Attention germophobes and all individuals who still have not mastered the multi-device remote control: If you are a DISH subscriber, you can now let your voice do all of the work, thanks to Google.
The DBS provider on Monday (7/9) debuted its new integration with the Google Assistant, providing users of both tech devices a hands-free TV entertainment option.
DISH customers with a Hopper, Hopper Duo, Joey or Wally can now control their television via voice when paired with an Assistant device. These include the increasingly popular Google Home device, in addition to the ubiquitous Android-powered smartphones or iPhone.
DISH says it is the first pay-TV provider to offer direct compatibility with the Assistant.
“Since we first introduced voice control technology, we’ve seen our customers really embrace the hands-free TV experience,” said DISH VP/Product Management Niraj Desai. “Our collaboration with Google is an exciting opportunity for us to continue meeting demand for voice and changing the way we interact with television.”
Michele Turner, Sr. Director of the Google Smart Home Ecosystem, added, “We want to make it easy and fun for people to turn their living room into a smart entertainment center with the Assistant. By working closely with DISH, we’ll ensure that customers can easily control their TVs through the Assistant, instead of searching for or having to share the remote.”
Customers can ask the Assistant to set recordings, adjust volume and launch apps like Game Finder, Netflix and Pandora. Customers can also use the Assistant to navigate, play, pause, fast-forward, rewind and search content based on channel, title, actor or genre. When using search functionality, the results displayed include DISH’s live, recorded and on-demand titles, as well as Netflix’s selection of TV shows and movies.
Below are examples of spoken commands DISH subscribers can ask the Assistant:
| • “Turn on my Hopper”
• “Mute my Hopper” • “Change the channel to ESPN” • “Tune to channel 140” • “Go to Food Network” • “Show me Big Bang Theory” • “Show me home improvement shows” • “Record Game of Thrones on Hopper” |
• “Show me Tom Hanks movies”
• “Play This is Us” • “Play Top Gun on DISH” • “Launch Netflix on Hopper” • “Open Game Finder on Hopper” • “Skip forward on Joey” • “Rewind 30 seconds” • “Pause” and “Resume” |
Spanish-language support will be coming soon.
