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Amazon Fire TV gets more Alexa smarts and 4K YouTube

Amazon has announced a host of forthcoming improvements for its Fire TV devices that’ll offer greater voice commands and more 4K content.

In a press release on Tuesday, the firm announced a new range of Alexa voice commands that’ll make it easier to find and play content.

Users will be able to launch apps, play content by speaking into the Fire TV remote.

More skills borrowed from the Amazon Echo speaker are also coming, including the ability to find local movie show times, read Kindle books and find local businesses.

See also: Fire TV vs Roku vs Chromecast 2

Interestingly, those with a compatible Fire TV device will also have full access to the YouTube 4K content library for the first time.

Here are the updates as explained by Amazon, which will arrive in the coming weeks:

  • Launch apps using Alexa—Say “Open HBO Now” or “Launch Hulu” into the Fire TV Voice Remote to instantly open the app
  • Play Amazon Video and Add-On Subscription content from Starz, Showtime, and more using Alexa—Say “Play Interstellar,” or “Watch Veep” and get even easier access to your favorite TV shows and movies
  • Find local movie show times via Alexa—Ask “What movies are playing nearby?” or “Where is The Jungle Book playing?” to find out what movies are playing in theatres near you or specific movie times
  • YouTube 4K Ultra HD—Access YouTube’s full 4K library via the YouTube.com app on Amazon Fire TV when connected to a UHD-compatible TV
  • Search for local businesses and restaurants using Alexa—Ask “What Mexican restaurants are nearby?” to find restaurants around you or ask “What time does the nearest bank close?” to get convenient information on businesses nearby
  • Access Kindle e-books via Alexa—Say “Read The Nightingale” to listen to text-to-speech enabled books from your Kindle library through Amazon Fire TV

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