Broaden your horizon: Watch documentaries, news or reportages on your Echo Show/Spot or listen live to local and international tv stations on your Echo device. And international TV stations stream their programming free on the internet. You can use these and watch televison on your Echo Show or Echo Spot with 'Stream Player'. Sky Go works really well on a Amazon Fire tablet from the Amazon App store so not really forbidden by Sky. Seeing as the Echo Show is a smart speaker with a screen it only allows you to enable skills rather than apps.
Amazon’s Echo Show, a spruced-up version of the standard Echo smart speaker with a built-in camera and touchscreen, will be released in the UK this November.
The retail giant first launched the Echo Show a few months back, although this more premium device was initially only released over in the US. Apparently the Show must go on, however, as Amazon has just announced that this smart speaker will finally come to the UK at the tail end of 2017.
Check out our Echo comparison to see how the Show stacks up to the Dot, Spot, Plus and other Amazon Echo smart speakers.
What is the Amazon Echo Show?
The Echo Show is a new variant of one of the company’s connected home devices, which are powered by the Alexa virtual assistant. The Show mirrors much of the functionality already offered up by Amazon’s existing connected speakers, the Echo and Echo Dot. However, the biggest difference is that it features a 7-inch touchscreen display, dual forward-firing 2-inch Dolby-certified stereo speakers and a 5-megapixel front-facing camera.
Like the Echo speakers, the Echo Show will launch in both black and white colourways, sporting a decidedly utilitarian design. Its front measures just under 19cm tall and wide, it features an eight-microphone array for far-field voice detection (that’s one more than both Echo speakers), there are three physical buttons on top (volume controls and a power key for the microphones and camera) and it’s powered by an Intel Atom x5-Z8350 processor accompanied by both WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity.
What can the Amazon Echo Show do?
The Echo Show is designed to sit in your home, be it on your bedside table, in your lounge or on your kitchen countertop and do everything the existing Echo range can; like stream music from a myriad of services, answer simple questions and set timers. It’s the addition of that screen and camera that add a few new abilities into the mix.
The flash briefing, which collates news headlines with your upcoming schedule, can now be served up in video form courtesy of the likes of CNN and Bloomberg. Lyrics will appear on-screen when playing tunes using Amazon Music, weather forecasts and shopping lists can be viewed as well as heard, using Amazon Photos the Show can double as a digital photo frame and you can even ask it to play shows from Amazon Video or YouTube videos of kittens.
It also supports a host of connected home standards like WeMo and Philips Hue but also Ring and Arlo, so you can ask it to display your security camera feeds as well as switching your lighting and heating on or off.
The front-facing camera also adds in video-chat functionality, so you can call other Echo Show users in your contacts or those with the Alexa app on their phone or tablet. There’s even a short list of favourite contacts who, once authorised, can initiate a Drop In session, where they can call and initiate a video call without you needed to directly answer. When a Drop In call is placed the recipient can do nothing and have the call simply connect or choose to reject the call or switch to audio only if it isn’t a good time within the first ten seconds.
Want to know more about the powers of Alexa and the Echo devices? Check out our in-depth Amazon Echo tips, tricks and hidden easter eggs guide for lots of insider info.
Amazon Echo Show UK price and release date
Amazon has finally revealed that the Echo Show will be released here in the UK on November 16, for the asking price of £199. You can also bag yourself two of them at launch with a £100 discount, so for just £298. That’s a pretty good deal if you want to spread some Echos around the house, for full Alexa coverage.
The Amazon Echo Show was originally made available for pre-order in the US as of May 9, priced at $229 for one, or, as part of an introductory $100 discount, $358 for two. The device was then released in the States on June 28. So we’re only a few months behind, then.
Amazon Makes Controlling Your Vivint Smart Home Products Even Easier
The Amazon Echo smart home speaker was introduced in 2014, and people quickly learned to love the convenience of asking Amazon’s virtual assistant, Alexa, for assistance. Since then, Amazon has launched six additional models of the Echo, all of them compatible with Vivint systems. Alexa and Vivint’s integration allows you to control your smart home hands-free with simple, voice-activated Alexa commands.
