Discussion
I was never keen on them having an echo but I do think it has better AI for the want of a better word I just hate saying ok google, it's stupid but this looks like a game changer..
https://blog.google/products/assistant/tomato-toma...
What I'd like is the ability to call it what you like and have the voice you like then my dream of saying Brian whats in my diary and the voice of Brian Blessed shouting back to me about my appointment at 10.
https://blog.google/products/assistant/tomato-toma...
What I'd like is the ability to call it what you like and have the voice you like then my dream of saying Brian whats in my diary and the voice of Brian Blessed shouting back to me about my appointment at 10.
I picked one up in Maplin and they also gave a £15 voucher for use in the future bringing the cost down to £115.
So far we are getting on very well with it. It streams the radio for instance to itself on voice command - Play BBC Radio 2. If you say "Play BBC Radio 2 Sunroom Audio", the chromecast in the sunroom will get the feed. "Play Youtube Peppa Pig Living Room TV" streams off to the TV chromecast and turns on tv etc. (This will be a nightmare when the 3 year old figures it all out properly). It displays on your phone what is happening on each device. These 2 actions can be used together so TV streaming and radio to the other chromecast and you can also ask home for more actions or news etc.
The eldest kid loves "Tell me a joke".
I have linked it to my googlehome/account so it has my diary. In the future they will get the hang of multiple users and more than 1 account.
So far we are getting on very well with it. It streams the radio for instance to itself on voice command - Play BBC Radio 2. If you say "Play BBC Radio 2 Sunroom Audio", the chromecast in the sunroom will get the feed. "Play Youtube Peppa Pig Living Room TV" streams off to the TV chromecast and turns on tv etc. (This will be a nightmare when the 3 year old figures it all out properly). It displays on your phone what is happening on each device. These 2 actions can be used together so TV streaming and radio to the other chromecast and you can also ask home for more actions or news etc.
The eldest kid loves "Tell me a joke".
I have linked it to my googlehome/account so it has my diary. In the future they will get the hang of multiple users and more than 1 account.
How does Google Home behave outside the markets it's been launched in? Does it have any functionality at all? (eg not in the US, UK, etc etc)
Would consider getting the Nvidia SPOT to accompany the Shield TV and use Google Assistant around the home once it's released. Will obviously wait and see how Google Assistant performs on the Shield TV first, but thought establishing how the Home behaves outside it's available regions might be an early indicator.
Would consider getting the Nvidia SPOT to accompany the Shield TV and use Google Assistant around the home once it's released. Will obviously wait and see how Google Assistant performs on the Shield TV first, but thought establishing how the Home behaves outside it's available regions might be an early indicator.
I got one the other day and think its great, I decided to wait and go for the Home over the Echo/Dot due to me being a mainly Google user (Gmail, Google calendar, Google Photos and i have a couple of Chromecasts in out TV's) also from all of the side by side comparisons i saw when it was released in the US they all generally sided with the Home over the Echo.
I also believe Google will definitely be pushing it and constantly updating it and adding new features like it does with the Android OS
The sound quality from the speaker is really good. it hears and interprets questions and commands really well. I have had a little go on my dads Echo and that tended to not understand a command or is "unable to do that" a lot more than the home does.
I feel like the Home is a lot more natural to use, you seem to talk with it rather than bark commands at it. For example during the setup it gives you a few example commands and then asks "if you want to hear more examples", all I had to do was say "yes please" and it carried on.
admittedly the connectivity is a lot less what with it only just being out and the Echo/Dot being out for over a year already, but I imagine it will catch up quickly.
It integrates with the chromecasts really well, just tell it to play a youtube video on the TV and up it pops. You can also use the voice control photo slide shows streamed from your phone or tablet. We are having an extension build at the moment - so I have an album (called extension) of progress pictures - I can simply say "show my extension pictures on the living room TV" and it starts a slide show.
I like it a lot. I personally think it is better than the Echo/Dot. of course there are some pros and cons to each like the Echo has better connectivity and the Home has better voice interactivity.
But at the end of the day all these things are only just an update away from the other device.
