Logitech Harmony remotes gain Amazon Alexa voice controls when connected to Echo

We are currently in the golden age of television. Not only are shows like The Walking Dead and Game of Thrones excellent, but there are so many ways to consume it all. Of course, you can watch TV live on cable or satellite, but thanks to DVR and streaming, you can watch on your schedule too. It is all quite glorious.

For those serious about their television watching, an investment in a quality remote control can be very wise. Logitech's Harmony line is arguably the best, and today, it gets even better. Owners of hub-compatible models can now link their Amazon Echo to the Harmony app, enabling voice controls for their AV equipment. Yes, fellow couch potatoes, we can now be even lazier when watching TV!

"You may have heard that we've been working with Amazon on an integration that would allow Logitech Harmony hub-based remotes to work with Amazon Echo or Echo Dot. We're excited to share with you that beginning today, you will be able to start and stop Harmony Activities, tune to your favorite TV channel, or directly launch Roku channels using Amazon Alexa", says Logitech.

The Harmony-maker further explains, "to take advantage of this new capability, launch the Alexa app on your smartphone and select Smart Home from the left hand navigation menu, Get More Smart Home Skills and search for 'Harmony -- Optimized for Smart Home'. A Logitech hub-based remote like Harmony Elite or Harmony Companion is required, as well as an Amazon Echo or Echo Dot".

Keep in mind, it is not just to control television sets, but devices like Roku, Xbox One, and Apple TV too. You can even assign specific commands to a corresponding device. For example, both Xbox One and Apple TV can do Netflix. If you own both, you can train Alexa to know which is your preferred platform for watching the streaming video service. "Alexa, turn on Netflix" will then turn it on -- how cool is that?

If you own both a compatible Harmony remote and either an Echo or Echo dot, setup looks like a breeze. Logitech shares instructions here. If you do set it up, please tell me your thoughts in the comments below -- I will definitely be setting this up tonight!