With the recent launch of the Amazon Echo Show, a touchscreen device with built-in Alexa, managing your Vivint Smart Home and monitoring your video surveillance cameras just became easier. This video version of the Echo allows you to see who’s at the front door or peek in on the baby while you’re streaming music from your favorite Amazon music station.
Review the list below to get the most from your Vivint Smart Home using your Amazon Alexa.
Locks
Echo Show 8 Sky Go
Locking your doors by voice command while you’re lying in bed is one of the many conveniences of using Alexa with Vivint. Smart locks connect wirelessly with your Vivint touchscreen panel, allowing you to control your locks from anywhere or receive notifications when someone enters your home. You can use a few different commands you with your locks and your smart home system:
- Alexa, is my front door locked?
- Alexa, lock my back door.
- Alexa, are my doors locked?
Lighting
From having lights turn on when you enter the house to turning off all the lights with one command, voice control makes lighting your home convenient. Vivint and Alexa work directly with Phillips Hue, a wireless lighting system that allows you to light entire rooms or floors and create the ambiance you want in your home.
Once you have the system installed, you can try the following commands:
- Alexa, turn on living room lamp.
- Alexa, set bedroom to 20%.
- Alexa, turn off kitchen lights.
- Alexa, dim entry lamp.
- Alexa, brighten my bedroom.
- Alexa, is my kitchen light on?
Thermostats
Smart thermostats offer you more control over your home’s temperature, which keeps you comfortable and saves you money on your energy bill. The Nest Learning Thermostat enhances that control and savings by learning your preferred temperature and building a program around your schedule. This smart technology can save you, on average, 10–12% on your heating bills and 15% on your cooling costs.
Try some of these Vivint Alexa commands for your smart thermostat:
- Alexa, set the basement to 70 degrees.
- Alexa, turn the AC up two degrees
- Alexa, increase bedroom temperature.
- Alexa, turn up the heat.
- Alexa, I’m cold.
- Alexa, what’s the temperature?
Video Cameras
Front porch cameras make it convenient to see who knocks at your door. Vivint’s doorbell camera seamlessly blends its camera into the doorbell design. You can rest easy knowing the camera has a 180-degree lens and infrared night vision to record everything on your doorstep any time, day or night.
Pair the doorbell camera with indoor Ping cameras, and you’ve got the inside and outside of your home covered. Both camera types allow for two-way talk, making it convenient to talk to anyone inside or outside the house, even when you’re on the go. You can make the following requests with your paired system:
- Alexa, show my outdoor camera.
- Alexa, show the baby’s room.
- Alexa, show my doorbell camera.
Security System
Whether you need equipment to monitor your house or access to a personal monitoring device, your Vivint system is covered 24/7 to help keep your home safe. With door and window sensors, motion detectors, smoke detectors, and flood and freeze sensors, your system will alert you to any issues. You can even secure your property with these Alexa commands:
- Alexa, arm my security system “stay.”
- Alexa, arm my home “away.”
- Alexa, what’s the state of my security system?
Smart Assistant Home
Program your Alexa home automation to perform multiple tasks at once. Rather than rushing from room to room to ensure the lights are off or doors are locked as you leave, or entering a dark home late at night, simply give Alexa one command. She’ll perform multiple actions at once, shutting your home down when you depart or creating a welcoming environment when you return. Just use any of the following phrases:
- Alexa, I’m home.
- Alexa, I’m leaving.
- Alexa, I’m going to sleep.
Connecting Your Alexa App to Vivint Smart Home
To connect your Amazon Echo to your Vivint Smart Home, follow these steps:
- Set up your Echo device with your Alexa app before you connect to Vivint Smart Home.
- Open the menu and tap Skills.
- Find the Vivint Smart Home skill. There are two skills listed, and it’s recommended you enable both if you have lights and thermostats connected to your system.
- Enter your Vivint username and password, and sign in to link the accounts.
- Say, “Alexa, discover my devices” to link your home to your Amazon Echo.
Can Echo Show Play Sky Go
Amazon’s Alexa has new skills added every day. Her ability to play songs and tell jokes on command won over people when she first hit the market. But now, along with the help of Vivint integration, she’s providing services that benefit your security and home. Contact a Vivint Smart Home authorized retailer to secure your home today.
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