Calling all Amazon FireTV/Alexa experts!
So i recently decided to replace my Plex client running my TVs (RasPlex) with an Amazon Fire TV and have run into some issues that i didnt even think about when doing the research (silly me). So have the FireTV connected to the TV and for the most part it works. Loaded Plex on it and can play my media. So your thinking whats the issue then. well let me tell ya.
1.) Didn’t realize there is no volume control on the FireTV remote. All the hype was that with FireTV and Alexa we are moving away from needing remotes but how do i control volume when one recording is to quiet or to loud. Quick search brings me to add ons to the remote (which defeats my purpose of trying to have a simpler remote).
2.) Got Alexa partially working with Plex but not fully. I think it is because i use home users to seperate out the play lists for the family. Kids see their shows, wife her chick flicks and i get my scifi fantasy. Alexa does seem to play something but instead of it showing up on the FireTV it starts on my computer in Chrome?!
3.) Final one is having a power button/step for turning on/off the tv. With the rasplex setup i was powering it on using the TVs USB so i was able to use the TV remote to control the rasplex with CEC. I was hoping to stay with only needing one remote but looks like i now need two. One for on/off on tv and volume and one for FireTV
4.) Are there ways of making plex be a back ground app? I read somewhere that it needs to be running for alexa to work but when i want to leave the app it asks to be shutdown?
Thanks
1.) That’s right, there is no native volume control for the FireTV. I did this bad experience too…
2.) I did’nt tested Alexa with Plex yet, but I’ll see to test it this weekend (I don’t use home users).
4.) Do you have a FireTV or a FireTV stick (1st or 2nd gen)? I have a Fire TV and I don’t have to shutdown Plex when leaving the app. The trick is to use the home button on the remote and not the “back” button
It does not matter to Alexia weather Plex is running or not. If Plex is not running then you cannot control Plex on the Fire but if it is not running why would you want to?
All other Alexa functions work fine through the Fire as long as the Fire is turned on. That is as long as the Fire is turned on you can control whatever devices the App knows about just like you had an Echo device. All my Echo Alexa functions work just fine through the Fire. The only real difference is that the microphone is not live all the time.
BTW: I stopped using Alexia to control Plex because the app is buggy and cannot seem to understand me and the misunderstandings result in VERY VERY intrusive actions. One example I would say “Alexia, tell Plex pause” and instead of pausing the playing show it was not uncommon for some, apparently random, show or audio file would start. The app is nearly useless for me and one (albeit important) step up from totally worthless junk.
It acts for me like it was written as a proof of concept just to show it could be done and then not really developed from there.
My Echo devices are among the most useful devices I own BUT the Plex app does not add anything to them. I find that the Harmony app is much more useful for controlling Plex on my devices (it does it through my Harmony hub) and it NEVER does something unexpected and intrusive by interrupting my viewing experience.
I bought the new TV so i think its the FireTV Gen 2 (not stick). I wanted the 5Ghz AC bandwidth for streaming. So i guess at this point i wont get the single remote to rule them all i was hoping for.
If you want to use Alexa, you don’t need the Fire TV remote at all. Just turn on the Plex app and leave it there. There’s no need to turn it off either. It uses very little power when it’s idling. And booting up take too long for my liking. I’d rather just leave it on all the time and only turn of/on the TV.
