Amazon continues to ramp of the powered-by-Fire-TV options for smart TV shoppers, with OEM partner Toshiba introducing what it calls a "flagship" lineup of UHD sets based on Amazon's connected TV OS.

Toshiba's new M550 Series comes in 55-inch ($799.99), 65-inch ($999.99) and 75-inch ($1,199.99) iterations, with high-end 120HZ native panels and 480 motion rates, as well as Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos capabilities. 

Both sets include remotes enabled with Amazon's Alexa voice technology. Notably, Amazon started building Alexa capabilities directly into TVs with the introduction in October of the first "Amazon-built" Omni series lineup. The tech allows users to blurt out Alexa commands from across the room, without using the remote. 

With the M550 Series, Amazon is now providing that tech to its original equipment manufacturer (OEM) partners. 

“Our goal is to work with world-class TV brands to make entertainment more intuitive and engaging for customers,” said Daniel Rausch, VP of Amazon Entertainment Devices and Services. “We’re excited to see Toshiba invest in a flagship TV that combines great picture quality and Fire TV’s best-in-class entertainment with hands-free Alexa.”

Amazon is expanding what users can do without their hands when they pair their Fire TV streaming stick or box with an Alexa voice-enabled device, such as an Echo, effectively turning their living room TV into an Amazon Echo Show smart display device. 

Users have been able for some time to do basic tasks like open OTT apps and play TV shows and movies on Fire TV, sans remote control, when pairing Fire TV to an Alexa device with far-field mics. With the new software update, paired Alexa devices can be used to do things like put calendars and weather updates on the TV screen, or access a camera feed from a smart home device. 

Navigation controls are also being added that allow users to ask Alexa to “scroll right or left,” or “go back.” Amazon is also adding more music playback features, letting a smart speaker play music from a TV’s speakers.

Amazon says the new features are being deployed to all Alexa-enabled, Fire TV and Fire TV Edition devices, save for Echo Show and Echo Spot. Fire TV devices that predate Amazon’s voice remote also get the new tech. The feature will be available in the U.S. and Canada, as well as the UK.

Amazon has introduced a new infrared device, designed to extend Alexa voice control to TVs, sound bars, cable boxes and A/V receivers.

Retailing for $34.99 when it ships Dec. 11, the Fire TV Blaster is designed to work with an Amazon Echo smart speaker and a compatible Fire TV streaming device, such as a Fire TV Stick with Alexa Voice Control, Fire TV Stick 4K or third-generation Fire TV.

Using the Fire TV Blaster, users can use Alexa voice to, among other things, turn on their TV, adjust volume and switch inputs. They can also select what channel they want to tune into.

As Amazon explained it, a user with the right three-Amazon-device configuration can tell their Echo, “Amazon, play Jack Ryan on Fire TV,” and the system will turn on the TV and fire up the Amazon Prime original show.

“The complexity of television right now is hard for people to manage. The best way to get at that is with voice,” said Sandeep Gupta, vice president of Fire TV devices experiences, speaking Tuesday at the Streaming Media West Conference in Downtown Los Angeles. “Just being able to say the title of a show is much easier way to do that. Voice just kind of resonates with customers.” 

Altice USA has unveiled a new smart home speaker to compliment its Altice One CPE platform.

Altice Amplify combines Devialet-built audio and Amazon Alexa voice technology into a singular device that can play music, and respond to commands to control both the entertainment center and any connected home technology.

The device includes Speaker Active Matching (SAM) sound processing and Adaptive Volume Control (AVL). The latter automatically adjusts audio levels to match the scene in a video, eliminating the need to manually adjust the volume when he dialog stops and the explosions start.

Altice is selling the device for $399 to its subscribers and $499 to everyone else. Altice USA subscribers can also lease the device for $10 a month along with the Altice One platform.

“Altice Amplify is the next step on our mission to provide consumers with powerful new technologies and experiences that brings their homes to life,” said Hakim Boubazine, co-president and chief operating officer of Altice USA. “Whether it’s streaming music, watching a favorite show or movie, or controlling the smart home, Altice Amplify gives consumers ultimate control over their entertainment and smart home needs.” 

Atlantic Broadband said it has added Amazon Alexa voice control functionality to its customers through the Tivo video platform.

According to the cable operator, the enhancement allows its TiVo customers with an Amazon Alexa voice assistant device to issue hands-free voice commands from anywhere in a room without the need for a remote control. This functionality allows customers to easily pause, rewind and fast-forward programming.

“This new Amazon Alexa integration with our TiVo-powered video platform combines ease of use with powerful functionality to dramatically elevate the in-home TV entertainment experience for our customers,” said Atlantic Broadband vice president of products and programming Heather McCallion in a press release. “Today we’re able to deliver even greater value to our customers through innovative virtual assistant technology.”

