Does anyone here have an Alexa or Echo & do they work okay ?

[Golden Triangle]

I have been thinking of buying an Alexa or Echo just for the radio and possibly video chats with family back home, do any of you have one and how are they in Thailand, I have heard some conflicting reports, some say very good, others say don't bother.

 

Your thoughts, Thanks in advance.

[giddyup]

Have had one for about a year. It's plugged into my stereo so I just ask Alexa to play my favourite streaming radio like Radio Paradise and listen to uninterrupted music all day. The choice of streaming music is massive, but I can also ask Alexa any question, eg like time in New York, how many grammes in an ounce etc. I have used it to chat with a mate in the US without any problems as well.

[Golden Triangle]

50 minutes ago, giddyup said:

Have had one for about a year. It's plugged into my stereo so I just ask Alexa to play my favourite streaming radio like Radio Paradise and listen to uninterrupted music all day. The choice of streaming music is massive, but I can also ask Alexa any question, eg like time in New York, how many grammes in an ounce etc. I have used it to chat with a mate in the US without any problems as well.

Thanks for that, I want to listen to live radio from the UK like Absolute radio or Virgin radio and some of the BBC stations, any problems ? 

 

[giddyup]

3 minutes ago, Golden Triangle said:

Thanks for that, I want to listen to live radio from the UK like Absolute radio or Virgin radio and some of the BBC stations, any problems ? 

 

I'm no expert, but I guess as long as it's a radio station that streams it should be available on Alexa.

[Jai Dee]

I'm thinking of upgrading my AV receiver so I can take advantage of 4K, HDMI eARC connectivity, and Dolby Atmos and DTS:X technology.

 

Most modern receivers these days also come with Alexa Voice Control so you can enjoy hands-free control of your entertainment system.. adjust the volume, skip to the next track, switch inputs for your different media players and more.

 

As the AV receiver is the hub of any home entertainment system, I would have thought that it would be better to have an Alexa based receiver, rather than a standalone piece of kit.

 

I am yet to see one demonstrated though.

 

Any thoughts?

[Golden Triangle]

The only reason I want one is because at the moment I am listening to the BBC via Chrome via my Minix box through my LG TV, it can be on for over 12 hours a day and I realised that it's not doing my TV any good in respect of screen life as there is no way (tat I know of) to blacken the screen so one day it will just stop, as has happened to me before.

[giddyup]

On 12/10/2019 at 2:48 PM, Jai Dee said:

I'm thinking of upgrading my AV receiver so I can take advantage of 4K, HDMI eARC connectivity, and Dolby Atmos and DTS:X technology.

 

Most modern receivers these days also come with Alexa Voice Control so you can enjoy hands-free control of your entertainment system.. adjust the volume, skip to the next track, switch inputs for your different media players and more.

 

As the AV receiver is the hub of any home entertainment system, I would have thought that it would be better to have an Alexa based receiver, rather than a standalone piece of kit.

 

I am yet to see one demonstrated though.

 

Any thoughts?

An Echo Dot runs about $20-30, how much is a new Alexa based receiver?

[BestB]

Have both. Alexa better quality sound, google does more including translation  

[Jai Dee]

17 hours ago, giddyup said:

An Echo Dot runs about $20-30, how much is a new Alexa based receiver?

 

About US$1,000 for the one I'm looking at... however I want the other goodies too...  4K, HDMI eARC connectivity, and Dolby Atmos and DTS:X technology, which my current receiver does not have. 

 

And rather than being Alexa-based, it is supported... as you can speak commands with Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant or Apple Siri.

[ardsong]

no, dont have and dont want any of these spies in my house =:)

[NCC1701A]

On 12/9/2019 at 11:03 PM, Golden Triangle said:

Your thoughts, Thanks in advance.

it has been proven that these devices listen to everything that goes on in your home. 24/7.

sure, they are listening 24/7 and waiting for commands. but they are doing something else.

 

don't think so? invite a friend over and begin talking about something you want to buy. Something you have never expressed a interest in before. It will not be long before your targeted ads begin the reflect that conversation.

 

[bluemoon58]

Golden Triangle, I have a 1st generation Echo Dot and to speak to it you say "Alexa" so I thought they were one and the same? However I'm no expert so I could be wrong. What I do know is that as I write this, I'm listening to BBC Radio One. Can you hear in the background? ????

