How to connect Alice to a TV: setting up and controlling TV through a smart speaker from Yandex

Almost all "smart" technology today can work with voice assistants.

In the Russian Federation, the most common among users is Yandex Alice. And it can be used not only in a smartphone or in a browser.

Yandex also released the so-called "smart" column-station. And you can even sync it with your TV! But here's how to do it - many corny do not know. After all, by default everywhere, as a rule, a voice assistant from Google is used (and in some models - Alexa from Amazon).

So how to connect Alice to the TV, and what opportunities does this provide for the user?

Content

What gives Alice's connection to the TV?
Connecting via HDMI
Connecting via Bluetooth
Wi-Fi connection
How to control your voice
The main problems when connecting a smart speaker and how to solve them
Useful video

What gives Alice's connection to the TV?

It should immediately be clarified that the exact list of functionality depends on the specific TV model (Sony, LG, Samsung, etc.).

But in most cases, the user will be able to:

Turn on the TV using a voice command (only when using the Yandex station, that is, an additional "smart speaker").
Change channels with your voice assistant. Moreover, for most TV models, it is possible to use this function even if the voice assistant power button is not activated. All you have to do is say a voice command to activate the assistant.
Control playback of video files. For example, you can teach Alice to rewind 2-3 minutes forward or backward, or change the color correction mode (for example, use "hardware acceleration" or "software content display mode").
Adjust volume.
Use basic search from Yandex. For example, to display the current weather information or to search for similar films with what the user is currently watching on the TV screen.

And if the user uses the “smart home” system, he will be able to control all the devices included in the list directly from the TV through a voice assistant. That is, in this case, the TV acts as the very smart speaker.

IMPORTANT! Please note that the TV itself may not have a microphone to pick up voice commands. In this case, it is located in the console. That is, commands must be sent in his direction. And in many TVs, to activate the microphone in the remote control, you need to press the corresponding key with its icon. Without this, it will not be possible to issue commands. It is recommended to study the instructions for the TV used in advance, in particular, to understand how the voice assistant is activated.

Connecting via HDMI

It is the HDMI connection that is preferable, since in this case all the available functionality for the smart speaker from Yandex is used.

You just need to make sure that your TV supports the HDMI CEC specifications (usually enabled by default on all TVs equipped with an HDMI version 1.4 or higher port). Also, the HDMI CEC function must additionally be enabled in the TV settings (it is disabled by default to prevent conflict between connected devices).

You also need to take into account that the HDMI port is not available in all versions of the speakers from Yandex. It is provided only in the version "Max". All others ("Mini", "Light") use only a wireless connection (via Bluetooth or WiFi).

The connection algorithm is as follows:

Using a compatible cable (supplied with the smart speaker), connect Alice to the TV (to the HDMI IN port).
Go to TV settings. Select "Remote and Accessories".
Select "Add device".
From the list of all devices, select Yandex Station MAX (you can use the built-in search and enter the first characters manually - this will reduce the time required for synchronization).
Launch Yandex Alice on your smartphone, log in to your account.
Answer in the affirmative to the request to connect to the Yandex station.

Without permission from the user, synchronization between the TV and the smart speaker will not work!

Accordingly, the following conditions must also be met:

The column is already activated. That is, added to the user's personal profile.
A voice assistant from Yandex is installed on the user's phone, it is authorized using a personal account (and it is also used as the main one for the connected Yandex station).
Both the TV, and the column, and the smartphone must be connected to the Internet at the time of synchronization. Not necessarily to one access point. But all of them must be synchronized with a remote server from Yandex.

And then, through the Yandex application on your smartphone, you can configure the functionality of the speaker connected to the TV. That is, set the playback volume, and personal commands, and the ability to use other devices.

Connecting via Bluetooth

It should be noted that if the speaker is connected via Bluetooth, then its functionality will be significantly limited. In fact, it can only be used as an audio output device.

But the microphone will also be involved. It can be used, for example, for video communication. But other functions will not work.

Through the column itself, it will be possible to give voice commands without problems. But to control the functions of the TV - it will not work.

So, to connect the speaker via Bluetooth, you need:

In the TV settings, go to the "Accessories and Remotes" section. If necessary, turn on Bluetooth.
Select "Add device", select "Bluetooth".
An automatic search for all wireless devices will start. Select Yandex Station from the list of detected ones.
Press "OK" on the TV. Sometimes you still need to press the button on the column itself (to enable synchronization).
Wait until the device is installed. Also, a notification will be sent to the user's smartphone, indicating that the column was accessed by a third-party device (and a proposal to break the synchronization).

