Google Home versus Amazon Echo

OldMrBrennan83

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wexfordman2

Patww79 wrote: »

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Ease off on the sauce

BoardsMember

Thanks bk / niallb for all the really helpful info

bk

Patww79 wrote: »

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No problems here, it understands me very well.

niallb

Patww79 wrote: »

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As I had stated in the previous post, my chromecasts are already on Firmware 1.21 .
1.21.74816 to be exact.

It looks like the problem is they are registered to Country Code "IE" , and that's not something I can change from there.

Thanks BK for the update that you can play to named speaker.
I had tried play and many things, but just mentioned the verb "cast" in case it was the missing link for someone with a real Google Home.
Can't wait to get mine!

Your phrasing is what I had tried first, and it just shows up "Here's what I found on the web".

bk

So I think this is what you have to do:

- Set the locale and language of your phone to US-English
- Set the locale of the CCA to US
- You may have to restart the devices for these changes to take effect
- Make sure the firmware of the CCA is at least 1.21
- In the Google Home app, under each CCA, it should now come up in blue, "Activate Voice Control" click on that.

Let us know how it goes niallb, I'll update the FAQ based on your feedback.

stesaurus

Do chromecasts only work to make a speaker wireless so just acting as a smart input? What I'm getting at is there any way of outputting audio from a tv, hifi or record player to another wireless speaker or even better to a Google Home with a CC?

bk

s.welstead wrote: »

Do chromecasts only work to make a speaker wireless so just acting as a smart input? What I'm getting at is there any way of outputting audio from a tv, hifi or record player to another wireless speaker or even better to a Google Home with a CC?

No, they act as a receiver only.

However many apps and programs on smart phones, tablets, pcs and ven some smart TV's support the google cast protocol and thus they can send their audio to the Google Home.

degsie

s.welstead wrote: »

Do chromecasts only work to make a speaker wireless so just acting as a smart input? What I'm getting at is there any way of outputting audio from a tv, hifi or record player to another wireless speaker or even better to a Google Home with a CC?

I'm assuming you mean the AUDIO CC?
A simple video will explain how it's used...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-sWlKCjmzIY

stesaurus

I think this is sort of what I mean:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Bluetooth-Transmitter-iKross-Connection-Headphones/dp/B013CVY9FA

OK yes sacrilege but say i wanted to output my vinyl to a wireless speaker on the other side of the room, I know converting to digital, the shame! The device above would let me output to bluetooth.

Is there any way I could slightly automate this into Google Home by casting it? I know GH doesn't have bluetooth so I thought a CC would help.

OldMrBrennan83

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bk

Patww79 wrote: »

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But is it set to the US?

Mine are bought in Ireland, but I now have them set to the US. I think it sets the locale based on where you first set them up.

OldMrBrennan83

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degsie

s.welstead wrote: »

I think this is sort of what I mean:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Bluetooth-Transmitter-iKross-Connection-Headphones/dp/B013CVY9FA

OK yes sacrilege but say i wanted to output my vinyl to a wireless speaker on the other side of the room, I know converting to digital, the shame! The device above would let me output to bluetooth.

Is there any way I could slightly automate this into Google Home by casting it? I know GH doesn't have bluetooth so I thought a CC would help.

Can't see how GH fits into this. Maybe if you could capture the audio via a computer and then use pc software to cast this as a live stream to a CC or GH.

stesaurus

Came across this, pretty cool

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tOb73Hq9ukc

Spocker

Does.. not... compute....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZfCfTYZJWtI

él statutorio

bk wrote: »

I don't think so, not with Spotify anyway, I don't have Google Music.

If you bought two Google Homes and set them up separately, each linked to a separate Google Music account, then it might be possible.

I think it is possible, with a play music account. There's a limit on how many devices can be playing songs from an individual account (rather than a family account).

él statutorio

I've been playing around with Google home since I picked some up last week in the black friday sales for $100 each. (I live stateside)

As bk posted earlier, the setup is very straightforward, the only gotcha for me was having to change my language/region to US english for it to work.

Regarding the voice control, it's very smart from what I can see. I mainly use it for playing Google Play Music and Pandora (I'm in the US). But my 4 year old has discovered that it will tell her jokes if she asks it and that goes on all day. Interestingly, there seems to be a good variety of jokes as they've only been repeated once or twice, they're all "dad type" jokes by the way.

Having played about with it for a week, it's not bad at all. It's probably better than the Echo from what I've seen in terms of how it handles voice requests. However, as already mentioned, it doesn't have close to the same level of support as Echo for stuff like lights, switches and hubs etc.

