Amazon Fire TV to get Alexa voice commands, 4K YouTube streaming and more
Amazon’s Fire TV set-top box will be getting much smarter in the next couple weeks.
Amazon has just announced a bevy of new Alexa-related features will soon be making their way to the Fire TV. After the update rolls out, users will be able to use their voice to control playback of Amazon Video and Add-On Subscription content, launch apps, access local movie show times and even search for businesses. New updates to voice search integration will be available across 59 different content providers including Hulu, Showtime, Starz, HBO Go and many more.
Not only is the Fire TV getting new Alexa updates, it’s also getting the ability to stream 4K Ultra HD YouTube videos as well. You’ll still need to be connected to a UHD-compatible television to stream this high-quality content, but the option is there if you own one of these TVs.
There are a few other things you should be aware of, so here’s the full changelog for the update:
- Launch apps using Alexa—Say “Open HBO Now” or “Launch Hulu” into the Fire TV Voice Remote to instantly open the app
- Play Amazon Video and Add-On Subscription content from Starz, Showtime, and more using Alexa—Say “Play Interstellar,” or “Watch Veep” and get even easier access to your favorite TV shows and movies
- Find local movie show times via Alexa—Ask “What movies are playing nearby?” or “Where is The Jungle Book playing?” to find out what movies are playing in theatres near you or specific movie times
- YouTube 4K Ultra HD—Access YouTube’s full 4K library via the YouTube.com app on Amazon Fire TV when connected to a UHD-compatible TV
- Search for local businesses and restaurants using Alexa—Ask “What Mexican restaurants are nearby?” to find restaurants around you or ask “What time does the nearest bank close?” to get convenient information on businesses nearby
- Access Kindle e-books via Alexa—Say “Read The Nightingale” to listen to text-to-speech enabled books from your Kindle library through Amazon Fire TV
Amazon says the over-the-air update will be rolling out to Fire TV devices sometime in the next few weeks.
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