Atlantic Broadband launched TiVo’s advanced gateway platform in 2013 and the following year was one of the first video providers in the nation to fully integrate Netflix into its video platform. Last summer, Atlantic Broadband introduced a new user interface for the TiVo platform featuring intuitive navigation and enhanced functionality, hyper-personalized viewing recommendations and an easy-to-use remote with voice control.

Looking to further expand into an emerging market coveted by telecom companies including Comcast, Amazon has purchased start-up WiFi mesh gear maker eero for an undisclosed sum.

"We are incredibly impressed with the eero team and how quickly they invented a WiFi solution that makes connected devices just work,” said Dave Limp, senior VP of Amazon Devices and Services, in a statement. “We have a shared vision that the smart home experience can get even easier, and we’re committed to continue innovating on behalf of customers.”

Amazon has already infiltrated the home with a range of devices powered by its Alexa voice technology—everything from smart speakers to thermostats.

Beyond merely competing with telecom companies for the home automation market, analysts believe controlling a key piece of home WiFi infrastructure serves perhaps more sinister goals for Amazon.

“One entity might own all the devices in your home. It can form a very complete profile of you as a person in both the physical and digital world, and this is extremely concerning from a personal privacy perspective,” said Sydney Li, staff technologist at the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), told BuzzFeed. 

After previously integrating 4K and HDR capabilities into its more expensive Fire TV and Fire TV Cube devices, Amazon has rolled out the $49.99 Fire TV Stick 4K.

Not only does the device support Ultra HD, but also all three versions of High Dynamic Range—HDR10, HDR10+ and Dolby Vision. The Fire TV Stick 4K also comes equipped with a quad core, 1.7GHz processor. Amazon bills it as 80% more powerful than the previous iteration of its Fire TV Stick, released in 2016.

In its latest product announcement, Amazon included the launch of the next generation of its Alexa Voice Remote, which has dedicated power, volume and mute buttons, and gives users control over their TV, soundbar and other AV equipment.

Related: Amazon’s IMDB Unit Reportedly Set to Announce AVOD Platform This Week

Amazon, however, stopped short of officially announcing a new advertising-based video on demand service that CNBC said would imminently roll out this week.

The news org said it has heard from at least five sources at media companies being approached by Amazon for content targeted to the platform, which Amazon has yet to confirm. CNBC said the platform could be officially announced at this week’s Advertising Week convention in New York.

> In late-August, The Information reported that Amazon is developing an AVOD platform called Free Dive. The streaming video platform would be similar to the Roku Channel, an increasingly popular non-subscription video channel existing within the Roku ecosystem, offering archival movie titles and TV series.

"For communications companies that already have a firm stake in the home through traditional offerings such as video, broadband and voice, an unprecedented opportunity is up for grabs. As the connected home market quickly expands, blazing the trail in the emerging landscape will become increasingly non-negotiable to incumbents’ future growth and survival." —Shuvankar Roy, Comcast; and Sumit Banerjee and Abhinav Saksena, Accenture Strategy

Over the past decade, connected technologies have evolved from an abstract idea into something woven into the fabric of our everyday lives. Whether it’s switching off a forgotten light with your smartphone or jumpstarting your home’s smart entertainment systems via a simple request to Alexa, connected devices enabled via technologies such as artificial intelligence are reshaping consumer experiences as we know them. 

They’re also redefining the word ‘convenience.’ A recent Accenture Strategy study found that 56% of executives predict AI deployment will drive new growth and revenue opportunities. And nearly 6% say this revenue growth will come from increased consumer satisfaction and engagement.

Nowhere are these opportunities more apparent than in the connected home where, according to the U.S. Department of Labor, Americans spend more than half of their daily time. Today, products that once seemed futuristic are now common household items. There has been a 60% growth in smart speakers, while smart home products have increased by 41%. The future will see a collection of deeply integrated micro-ecosystems that will make the home intelligent, personalized and seamless.

For communications companies that already have a firm stake in the home through traditional offerings such as video, broadband and voice, an unprecedented opportunity is up for grabs. As the connected home market quickly expands, blazing the trail in the emerging landscape will become increasingly non-negotiable to incumbents’ future growth and survival.

Preparing for the Fight

In the fight to own the home, communications companies face an increasingly crowded and complex path ahead. Competition is fast expanding past traditional players to include Silicon Valley giants and other players looking for the next platform to reach consumers. 

A wave of recent M&A activity — such as Amazon’s acquisition of Ring — underscores that both traditional and new entrants are recognizing the major value of the connected home market, and acting accordingly. In fact, Accenture Strategy research finds that 43% of companies cited the need for next-gen technology as a trigger for their M&A as they race to win over consumers with top-of-market digital offerings.

