LG Electronics says that hands-free Amazon Alexa voice control is being rolled out on select 2020 TVs in the U.K. that come with built-in microphones.
The update makes it possible for viewers to speak to the Alexa digital assistant directly through their TV by saying a wake word, making it more convenient to access various functions such as checking the weather, playing music, setting reminders, controlling smart home devices and more. The update also brings new Alexa features to LG TVs, such as alarms, timers, notifications and smart home camera support, the company said.
LG said hands-free Alexa will be supported on its latest LG OLED SIGNATURE ZX Series 8K TVs, LG OLED WX Series “Wallpaper” 4K TVs, LG OLED GX Series “Gallery” 4K TVs, LG OLED RX “Rollable” TVs and the LG NanoCell99 and NanoCell95 8K TV series models. All of those TVs are equipped with a built-in microphone.
The new feature is being rolled out via a firmware update starting this week, LG said. It allows TV owners to use Alexa hands-free simply by saying the “Alexa” wake word, rather than pressing the relevant button on their remote control.
Once Alexa has woken up, users can issue various commands with their voice. For example, you can say “Alexa, set a 30-minute kitchen timer” so you don’t forget to check on the dinner while watching your favorite TV show. Alternatively, you can say something like “Alexa, remind the kids to shut off the video games at 8pm,” and hope that they’ll do as they’re told.
“From asking for the weather, to playing your favorite song or skill, customers just need to ask Alexa,” LG said. “Customers wishing to use the push-to-talk button can still do so by holding down the Prime Video button on their Magic Remote controller. All available Alexa features will work both in hands-free and push-to-talk modes.”
Unfortunately, it seems Alexa still lacks the ability to handle requests for a specific film or TV show.
