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Ask Alexa to play tv audio on a sono one

Forum|Forum|7 years ago
February 2, 2019
11 replies
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Can I ask Alexa on Sono One to play the sound currently on my playbase that is tv audio? I saw in another forum Alexa doesn't understand grouping.

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Best answer by UKMedia

Hi

There is no Alexa voice command to add a speaker to another Sonos player but you can use the Preferred Speaker option within Alexa Groups - Please see https://en.community.sonos.com/amazon-alexa-and-sonos-229102/an-overview-and-explanation-of-the-new-support-for-alexa-grouping-6817788/index1.html#post16298346

However, this will do this all of the time and you'll need to remove the option in the Sonos App>Room Settings>[Select Your PlayBase]>TV to break the Playbase out of a group.

UKMediaAnswer

Hi

There is no Alexa voice command to add a speaker to another Sonos player but you can use the Preferred Speaker option within Alexa Groups - Please see https://en.community.sonos.com/amazon-alexa-and-sonos-229102/an-overview-and-explanation-of-the-new-support-for-alexa-grouping-6817788/index1.html#post16298346

However, this will do this all of the time and you'll need to remove the option in the Sonos App>Room Settings>[Select Your PlayBase]>TV to break the Playbase out of a group.

Remember: Sometimes Red Wine helps :)

T

trymph

Trending Lyricist I

Similarly...........sorry for my confusion here but what about Playbar. I am trying to use Alexa voice to push my TV audio to my Sonos ONE in the Kitchen group and separately (but not simultaneously) to my Den group with a Play1/echo. I've been trying several configs for both Alexa and Sonos but only have been able to manually turn on the respective speakers manually via the Sonos app for Kitchen and Den. Is this possible by voice?

UKMedia

TV is handled slightly different than Music. In the 'Sonos App>Settings>Room Settings>[Select your PlayBar]>TV & Remote>TV' there is an option to 'Ungroup on AutoPlay' and 'TV Autoplay' which is default set to 'On'. 'TV AutoPlay' will automatically switch the PlayBar to TV input when detected and the 'Ungroup on AutoPlay', will automatically remove the PlayBar from any Sonos Group.

If you Deselect 'Ungroup on AutoPlay', you can use the Preferred Speaker option to Group your PlayBar and Sonos One together but this will always happen. Or you could use Scenario 2 in my post referenced above RE: Preferred Speaker and create specific Alexa Groups for creating different Sonos Groups.

Does this answer your question?

Remember: Sometimes Red Wine helps :)

T

trymph

Trending Lyricist I

TV is handled slightly different than Music. In the 'Sonos App>Settings>Room Settings>[Select your PlayBar]>TV & Remote>TV' there is an option to 'Ungroup on AutoPlay' and 'TV Autoplay' which is default set to 'On'. 'TV AutoPlay' will automatically switch the PlayBar to TV input when detected and the 'Ungroup on AutoPlay', will automatically remove the PlayBar from any Sonos Group.

If you Deselect 'Ungroup on AutoPlay', you can use the Preferred Speaker option to Group your PlayBar and Sonos One together but this will always happen. Or you could use Scenario 2 in my post referenced above RE: Preferred Speaker and create specific Alexa Groups for creating different Sonos Groups.

Does this answer your question?

T

trymph

Trending Lyricist I

TV is handled slightly different than Music. In the 'Sonos App>Settings>Room Settings>[Select your PlayBar]>TV & Remote>TV' there is an option to 'Ungroup on AutoPlay' and 'TV Autoplay' which is default set to 'On'. 'TV AutoPlay' will automatically switch the PlayBar to TV input when detected and the 'Ungroup on AutoPlay', will automatically remove the PlayBar from any Sonos Group.

If you Deselect 'Ungroup on AutoPlay', you can use the Preferred Speaker option to Group your PlayBar and Sonos One together but this will always happen. Or you could use Scenario 2 in my post referenced above RE: Preferred Speaker and create specific Alexa Groups for creating different Sonos Groups.

Does this answer your question?

T

trymph

Trending Lyricist I

Thanks for your reply....i understand the autoplay will send my tv audio to playbar when tv is playing....but is it possible to ask alexa to also play my tv audio to my sonos one or my play1/echo from a different room/group? I can activate those remote speakers via the sonos app by selecting with the check mark button but i would like to do same by alexa voice while in either the kitchen or den. Are you saying i just need to make those remote sonos' my preferred with auto turned on while my playbar is listed as a member of that group?

UKMedia

Are you saying i just need to make those remote sonos' my preferred with auto turned on while my playbar is listed as a member of that group?

