Alexa skill

Details

Published: Monday, 19 February 2018 22:04

This feature is only available in Pro edition. You will need at least Serviio Pro 1.9. You will need at least Serviio Pro 1.10 for playback on the Echo devices.

You can use the Serviio Alexa skill to control your Serviio media server with voice commands. The Serviio skill can respond to your commands, whether it's enquiring about the newest file in your library, a recently watched episode or controlling playback on your devices. You can also play content on the Echo devices themselves.

Setting up Alexa

Availability

The Serviio skill is currently available in:

• UK
• US
• AU
• CA

Remote access

In order for the Alexa skill to be able to communicate with your Serviio server, it needs to be accessible remotely from the Internet. Please follow the guide to setting up Remote Access. If you chose to enable the secure port, Alexa will communicate with your Serviio server in a secure way.

Link Serviio with the Alexa skill

In order for the skill to be able to authenticate with your Serviio server, you will have to link the skill with your Serviio server in the Alexa app on your smart phone or tablet or on the Alexa web app.

1. Open the Alexa app or Alexa web app
2. Install the Serviio skill and click Enable
3. Authenticate using your Serviio Id (from the Console home screen), User name and User Password (from the Console Remote tab) and click Sign In.

Using the skill

You can use the skill to play audio or video files on your DLNA devices, or the Echo devices themselves. If used with an Echo device, you can use all the usual playback commands Alexa supports for other audio/video services (pause, resume, shuffle, etc).

Use one of these device names, to invoke the skill on the Echo device:

• here
• this Echo
• this device
• this one
• the Echo

Name your DLNA devices

In order to successfully play content on your DLNA devices, you will need to use the device names in some voice commands. Devices are named by their manufacturer, but that name is often not very useful or easy to pronounce. We recommend setting the device name to a speak-friendly one in the Serviio Console.

The skill will try to match your desired name to one of those it can understand, like:

• bedroom TV
• lounge Xbox One
• downstairs player
• Samsung TV
• ... and many more

Initiate conversation

The keyword for invoking the Serviio skill is Serviio. You can use it in a sentence, like:

• Alexa, ask Serviio ...
• Alexa, tell Serviio to ...
• Alexa, open Serviio

Known limitations

These are some known limitations of the skill:

• the skill cannot play a folder / playlist of items on the DLNA devices. This is especially limitting when asking for audio playback (e.g. it's not possible to play an album, all songs by an artists, etc). Only one media item at a time. You can play an audio playlist on the Echo devices.
• device naming supports a limited subset of options. If the skill doesn't understand your device name, please get in touch on the forum

Example commands

Library discovery commands

To find out what video is the last one added to the library, try Ask Serviio ...

• what's new
• what video has been recently added
• what is the new movie

To find out what video is the last one you watched, try Ask Serviio ...

• what did I last watch
• what episode can I continue watching
• what's the film we viewed last

To find out what is currently playing on a device, try Ask Serviio ...

• what movie is currently on
• what is showing on the bedroom TV
• what song is currently playing on the Sony TV

Video request commands

To play a movie on a device, try Ask Serviio to ...

• play Avatar
• watch Avatar on the lounge Xbox
• view Avatar, please

To play a TV series episode on a device, try Ask Serviio to ...

• view the next episode of Friends
• watch Friends on the Roku
• watch season 7 episode 13 of Friends on the Roku
• watch season 7 episode 13 of Friends on the Roku
• play Friends season 7 episode 13, please

To play a random movie of a genre on a device, try Ask Serviio to ...

• watch a random horror film
• watch some documentary on Panasonic TV
• watch a thriller on bedroom player

Audio request commands

To play a music track on a device, try Ask Serviio to ...

• listen to Yellow by Coldplay
• listen to Yellow on the living room TV
• put on Yellow by Coldplay on this device, please

To play a random music track of a genre on a device, try Ask Serviio to ...

• listen to random rock
• listen to a pop songs on Panasonic TV, please
• put on some alternative tracks on this Echo

To play a music album on a device, try Ask Serviio to ...

• listen to the album Clocks
• listen to Clocks by Coldplay on here, please
• put on the record Clocks by Coldplay

To play songs by an artist, try Ask Serviio to ...

• listen to music by Coldplay
• listen to songs by Daft Punk on Panasonic TV, please
• put on tracks by Nirvana

Playback control commands

To control the playback on a DLNA device, try Ask Serviio to ...

• pause the movie on Xbox One
• resume bedroom TV, please
• continue watching the movie on livingroom player
• stop the music on the Playstation, please

Use the usual Alexa commands to control playback on the Echo devices.

Terms and Conditions

Details

Published: Saturday, 28 October 2017 15:04

Welcome to our website. If you continue to browse and use this website, you are agreeing to comply with and be bound by the following terms and conditions of use, which together with our privacy policy govern Six Lines Ltd’s relationship with you in relation to this website. If you disagree with any part of these terms and conditions, please do not use our website.

The term ‘Six Lines Ltd’ or ‘Petr Nejedly’ or ‘us’ or ‘we’ refers to the owner of the website whose registered office is Venture Court, 2 Debdale Road, Wellingborough, Northamptonshire, NN8 5AA, UK . The term ‘you’ refers to the user or viewer of our website.

