Google Home

sesevans · 28 Nov 2017 at 15:24

parxuk said:
I just had a web chat with Google support with regards to using the google home with voice commands to access music, and they stated you cant do it (in the UK), without a subscription.

This is much like the issue I am experiencing with my Pixel phone (accessing music via the assistant) and can only assume google have changed their access and subscription policies recently.

Our family enjoys the Google Play Music Family Plan. We have had it for nearly two years and think it a great service. Up to 5 family members enjoy the Plan and we all chip in and pay in total £14.99 per month.

https://support.google.com/googleplaymusic/answer/6317786?hl=en

and

https://www.hotukdeals.com/deals/google-play-music-family-plan-now-available-1499-pm-2347300

Countcussy · 28 Nov 2017 at 16:52

I agree, that does seem ok. But the main reason I chose the Home over the Echo was to use my own music, and not pay a subscription.
The support page in the forums completely contradicts what the support staff are saying, which only supports the point that the whole system was not quite ready.
Essentially, What they are saying is that to use voice commands, you have to pay. (Unless you use a phone or tablet) Which surely defeats the whole object of the device.
Yet the forum contradicts that.

I could use a spare phone, hook it up to a speaker, and know that the voice commands will then work correctly and play all my music. Somebody please tell me the difference? It simply does not make sense.

Somebody cooked up.

mark43 · 28 Nov 2017 at 18:24

BMox81 said:
Do you have a Pixel phone?

No, though I have a subscription and nothing uploaded myself so I don't have the issue, was just commenting on how crazy it is.

Martini1991 · 1 Dec 2017 at 11:56

Why on Earth can't google home tell my android TV to use netflix? It literally tells me it can't interact with android tv doing that yet.
Also, I can't turn my TV on either?

The more I want to use my Google Home, the more I'm finding it limited.

Hiijinx · 1 Dec 2017 at 12:32

^^ Have found this too - while its search engine and voice recognition work much better than Alexa, I am annoyed that there aren't more functions yet.

Want information and voice that works ? - Google

Want an assistant that actually does stuff ? - Alexa

Seems having both is best ATM.

sesevans · 2 Dec 2017 at 10:31

Martini1991 said:
Why on Earth can't google home tell my android TV to use netflix? It literally tells me it can't interact with android tv doing that yet.
Also, I can't turn my TV on either?

The more I want to use my Google Home, the more I'm finding it limited.

That is really strange as the voice command to GH turns my TV on and off because of the actions of Chromecast. Also when I say, OK Google cast Person of Interest from Netflix to my Living Room TV it works perfectly for example.

I presume you have only one WiFi network and that you are connected that same network for your Android TV and your Chromecast?

sesevans · 2 Dec 2017 at 10:42

Hiijinx said:
^^ Have found this too - while its search engine and voice recognition work much better than Alexa, I am annoyed that there aren't more functions yet.

Want information and voice that works ? - Google

Want an assistant that actually does stuff ? - Alexa

Seems having both is best ATM.

What functions are you trying to do on GH that don't work ? For me the functions I use it for mainly are connecting to Nest thermostat, Chromecast, TVs, smart lights and (via IFTTT) a smart kettle. And of course, search, music, etc.

Hiijinx · 2 Dec 2017 at 10:49

Its not that they don't work, (chromecast, music etc are fine) but the whole Amazon/Google ecosystem divide which bothers me.

Only reason I bought an echo was to 1. control our sonos, 2. read audibles (amazon owned), 3. Native support with my asus router for IFTTT and 4. room "drop ins" to use as intercoms.

Martini1991 · 2 Dec 2017 at 10:53

sesevans said:
That is really strange as the voice command to GH turns my TV on and off because of the actions of Chromecast. Also when I say, OK Google cast Person of Interest from Netflix to my Living Room TV it works perfectly for example.

I presume you have only one WiFi network and that you are connected that same network for your Android TV and your Chromecast?

Its because I have an android TV with built in chromecast. The turning on TV doesn't work. Googles documentation tell me it doesn't work either.

Eventually I imagine the netflix stuff will work. It knows what it needs to do but the functionality is blocked.

I have three Ssids but all the android stuff is on the same. Some stuff works. But some stuff doesn't because of my TV being ironically android.

mark43 · 2 Dec 2017 at 17:16

Seems crazy that it works with Chromecast but not Android TV, you'd think it would help them to push both android TV and Google home, and surely if it works with Chromecast it's not a great stretch to include this.

sesevans · 2 Dec 2017 at 19:23

Hiijinx said:
Its not that they don't work, (chromecast, music etc are fine) but the whole Amazon/Google ecosystem divide which bothers me.

