Sky TV partners with Amazon on Alexa

The headline narrative is that Sky TV and Amazon are foes.

And they still could be if the US giant makes a bid for rugby rights.

But over the past couple of months, the two companies have been making nice. First Amazon shelled out for Sky TV All Blacks footage, and agreed to give the Kiwi pay-TV broadcaster first dibs on screening its All Blacks documentary series in New Zealand.

And today comes the news that Sky TV will be one of the "skills" for Amazon's series of Echo smart speakers, just released in New Zealand and powered by smart assistant Alexa (Amazon's version of Siri).

If you buy an Echo speaker, you'll be able to issue voice commands to start Sky TV, then search its programming guide.

The "skill" or Alexa app was created for Sky TV by local developer Rush Digital.

Echo speakers also support voice-controlled Alexa skills from  Air New Zealand (for checking flight details), 1 News (twice daily news updates), Newstalk ZB (hourly updates) and ZM (Breakfast & Drive music shows).

Amazon says there are more than 10,000 skills internationally. from the likes of Uber, Spotify and Philips Hue. 

The company says they will be made available to New Zealanders over the next year.

Echo speakers also work with compatible smart home gear, so a single voice command, such as "Alexa, good night" can be used to turn off all the devices in your living room then switch off the lights, for example.

Alexa will also tell you the weather and — in countries where Amazon has a direct presence — let you shop online using voice commands.

In the US, Amazon's Echo speakers, which cost between $89 and $269, compete toe-to-toe with Google's Home series of smart speakers, yet to be released here.

Apple is about to release its HomePod smart speaker. One early tester's verdict: it sounds better than Amazon or Google's efforts, but is not as smart.

All onboard for Oakland
Parallel importers tell NBR  both lines are pretty capable of dealing with a New Zilund accent.

I'm already using Alexa on an Amazon Fire TV unit, which I parallel imported via NZ Post's YouShop service (which gives you an address in Portland to skirt geo-restrictions on shipping. NZ Post then freight-forward to New Zealand. Although it doesn't ship Fire TV and a number of other products to New Zealand, Amazon seems unconcerned that several thousand New Zealanders appear to live at the same Portland address).

My take is Alex needs a little coaching on the Kiwi accent.

When I hold down the Alexa button on my Fire TV remote and ask "What is the weather in Auckland," she gives me the weather in Oakland, California (recalling the famous incident where a US traveller leaving Germany mistakenly boarded a flight to Auckland).

To get the weather in Auckland, I have to say what to Kiwi ears sounds like "Oakland."

With their official Australian and New Zealand release, Echo speakers have been given "local voices" and presumably a better ability to cope with the Kiwi accent but I'm confirming that one with Amazon, and also awaiting review product.