Following the news that Dish TV would be adding support for Google Assistant commands, its main competitor DirecTV has announced today that it will also be joining the smart assistant revolution … just not with Google’s voice assistant.
To that end, you can now control later versions of DirecTV set-top boxes (including the Genie HR44, HR54, Genie 2 and Genie Mini) via Amazon’s Alexa on devices like the Amazon Echo, Amazon Fire TV Cube and the Amazon Echo Show.
Like other smart devices, you’ll need to connect your DirecTV account with Alexa so Alexa knows where to send commands, then sit back and relax as you control your TV without ever lifting a finger.
So just what exactly can Alexa add to your TV viewing experience? You’ll be able to use Alexa for basic controls like play/pause and changing the channel, but it can also more advanced features like scheduling your DVR.
Beyond that, you’ll be able to use voice control to hunt down specific shows, actors and actresses as well, which is relatively convenient when settling disputes among friends at movie night.
The Alexa ability should be live now for the aforementioned models - just in time for some weekend binge-watching.
