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Developers can now build smart TVs that are controllable via Alexa commands without needing to invoke a specific skill, thanks to the new Video Skill API that Amazon released late last week.
In practice, this will eventually allow Alexa users to say, for instance, "Alexa, turn on Orange Is The New Black," and the user's TV will oblige if the TV is linked with the popular voice assistant. It's worth noting that users don't even need to specify the application, like HBO or Netflix, that the show or movie is on.
This could boost Echo shipments while growing engagement.
- Currently, many users have their Echo in their kitchens, which limits their use. About 51% of US Echo owners have their Echo placed in their kitchen, according to Experian Information Solutions. This can be helpful for hands-free control of the home while cooking, for example, but it's far less helpful when trying to control the TV through a third-party skill from another room of the home.
- This API could be a good way to boost Echo shipments by bringing them into rooms outside the kitchen. If consumers can now directly turn on TV shows and movies using their Echo device, they might be more inclined to buy an Echo, perhaps the $50 Echo Dot, for the room in their homes where the TV is, perhaps to even compliment an existing Echo in the home. That could grow the device's user base in the coming years — BI Intelligence forecasts that 16.5 million US households will have at least one Echo.
The US smart home market has still yet to meet the expectations many observers had in the early part of this decade. The same issues BI Intelligence first identified back in 2015 still plague the space — persistently high prices, technological fragmentation, and consumers' lack of a perceived benefit from the devices.
Nicholas Shields, research analyst for BI Intelligence, Business Insider's premium research service, has compiled a detailed report that examines the overall state of the US smart home market. Some of the highlights from the report include:
- Current consumer demand for smart home devices based off results from BI Intelligence's proprietary survey.
- Future growth forecasts in the number of smart home devices installed in American homes.
- The factors that influence the proliferation of voice control devices in the homes.
- The market strategies of various companies that have integrated voice control into their smart home ecosystems.
To get your copy of this invaluable guide, subscribe to an ALL-ACCESS Membership with BI Intelligence and gain immediate access to this report AND more than 250 other expertly researched deep-dive reports, subscriptions to all of our daily newsletters, and much more. >> Learn More Now
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