I also believe Google will definitely be pushing it and constantly updating it and adding new features like it does with the Android OS
The sound quality from the speaker is really good. it hears and interprets questions and commands really well. I have had a little go on my dads Echo and that tended to not understand a command or is "unable to do that" a lot more than the home does.
I feel like the Home is a lot more natural to use, you seem to talk with it rather than bark commands at it. For example during the setup it gives you a few example commands and then asks "if you want to hear more examples", all I had to do was say "yes please" and it carried on.
admittedly the connectivity is a lot less what with it only just being out and the Echo/Dot being out for over a year already, but I imagine it will catch up quickly.
It integrates with the chromecasts really well, just tell it to play a youtube video on the TV and up it pops. You can also use the voice control photo slide shows streamed from your phone or tablet. We are having an extension build at the moment - so I have an album (called extension) of progress pictures - I can simply say "show my extension pictures on the living room TV" and it starts a slide show.
I like it a lot. I personally think it is better than the Echo/Dot. of course there are some pros and cons to each like the Echo has better connectivity and the Home has better voice interactivity.
But at the end of the day all these things are only just an update away from the other device.
LordGrover said:
Agreed about 'okay google' key word, though I find 'hey google' is easier.
I'm quite liking it, but at the moment it's an expensive radio for me as I don't have the hue lights or nest thermostat, etc.
https://www.cheesebuerger.de/images/midi/konfus/c0...
Thread bump, as got a Home for Christmas.I'm quite liking it, but at the moment it's an expensive radio for me as I don't have the hue lights or nest thermostat, etc.
https://www.cheesebuerger.de/images/midi/konfus/c0...
Am in same boat as LG (no hue, nest etc.).
So what else can it do (useful/semi-useful - I know from the kids that it can tell you what noise a cow makes etc....) ? It seems expensive for a gadget that will tell you the weather forecast on demand....
I loaded up a load of my digitised music to Google Play, but it doesn't seem to be able to do "hey google, play some music by Billy Idol" for instance.
It's seeming like a solution to a problem I don't have at the moment....
EggsBenedict said:
I loaded up a load of my digitised music to Google Play, but it doesn't seem to be able to do "hey google, play some music by Billy Idol" for instance.
It's seeming like a solution to a problem I don't have at the moment....
Mine does the same, for example I have uploaded Liam Gallagher album as you were. It's seeming like a solution to a problem I don't have at the moment....
If I say " hey Google play Liam Gallagher as you were album" it will say something like not available or will only play a few of the songs.
However If I put the album in a playlist called Liam Gallagher than say "hey Google play my playlist Liam Gallagher" it plays the whole album
or " hey Google shuffle my Liam Gallagher playlist"
It's been a long while since I bought some tech to play with but the boys forced me into PC World to look at gaming pcs so I wandered around thinking what on earth are all these boxes and things for lol
Saw the JBL version of the Google Home and had a play. Saw the Home in another PC World yesterday for £104 so bought it.
Set it up easily and the boys spent hours asking it stupid questions but completely forgetting that as I have been using Android phones since inception, I'm already set up in the Google universe and have a rarely used Spotify account.
It has actually amazed me playing music and listening to radio plus knowing my calendar and it makes calls.
I presumed it was doing it via my phone like in the car but my phone was off.
Seems it's a new update.
The food recipes in steps is useful and as I had to move it from my lounge to my bedroom last night, I'm tempted to get some minis as well.
I presumed the minis were a basic version but it would appear that all they lack is a big speaker.
Anyway like a lot of my tech, let's see how long before it sits unused in a corner gathering dust lol
Saw the JBL version of the Google Home and had a play. Saw the Home in another PC World yesterday for £104 so bought it.
Set it up easily and the boys spent hours asking it stupid questions but completely forgetting that as I have been using Android phones since inception, I'm already set up in the Google universe and have a rarely used Spotify account.
It has actually amazed me playing music and listening to radio plus knowing my calendar and it makes calls.
I presumed it was doing it via my phone like in the car but my phone was off.
Seems it's a new update.