If for some reason the Bluetooth connection fails, it is recommended to re-sync the speaker and smartphone.

You also need to make sure that the TV uses Bluetooth version 3 or higher (previous revisions in most cases do not work correctly, and also do not output sound with a high bitrate).

Wi-Fi connection

In this case, there will be no such restrictions for controlling the functions of the TV as when using Bluetooth.

That is, the user will be able to remotely adjust the volume, turn on the rewind, use the standard voice search, and so on. The only requirement is that both the TV and the smart speaker must be connected to the same WiFi hotspot.

The setup algorithm is as follows:

Install a branded application from the TV manufacturer on your mobile phone. For example, for Samsung it is SmartThings. Without it, you will not be able to synchronize your smartphone with TV. Although in the latest versions from LG, synchronization is available through a shared account from Google.
Synchronize your phone and TV using the installed program. In most cases, you will need to create a personal account, log in through it, enter it into the TV in the settings menu (or confirm synchronization through a one-time code).
On your smartphone, open the application from Yandex. Select "Devices", then click on the icon with the image + (that is, "Add a device").
Select a branded TV application from the list (for example, Samsung SmartThings).
Enter the account information you used to sign in.

By default, the user will have access to 3 main functions: changing the volume on the TV, switching channels, and activating the voice assistant (but only if Yandex is selected as the main one in the TV settings).

Wi-Fi synchronization may be reset when updating the firmware built into the TV. Accordingly, when updating the OS, it is recommended to reset the connection and re-sync (all this is done directly through the Yandex application for mobile phones).

How to control your voice

To activate the Yandex voice assistant, you must first say the phrase to activate Alice. The default is Alice. And then - pronounce the command directly.

The main ones among them are:

"Alice, turn the volume down by 10 points";
“Alice, rewind the video 2 minutes forward” (or back);
"Alice, switch to channel 8";
"Alice, pause the playback";
“Alice, turn on some action movie” (only works if the main search sources for content are specified in the TV settings).

On some TVs, the activation of the voice assistant is turned on only by pressing the corresponding button on the remote control.In all other cases, the command will be ignored! As a rule, users of outdated TV models (released before 2017) face a similar situation.

The main problems when connecting a smart speaker and how to solve them

The very procedure for synchronizing the Yandex station and the TV is now as simplified as possible, even an inexperienced user should understand it.

But if there are any problems, it is recommended to pay attention to the following nuances:

Use the included HDMI cable to connect the station to your TV. Only in this case, the adequate transmission of all given voice commands is guaranteed. You also need to make sure that HDMI CEC support is enabled on the TV. On some TVs, it is enabled by default and cannot be disabled. In others, you need activation through the settings. For more detailed information, it is recommended to refer to the instructions for the TV.
Is the HDMI firmly inserted into the connector. This port is very sensitive to this. And even if it is not fully inserted by 1 mm, this can already lead to the TV not being able to detect the speaker as an external device.
Is the current input source set correctly. As a rule, you can use the Source button on the remote control to select it. Or set the desired source directly in the TV settings.
Is the wireless router working properly? You need to make sure that the speaker is connected to it and the TV itself, too. Sometimes the connection can spontaneously break, for example, if a user on the TV copies a large file over WiFi from a home server. In this case, you need to wait until the end of signal copying.
Make sure that the column is correctly configured and displayed in the Yandex app on your smartphone. It is possible that the phone forcibly ended the program, so Yandex Station was automatically switched to offline use. And in this case, synchronization does not work.
Check if the smart speaker is displayed in the list of connected devices in the TV settings. After updating the firmware or connecting other devices via Bluetooth, synchronization may be reset. That is, you need to reconnect.

IMPORTANT! Before connecting the speaker to the TV, it is recommended to update the TV firmware to the latest current version.

In total, synchronizing Yandex Alice with TV is quite simple. And for this it is not necessary to use a cable, you can use Bluetooth or WiFi.

The most important thing is to pre-install the Yandex application on your phone, log in to your account and add the smart speaker to the list of managed devices. Without this, the station cannot be fully used.

Useful video

You will learn how to connect Alice to the TV by watching the video: