Humax Retail - Feature Release on 32.18.10 / 3.6.94 - Voice Search with Amazon Alexa

SarahSarah Member Posts: 1,812 admin
in Announcements
Hi everyone

Voice Search using Amazon Alexa is now available on Humax Retail T2000 YouView boxes. This is a new feature which allows you to search for your favourite shows by title using your voice if you have an Amazon Alexa device. 

This feature is available for all T2000 devices on 32.18.10 / 3.6.94 as long as you have an internet connection, there is no phased roll-out. 

The YouView skill can be found in the Amazon Alexa Skill Kit when the user needs to enable the YouView skill and pair it with the box. 

Information for how to do this can be found in our Pairing Guide here.


Thanks,
Sarah

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Comments

  • redchizredchiz Member, Super User Posts: 5,475 ✭✭✭
    Hey @Sarah, an interesting and welcome development. Is this likely to come to other boxes any time soon, thinking particularly of BT, TalkTalk and PlusNet customers? And are there going to be any further voice commands introduced e.g. change channel, selecting Players etc?
  • SarahSarah Member Posts: 1,812 admin
    Hi @redchiz

    We're in talks with BT & TT about using Alexa on their YouView devices but have no news to share about how it is going at the moment. Other Alexa features are being worked on and will come at a later date. We will make an announcement when these other features are ready :)  

    Thanks,
    Sarah
  • redchizredchiz Member, Super User Posts: 5,475 ✭✭✭
    Thanks Sarah.   :)

  • robotmanrobotman Member Posts: 201 ✭
    You can keep it off my BT box as long as you can. I'm surprised people still trust the developers of these products with all the recent publicity. It takes all sorts I suppose  :D
    "Flash, Flash, I love you, but we only have 14 hours to save the Earth"
  • GoodbyeGoodbye Time out Posts: 336 ✭
    Did someone mention Luddites?
  • robotmanrobotman Member Posts: 201 ✭
    Don't be so daft. I'm just someone who values what little privacy we have left in our lives. Not everyone has to 'keep up with the Joneses' and follow the 'herd' or be led by the nose. Some of us have minds of our own thank you very much  :)
    "Flash, Flash, I love you, but we only have 14 hours to save the Earth"
  • GoodbyeGoodbye Time out Posts: 336 ✭
    Don't believe everything you think. 
  • redchizredchiz Member, Super User Posts: 5,475 ✭✭✭
    edited 26 June 2019, 2:35PM
    @robotman It is of course entirely optional and if you don't have an Echo device then it can't eavesdrop on you, whether you are paranoid, or not. My main qualm is that YouView have hitched themselves to the Amazon wagon rather than looking for a more agnostic open-source approach.

    @Goodbye What??
  • GoodbyeGoodbye Time out Posts: 336 ✭
    Can't talk now as my smart meter is listening. 
  • VisionmanVisionman Member, Super User Posts: 10,303 ✭✭✭
    Alexa has mainly been developed as an accessibility feature for those less physically able. 

    This is only the first feature to be released and in time more are going to come. The service is optional, so those that don't want it needn't be concerned, as its not a compulsory feature but an add on for those less able, and also for those that would like voice control. 
    I'm now happy with the disagree icon, because its gone.
  • redchizredchiz Member, Super User Posts: 5,475 ✭✭✭
    Visionman said:
    Alexa has mainly been developed as an accessibility feature for those less physically able. 

    I wish I could agree with you. But at the moment you have the ability to search with voice, following which you have to engage with your remote control. Hardly an accessibility feature for the less able. 
  • VisionmanVisionman Member, Super User Posts: 10,303 ✭✭✭
    I've posted a discussion thread for the purpose of discussing the positives and negatives of it.
    I'm now happy with the disagree icon, because its gone.
  • robotmanrobotman Member Posts: 201 ✭
    @redchiz Agreed. I also have a Sonos Beam which incorporates Alexa and Siri. They are also optional on it so easy to leave disabled. I agree though that for people who depend on Alexa and her other variants it would be beneficial to see more than just Amazon being supported. I can see why they are so popular but I can also see why many, myself included, won't use them, especially after the truths that have been appearing of late on the way they are being manipulated. For those that do like Alexa, have fun with her, maybe her fans on BT will get her assistance on their boxes too  :)
    "Flash, Flash, I love you, but we only have 14 hours to save the Earth"
  • StephenStephen Member, Super User Posts: 800 ✭✭✭✭✭
    robotman said:
    it would be beneficial to see more than just Amazon being supported
    Eager fans of other popular far-field voice recognition services should consider joining our Emerging Technology Trials ;)

  • GoodbyeGoodbye Time out Posts: 336 ✭
    Cutting edge technology 🤣
  • StephenStephen Member, Super User Posts: 800 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Those Micro USB connectors can be sharp you know
  • VisionmanVisionman Member, Super User Posts: 10,303 ✭✭✭
    edited 27 June 2019, 8:35PM
    @Goodbye

