Advanced Television

Alexa voice control for YouView

June 9, 2017

YouView has revealed plans to enable a voice controlled TV experience for YouView viewers using Amazon Alexa.

YouView devices will support Alexa voice control through Amazon’s Echo and Echo Dot or other Alexa-enabled devices, enabling users to search for content, navigate around YouView’s user interface, play content and use trick play, all without having to lift a finger. The voice-controlled experience could ultimately be available to all 2.4 million connected YouView set top box devices, including those provided by ISP partners TalkTalk and BT – as well as devices bought by retail customers.

Fani Sazaklidou, Executive Creative and Brand Director of YouView says “We are delighted to be one of the first to work with Amazon to enable a video voice skill via Alexa. It is a great and very natural next step on YouView’s journey, extending the value of our cloud based ‘Next Generation’ platform, which we have successfully rolled out to over two million homes.

“We’re excited to be working with YouView to create a hands-free television experience through Alexa,” said Fabrice Rousseau, General Manager, Alexa Skills Kit EU. “Voice control of TV will make customers’ lives easier—it’s a natural way to find the content you want, and will reduce the time you spend looking for the remote or finding the right channel. Just ask Alexa, and she’ll take care of it for you.”

Aleks Habdank, Managing Director, TV at TalkTalk says “We constantly challenge ourselves to identify key technology that will improve our TV service, and allow our customers to easily access the huge range of content available on the platform. Amazon Alexa is a prime example of the kind of innovation that we look to invest in and are incredibly excited to see the results of this partnership, building upon the successful rollout of Next Generation YouView which started last year.”

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