Hi Guys,
Let me start off by saying I love you guys. I have a Playbar, Play 5, Play 3, Connect, and am looking to complete my Playbar setup with a couple of Play 1's and a Sub soon.
I also have an Amazon Echo and it is awesome. In fact, it's a bit too awesome and I find myself asking Alexa to play music just because if I want to hear a song, all I have to do is ask; I don't have to bust out my phone. The problem is the speakers on the Echo are mediocre at best. I would much prefer the sound to come out of my Sonos system. With the "internet of things" really starting to take off - integration is going to become more and more important.
Amazon Echo has sort of a plugins-type interface called skills. https://developer.amazon.com/public/solutions/alexa/alexa-skills-kit/getting-started-guide
It would be amazing if you guys could create an skill for Sonos. Something like "Alexa, tell Sonos to play *playlist*." or music by _____ or x from pandora.
I've done some searching and this comes up on this forum a lot. I think it's time you started listening to your community. With skills you no longer need much help from Amazon so its on you to keep your customers happy. Please do not start your own voice recognition or anything silly like that. Stick to what you're great at. Just use what is already available and on the markets and integrate with them.
Thanks
-Collin
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Userlevel 7
+22
Lmower. An echo dot hooked to play5s gives you sonos and echo together now.
Why Echo and Homekit? Why not Google's upcoming device, which should have far better access to general knowledge than Echo. I have Echo, Alexa's ability to answer general knowledge questions is very, very poor.
This space is just getting started. Apple will try to lock you into add-ons that cost more, and generate more revenue for Apple, so Homekit is a non starter for me. Sonos has always been an equal access platform. I sure hope they don't lock into a single platform, which then gets superceded by another, game changing newer one.
This space is just getting started. Apple will try to lock you into add-ons that cost more, and generate more revenue for Apple, so Homekit is a non starter for me. Sonos has always been an equal access platform. I sure hope they don't lock into a single platform, which then gets superceded by another, game changing newer one.
I have been using Sonos for 7 years, and love it, but Alexa is so good that I am willing to move from Sonos to get proper integration.
I have been a Sonos customer for 10 years. I too love it. I'm now an Alexa owner, and it rocks too. Sonos should look carefully at the history of those technologies that refused to play well with others. History has shown that failure to integrate leads to loss of market share. If I were running Sonos, my directive would be in integrate to as much as possible to gain as much market share as possible. Also through integration comes the possibility of assimilation. Just my 2 cents.
Userlevel 7
+22
See this thread https://en.community.sonos.com/controllers-software-228995/amazon-echo-controller-6512658
Userlevel 7
+22
Yea I give that 0% supporting a 3rd party device with limited market. Just sayin'. Third party using Sonon API is only way way your going to see integration.
It would just be another controller... no different than supporting iOS or Android third party devices as controllers. The market is limited but growing and the "buzz factor" for having voice control capability with minimum development (compared to a totally homegrown solution) could be quite attractive to marketing.
I'm not sure Amazon would enjoy having a third party speaker manufacturer using their voice activated speaker as a voice activated controller. Then again, Amazon and Sonos seem to have a cordial working relationship.
Userlevel 7
+22
I personally want Sonos to devote no effort to this. There are plenty of other wish list items to work on and spend development time on that are not niche device support (better suited to third party development through API)
Userlevel 7
+23
How is Grouping supposed to work though? "Play the Beatles in the Kitchen and group that with the Dining Room and ungroup the Bathroom". Ug. Sonos is a multi-room system, adding speech support to that isn't as trivial as some seem to think. And that's just in English: Sonos support ~14 languages, the grammar rules for grouping I'm sure vary.
Per the GitHub instructions, this requires exposing your home network, incoming, to the Internet. No thanks.
Let me start off by saying I love you guys. I have a Playbar, Play 5, Play 3, Connect, and am looking to complete my Playbar setup with a couple of Play 1's and a Sub soon.
I also have an Amazon Echo and it is awesome. In fact, it's a bit too awesome and I find myself asking Alexa to play music just because if I want to hear a song, all I have to do is ask; I don't have to bust out my phone. The problem is the speakers on the Echo are mediocre at best. I would much prefer the sound to come out of my Sonos system. With the "internet of things" really starting to take off - integration is going to become more and more important.
Amazon Echo has sort of a plugins-type interface called skills. https://developer.amazon.com/public/solutions/alexa/alexa-skills-kit/getting-started-guide
It would be amazing if you guys could create an skill for Sonos. Something like "Alexa, tell Sonos to play *playlist*." or music by _____ or x from pandora.
I've done some searching and this comes up on this forum a lot. I think it's time you started listening to your community. With skills you no longer need much help from Amazon so its on you to keep your customers happy. Please do not start your own voice recognition or anything silly like that. Stick to what you're great at. Just use what is already available and on the markets and integrate with them.
Thanks
-Collin
So, can we tell Alexa to start our sonos via our phones??
I was thinking about buying another Play:1 for my garage, but instead I just bought two Echo Dots.
Userlevel 7
+22
We don't know if Sonos is listening regarding or not. They do not comment on future plans.
We also still don't know if Amazon are interested in allowing third parties access to their voice control technology.
Ahh.. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=frH9HaQTFL8
Ahh.. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=frH9HaQTFL8
I can't sit through 10 and half minutes while at work, precis it for me. Is this in any way an official Amazon implementation?
Ahh.. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=frH9HaQTFL8
I can't sit through 10 and half minutes while at work, precis it for me. Is this in any way an official Amazon implementation?