 

I also listen to TalkSport and Smooth Radio with no probs whatsoever. 

 

Can't comment on video calling as I have no probs with Skype or Messenger. Hope this helps. 

[Guderian]

If you want to use Alexa and Echo, do you have to have a subscription to Amazon Prime, or will they just pick up via WiFi anything your PC or phone can receive?

[Golden Triangle]

17 minutes ago, NCC1701A said:

it has been proven that these devices listen to everything that goes on in your home. 24/7.

sure, they are listening 24/7 and waiting for commands. but they are doing something else.

 

don't think so? invite a friend over and begin talking about something you want to buy. Something you have never expressed a interest in before. It will not be long before your targeted ads begin the reflect that conversation.

 

Yeah I had heard that, I think it's likely to be very disappointed with the conversations between me and the other half ???? 

 

On a more serious note I will forgo the ad intrusions on FB etc if it prevents me having to spend big money for a new smart TV. 

[Golden Triangle]

3 minutes ago, Guderian said:

If you want to use Alexa and Echo, do you have to have a subscription to Amazon Prime, or will they just pick up via WiFi anything your PC or phone can receive?

I'm not sure, someone will inform us I'm sure, I think you only need an Amazon account for software updates & that sort of thing, but someone will hopefully clue us up.

[NCC1701A]

1 minute ago, Golden Triangle said:

Yeah I had heard that, I think it's likely to be very disappointed with the conversations between me and the other half ???? 

 

the black helicopters would be at my house so fast it would make your head spin.

[johnsmith8888]

On 12/10/2019 at 3:38 PM, Golden Triangle said:

The only reason I want one is because at the moment I am listening to the BBC via Chrome via my Minix box through my LG TV, it can be on for over 12 hours a day and I realised that it's not doing my TV any good in respect of screen life as there is no way (tat I know of) to blacken the screen so one day it will just stop, as has happened to me before.

It's all great but u need to be able to receive a verification code on an American som card to activate so do that in the states before u leave. 

[Golden Triangle]

16 minutes ago, johnsmith8888 said:

It's all great but u need to be able to receive a verification code on an American som card to activate so do that in the states before u leave. 

I spoke to my daughter the other day, she's in the UK, she has one and an Amazon account, she's gonna get one for me and set it up for me on her account and send it to me as a Christmas present ???? Sorted. 

[metempsychotic]

dont know if it has been said here before, but why give google or amazon another live mic into your life?

[Golden Triangle]

5 minutes ago, metempsychotic said:

dont know if it has been said here before, but why give google or amazon another live mic into your life?

Because as stated above, I am listening to UK radio on my expensive large screen smart TV and it ain't doing the screen life any good, at my age the last thing I worry about is Google or Amazon ???? 

 

[metempsychotic]

10 minutes ago, Golden Triangle said:

Because as stated above, I am listening to UK radio on my expensive large screen smart TV and it ain't doing the screen life any good, at my age the last thing I worry about is Google or Amazon ???? 

 

at your age i doubt you need to worry about the screen life either. 

but it seems you do.

 

 

 

btw taking 80,000 hours as a ballpark average led tv lifespan, it would take 9.1 years of being on 24 hours a day to reach that number.

 

you reckon you have 9 years left? or you wont want to upgrade before then?

likely longer if you have dimmed the backlight to an acceptable brightness as most folk do.

my back light runs at 50 percent.

my last LCD tv lasted 12 years, before encountering an issue. it died long after I first wanted to upgrade.
 

[1FinickyOne]

1 hour ago, NCC1701A said:

it has been proven that these devices listen to everything that goes on in your home. 24/7.

sure, they are listening 24/7 and waiting for commands. but they are doing something else.

 

don't think so? invite a friend over and begin talking about something you want to buy. Something you have never expressed a interest in before. It will not be long before your targeted ads begin the reflect that conversation.

 

so, I might get adverts for devices to stop snoring? 

[giddyup]

1 hour ago, NCC1701A said:

it has been proven that these devices listen to everything that goes on in your home. 24/7.

sure, they are listening 24/7 and waiting for commands. but they are doing something else.

