Amazon Alexa Now Offers Integration with Major TV Providers
- Amazon has teamed up with some of the most popular TV providers in the US to offer information using its smart assistant Alexa.
- Simply selecting your TV provider using the Alexa app will allow you to access information like showtimes, channel availability and more.
- The settings are located in the TV Schedule menu in the Alexa app.
Amazon’s Alexa assistant got a whole lot smarter with TV provider integration in a recent update. You will now be able to set your TV provider in the Alexa app and get useful information. The smart assistant will be able to answer questions regarding showtimes and channels based on your TV provider. Amazon has partnered with all major TV providers in the US, and more tie-ups are expected as the feature is scheduled for a global release in the near future.
Image Courtesy of AFTV
To enable the new setting, simply open your Amazon Alexa app on your smartphone or Fire TV and head to the TV Schedule category under Settings. If you do not see the setting available, make sure your app is updated to the latest version. In the next menu, simply select your TV provider and you are good to go. Some of the US TV providers that have partnered with Alexa include Spectrum, Cox, Comcast, DirecTV, and Dish.
A new “Alexa, what’s on TV” command has been added which makes the smart speaker list all channels and showtimes that are available from your TV provider. Users can also name the channels or the channel number to get information about a specific channel as well. The smart assistant can also relay if a channel you want to see has HD or not. You can also ask about currently airing shows on specific channels.
You can also ask Alexa when the next episode of your favorite show airs and the smart speaker will pull the relevant information from your TV provider. If any reruns are available for a show, you will be notified of that as well. If you want to know what shows air at a specific time or date, the smart speaker can provide you with information on that too. Amazon has been actively adding new features to its smart speaker with competition on the rise from Apple HomePod speakers and Google Home devices. More updates are expected in this year as well as new smart speakers from the company.
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