of an OTA (Over The Air) Antenna, and many of us get better picture quality through streaming than we do on OTA TV.  

If you do not own an Echo Device, Amazon has a deal going on right now where you can purchase a Fire TV Stick and a Dot for only $70.  Having both a Dot and a Fire TV will allow you to control your TV via voice.  (Click the link for a how-to on voice controlling your TV with a Fire TV and Alexa.)  And you will be able to queue up the Big Game by merely saying "Alexa, Play the Big Game," starting at Noon on February 4th.  

If you do not yet own a Fire TV, the good news is that you still have plenty of time to purchase one before Super Bowl Sunday, even without Prime Two Day Shipping.  And you will not need any type of "log-in" to watch the game, other than your Amazon account.

An Alexa-Powered Halloween (Smart Home Series Part 11)

An Alexa Powered Halloween:
Enhance Your Halloween Using Alexa and Your Amazon Echo

 

Halloween is upon us. Although Halloween falls on a Tuesday this year, many communities are celebrating this weekend.  Additionally, many of the adult parties are scheduled for Saturday. Many families are using this weekend to prepare for Halloween.  If you have an Amazon Echo or Dot, you can use Alexa as an adjunct to your Halloween preparation and celebrations.

Today, we return to our Smart Home Series.  This article is Part 11 of the series. You can go back and read Part 1 here.  This post examines fun, Halloween-related things to do with Alexa. We'll look at spooky skills, spooky sounds, and spooky videos, as well as how to find some Halloween-related recipes using Alexa.

Spooky Skills

As we learned earlier, Alexa has a plethora of skills which can extend her functionality. Amongst these skills are some specific Halloween oriented skills.  Remember, you can activate most skills by saying "Alexa, activate the [name of skill] skill."  (Skills which require account linking usually need to be activated from the skill's page at Amazon, or through the Skills section of the Alexa app.  More information about skills and how to activate them can be found in Part 3 of our Alexa series.)  Since most of these spooky skills do not require account linking, they can be activated with a voice command.

Voice Controlling Your TV with Alexa, Part 1 (Smart Home Series, Part 9)

Add Voice Control to your TV
with Alexa and Fire TV

Use your Amazon Echo Device to Control Your Fire TV

This is Part 9 in a Smart Home series, talking about how to use Alexa to build an economical, voice-powered Smart Home. To learn all about Alexa and what she can do, we recommend reading the previous posts in the series, starting with Part 1, located here. Links to other parts of the series can be found in the sidebar. (And, of course, you can always use the "Newer Posts" link at the bottom of each post to read the next chapter in the series.)  Previous articles discussed the Echo Family of Devices and using Alexa, as well as using other Smart Devices, such as Smart Outlets and Smart Lights with them.

Today, we're moving away from lighting and into the realm of entertainment.  In this post, we're going to talk about controlling a Fire TV Stick with Alexa and your voice. In Part 2, we'll talk about how to extend voice control to other parts of your entertainment center, using yet another third party device.  But read on to find all about how your Echo complements your Fire TV.

What is Fire TV?

Fire TV is Amazon's add on that converts your "regular" TV into one that is app-capable.  It turns a regular flat screen into a Smart TV.  It brings WiFi and streaming to any TV set.  And if you also have an Amazon Echo or Dot, it brings voice control to media playback.

Of course, there are a few caveats. Obviously, you must have Internet service to use the Fire TV.  And you must have a  TV that supports HDMI. So long as you meet those criteria, your TV can probably handle a Fire Stick.

The Fire TV connects to your TV through an HDMI port, typically something only available on "newer" TVs. It must also connect with the Internet, usually through WiFi, in order to stream.  (It IS possible to add HDMI to an older television using a few commercial electronics. But generally speaking, a Smart blu-ray player and an RF Modulator are more practical and economical  for adding apps and WiFi to an older TV.)  The Fire TV Stick is portable, so you can use it in a hotel or take it to a friend's house for a binge-watching party.

If you are a Prime Member, and/or if you use Amazon Photos, Amazon Video, or  Twitch, the Fire TV brings all of that to your television set, and off of the small screen. It does the same for a plethora of TV apps.  Additionally, it brings android games to your TV. The Amazon app store has a whole section devoted to games and apps for your Fire TV.  The Fire TV comes with a few streaming apps pre-loaded, but many are available through the app store, which of course, you can access right from your Fire TV.