Amazon takes Alexa to the palm of the hand with a control that allows you to control the television with your voice

Amazon’s new bet for streaming to any television is called Fire TV Stick 4K. It is a device that connects to the monitor and turns it into a smart TV with which you can access movies, TV shows and applications such as Netflix, Amazon Prime Video or RTVE on demand. With this product, the company also seeks to bring Alexa to the palm of its customers. Users can search for content and control the television with the voice with a command with the integrated assistant.

“Alexa, play an episode of The Girls of the Cable “, “Alexa, advance the movie 10 minutes” or “Alexa, put the news” are some of the orders that can be given to the assistant. Voice control is convenient, for example, when looking for a series or a movie by its full name, since doing so with a traditional television remote control can be tedious.

“People do not want to buy new televisions but update old ones,” says an Amazon worker in a presentation of the device to several journalists in Madrid. It is not the first time that the company of Jeff Bezos launches such an apparatus. In fact, the Fire TV Stick , which supports 1080p (HD) and Dolby Audio streaming, is currently Amazon’s best-selling streaming device, according to the company, and can be especially useful when traveling, since It can be used on any television.

Fire TV Stick 4K is designed for televisions compatible with resolutions up to 4K Ultra HD, with support for Dolby Vision, HDR and HDR10 +. To use it, just plug it into a power outlet and connect it to the TV and a Wi-Fi network. The device has gone on sale along with the command on Wednesday for a launch price of 44.99 euros – with a discount of 15 euros over the usual price of 59.99 euros – .

To request an order from the assistant with the command, it is necessary to press and hold a button that shows a drawing of a microphone. When asking Alexa to look for comedies, he recommends different series and movies like How I Met Your Mother, The Great Spanish Family or Mr. Bean. It is also possible to request that you play videos on YouTube or any content from platforms such as Netflix or Prime Video.

This device can also be associated with any compatible Echo speaker . In this way, it is possible to use Alexa on Fire TV without having to take the remote control. The assistant integrated in the command also has the traditional skills offered in smart speakers. For example, give the time, look for recipes, control the light or temperature or play the most appropriate music to read or be at a party. When asked what they throw in the cinema, he reports that on the billboard there are films like The Lion King , Pets 2 or Father there is only one.

The Fire TV interface is similar to that of streaming platforms such as Netflix. The home screen offers content recommendations and suggests new applications to try. It is also possible to include a list of customizable apps on the home screen. And to control the content that the smallest of the house see, the platform has parental control. When activated, you need to enter a password to play Prime Video content, open apps or buy digital content.