Amazon has announced that you can now hook up your Amazon Echo speakers with Fire TV devices, to create an immersive home cinema system – totally wireless, and all controllable with voice assistant Alexa.
Depending on which Echo speakers you own, this means you can create wireless speaker configurations in a range of setups, including 1.0 (one speaker in front of your TV) and 2.0 (one speaker on each side of your TV).
If you have the Echo Sub, adding it to these setups will give you 1.1 and 2.1configurations, which are the same as above with the addition of a subwoofer to boost the bass frequencies.
If you have the Amazon Echo (2019) or Echo Plus, you can stream Dolby Audio; even better, those with with the Echo Studio will be able to stream "Dolby-Atmos-quality sound", according to the company.
This means you can get object-based surround sound without the need for a huge speaker setup or an upwards-firing soundbar, which should make for captivating films and TV shows.
How to setup your Alexa home cinema
You'll need to make sure that you have a compatible Fire TV device and Echo speaker. This includes the Fire TV Stick 4K, Fire TV (3rd Generation), Fire TV Cube, and Fire TV Cube (2nd Generation).
Supported Echo speakers include the Amazon Echo (2017), Echo (2019), Echo Dot (3rd Generation), Echo Plus, Echo Plus (2nd Generation), Echo Dot with Clock, and the Echo Studio.
Missing one of these devices? Don't forget that many Echo speakers could be discounted during Black Friday and Cyber Monday – bookmark our Amazon Black Friday deals page for the latest.
Firstly, connect your Fire TV device and Echo speaker to the same network and Amazon account, and open up the Alexa app on your smartphone or tablet.
Then, tap on the Devices icon on the lower right side of your screen, and then tap the '+' icon at the top right. Select Set Up Audio System, and then choose Home Cinema.
You can then select your Fire TV device and give your new home cinema setup a name. Then, select the Echo speakers you'd like to use; you can currently select two speakers and an optional Echo Sub – follow the onscreen instructions, and you're ready to enjoy your films with immersive sound.
It's worth bearing in mind that you'll only be able to watch content that's available on Fire TV; while many of the biggest streaming platforms are available, UK viewers won’t be able to find Now TV, and US viewers won't be able to stream on Walmart's Vudu, which is currently a large source of Dolby Vision content.
