Amazon Echo Club - Page 246

wodin · 05-30-2019, 03:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ApK

...
This is the one LED-compatible one I always see mentioned:
https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B00KLAXF..._yVc8CbPM4YT2K

Thanks ApK, I'll look into it. I should have known Lutron would address the issue, they've been in the "home automation" business longer than nearly everyone except maybe Insteon and X-10. A bit spendy though at $55 a pop.

DiapDealer · 05-30-2019, 03:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OtinG

Tomāto, tomäto... Again, you are being too literal. Whether you get "ads" per se or "suggestions for other videos" when Alexa cannot friggin' find what you want to watch, or chooses not to find it, it is the same thing. In either case you don't get what you ask for but instead you did get shown some stuff that you can rent or buy. I say ads, you say suggestions. Pretty much the same thing...

Not really. I wasn't Tomāto/tomäto -ing you. I literally had no idea what you were talking about. I don't get ads or suggestions for other videos to rent/buy. I don't use it that way. I don't browse for tv shows/movies with Alexa, so she never gets it "wrong."

Quote:

Originally Posted by OtinG

Your expensive Harmony hub has both BT and IR capability, and that is why it works with your BT Fire TV. For the record I have absolutely no trouble in "getting control of my stuff" but I hate having to jump through hoops and spend a small fortune to so and then still just having lackluster control.

Small fortune?? My Harmony Hub cost me way less than my first Echo, but whatever.

Quote:

Originally Posted by OtinG

I'm glad it works out for you, but you are not everybody by any means...so double shrug.

Sorry my shrug rubbed you the wrong way, but there's really no need to get pissy, here. I never claimed I was everybody. I merely stated that I've had no problems getting voice-control working to my satisfaction for what I felt was a reasonable price. Sorry you've had bad luck. But I'm tired of all the negativity and sad-sacking going on in this thread, so you may as well get used to me injecting some "works for me!" occasionally. It only took me one post to find out I wasn't the only one it works for in that regard.

ApK · 05-30-2019, 04:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wodin

A bit spendy though at $55 a pop.

Yes, but when compared to home demolition and reconstruction...

DiapDealer · 05-30-2019, 05:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wodin

Thanks ApK, I'll look into it. I should have known Lutron would address the issue, they've been in the "home automation" business longer than nearly everyone except maybe Insteon and X-10. A bit spendy though at $55 a pop.

I think they require a $79 bridge device at the outset, as well.

John F · 05-30-2019, 06:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

...

Don't know what to say, there. Between Alexa's inherent ability to be linked to my FireTV and my Harmony (Logitech) Hub (and its Alexa skill), I've never had a much trouble getting control of my stuff. Certainly no extra IR blasters (other than what's built into the Harmony Hub) necessary.

...

Quote:

Originally Posted by OtinG

...

Your expensive Harmony hub has both BT and IR capability, and that is why it works with your BT Fire TV. ...

Just curious, and maybe I'm misreading something... DiapDealer, is your harmony controlling your firetv at all, or is Alexa/Echo/tap controlling the FireTV?

I'm also relatively satisfied with my Alexa/Harmony TV setup, and my Harmony isn't talking to my FireTV (I think it can, but I haven't seen the need yet.)

DiapDealer · 05-30-2019, 06:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by John F

Just curious, and maybe I'm misreading something... DiapDealer, is your harmony controlling your firetv at all, or is Alexa/Echo/tap controlling the FireTV?

I'm also relatively satisfied with my Alexa/Harmony TV setup, and my Harmony isn't talking to my FireTV (I think it can, but I haven't seen the need yet.)

No. My Harmony Hub isn't interacting with my FireTV at all. But my Harmony has a FireTV "Activity" set up which powers on the television, makes sure it's set to the FireTV's HDMI input (as well as turning on my sound-system and controlling the volume). The Harmony Alexa skill just lets me use the Echo to choose/control my various Harmony Activities (FireTV, OTA TV, CableTV, Roku, DVD, etc...). Depending on the activity, the hub may control multiple devices directly (TV, Cable Box, Antenna rotor, Sound System, DVD), but when I'm watching something on my FireTV, the Hub is basically only controlling the TV and the sound-system (power + volume + inputs).

John F · 05-30-2019, 06:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

No. My Harmony Hub isn't interacting with my FireTV at all. But my Harmony has a FireTV "Activity" set up which powers on the television, makes sure it's set to the FireTV's HDMI input (as well as turning on my sound-system and controlling the volume). The Harmony Alexa skill just lets me use the Echo to choose/control my various Harmony Activities (FireTV, OTA TV, CableTV, Roku, DVD, etc...). Depending on the activity, the hub may control multiple devices directly (TV, Cable Box, Antenna rotor, Sound System, DVD), but when I'm watching something on my FireTV, the Hub is basically only controlling the TV and the sound-system (power + volume + inputs).

