Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Google home - after time still Google Home choice?

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

    Google home - after time still Google Home choice?

    Ok so for xmas I told the wife I want a Google Home device as I love my android devices and use "ok google" all the time; however, I am curious of all the long time users of Google Home... Is it still comparable to Amazon and Alexa? A friend and co worker have alexa and love it... I just want to make sure that Google is allowing services to keep up as I am reading various topics here and seems that maybe Google is more restrictive?

    just looking for input if there are frustrations and/or which is the better at this time?
    HW - i5 4570T @2.9ghz runs @11w | 8gb ram | 128gb ssd OS - Win10 x64

    HS - HS3 Pro Edition 3.0.0.435

    Plugins - BLRF 2.0.94.0 | Concord 4 3.1.13.10 | HSBuddy 3.9.605.5 | HSTouch Server 3.0.0.68 | RFXCOM 30.0.0.36 | X10 3.0.0.36 | Z-Wave 3.0.1.190

    Hardware - EdgePort/4 DB9 Serial | RFXCOM 433MHz USB Transceiver | Superbus 2000 for Concord 4 | TI103 X-10 Interface | WGL Designs W800 RF | Z-Net Z-Wave Interface

    #2
    I cant speak on the Alexa part, but I have 8 google homes now and I love them. The whole reason I went with google is because Alexa didnt support multiple units like google home did. I started using them for whole home audio only at the beginning. Now, they are an everyday part of my life. Its nice that they know myself, my wife and my son independently now. So when I ask it for my calendar, it tells me mine only. They continue to add more and more to it. I love being able to tell it to watch a netflix movie on a tv and the chromecast device will turn on the tv, change the input and play the movie.

    I researched a lot before I bought into it. I waited for the google home to come out instead of jumping on the Alexa wagon.

    Comment


      #3
      I have 3 alexas and I had 1 google home (Which we never used until recently). I just bought our Daughter and her husband a google home and I got a Home mini when I got it. Also, when I bought my wife and myself our new phones on Sunday (Google Pixel 2 XLs), there was a deal to get Google Homes for 50% off (one for each phone) so I got 2 more of those.

      I have stuck with alexa because you get both skills (direct and ask homeseer). I use the ask homeseer stuff for things like "Alexa, tell the house good night" and I get custom responses using Jon00's alexa helper. However, we don't use that functionality enough to make up for the lost functionality of accessing other features on the google home, more specifically google music and our chromecasts.

      For now, I will run both, but have Alexa in limited areas. We are too vested in the google ecostystem to not use them (multiple chromecasts, google play music subscriptions, etc).

      I plan on investigating adding my own Google Assistant service to gain back the "Ask homeseer" functionality. Google won't let Homeseer do it, but I'm hoping a third party can. I'm also hoping it will be available to everyone so I can share it.

      I will say that so far, Alexa's ESP (Echo spacial perception) which lets only the closest echo answer has worked better than Google's. In my living room I sometimes hear the Kitchen Google Home respond as well.

      I'm still testing it all but so far so good. My wife loves the idea of saying "Play music in the master bathroom" from our Home in the bedroom (I have russound whole house audio and the master bath always defaults to on when a light is turned on in there and the source defaults to the chromecast).

      Comment


        #4
        Definitely what I was looking for. I know they are both great... I just want to dabble in and make sure I can steer myself the right way. Hopefully the wife goes with Google Home then for me. Will see by xmas.
        HW - i5 4570T @2.9ghz runs @11w | 8gb ram | 128gb ssd OS - Win10 x64

        HS - HS3 Pro Edition 3.0.0.435

        Plugins - BLRF 2.0.94.0 | Concord 4 3.1.13.10 | HSBuddy 3.9.605.5 | HSTouch Server 3.0.0.68 | RFXCOM 30.0.0.36 | X10 3.0.0.36 | Z-Wave 3.0.1.190

        Hardware - EdgePort/4 DB9 Serial | RFXCOM 433MHz USB Transceiver | Superbus 2000 for Concord 4 | TI103 X-10 Interface | WGL Designs W800 RF | Z-Net Z-Wave Interface

        Comment


          #5
          Originally posted by TeleFragger View Post
          Definitely what I was looking for. I know they are both great... I just want to dabble in and make sure I can steer myself the right way. Hopefully the wife goes with Google Home then for me. Will see by xmas.
          You can always ask Santa too!

          Comment

          Working...
          X