As communications companies face multiple headwinds, including shifting customer presences and cost pressures, they must rise to the challenge and best position themselves in the fight to win. By facing barriers head-on, embracing new business models, and looking outside the four walls of their organization, communications players have a major opportunity to become the dominant and holistic service providers in consumer homes.

Confronting Challenges

To start, communications companies should recognize where they have advantages to seize — for instance, familiarity among consumers in the home space, and an existing suite of home services — and where vulnerabilities remain. For one, the connected home market differs significantly from communication providers’ core products. 

Many successful connected home products, such as Alexa and Nest Thermostat, are purchased through one-time sale — contrasting with the recurring subscription model typical of communications companies. This means communications companies will need to rethink their pricing models to reap the most benefit, while also finding ways to reduce cost-of-entry for consumers.

Another challenge facing incumbents is navigating a market built around product design and experience — features that haven’t been historically paramount to traditional communications providers’ offerings. To compete with companies such as Google and Amazon, who put product design at the core of their DNA, traditional companies need to accelerate investment in best-class product design and manufacturing, as well as transition culture and ways of working. Some companies are already making this shift in their business models — among them, Comcast, which is helping transform the video product experience with the release of X1.

In today’s day and age, companies also need to remember that they don’t always need to go it alone. In fact, doing so may prove to be a disadvantage. Instead, communications providers need to decipher how and where they want to participate in the connected home ecosystem, so they are best able to bolster traditional portfolios, bring differentiated offerings to market and reach new segments of consumers. 

Accenture Strategy research has found that nearly half (44%) of executives across industries agree the value of ecosystems lays in access to new customers. As lines blur between industries, there are also new opportunities to partner with “frenemy” companies to create new integrated experiences and put down a lasting stake in the connected home experience.

The Path to the Finish Line

In an increasingly complex and crowded industry, there are several steps communications companies can take to stay ahead of the curve and own a connected home market share:

• Form an Integrated Strategy: Evaluate new opportunities in the context of traditional products and services, with an eye toward creating integrated service offerings that allow you to both dominate the old and win in the new. Create a refreshed home services aggregation strategy that defines a path forward for both defending core services and expanding to new revenue streams through digital offerings. Create new, holistic business and pricing models that give consumers a more seamless exchange on everything from user experience, service, billing and beyond.
• Shift Focus to Design and Experience: Refocus priorities to place design and experience at the forefront of service offerings, which is necessary for keeping up with Silicon Valley rivals and emerging players.
• Redefine your Role in the Broader Home Ecosystem: Ask yourself: what role should your company play in the broader — and rapidly expanding — connected home ecosystem? What gaps remain in your company’s capabilities, and where can a digitally savvy partner create a distinct advantage? Think outside your four walls to embrace non-traditional partners, including longtime rivals, to create differentiated product offerings, expand market share and provide best-in-class experiences to consumers.
• Embrace Data: Create an analytics strategy to power the home business. Ecosystems will soon evolve from value chain partnerships, in which each entity has a specific function, to information exchanges that drive new opportunities to leverage and monetize data. Through investments in analytics combined with strategic partnerships, companies can access rich data insights that enable them to better service customers and ultimately drive growth.

As connected devices become more ingrained into consumers’ everyday lives, the connected home space has grown to be a major market opportunity, creating a fierce battleground between traditional and emerging companies alike. If incumbent communications players develop bold visions, rethink long-held business models and make strategic bets today, they can find themselves victors in the connected home race of the future.

Shuvankar Roy is vice president of business operations at Comcast; Sumit Banerjee is managing director at Accenture Strategy; and Abhinav Saksena is a former managing director at Accenture Strategy.

Dish Network said it has added new Amazon Alexa voice capabilities to its family of Hopper set-tops and DVRs that enable customers to set recordings, navigate menus, and launch apps such as Game Finder, Netflix, Pandora and YouTube.

Those new voice controls support Hopper DVRs, including the relatively new 4K-capable Hopper 3, the Hopper Duo and Dish’s Joey and Wally client boxes. The enhanced features build on earlier voice capabilities that let those customers play, pause, fast-forward, rewind and search for content.

Dish said the updated voice capabilities are also compatible with the Fire TV Cube, a new streaming device that integrates Amazon’s voice-based Alexa technology without a separate Echo device.

RELATED: Amazon Unleashes the Fire TV Cube

Dish’s initial integration of the Hopper DVR platform with the Amazon Echo and Echo Dot was launched in April 2017, becoming the first MVPD to enable direct compatibility with Amazon’s voice-powered platform. Dish extended support for Alex on all Joey clients in October 2017

RELATED: Dish’s Hopper DVR Connects to Amazon’s Alexa

In a move to stitch its smart home tech with video streaming, Amazon today introduced the Fire TV Cube, a 4K-capable streaming device that also supports the company’s voice-based Alexa technology.

