It would be nice to have a native TTS integration for Amazon Echo devices, so that one does not have to rely on a community/developer maintained app. We have the Chromecast Integration, although it has been in beta for some time, so adding the Echo device integration would be helpful for many.
The biggest difference -- and roadblock -- I see is that Google Cast has an official API, so it's both possible and easy to figure out how to send audio, including TTS generated by the hub, to it. Alexa does not. All "speak"-type integrations are reverse-engineered, unofficial, subject to break at any time, etc. That tends to be the kind that thing Hubitat does not like to "officially" support via anything built-in on the hub.
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Well, it would be nice to get a response from one of the Hubitat folk on whether this can be achieved.
It is not really Hubitat that is the roadblock here, but Amazon.
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I understand that. But if community developers can come up with apps, then it would be nice if the Hubitat folk can possible engineer something more official.
You're in luck, @bertabcd1234 is staff. I'll also say given how long Hubitat has been out, don't you think it would have been done by now?
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Perhaps, but there is another integration that I can' t speak about that could have been done a while ago.
You could also join the beta for a peek,. That the way google, echo, and homepod/homekit are handled are very different from eachother. As staff has pointed out, unless there is a supported API they're not going to kludge something together for it to just break on a change. A good example of that is MY Q. They don't have an open API and it was reverse engineered. When it broke, there was a whole lot of complaining and it took a few months to be re done. Hubitat will leave that to the community. They've no interest in damaging themselves.
I am a beta member.
Then you know of the TTS I'm talking about.
It is the one I refer to above that I said I cannot mention.
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Interpreting I think you just gave it away…
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Paying for engineering time is expensive. I’m not sure it makes sense for a tightly-staffed startup to invest that kind of time/money to support an undocumented API that can change on a whim.
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Generally what youve read here is the case. That being said it is not a hard rule. Hubitat has at least a couple of official integrations using undocumented / non official api.
Specifically to alexa i agree i do not see hubitat supporting these functions as the api seems to change a lot requiring more reverse engineering to make it work.
On top of that the official alexa and google integrations do not seem to be high priority for development from what ive seen. They work but may lack a few bells and whistle. The community has been amazing stepping up and filling the gaps to that regard.
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