The use of this website is subject to the following terms of use:

• The content of the pages of this website is for your general information and use only. It is subject to change without notice.
• Neither we nor any third parties provide any warranty or guarantee as to the accuracy, timeliness, performance, completeness or suitability of the information and materials found or offered on this website for any particular purpose. You acknowledge that such information and materials may contain inaccuracies or errors and we expressly exclude liability for any such inaccuracies or errors to the fullest extent permitted by law.
• Your use of any information or materials on this website is entirely at your own risk, for which we shall not be liable. It shall be your own responsibility to ensure that any products, services or information available through this website meet your specific requirements.
• This website contains material which is owned by or licensed to us. This material includes, but is not limited to, the design, layout, look, appearance and graphics. Reproduction is prohibited other than in accordance with the copyright notice, which forms part of these terms and conditions.
• All trademarks reproduced in this website, which are not the property of, or licensed to the operator, are acknowledged on the website.
• Unauthorised use of this website may give rise to a claim for damages and/or be a criminal offence.
• From time to time, this website may also include links to other websites. These links are provided for your convenience to provide further information. They do not signify that we endorse the website(s). We have no responsibility for the content of the linked website(s).
• Your use of this website and any dispute arising out of such use of the website is subject to the laws of England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.

Privacy Policy

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Published: Saturday, 28 October 2017 15:40

This privacy policy sets out how Six Lines Ltd. uses and protects any information that you give Six Lines Ltd. when you use this website, Alexa skill or its software.

Six Lines Ltd. is committed to ensuring that your privacy is protected. Should we ask you to provide certain information by which you can be identified when using this website or its software, then you can be assured that it will only be used in accordance with this privacy statement.

Six Lines Ltd. may change this policy from time to time by updating this page. You should check this page from time to time to ensure that you are happy with any changes. This policy is effective from 28 October 2017.

What we collect

We may collect the following information:

• public IP address of the machine the software is running on, when using the Pro edition of the software
• anonymous analytics on how users interact with the Alexa skill

What we do with the information we gather

We require this information to understand your needs and provide you with a better service, and in particular for the following reasons:

• We may use the information to improve our products and services.

Security

We are committed to ensuring that your information is secure. In order to prevent unauthorised access or disclosure, we have put in place suitable physical, electronic and managerial procedures to safeguard and secure the information we collect online.

How we use cookies

A cookie is a small file which asks permission to be placed on your computer's hard drive. Once you agree, the file is added and the cookie helps analyse web traffic. Cookies allow web applications to respond to you as an individual. The web application can tailor its operations to your needs, likes and dislikes by gathering and remembering information about your preferences.

We use traffic log cookies to identify which pages are being used. This helps us analyse data about web page traffic and improve our website in order to tailor it to customer needs. We only use this information for statistical analysis purposes and then the data is removed from the system.

Overall, cookies help us provide you with a better website, by enabling us to monitor which pages you find useful and which you do not. A cookie in no way gives us access to your computer or any information about you, other than the data you choose to share with us.

You can choose to accept or decline cookies. Most web browsers automatically accept cookies, but you can usually modify your browser setting to decline cookies if you prefer. This may prevent you from taking full advantage of the website.

Links to other websites

Our website may contain links to other websites of interest. However, once you have used these links to leave our site, you should note that we do not have any control over that other website. Therefore, we cannot be responsible for the protection and privacy of any information which you provide whilst visiting such sites and such sites are not governed by this privacy statement. You should exercise caution and look at the privacy statement applicable to the website in question.

Business Transfers

If Six Lines Ltd., or substantially all of its assets were acquired, or in the unlikely event that Six Lines Ltd. goes out of business or enters bankruptcy, user information would be one of the assets that is transferred or acquired by a third party. You acknowledge that such transfers may occur, and that any acquiror of elsten software limited may continue to use your personal information as set forth in this policy.

Video stacking

Details

Published: Sunday, 17 January 2016 13:23

This feature is only available in Pro edition.

With the video stacking feature on you can browse and view your split video as if it were one video file. This is useful if you have DVD-like file structure or some videos split into parts.

Please note that depending on the file type stacking may require the file to be transcoded.

DVD video stacks

Serviio supports the standard DVD file structure stack, with the files being named like:

• VTS_01_1.VOB
• VTS_01_2.VOB
• VTS_02_9.VOB

As an example, to have a split DVD being shown as a single video, you could name the file like:

• My Video/video_ts/VTS_01_1.VOB
• My Video/video_ts/VTS_01_2.VOB
• My Video/video_ts/VTS_01_3.VOB

Custom file stacks

Serviio can stack multiple related videos into one if they are of the same type (codec, resolution, etc.) and their file names include one of these keywords:

• part#
• cd#
• dvd#
• pt#
• disk#
• disc#

As an example, these 2 files would be considered parts of a single video stack:

• MyVideo part1.avi
• MyVideo part2.avi

Please note that in order to stack this kind of videos Serviio will have to transcode them into one.