I don't think it is possible with TV through the PlayBar, as Alexa isn't controlling the TV and so there isn't a voice command to initiate TV Audio. Unless you have an Alexa controlled TV, in which case Preferred Speakers would work, otherwise you will need a voice command to add your Sonos One to an existing Room which doesn't exist at the moment.

The only other thing to test is:

- Create an Alexa Group, let's call it 'downstairs tv' and add the PlayBar and Sonos One as Preferred Speakers;
- Start music in this group, 'Alexa, Play Music on downstairs tv';
- Turn on TV.

I'm not sure, even with 'Ungroup on AutoPlay' not selected if it will play on both speakers.

It is slightly easier if you have a Harmony Hub remote, via these steps: (This avoids having to play music to group the players)

1/ Open the Harmony Hub App>Harmony Setup;
2/ Add your Sonos players as devices;
2/ Next create an Activity - Named 'Group Sonos';
3/ Add your required Devices to the Activity;
4/ Disable the Harmony skill in the Alexa App and then Re-Enable. During this process, you have the ability to define 'Friendly Names' - there doesn't seem to be a way of doing this any other way. I created 'Group Sonos' and 'Sonos Everywhere' as friendly names;
5/ Save the Activity in the Harmony Hub App;
6/ Ask 'Alexa, Discover devices'.

Now the command 'Alexa, Turn on Group Sonos' or 'Alexa, Turn on Sonos Everywhere' groups all of my Sonos speakers and displays the new grouping in the Sonos App.

Remember: Sometimes Red Wine helps :)

T

trymph

Trending Lyricist I

Are you saying i just need to make those remote sonos' my preferred with auto turned on while my playbar is listed as a member of that group?

I don't think it is possible with TV through the PlayBar, as Alexa isn't controlling the TV and so there isn't a voice command to initiate TV Audio. Unless you have an Alexa controlled TV, in which case Preferred Speakers would work, otherwise you will need a voice command to add your Sonos One to an existing Room which doesn't exist at the moment.

The only other thing to test is:

- Create an Alexa Group, let's call it 'downstairs tv' and add the PlayBar and Sonos One as Preferred Speakers;
- Start music in this group, 'Alexa, Play Music on downstairs tv';
- Turn on TV.

I'm not sure, even with 'Ungroup on AutoPlay' not selected if it will play on both speakers.

It is slightly easier if you have a Harmony Hub remote, via these steps: (This avoids having to play music to group the players)

1/ Open the Harmony Hub App>Harmony Setup;
2/ Add your Sonos players as devices;
2/ Next create an Activity - Named 'Group Sonos';
3/ Add your required Devices to the Activity;
4/ Disable the Harmony skill in the Alexa App and then Re-Enable. During this process, you have the ability to define 'Friendly Names' - there doesn't seem to be a way of doing this any other way. I created 'Group Sonos' and 'Sonos Everywhere' as friendly names;
5/ Save the Activity in the Harmony Hub App;
6/ Ask 'Alexa, Discover devices'.

Now the command 'Alexa, Turn on Group Sonos' or 'Alexa, Turn on Sonos Everywhere' groups all of my Sonos speakers and displays the new grouping in the Sonos App.

T

trymph

Trending Lyricist I

@UK:

Unless you have an Alexa controlled TV, in which case Preferred Speakers would work, otherwise you will need a voice command to add your Sonos One to an existing Room which doesn't exist at the moment.

My OLED 55C8 LG does have log in screens but not sure about alexa specifically although there is an amazon prime log in template....will investigate w/amazon about alexa enablement....all your suggestions on my plate/ cant wait.....i just want to be in kitchen or den while playbar has tv audio output and tell alexa:

" alexa play tv in kitchen"

as if tv is just another audio subscription

Did i read here that Beam does name TV output as a selectable audio provider?

....thanks for your thoughtful ideas...will advise on progress...regards

T

trymph

Trending Lyricist I

@UK:

Unless you have an Alexa controlled TV, in which case Preferred Speakers would work, otherwise you will need a voice command to add your Sonos One to an existing Room which doesn't exist at the moment.

My OLED 55C8 LG does have log in screens but not sure about alexa specifically although there is an amazon prime log in template....will investigate w/amazon about alexa enablement....all your suggestions on my plate/ cant wait.....i just want to be in kitchen or den while playbar has tv audio output and tell alexa:

" alexa play tv in kitchen"

as if tv is just another audio subscription

Did i read here that Beam does name TV output as a selectable audio provider?

....thanks for your thoughtful ideas...will advise on progress...regards

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