Only reason I bought an echo was to 1. control our sonos, 2. read audibles (amazon owned), 3. Native support with my asus router for IFTTT and 4. room "drop ins" to use as intercoms.

I do not expect Google and Amazon to play nice with each other when a war is raging just now. For example, while it might have changed recently, for a long time Amazon refused to stock Chromecasts on their site because they knew that it would be their de facto recognition of Chromecast as the number one device in the field. I would be surprised if Amazon would share any of its proprietary content with Google, such as Audibles.

I am not aware of "room drop-ins" but you can broadcast to other Home devices signed into your account. For example, I can be in town and if I know someone I want to reach is near a Google Home signed into my account, I can broadcast a message and sort of "drop in" to that room. I assume you are familiar with this feature.

Hope that clarifies.

AndyCr15 · 2 Dec 2017 at 23:23

sesevans said:
For example, I can be in town and if I know someone I want to reach is near a Google Home signed into my account, I can broadcast a message and sort of "drop in" to that room.

Personally this seems a really bad use case. You have no idea who will hear it. You have no idea if anyone hears it. I don't know why you wouldn't just message or call them.

As an intercom in a big house, I can see it being handy.

whiskycycle · 3 Dec 2017 at 19:39

sesevans said:
I would be surprised if Amazon would share any of its proprietary content with Google, such as Audibles.

They've enabled Google Cast in Amazon Prime Music, which was a bit of a surprise recently!

We get round the Audible issue by casting the screen/audio from the phone to Home and/or speaker groups... if they've caved on Prime Music, there's a chance they _might_ cave on others.

AndyCr15 · 3 Dec 2017 at 20:59

I'd use their Prime TV more if I could cast it.

sesevans · 5 Dec 2017 at 19:42

whiskycycle said:
They've enabled Google Cast in Amazon Prime Music, which was a bit of a surprise recently!

We get round the Audible issue by casting the screen/audio from the phone to Home and/or speaker groups... if they've caved on Prime Music, there's a chance they _might_ cave on others.

I too was surprised about Amazon playing nice on Google Cast. Glad it helps you.

But the bad blood (read: competition) is clearly getting the better of Amazon as Google Home really ramps. Amazon clearly feeling the heat. You may know that Amazon refuses to sell Google Home devices on its marketplace.

I see today that Amazon has today stopped selling new Nest devices (Google owned company) on Amazon. Google seems to have the high road on this feud, based on the following:

The back and forth is discussed in the following link on Verge today:

https://www.theverge.com/2017/12/5/...ube-pulled-off-fire-tv-echo-show-nest-devices

sesevans · 6 Dec 2017 at 16:25

A lovely Christmas story for the family that bought Google Home and has a son with language difficulties. Guess what the young child's first word was.

http://mashable.com/2017/12/06/google-home-boy-language-deficit-first-word/#TDhOESuqgZqD

BMox81 · 7 Dec 2017 at 07:49

sesevans said:
A lovely Christmas story for the family that bought Google Home and has a son with language difficulties. Guess what the young child's first word was.

http://mashable.com/2017/12/06/google-home-boy-language-deficit-first-word/#TDhOESuqgZqD

Lovely story no doubt, but somewhat tinged given how it was you that put the link up about it.

sesevans · 10 Dec 2017 at 10:30

BMox81 said:
Lovely story no doubt, but somewhat tinged given how it was you that put the link up about it.

Enjoy the Christmas spirit and chill out.

There is a very funny spoof from last night's Saturday Night Live about smart voice assistants in general and Alexa in particular, with a supposedly new Amazon Echo for seniors. Really takes the p.....s. Really funny when Alexa responds "Uh huh". Enjoy this one.

mark43 · 10 Dec 2017 at 22:46

sesevans said:
Enjoy the Christmas spirit and chill out.

There is a very funny spoof from last night's Saturday Night Live about smart voice assistants in general and Alexa in particular, with a supposedly new Amazon Echo for seniors. Really takes the p.....s. Really funny when Alexa responds "Uh huh". Enjoy this one.

Hah, love it!

sesevans · 11 Dec 2017 at 15:40

I notice that the Google Home Max, the really high quality music voice activated speaker, has been launched for sale in the US today, initially on Best Buy (similar to PC World Currys).

Hoping to see them start to sell the Max in the UK soon as I would like to upgrade the quality of the sound on my living room Home.