Which sounds very similar to my setup. Thanks for the clarification.

My older HT receiver didn't have bluetooth (for audio), so I bought an Alexa plug, a BT receiver, and setup Alexa and Harmony to manage it all when l want to stream music.

DiapDealer · 05-31-2019, 08:45 AM

Rebooting the router seems to have fixed my original Echo Dot's connectivity issues for now. I would have tried that sooner, but it seemed a little silly to think that rebooting it would fix a problem that only one device on a network of about 30 devices was experiencing (not to mention finding an opportune time to do it). It still seems quite silly to me that one client device out of so many couldn't function correctly without a wireless router reboot.

CRussel · 05-31-2019, 12:07 PM

Glad to hear it was that simple, DiapDealer. Though I'm with you about being curious why only that one device.

To answer your tagline -- for the fat, of course! How else can I cook my potatoes?

wodin · 05-31-2019, 01:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

Rebooting the router seems to have fixed my original Echo Dot's connectivity issues for now. I would have tried that sooner, but it seemed a little silly to think that rebooting it would fix a problem that only one device on a network of about 30 devices was experiencing (not to mention finding an opportune time to do it). It still seems quite silly to me that one client device out of so many couldn't function correctly without a wireless router reboot.

One (Echo Dot) out of 30 devices lost it's DHCP lease, rebooting the router (DHCP server) forces all devices, including the Dot to renew their lease.

Renewing the lease of the devices that have active leases is transparent, but the one that doesn't have a stable lease magically gets picked back up. Kind of like shooting a mosquito with a shotgun, only one pellet gets the mosquito, but the rest of them take out the whole wall.

DiapDealer · 05-31-2019, 01:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wodin

One (Echo Dot) out of 30 devices lost it's DHCP lease, rebooting the router (DHCP server) forces all devices, including the Dot to renew their lease.

Renewing the lease of the devices that have active leases is transparent, but the one that doesn't have a stable lease magically gets picked back up. Kind of like shooting a mosquito with a shotgun, only one pellet gets the mosquito, but the rest of them take out the whole wall.

Sounds plausible. But with DD-WRT installed on the router, I have full control of the dhcp leases. I can cancel the leases on individual devices and force them to renegotiate with the router for a new one. I'd done this already for the Dot in question. Which is one more reason why rebooting the router didn't occur to me.

Who knows? Maybe the dhcp server was stuck on stupid and none of the other devices would have been able to properly negotiate a new dhcp lease had theirs expired.

wodin · 05-31-2019, 02:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

..
Who knows? Maybe the dhcp server was stuck on stupid and none of the other devices would have been able to properly negotiate a new dhcp lease had theirs expired.

As good a hypotheses as any, let's go with that one.

DiapDealer · 05-31-2019, 02:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wodin

As good a hypotheses as any, let's go with that one.

Works for me. I'm sticking a fork in this one.

Catlady · 05-31-2019, 05:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tubemonkey

Here's the press release:

Amazon Introduces Echo Show 5—Compact Design, Rich Sound, and Built-In Camera Shutter—Just $89.99

I'm really tempted by this. I'm hoping there's a Prime Day offer, and/or a trade-in deal.

wodin · 05-31-2019, 07:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Catlady

I'm really tempted by this. I'm hoping there's a Prime Day offer, and/or a trade-in deal.

I dropped the hammer for a $90 invitation, haven't gotten a response yet though.

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05-31-2019, 08:45 AM	#3683
DiapDealer Grand Sorcerer Posts: 28,682 Karma: 205039118 Join Date: Jan 2010 Device: Nexus 7, Kindle Fire HD	Rebooting the router seems to have fixed my original Echo Dot's connectivity issues for now. I would have tried that sooner, but it seemed a little silly to think that rebooting it would fix a problem that only one device on a network of about 30 devices was experiencing (not to mention finding an opportune time to do it). It still seems quite silly to me that one client device out of so many couldn't function correctly without a wireless router reboot.

05-31-2019, 12:07 PM	#3684
CRussel (he/him/his) Posts: 12,297 Karma: 80074820 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Sunshine Coast, BC Device: Oasis (Gen3),Paperwhite (Gen10), Voyage, Paperwhite(orig), iPad Air M3	Glad to hear it was that simple, DiapDealer. Though I'm with you about being curious why only that one device. To answer your tagline -- for the fat, of course! How else can I cook my potatoes?