Dish Network boxes will support Google Assistant (Update: Available now)

Update 07/09/2018 at 11:15 A.M. EST: Dish Network announced today that the official rollout of Google Assistant support to certain Dish set-top boxes is here. However, the company originally promised both English and Spanish language support at launch, but it appears just English is supported for now.

To use Google Assistant voice commands on your set-top box, you have to connect your box with the Google Home app on your Android smartphone. Dish provides these step-by-step instructions for your convenience.

Original Article (01/11/18): If there’s one thing we’ve learned from CES 2018 (besides how thousands of tech geeks will react when the power goes out), it’s that Google Assistant is going to be in everything. By the end of the year, it will be in headphones, coffee makers, alarm clocks, and even washing machines.

Not to be left out, Dish Network announced today certain Dish-branded cable boxes will support the virtual assistant in 2018. Using your smartphone, tablet, or smart speaker, you will be able to control your set top box with commands like, “Change the channel to NBC,” “Pause,” or even “Search for funny shows.”

Only a few months ago, Dish released a voice-controlled remote with similar features, but pairing with Google Assistant gives you the freedom to use whichever supported device you like to control your television.

Both English and Spanish commands will be supported at launch. Presumably more languages will come along later.

If you own the Hopper, Joey, or Wally set-top boxes from Dish, you won’t have to buy anything extra to take advantage of the new feature. You’ll just have to add the hardware to your Google Home profile once the option is available for it to work. If you own any other set-top box model though, you will have to upgrade.

What a day it will be when you can say “Ugh, this show is terrible, change the channel,” and your TV will listen.