Echo & Alexa Forums

General Category => Amazon Echo Discussion => Topic started by: Mtnrunner@gmail.com on March 24, 2019, 08:49:19 am

Title: Previous channel Alexa command
Post by: Mtnrunner@gmail.com on March 24, 2019, 08:49:19 am
If I’m on channel 4, then go to channel 50, I can press the previous button on my harmony remote to return to channel 4. What is the Alexa command to do this? 

If I ask Alexa to change the tv to previous channel, she just goes to next lower channel, for example, she turns to channel 49 instead of 4.

Thanks
Title: Re: Previous channel Alexa command
Post by: FarmerBob on March 24, 2019, 04:36:46 pm
I have found that makers of Skills release lists of what you can say to get what to happen, THAT don't always or ever happen. When I want my DVR to pause, it does when I say Echo pause Hopper. But when I want it to play, I basically have to tell it to "pause" again to get it to play. Otherwise, it starts playing music from some randomly chosen artist.

Alexa has a long way to go. Even longer since she has taken a major fall after the first of the year and is failing miserably compared to what was capable prior to Christmas.
Title: Re: Previous channel Alexa command
Post by: Mtnrunner@gmail.com on March 26, 2019, 07:21:56 pm
No way to do this?

I thought for sure someone would have a solution.

Thanks
Title: Re: Previous channel Alexa command
Post by: froglips on March 27, 2019, 03:42:05 pm
I have found that makers of Skills release lists of what you can say to get what to happen, THAT don't always or ever happen. When I want my DVR to pause, it does when I say Echo pause Hopper. But when I want it to play, I basically have to tell it to "pause" again to get it to play. Otherwise, it starts playing music from some randomly chosen artist.

Alexa has a long way to go. Even longer since she has taken a major fall after the first of the year and is failing miserably compared to what was capable prior to Christmas.

Try using word ,RESUME, or UNPAUSE.  I don't have Hopper, but I have used this on other devices with success.
Title: Re: Previous channel Alexa command
Post by: jwlv on March 27, 2019, 04:34:59 pm
Programming Harmony is always a gigantic pain. Because it's such a pain, Logitech has already pre-programmed many remotes. But not everything is pre-programmed. You should create an activity on your Harmony account that presses the go back to the previous channel button. Let Harmony learn the IR code from your original remote. The name that you give the new activity/command should be the name that Alexa will pick up. In my experience, it takes about 30 minutes after you've programmed everything correctly for Alexa to pick up on the name of the new activity/command. That is, don't expect it to work right away. If it doesn't pick up the name automatically, you can also create a routine in the Alexa app that will activate the command (scene).