    You can have a pop at the platform as much as you want. It won't stop it moving forward.
    You have a pop at this, a pop at that and a pop at the other. Yet your still here and contradictory still use YouView. By doing so, and remaining here, you just embarrass yourself.
    But hey-ho. Whatever pushes your buttons.
    I'm now happy with the disagree icon, because its gone.
  • robotmanrobotman Member Posts: 201 ✭
    Visionman said:
    @Goodbye

    You can have a pop at the platform as much as you want. It won't stop it moving forward.
    You have a pop at this, a pop at that and a pop at the other. Yet your still here and contradictory still use YouView. By doing so, and remaining here, you just embarrass yourself.
    But hey-ho. Whatever pushes your buttons.
    It's been a long goodbye  ;)
    "Flash, Flash, I love you, but we only have 14 hours to save the Earth"
  • GoodbyeGoodbye Time out Posts: 336 ✭
    Lighten up fan persons , dont take everything so seriously. 
  • robotmanrobotman Member Posts: 201 ✭
    I'm not a fan anything. I have BTTV, Now tv, Netflix, Amazon with all but the former running off a Roku. As for eing a fan? Nah! I just use what we like in this home, with no preference of any one over the other. I will however defend any of them if they are being maligned without reason.
    "Flash, Flash, I love you, but we only have 14 hours to save the Earth"
  • fusemunkfusemunk Member Posts: 40 ✭
    Nice chat about the basic use of Alexa - which millions use.  However has anyone in the forum used this new feature and assessed the levels of commands, integration and usefulness?
  • redchizredchiz Member, Super User Posts: 5,475 ✭✭✭
    I imagine it has been trialled extensively before release. I equally imagine that any triallists will be bound by an NDA so are not in a position to comment on any functionality which may or may not exist beyond that which has actually been made available. The search feature, limited though it is, seems to work fine.
  • fusemunkfusemunk Member Posts: 40 ✭
    Yes just set it up, easy to do and work fine - look forward to the next set of commands.
  • txrxfxtxrxfx Member Posts: 2 ✭
    As someone with a T2000 Humax box this voice search capability is most welcome to avoid the horrid remote control I got with it.

    Would love to see 'record this show' or 'set series link to record for this show' voice commands along with the traditional 'play', 'pause' and 'go back xx secs'
  • txrxfxtxrxfx Member Posts: 2 ✭
    edited 8 July 2019, 7:53PM
    fusemunk said:
    Nice chat about the basic use of Alexa - which millions use.  However has anyone in the forum used this new feature and assessed the levels of commands, integration and usefulness?
    I like how it's not just the 'show name' that is searchable by voice, you can ask about cast, genre etc. When you push the range of things you search for you can see the effort they've put into opening up the YouView show systems to voice responses.

    Edit : Grammar...
  • robotmanrobotman Member Posts: 201 ✭
    Had to laugh at this piece of 'news' today from BT https://community.bt.com/t5/YouView-from-BT/Voice-search-on-BT-TV-coming-soon/td-p/1955386 where a Community Manager claimed "You may have noticed that at Noon today Youview announced that they will be rolling out voice search capability to YouView retail set-top boxes".
    I wonder how stupid that particular CM must now feel after having it pointed out to him the update was announced on June 25th :D:D Thank you for that nugget @stereohaven :)
    You couldn't make it up just how big a mess BT can be at times :disappointed:
    Think I'd rather get my information first hand from this fine forum than wait for BT to catch up thank you very much :)



    "Flash, Flash, I love you, but we only have 14 hours to save the Earth"
  • stereohavenstereohaven Member Posts: 67 ✭✭
    edited 15 July 2019, 1:45PM
     :) 

    In his defence he is probably just passing on information as it was given to him. BT are not renown for knowing what anyone in their business is actually doing!
  • robotmanrobotman Member Posts: 201 ✭
    stereohaven said:
     :) 

    In his defence he is probably just passing on information as it was given to him. BT are not renown for knowing what anyone in their business is actually doing!
    Ain't that the truth :D
    "Flash, Flash, I love you, but we only have 14 hours to save the Earth"
  • scottscott Member, Super User Posts: 2,134 ✭✭✭
    edited 17 July 2019, 4:05PM

    And it was originally posted at 11.02 am (before it was edited after 12:00) so how could it been at noon today lol. Maybe he just forgot to press send on the 25th and has just realised as it is actually being released today on BT boxes (ROFL)

    Edit - changed final sign to keep people happier ;)

  • robotmanrobotman Member Posts: 201 ✭
    No sign of it here @scott as yet. I was told later in the week. Again, does anyone know what's going on over there?
    "Flash, Flash, I love you, but we only have 14 hours to save the Earth"
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