I recently picked up a budget-friendly 32-inch Fire TV Edition TV for our guest room, and while it’s great for basic streaming, I was disappointed to find that it lacked built-in voice control for turning it on or off. This was a bit frustrating, as I was hoping to keep things hands-free, especially since the Fire TV itself works well with voice commands.
After some research, I remembered I already had a SwitchBot Hub Plus lying around, which I’ve been using to control some smart actuators in other parts of the house. I decided to give it a shot for the TV. Turns out, the SwitchBot Hub Plus has an IR blaster built right in!
I followed the setup guide in the SwitchBot app and integrated it with SmartThings. Now, I can use Alexa to turn the TV on and off without any issues. It’s been a game-changer for simplifying our guest room setup. Plus, the integration with SmartThings means I can create custom routines if I want to get more creative with it.
For anyone looking to add IR control to their smart home setup without breaking the bank, I’d highly recommend the SwitchBot Hub Mini or Hub Plus. They’re versatile and work seamlessly with most smart home ecosystems. It’s satisfying to see how a simple solution can solve such a specific problem so effectively!