Starting today, Plex will support Amazon’s Alexa digital assistant in a magical new pairing that we’re dubbing ‘Aplexa’.
This means that you’ll now be able to control Plex content using Alexa, courtesy of an Amazon Echo, Echo Dot, or any other Alexa-enabled smart device you have in your home. The new update went live today, February 2, and is available to users across the UK.
“If you’re the proud owner of an Amazon Echo, Echo Dot, Amazon Tap, Amazon Fire TV, or Fire tablet, you’ll be able to dive right in,” reads the Plex blog. “If you’re still on the fence as to whether to let Alexa into your life…
So what can Alexa do for Plex? Well there’s the obvious playing, pausing, and so on. But she can also do plenty more, including suggesting new TV shows, as Plex’s example conversation outlines:
Confrontational Craig: I don’t think I can handle another episode of Arrow. I can literally feel my soul escaping through my eyes whenever I think about it. Literally.
Sensible Sarah: I’m pretty sure you mean figuratively. Anyway, what would you like to watch?
Craig: I dunno. What do you wanna watch?
Sarah: I dunno.
Repeat last two lines for 30 minutes.
Sarah: I know, let’s ask Plex! “Alexa, ask Plex to suggest something to watch!”
Alexa: You were right in the middle of an episode of Arrow. Would you like me to resume it?
Craig: No!
Alexa: How about returning to something you haven’t watched in a while? Would you like me to put on the next episode of Celebrity Deathmatch?
Sarah: No!
Alexa: How about starting a new series? Would you like me to put on the first episode of Son of Zorn?
Confrontational Craig and Sensible Sarah look at each other. Eyes lock. Neither can find a reason to reject such a sensible proposal.
Sarah and Craig (in breathy unison): Sure!
Alexa (in her characteristic, optimistic tone): Okay, enjoy season one episode one of Son of Zorn: Return to Orange County!
[scene]
But it’s not just TV that benefits from Aplexa (yes, it will become a thing); you can always play your own music through Plex using Alexa. If you say “Alexa, ask Plex to get this party started” then she’ll throw on a recent favourite for you to rock out to.
So how do you get it all to work? First, you’ll need to tell Alexa to enable the Plex skill, then link your account and ask her to ‘open Plex’. Then you’ll be able to use Alexa to play whatever media you like on any of your players – including phones, tablets, and your TV.
Related: Best Alexa Skills
Watch: Amazon Echo Setup and Tips
What do you think of Plex? Let us know in the comments.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
