Google has seen fit to return YouTube to Amazon's display-based Echo Show smart speaker, two months after the video service was pulled from the device. The original removal angered Amazon and led to conflicting public statements on both sides over the move, but the two companies appear to have resolved the dispute.
The return of YouTube is particularly timely for Amazon, which is expanding its video services on the Echo Show with additional support for Vimeo and Dailymotion. An Amazon spokesperson gave the following statement to The Verge:/article-new/2017/05/amazonechoshow.jpg?lossy)
"We're excited to offer customers the capability to watch even more video content from sources such as Vimeo, YouTube, and Dailymotion on Echo Show. More video sources will be added over time."
According to Google, the reason for the service's removal on Echo Show devices back in September was because "Amazon's implementation of YouTube on the Echo Show violates our terms of service, creating a broken user experience."
That issue now looks to have been resolved with a UI change – the new version of YouTube on Echo Show has a completely different interface that is much more in keeping with how the service appears in a desktop web browser, as shown in a video uploaded by VoiceBot.ai, embedded below.
YouTube account holders accessing the device using an Echo Show can now see their subscriptions, video recommendations, and control autoplay – all of which were missing in the Amazon-designed, voice-control optimized interface.
However, The Verge reports that there are now issues with YouTube's voice-control integration, and the Echo Show still doesn't automatically play videos fullscreen, with an "Alexa, zoom in" voice command required to display videos in that way.
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That is not actually accurate, Amazon will allow competing devices, as long as they are capable of streaming Prime Video, Prime Music, etc.Google is nicer than I. Amazon will not allow competing products like the Google Home or Chromecast to be sold on their site so if I was Google then I would boot Amazon from the Google app store and remove them from search. Same with Apple when Amazon would not allow the Apple TV to be sold on their site. Will be curious when Apple releases the HomePod if Amazon will allow it to be sold on Amazon.com.
For example, you can by Rokus on Amazon, but since Prime Video is still not available on Apple TV, it is not available on Amazon.
Google is nicer than I. Amazon will not allow competing products like the Google Home or Chromecast to be sold on their site so if I was Google then I would boot Amazon from the Google app store and remove them from search. Same with Apple when Amazon would not allow the Apple TV to be sold on their site. Will be curious when Apple releases the HomePod if Amazon will allow it to be sold on Amazon.com.