Smart home recommendations

Hi

I'm toying with buying an Amazon echo and/or Dot.

I'm totally new to Smart Home products and would like some advice please and this thread seems like the place to ask.

Initially I would like to switch on/off my TV's, raise/lower volume and select inputs via voice control.

I'm not sure what I need. Do I need the Harmony Home Hub plus a remote or just the Hub?

Or do I need either? As my TV is connected to the internet via my router; is the Echo smart enough to control the TV directly?

Also; I have (but I'm not using at the moment) two older Harmony remotes; the 885 and The Harmony One - not the Ultimate One. I'm not sure if I can use either of these remotes with the Echo and/or the Home Hub.

Any advice would be appreciated.

Cheers.
 
Uncle Fester said:
Hi

I'm toying with buying an Amazon echo and/or Dot.

I'm totally new to Smart Home products and would like some advice please and this thread seems like the place to ask.

Initially I would like to switch on/off my TV's, raise/lower volume and select inputs via voice control.

I'm not sure what I need. Do I need the Harmony Home Hub plus a remote or just the Hub?

Or do I need either? As my TV is connected to the internet via my router; is the Echo smart enough to control the TV directly?

Also; I have (but I'm not using at the moment) two older Harmony remotes; the 885 and The Harmony One - not the Ultimate One. I'm not sure if I can use either of these remotes with the Echo and/or the Home Hub.

Any advice would be appreciated.

Cheers.
Click to expand...

You will need at a minimum the harmony Hub. You can get Alexa to change channels but setting up favorites but you are limited to the number of channels you can setup. You can also change volume using Alexa but she only adjust in smallish increments so you end up asking a number of times is you need to go a long way.

My advise would be to get the remote as well as Alexa, or if you're only interested in controlling the TV then skip Alexa. I use Alexa to turn on/off the TV, Netflix, hifi, Amazon prime etc and occasionally to change channels, but for anything else it's easier to do it on the remote. Voice commands for harmony are limited to the basic actions.
 
ecoleman said:
You will need at a minimum the harmony Hub. You can get Alexa to change channels but setting up favorites but you are limited to the number of channels you can setup. You can also change volume using Alexa but she only adjust in smallish increments so you end up asking a number of times is you need to go a long way.

My advise would be to get the remote as well as Alexa, or if you're only interested in controlling the TV then skip Alexa. I use Alexa to turn on/off the TV, Netflix, hifi, Amazon prime etc and occasionally to change channels, but for anything else it's easier to do it on the remote. Voice commands for harmony are limited to the basic actions.
Click to expand...

Thank you for your answer; it's very helpful.
 
Some Philips Hue, Amazon Echo and Nest stuff is heavily discounted on the Amazon Prime day at the minute. If you sign up for the prime trial you could maybe bag yourself a bargain. I've bagged a couple of the multi-coloured Hue bulbs and an Echo dot. (I had to get a friend to order one of the bulbs for me as they were less than half price and 1 per account limit).

I already have some Hue bulbs, dimmers and a room sensor and they are pretty good. They 'just work' which is what I like about good tech, no messing about. Similarly with the Nest Thermostat., great piece of kit. The only issue is once it is set-up and running you don't feel the need to play with it much which is a shame as it is beautifully made.

I also have a Google Home which can control all this with voice. It feels a bit strange asking to turn you lights on/off or dim etc at first but you soon stop feeling like an arse and even Mrs ChrisJ_SLH has embraced it now.
 
JonathanRyan said:
All of that sounds pretty cool.

I guess my real issue is that I don't think I'd actually pay money for any of those individual features (except the lost dog thing, obvs). If I bought a house with them in I'd use them every day, but rather than buy any I'd think "meh, I can just use the switch...." :)
Click to expand...

I had to turn the landing lights on whilst on the M25 last week for the plasterer back at home as he'd confused the module.
 
Or if it's legal (if you were driving at the time...)
 
Probably not. Would have been distracting though, however he delivered the instructions. Maybe only for a few seconds but at motorway speeds, that could be a couple of hundred yards...
 
Guys I'm a courier....We are trained to eat pies, read maps, and text whilst driving, All at the same time as slagging everyone else's driving whilst hogging driving in the middle our lane




I was a passenger.....
 
I got an Echo Dot on prime day, brilliant it is.

I am going for the light bulb with wifi built in as I only want one on the bedroom as I like the light on for a bit when I get in bed but quite often fall asleep so having the option 'Alexa, turn bedroom light off in 30 minutes' is well worth the £17.99 bulb
 
strumstrum said:
I got an Echo Dot on prime day, brilliant it is.

I am going for the light bulb with wifi built in as I only want one on the bedroom as I like the light on for a bit when I get in bed but quite often fall asleep so having the option 'Alexa, turn bedroom light off in 30 minutes' is well worth the £17.99 bulb
Click to expand...


I got a Dot as well.

With the 'smart' light bulbs do you need a 'hub' or a 'bridge or something; or can you use them by themselves?

Do you have a link to the £17.99 bulb?

Cheers.
 
I wouldn't recommend the dlink motion sensor. Still can't even get it to show up correctly in the dlink my home app.
 
"Alexa, stop saying 'OK'" :)

PLEASE tell me that when you say "Alexa dim the lights" she responds "you can guess the rest".
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top