Are you wondering how you can control your TV with Alexa? Then this is for you. We all know how frustrating it gets having to look for your TV remote regularly. You can as well get rid of the remote right now and save yourself the stress of having to look for it.
Like we all know, Alexa has many skills, and TV control is one of them. She can also be a really great companion too while watching TV. However, what Alexa can achieve largely depends on the Amazon hardware or other Alexa enabled devices you own.
In addition, you will also need to have a Fire TV Stick as well as an Echo speaker or preferably, a Fire TV Cube or a Fire Edition TV. It is not magic; Alexa would need something to work with. Now, let us look at how to control your TV with Alexa.
How to Control your TV with Alexa
How to Control your TV with Alexa“Alexa, turn the TV on.”
“Alexa, turn the TV off.”
“Alexa open YouTube.”
“Alexa, play horror movies.”
“Alexa, show me action movies on Netflix.”
I bet you cannot wait to scream out these orders to Alexa and watch her execute them. We would show you how to do that; just follow the steps explained below.
Link Echo with your Fire TV
Just in case pressing and holding the mic button on your Alexa remote is too much of a stress for you, then you would need to pair your echo speaker with your Fire TV to use Echo’s hands-free Alexa to control your Fire TV. That sounds great, right?
Please note that that the Fire TV cube is a combination of Echo and Fire TV in one box; hence, it offers hands-free Alexa. It would also allow you to use Alexa to navigate anywhere on the interface without a remote control.
However, if you do not have the Fire TV cube, you can simply link your Echo with a Fire TV, then open the Alexa app on your phone, navigate to its settings, then scroll down and select ‘’TV & Video.’’
Then select Fire TV and follow the instructions the app would give you. Finally, select ‘’Link your Alexa Device’’, then you can begin to use your commands with Alexa on your Echo.
Use CEC to switch your TV to the Fire TV’s Input.
Most Smart TVs support the HDMI CEC. This is a function that automatically switches to a device once it turns on. You need to ensure that this option is enabled by using your TV remote and looking through the menu settings.
You need to note that Alexa can only turn your television on and off if your television has the HDMI-CEC feature enabled.
You will find the HDMI CEC in the settings of your Smart TV. On Fire TV, navigate to its settings then select ‘’Display & Sound.’’
You will usually find the HDMI CEC feature in the advanced settings of your Smart TV. Turn on the HDMI CEC Device Control. When you turn on your TV by pressing the home button on your remote control, your TV should turn on and switch to the HDMI input that your Fire TV is connected to.
You can use Alexa to manage playback commands even if you don’t have a smart TV with the HDMI CEC. Commands such as “Alexa, stop,” or “resume,” “rewind,” “fast-forward,” just think of any playback command.
However, you will need at least one of the following digital media players, smart television sets, or TV box systems which stream content using the internet such as Amazon Fire TV, Roku, Dish or DirecTV, TiVo, Frontier, Optic Hub, Logitech Harmony remote control system or Smart TV sets or devices that work with Alexa.
Alexa can help you find new favorite movies or shows. All you need to do is ask Alexa to search for movies or TV shows by their genre, an actor’s name, or the director’s name. You can also use the following commands:
“Alexa, play [movie title / TV show title].”
“Alexa, show me movies with [actor’s name].”
“Alexa, search for [director’s name] movies.”
Alexa also supports and can control certain streaming apps on your TV. They include Netflix, Hulu, Fox Now, NBC, NBC News, Bravo Now, CBS, Sony Crackle, Freeform, Showtime, Showtime Anytime, STARZ Play, ESPN, and PlayStation Vue.
To watch TV shows on these streaming apps, you will need to mention the application name when you give Alexa a command. Like this, “Alexa, play [movie title] on Netflix.” Ensure that you have a paid subscription for these applications before giving Alexa the command.
Conclusion
You see, it is very easy to link your Television to Alexa. Once you are done setting it up using the procedures explained above, you will never have stress yourself looking for a missing remote control again. You can even get rid of remote control forever and still enjoy using voice commands to control your TV.