In short, amazon gives third parties access to directly install alexa on third party devices. It is "official" as its available to developers.
With that being said, amazon is releasing this http://www.amazon.com/b/?node=14047587011. Unfortunately it only supports 3.5mm output. So in theory, we just need a way that this device can override the current output and we're in business.
If by "override the current output" you mean have the line-in on a Play:5, Connect:Amp, or Connect automatically switch over when it senses audio input, that can be done now by turning on Autoplay in the settings menu. As to there only being a 3.5mm output, the Play:5 input is already 3.5mm, and there are adapters to convert 3.5mm to RCA for the Connects.
If by "override the current output" you mean have the line-in on a Play:5, Connect:Amp, or Connect automatically switch over when it senses audio input, that can be done now by turning on Autoplay in the settings menu. As to there only being a 3.5mm output, the Play:5 input is already 3.5mm, and there are adapters to convert 3.5mm to RCA for the Connects.
Is there a way to set priority on something like that? What I mean by override is if I am watching TV and I say "alexa", I want the audio to switch to the echo, and when its done switch back.
No. The Autoplay function simply senses input on the analog line-in (or digital optical on the Playbar) and switches to that source. Switching back is manual.
Checking back in several months later.
As a compromise you might consider getting an Echo Dot and connecting it to the line-in of your Sonos player in the room or rooms you most often listen to music in. This would give you both the convenience of Echo plus the sound quality of Sonos. You could also share the Echo Dot sound with other rooms via Sonos and still use Sonos in the traditional old fashioned app control way if you wanted to listen to your local music library.
Thats exactly what I'm doing now that the Echo Dot has a line-out. Going to connect it to the line-in on my Play 5. Using the autoplay will let it override whats currently playing. I think this works with groups also. Interested to see how it plays with my PLAY BAR if the TV will take back control or whatnot. Still would like to see some sort of official integration fron SONOS.
We also still don't know if Amazon are interested in allowing third parties access to their voice control technology.
Actually, Echo is extendable by third parties. They have a whole API around it. This is just SONOS not caring.
Thats exactly what I'm doing now that the Echo Dot has a line-out. Going to connect it to the line-in on my Play 5. Using the autoplay will let it override whats currently playing. I think this works with groups also. Interested to see how it plays with my PLAY BAR if the TV will take back control or whatnot. Still would like to see some sort of official integration fron SONOS.
Actually, Echo is extendable by third parties. They have a whole API around it. This is just SONOS not caring.
Chris,
Does that mean you have changed your mind on:
I personally want Sonos to devote no effort to this. There are plenty of other wish list items to work on and spend development time on that are not niche device support (better suited to third party development through API)
And that you'd be okay with them developing a basic Alexa skill to allow integration between the two APIs?
🙂
Does that mean you have changed your mind on:
And that you'd be okay with them developing a basic Alexa skill to allow integration between the two APIs?
🙂
Biggest wish now is that one echo could control another.
I'll admit to having pre-ordered 2 dots and have the same questions. I guess I'll find out when the Dots come in. I'm sure there will be some quirks to get used to, but we are both taking the same route for integration via Play:5 and autoplay. I suspect I'll have my Playbar on a separate group to keep my TV sound separate and the rest of my SONOS in another group for autoplay.
Also, thank you for admitting the potential now that you've used echo 🙂
Looks like the Alexa bird is coming home to roost at Sonos...
http://blog.sonos.com/news/industry-in-transition-invest-in-future
http://www.geekwire.com/2016/sonos-caught-snoozing-speaker-firm-cuts-staff-amazons-echo-catches-fire/
From the Sonos CEO blog post...
http://blog.sonos.com/news/industry-in-transition-invest-in-future
http://www.geekwire.com/2016/sonos-caught-snoozing-speaker-firm-cuts-staff-amazons-echo-catches-fire/
From the Sonos CEO blog post...
We’re fans of what Amazon has done with Alexa and the Echo product line. Voice recognition isn’t new; today it’s nearly ubiquitous with Siri, OK Google, and Cortana. But the Echo found a sweet spot in the home and will impact how we navigate music, weather, and many, many other things as developers bring new ideas and more content to the Alexa platform.
Alexa/Echo is the first product to really showcase the power of voice control in the home. Its popularity with consumers will accelerate innovation across the entire industry. What is novel today will become standard tomorrow. Here again, Sonos is taking the long view in how best to bring voice-enabled music experiences into the home. Voice is a big change for us, so we’ll invest what’s required to bring it to market in a wonderful way.
There is always going to be conflict between manufacturers not wanting their device sales cannabalized by developing solutions supporting their competitors. This is classic conflict between companies and its customers. Customers want to grow the ecosystem and companies want to control it. Companies like Sonos could simply create open APIs for their devices and let the consumer grow the ecosystem by developing solutions and even selling them. This will be an ongoing problem for consumers until companies like Sonos, Amazon, and others let consumers drive how their products are used or realize that the more interconnected they make their products, the more of those products they will sell.
This will be an ongoing problem for consumers until companies like Sonos, Amazon, and others let consumers drive how their products are used or realize that the more interconnected they make their products, the more of those products they will sell.
I'm not sure how this critique applies to Amazon. So far, the Echo/Alexa interface has been 100% open, and they are going out of their way to allow interconnection with their product, including allowing other companies to embed Alexa voice technology into their third party hardware instead of having to go through an Echo.
https://developer.amazon.com/appsandservices/solutions/alexa/alexa-skills-kit
http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=176060&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=2062557
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