Today Amazon announced the Fire TV Blaster, a $34.99 add-on for your Fire TV that will let you control your TV, soundbar, cable box, and A/V receiver with your voice. The Fire TV Blaster is an infrared (IR) companion device that extends the hands-free voice controls for Fire TV owners already using an Echo to control their Fire TV with Alexa.
Here are some of the voice commands you can use with the Fire TV Blaster:
- “Alexa, turn off the TV”
- “Alexa, turn up the soundbar volume”
- “Alexa, switch to HDMI 1 on TV”
- “Alexa, tune to ESPN on cable”
With the Fire TV Blaster as your universal remote, you can use your voice and an Echo to control your TV. This allows you to turn devices on or off, change inputs, control playback, adjust the volume, and more just by asking Alexa to do it for you.
What you need to know and what you need to use The Fire TV Blaster:
• A compatible Fire TV streaming device – Fire TV Stick with Alexa Voice Remote, Fire TV Stick 4K, or Fire TV (3rd Gen).
• Any Echo smart speaker or smart display.
• Compatible entertainment devices like TVs, audio/video receivers, cable boxes, and soundbars. (Not compatible with Fire TV Edition televisions or soundbars.) Learn more about supported devices.
• Access to the free Fire TV and Alexa apps on a Fire tablet (5th Gen or above), or an iOS 10 (or above) or Android 5.0 (or above) mobile device.
If you already have a Fire TV Cube you may be familiar with how it can control select devices by using a built-in IR blaster. Now Amazon is expanding this into its own device to broaden your ability to control your TV with this new Fire TV Blaster.
You can find the Fire TV Blaster on Amazon HERE.
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