DirecTV removing Alexa Voice feature from devices

[DirecTVFanSince2016]

As of 10/17/23, the Alexa Voice feature will be removed from Alexa Smart Home devices and DIRECTV Genie HD DVRs.

 

[navychop]

Why?

 

[DirecTVFanSince2016]

I noticed the message on my box last night. I never used the feature, heck I've never even had an Alexa, but my guess is because not a lot of people even used the feature anyway.

 

[savarese04]

I've tried it before. It's super finicky and it's hard to set up correctly. A lot of times with these features there's low adoption and high friction, so it's easier to just drop it.

The other thing is that a lot of times the APIs change and that may irreparably break the app. This could be for many reasons (security, protect 1st party apps, try to upsell API access, etc). IoT is a mess, really. You really are opting into a system where you don't know what can happen tomorrow. Example: Smarthings made a major change recently and it's pretty much killed their ecosystem

 

[TRG]

I wonder if it has anything to do with this...

Running AI is so expensive that Amazon will probably charge you to use Alexa in future, says outgoing exec

 

[Jimbo]

I wonder if it has anything to do with this...

Running AI is so expensive that Amazon will probably charge you to use Alexa in future, says outgoing exec

Well, then Alexa can go away, I don't need Alexa that much ... it's nice to have, but not a necessity ...

Move to Google is an option, till they do the same ...

I think IF they start charging for Alexa, they will see sales and usage drop considerably.

 

[KyL416]

Move to Google is an option, till they do the same ...

Any Google integration will likely be limited to Gemini only where it's Google themselves sending updates to their search app and Play Framework via the Play Store.

I doubt we'll get something built in for Genies and other clients, especially when Google has a long history of killing off products or introducing new requirements for their APIs that can't easily be backported. i.e. the original YouTube integration that was available on all Hx2x and higher receivers until they killed off the API that allowed direct access to the video files.

 

[Jimbo]

I was actually speaking of IF they start charging for Alexa in general, not just the D* set up ones ...

 

[MrDRC]

Well, then Alexa can go away, I don't need Alexa that much ... it's nice to have, but not a necessity ...

Move to Google is an option, till they do the same ...

I think IF they start charging for Alexa, they will see sales and usage drop considerably.

Agree 100%. I’ve got a house full of Alexa devices and they’re connected to all kinds of my appliances including the Dish Hopper (works quite well) but if they start charging to use Alexa I’d drop it. We paid enough for these devices that there shouldn’t be a charge. I’d be pissed if they started that crap.

 

[DirecTVFanSince2016]

They pushed the removal to November 8th.

 

[Jimbo]

They pushed the removal to November 8th.

Yippie ...

 

[John2021]

Agree 100%. I’ve got a house full of Alexa devices and they’re connected to all kinds of my appliances including the Dish Hopper (works quite well) but if they start charging to use Alexa I’d drop it. We paid enough for these devices that there shouldn’t be a charge. I’d be pissed if they started that crap.

LOL don't give em any ideas. they will start charging you to use em then dish and direct will come up with another price hike

 

[John2021]

Why?

my guess would be so they can shove the gemini boxes down everyones throats... as they have been giving us the speal about how elevated my tv experence would be!!! I have to laugh when i ask em how a glorified streaming box is going to elevate my tv viewing experence when i don't stream!!! then i tell em i have a smart tv after i tell em to come out with a new genie then maybe we will talk!!! i like not having a contract right now and there's nothing worth a contract for dtv except a movers deal... i heard alot of people say the gemini is a POS.