 

don't think so? invite a friend over and begin talking about something you want to buy. Something you have never expressed a interest in before. It will not be long before your targeted ads begin the reflect that conversation.

 

I only converse with someone under the Cone Of Silence, then it's perfectly safe.

[LivinLOS]

1 hour ago, Guderian said:

If you want to use Alexa and Echo, do you have to have a subscription to Amazon Prime, or will they just pick up via WiFi anything your PC or phone can receive?

No you dont.. I do have prime but not used here in Thailand. 

 

I use alexa exclusively for spotify and phillips hue lighting control. Works just fine. 

 

[RandG]

Definitely work fine. We have several linked to our UK Amazon account, together a few more at home in the UK, all on the same account. All work fine for radio; I generally listen to BBC, my wife to our UK local commercial station. Even use it to switch the heating back on in the UK before we leave Thailand, to come home to a warm house. Also have several smart plugs to control a few things, and Sonoff modules fitted in the ceiling space to control the ceiling fans. We also use them to talk to our daughter in London, and my brother-in-law in Berlin. Great audio quality. Just remember to put in your Thai address, and timezone, so that you get local weather forecasts, time etc.

[sirineou]

2 hours ago, NCC1701A said:

it has been proven that these devices listen to everything that goes on in your home. 24/7.

sure, they are listening 24/7 and waiting for commands. but they are doing something else.

 

don't think so? invite a friend over and begin talking about something you want to buy. Something you have never expressed a interest in before. It will not be long before your targeted ads begin the reflect that conversation.

 

If one wants to communicate with something verbally that something has to be able to hear you. there should be no surprise about that

 . Alexa only hears you if you use the awake comant . "Alexa" or anything else you change the awake comant to. Don't say the "awake" comant and Alexa is not listening and will not respond. 

 Unless you have asked Alexa about something you want to buy,the reason  you are getting targeted ads is more likely to  be because since you are interested in these things , you have made a search for them somewhere on the internet and not because you were talking about them with your friend.

  Most of the lights, and many of my electronic devices in my US home  , aside from their manual function, are Alexa enabled and controlled. It is not a function of laziness, but rather a remote control access fanction. I travel a lot and need to be have control of my residences. 

  One can set up "schedules"   for lights to go on and off at pre-prescribed times,outside  LED accent and garage lights go on at as soon as it gets dark and go off at sunrise. so we never come to a dark house. If i don't want them  to go on I can turn them of from anywhere in the world. 

Alarms is another issue solved with Alexa.  We have ADT at our US home , Useless when we travel because we can't respond to the alarm activation text. and if we don't respond they send the police. 99.9% of all  alarm activations are false alarms. after a couple of them the police will charge you for false alarms.

 With Alexa  listening we have broken glass, or smoke alarm sounds alerts (it is a free function you enable if you want) . also we can control outside and inside cameras. this way we can take a look and see if it is a false alarm or a fire or intrusion and we can alert the appropriate agencies as needed .

The lock of my front door is also electronic so I can let people  in the property when needed from anywhere in the world and observe what they do if I want to. I can also talk to them and they talk to me via the cameras and alexa.

I can go on and on about the benefits of Alexa, but this responds is getting to wordy and who wants to read all that. Send me a PM for more info,

[NCC1701A]

a

2 minutes ago, sirineou said:

Alexa only hears you if you use the awake comant . "Alexa" or anything else you change the awake comant to. Don't say the "awake" comant and Alexa is not listening and will not respond. 

if it is not listening how does it hear the command?

 

 

[sirineou]

2 minutes ago, NCC1701A said:

a

if it is not listening how does it hear the command?

 

 

it is only listening for the command. otherwise she is dormant.  If I said "play Neil Young music"  nothing will happen . I have to say "Alexa play Neil Young music"  and she does.  "Alexa" being the "awake" word

You can change the "Awake" word to whatever you want , but it is good to have it at something not normally used in daily conversation.

[NCC1701A]

18 minutes ago, sirineou said:

it is only listening for the command.

oh. ok. would you be willing to say it is listening?

[sirineou]

5 minutes ago, NCC1701A said:

oh. ok. would you be willing to say it is listening?

Of course it is listening. how else would it hear you?

but it is not listening to your conversations which I think seems to be your concern.