The combo enables users to navigate content and apps and change channels with their voice, reducing the need for consumers to buy and install a separate Alexa-powered Echo device.

The Fire TV Cube, which broadens Amazon’s Fire TV device lineup beyond the core Fire TV box and Fire TV Streaming Stick, is slated to be released on June 21. The baseline pre-order price is $119.99 and includes the device and an IR extender cable and Ethernet adapter, though Prime members are in line for a discounted price of $89.99, plus free shipping. Those who purchase and register a Fire TV Cube by July 1 will also get a $10 credit for Prime Video.

Amazon is also pitching a Fire TV Cube/Amazon Cloud Cam bundle for $199.98.

The new entry employs eight microphones and supports smart home capabilities and content delivered on traditional Echo devices. Apps supported by the Alexa element of the Fire TV Cube include Netflix, Amazon’s own Prime Video, Hulu, ESPN, Fox Now, Showtime, Starz, PlayStation Vue, CBS All Access and NBC, among others.

Amazon said the Fire TV Cube is also compatible with set-tops from Comcast, Dish Network and DirecTV.

Amazon is introducing the new device as it starts to gain ground in the OTT device arena, a market that is still led by Roku, according to Parks Associates.

RELATED: Roku Retains Edge in Streaming Player Market

Amazon’s latest move might also push rivals such as Apple and Google to come out with streaming products that are more tightly integrated with their voice-powered platforms. Roku is also moving ahead with a strategy that enables its platform to work with a broader landscape of smart home technologies.

RELATED: Roku’s Platform Reaches Beyond the TV

Starz said it has introduced its streaming app with voice control on Amazon’s Fire TV. 

The integration with Amazon’s Alexa system enables Starz app users to control playback of movies and series, including originals such as Power and Outlander, using their voice.

In addition to being integrated with the Alexa Voice Remote, Starz app users can also pair Fire TV devices with Amazon Echo products and navigate content using far-field voice recognition.

In May, Starz completed a similar integration with Google Home.

Introduced in April 2016, the Starz app supports the premium programmer’s standalone OTT subscription service (for $8.99 per month), as well as its authenticated TV Everywhere offering.

RELATED: Starz Launches OTT Subscription App

In addition to Amazon’s Fire TV, the Starz app is also compatible with Android and iOS mobile devices, Sony Android TV products, Apple TV boxes, Roku players and Roku TVs, Xbox One consoles, and LG and Samsung smart TVs. 

Forging a deeper connection to video-enabled smart home hubs, BET Networks has recently introduced “BET Breaks” on Amazon’s Echo Show and Echo Spot devices.

The video-optimized version of BET’s flash briefing for those devices stream video highlights about what’s trending in Black and pop culture, including breaking news, the network said.

The BET Breaks Alexa flash briefing is currently offered in the U.S., Australia, Canada and the U.K.

“We’re excited to continue working with Amazon’s Alexa and expanding our ongoing efforts to offer fans even more multiplatform opportunities to access BET premium original digital content, whenever, wherever and on whatever devices they want.” Bobby Singh, head of digital at BET Networks, said in a statement.

Entertainment consulting firm Accenture has been conducting its digital consumers survey for about a decade, but its 2017 edition was the first to include questions around artificial intelligence and technology. And the results were surprising to the company.

“There’s pretty intense interest in AI this year, and a year ago there wasn’t anyone talking about it,” said Charles Hartley, Accenture’s global media and analyst relations manager for communications, media and high-tech businesses. “Consumers aren’t intimidated by it at all, apparently. It’s a sobering message to human beings.”

The survey, which interviewed just under 26,000 consumers across 26 countries, found that 62% of people are comfortable with AI apps — like Amazon’s Alexa — responding to voice queries, even though only 4% of people actually eda standalone, digital, voice-enabled device (like the Amazon Echo or Google Home) at the end of 2016.

Nearly 90% of respondents said AI simply makes it easier to do things, and a third said they’re interested in using voice-enabled digital assistants available in smartphones.

Read more at broadcastingcable.com.

The NBC Owned Television Stations have launched local news updates on Alexa-enabled devices like the Amazon Echo, becoming the first station group to move into the space.

The O&Os are providing the updates on the voice-enabled platform via Flash Briefings – pre-recorded reports from broadcasters that, until now, have included more far-reaching outlets like NPR and BBC News, the company said.

The news updates -- usually four top stories -- are approximately 90 seconds long. They are updated throughout the day, the group said. 

Consumers must opt in to get the updates; to access them, users just say, "Alexa, what's the news?"

Read more at broadcastingcable.com.