The food recipes in steps is useful and as I had to move it from my lounge to my bedroom last night, I'm tempted to get some minis as well.
I presumed the minis were a basic version but it would appear that all they lack is a big speaker.
Anyway like a lot of my tech, let's see how long before it sits unused in a corner gathering dust lol
croyde said:
I presumed it was doing it via my phone like in the car but my phone was off.
I presumed the minis were a basic version but it would appear that all they lack is a big speaker.
The calls are VOIP so no phone required, you can set it so it uses caller display data so it shows as coming from your mobile number but the call itself doesn't involve your phone or mobile provider at all.I presumed the minis were a basic version but it would appear that all they lack is a big speaker.
A mini works very well either by using Bluetooth or a Chromecast audio to connect to better speakers or a hifi for music. The voice commands still come from the mini but music can be automatically played on the better speakers.
Oakey said:
How do you connect it to something else via bluetooth? I tried connecting it to my Yamaha AV amp but the amp doesn't seem to see it?
In the home app go to the devices page, click settings for the home you want to pair with your amp and choose the default speaker option.Don't click on paired Bluetooth devices as that covers phones and the like NOT speakers.
Bit of a thread revival!
Decided to start using my Google Home for alarm instead of phone, but when I ask it to set an alarm, I know I can ask "what time is my alarm set for" just to confirm. But is there any way to physically see the alarm is set?
When I set it on phone you get an icon and can check it in the clock app. Does it put something on my calendar?
Also if I have more than one Google Home Mini, do I need to set the alarm on the specific mini I want it to go off on? or will it go off on them all anyway?
Decided to start using my Google Home for alarm instead of phone, but when I ask it to set an alarm, I know I can ask "what time is my alarm set for" just to confirm. But is there any way to physically see the alarm is set?
When I set it on phone you get an icon and can check it in the clock app. Does it put something on my calendar?
Also if I have more than one Google Home Mini, do I need to set the alarm on the specific mini I want it to go off on? or will it go off on them all anyway?
AJB88 said:
Bit of a thread revival!
Decided to start using my Google Home for alarm instead of phone, but when I ask it to set an alarm, I know I can ask "what time is my alarm set for" just to confirm. But is there any way to physically see the alarm is set?
If you look in the Google Home app on your phone/tablet for that particular speaker, then open settings (the cog) and then 'Alarms & Timers' you will see the alarms that have been set for that speaker. Decided to start using my Google Home for alarm instead of phone, but when I ask it to set an alarm, I know I can ask "what time is my alarm set for" just to confirm. But is there any way to physically see the alarm is set?
AJB88 said:
When I set it on phone you get an icon and can check it in the clock app. Does it put something on my calendar?
No it doesn't.AJB88 said:
Also if I have more than one Google Home Mini, do I need to set the alarm on the specific mini I want it to go off on? or will it go off on them all anyway?
You need to set it on the device you want the alarm on, as only that one will sound the alarm (same with timers).BigBen said:
Anyone else got the Google Home Hub? Pretty impressed with mine, mainly as an easy way to watch You Tube in bed and control Hue lighting. Hopefully it gets more widely adopted so functions are added.
Yes I'm a fan of mine. The ambient screen sensor is almost magical in the way it adjusts the brightness and colour temperature to look less like an LCD screen, sometimes it looks like a printed photo.I am however glad I don't use the hub for music as it's not good for that IMO, controlling a Chromecast Audio connected to an amp and speakers OTH is ideal.
JimbobVFR said:
Yes I'm a fan of mine. The ambient screen sensor is almost magical in the way it adjusts the brightness and colour temperature to look less like an LCD screen, sometimes it looks like a printed photo.
I am however glad I don't use the hub for music as it's not good for that IMO, controlling a Chromecast Audio connected to an amp and speakers OTH is ideal.
Yep the sound quality is worse than even the Google Home mini. I also have the Lenovo smart display which is a pretty nice bit of kit, essentially a hub with a bigger screen and speakersI am however glad I don't use the hub for music as it's not good for that IMO, controlling a Chromecast Audio connected to an amp and speakers OTH is ideal.
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