US satellite giant DISH has introduced additional Amazon Alexa voice recognition capabilities for its Hopper family of set-top boxes.
Customers can now speak to Alexa to ask her to set recordings, launch apps like Netflix and navigate menus; this builds on DISH’s existing Alexa voice functions, including the ability to play, pause, fast-forward, rewind and search content.“We are working to create the best hands-free TV options for our customers, and these new voice capabilities are an important step in that direction,” said Niraj Desai, DISH vice president of product management. “DISH customers already love the convenience that our Alexa compatibility brings to their home, so we’re continuously identifying popular voice commands to enhance that experience.”
In April 2017, DISH became the first pay-TV provider to offer direct compatibility with Amazon Alexa.
