Gene
Member
Amazon is adding more hands-free features to your TV viewing experience. The company has released the Fire TV Blaster, an infrared (IR) companion device that also extends voice control beyond streaming to TV and cable control.
Customers who already use Echo to control their Fire TV through Alexa can say things like "Alexa, play strange things" or "Alexa, fast-forward five minutes." By adding Fire TV Blaster to their Settings, they can also control their TV, bar speakers, cable boxes, and AV receivers, so you can ask to turn the TV on or off, change the volume, and switch input. To use the new accessory, however, you'll need a Fire TV Stick with the Alexa voice remote, a Fire TV Stick 4K or Fire TV(third generation), and any Echo speakers or smart displays.
Of course, there are still a lot of TV-related features that aren't controlled by IR (game consoles, for example), but by letting you do basic AV work, Fire TV Blaster will certainly help you cut down on the number of remote controls you use to roam around, certainly helping pave the way to the physical buttons that have become a reality of the past. Fire TV Blaster is now available for preorder in the us, Canada, Germany and the UK for $34.99. Amazon also bundles it with the Fire TV Stick 4K and Echo Dot for $79.99.
Customers who already use Echo to control their Fire TV through Alexa can say things like "Alexa, play strange things" or "Alexa, fast-forward five minutes." By adding Fire TV Blaster to their Settings, they can also control their TV, bar speakers, cable boxes, and AV receivers, so you can ask to turn the TV on or off, change the volume, and switch input. To use the new accessory, however, you'll need a Fire TV Stick with the Alexa voice remote, a Fire TV Stick 4K or Fire TV(third generation), and any Echo speakers or smart displays.
Of course, there are still a lot of TV-related features that aren't controlled by IR (game consoles, for example), but by letting you do basic AV work, Fire TV Blaster will certainly help you cut down on the number of remote controls you use to roam around, certainly helping pave the way to the physical buttons that have become a reality of the past. Fire TV Blaster is now available for preorder in the us, Canada, Germany and the UK for $34.99. Amazon also bundles it with the Fire TV Stick 4K and Echo Dot for $79.99.
