Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Audio / Video
  3. News

Dish’s devices just got easier to control with new Alexa voice commands

Kris Wouk
By

If you’re a Dish subscriber, you may already be familiar with Amazon’s Alexa, as the company introduced Alexa for its Hopper devices in April 2017 and expanded support to its Joey clients in October 2017. Whether you’re already a user or just bought a device with Alexa, your life is about to get a little easier, as Dish has rolled out a handful of new Alexa voice controls.

The new commands let you control your Dish DVR as well as navigate the interface and launch apps. If you’re watching a show and suddenly realize you want to record it, simply saying “Alexa, record this” will take care of that for you. If, on the other hand, you want to look through shows you’ve already recorded, all you need to do is say “Alexa, go to my DVR.”

Recommended Videos

When it comes to navigation, you can move through the interface by saying “Alexa, go to my Home Screen” or “Alexa, open Game Finder.” This works similarly for apps as well, which you can launch by saying “Alexa, launch Netflix” or “Alexa, launch Pandora.” The new commands join those that were already available, which would let you change channels or search for TV shows.

“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,” Dish vice president of product management Niraj Desai said in a statement. “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.”

These commands are available to any Dish customer with an Alexa device and internet-connected Dish hardware, which includes all generations of its Hopper DVR, the Hopper Duo, all models of the Joey, and the Wally. When it comes to Alexa devices, you can use the Amazon Echo, Echo Show, Echo Dot, or even the new Fire TV Cube or another Alexa-enabled device. There is one slight catch, in that each Dish set-top box will need to be paired with its own Alexa device.

These new commands are available now. For more about Alexa integration with your DVR or set-top box, see the Dish website. If you are new to Alexa, make sure to take a look at our guide to all the different things you can do with Amazon’s insanely popular virtual voice assistant.

Topics
Kris Wouk
Kris Wouk
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Kris Wouk is a tech writer, gadget reviewer, blogger, and whatever it's called when someone makes videos for the web. In his…
HD to 4K: these home theater projectors are up to $2,000 off
The Optoma UHD55 projector.

While TVs are great, if you want to have a large screen TV that goes over 80 inches, you're liable to spend thousands of dollars, and if you want to go over 100 inches, you may not even find any options at all, especially at the consumer level. Luckily, there are a lot of great projectors that can not only hit those targets but exceed them and do it at a much cheaper cost than a regular TV. Even better, there is quite a big sale right now at Crutchfield on home theater projectors, with everything from budget-friendly options to top-of-the-range stuff.

What you should buy in Crutchfield's projector sale
Not all projectors have to be incredibly expensive, and you can grab a great project for a good price with the Optoma HZ40HDR, which is , saving you a solid $450 in the process. It's an FHD projector, although it can handle 4k and HDR sources,  and the bulb has a 30,000-hour life span, which is pretty great for a budget-oriented projector. On the other hand, if you want 4k, Optomo has a good budget option for that too, the Optoma UHD35STx, which is a 4k short-throw projector with HDR10 and HLG HDR going , which isn't a massive discount on the usual $1,549, but it's still pretty good.

Read more
Best AirPods Max deals: New and refurbished for $440
A woman wearing the Apple AirPods Max.

Shopping the best headphone deals will turn up a number of options from a wide variety of headphone brands, but if you’re interested in what Apple has to offer in terms of premium audio, the Apple AirPods Max are where you’ll want to turn. The AirPods Max are Apple’s top-of-the-line headphones, and while they churn out some impressive audio experiences, they also churn out a hefty price point. With the rumors of AirPods Max 2 going on you’ll be able to find some decent AirPods Max deals out there. We’ve done that hefty lifting for you, however, and have laid out the best AirPods Max deals below. You’ll find deals on both new and refurbished AirPods Max, but click quickly if one of these deals works for you, as Apple deals can be unpredictable and we don’t know how long these will last.
AirPods Max -- $519, were $549

The AirPods Max are Apple's first attempt at a set of over-the-ear headphones. They got a lot of things right. We love these headphones, even when compared against some audiophile options that prioritize sound quality. The AirPods Max have awesome noise cancelling. Everything Apple learned with the earbud-style AirPods works even better with the cup style of the AirPods Max. Along with great ANC comes a great transparency mode. With a twist of the Max's massive knob, you'll go from complete silence to feeling like you're not wearing headphones at all. The audio on phone calls is great as well, and they pair better with the iPhone than any non-Apple headphones could ever hope to.

Read more
Best AirPods Pro deals: Get Apple’s flagship earbuds for $122
The Apple Airpods Pro in their charging case.

Apple’s lineup of headphones has grown over the years. It currently makes a number of AirPods models that can be talked about among the best wireless earbuds. Among them are the AirPods Pro. The AirPods Pro are regularly in contention to be among the best headphones overall as well, and because of their popularity it can be difficult to track down AirPods Pro deals worth shopping. We’ve managed to find some out there, however, and below we’ve rounded up all of the best AirPods Pro deals you can shop right now. You’ll find discounts on both new and refurbished AirPods Pro models, as well as some information on why each model might be best for you.
Apple AirPods Pro (Refurbished) — $122, was $220

While there’s a newer model of AirPods Pro available, the first generation Apple AirPods Pro can still hold their own against some of the best wireless earbuds. Made for a slightly more premium user than something like the Apple AirPods 3, the AirPods Pro have higher end features, including active noise cancellation and a transparency mode, which allows you to hear and interact with the world around you while you have the headphones on. Spatial audio with dynamic head tracking is another impressive feature. This makes watching movies and other content a truly immersive experience. This refurbished model of the Apple AirPods Pro comes with free 30-day returns and a 1-year warranty.

Read more