I do feel that once the support kicks in, hopefully in the new year, things will improve on the home automation front. If Sonos get their act together and start to work with it, then I'll be very happy. I have a decent Sonos setup at home and really the only way I can get it to work is to buy a CCA for the Play5 which I'd rather not do.

aoshea

Hi.. Can anyone help.. Got the Amazon Echo Dot for Xmas.. But the App is unavailable in Ireland.... Devastated to discover this.... There must be a way.. I have Googled...however I'm finding it difficult to replace Irish Address with a UK Address... I did this in setting of Play store... Then forced stop and cleared cashe and data.... Still cant access the app though....

bk

aoshea wrote: »

Hi.. Can anyone help.. Got the Amazon Echo Dot for Xmas.. But the App is unavailable in Ireland.... Devastated to discover this.... There must be a way.. I have Googled...however I'm finding it difficult to replace Irish Address with a UK Address... I did this in setting of Play store... Then forced stop and cleared cashe and data.... Still cant access the app though....

Answered right here on the first page of the Alexa FAQ:

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2057668556

niallb

aoshea wrote: »

...however I'm finding it difficult to replace Irish Address with a UK Address...

Be really careful with that if you're part of an Amazon Family account.
I got kicked out of my family because I moved address while setting up.
Since I was the original account holder, it left four people's libraries in tatters
and would have removed all content from them in 24 hours if I hadn't persuaded Amazon to reverse the decision - there was absolutely no warning.

I've checked for nearby addresses in Bing as suggested in that list, and Bing Maps is an absolute joke in Ireland.

Skerries

one question I asked both was who is the prime minister of Ireland (neither recognized Taoiseach)

Google got it right
but the echo thought it was a female called Edna Kenny

degsie

Skerries wrote: »

one question I asked both was who is the prime minister of Ireland (neither recognized Taoiseach)

Google got it right
but the echo thought it was a female called Edna Kenny

Sorry, which one got it right again?

NomadicGray

Skerries wrote: »

the echo thought it was a female called Edna Kenny

Yours must have a speech impediment

wexfordman2

Well, had my Google home for a few days now, and love it. One very significant issue though, all my Google stuff is done though google apps (now called g suite), and google apps has only limited support for Google home, IE no integration of calenders photos etc, whereas Alexa does.

There does not seem to be anything in train to add this support either, so a bit worrying. Alexa fully supports Google apps accounts, yet google home does not.

This might be a deciding factor for anyone who has the same setup.

Zascar

That's a bit ridiculous alright. I use Google stuff extensively and its mad it does not work. What I want is to be able to take notes and set reminders. I can do notes on Alexa and use IFTTT and Zapier to eventually get it to my Google tasks, but no reminders yet. Hope this will get easier on both soon

ibFoxer

Having had a bit of time to play around with both, i'm kinda leaning toward the Google device more. It seems, at least to me, to work better, and i believe it definitely resolves requests faster. I also get this annoying disconnection with both Dots every so often, plugging out and in again fixes it but never had an issue with the Google Home.

of course i'm probably not using the devices to their full potential at all, and i think i'd need a day to sit down and go through everything to fully unlock the potential in both, so i will reserve final judgement until i do.

Roen

wexfordman2 wrote: »

Well, had my Google home for a few days now, and love it. One very significant issue though, all my Google stuff is done though google apps (now called g suite), and google apps has only limited support for Google home, IE no integration of calenders photos etc, whereas Alexa does.

There does not seem to be anything in train to add this support either, so a bit worrying. Alexa fully supports Google apps accounts, yet google home does not.

This might be a deciding factor for anyone who has the same setup.

How do you integrate Alexa with the Google Apps suite? Not seeing a skill for it.
Is it US only by any chance?
Cheers,
R.

stesaurus

Uh oh

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r5p0gqCIEa8

jones

wexfordman2 wrote: »

Well, had my Google home for a few days now, and love it. One very significant issue though, all my Google stuff is done though google apps (now called g suite), and google apps has only limited support for Google home, IE no integration of calenders photos etc, whereas Alexa does.

There does not seem to be anything in train to add this support either, so a bit worrying. Alexa fully supports Google apps accounts, yet google home does not.

This might be a deciding factor for anyone who has the same setup.

Wow this could be a deal breaker for me. I use google calendar A LOT and just assumed it would be fully supported with google home. how odd that its not? Surely they will add support for this? Although why it isnt there from the beginning is very odd especially when Alexa has it