TTS to a Echo dot or Google mini

That's a bummer. Hope you've sent feedback to Google to the issue is logged.

They've had a lot of feedback re this but I suspect their breaking of the previous direct TTS API might have been intentional. Time will tell.

Nest Hello doorbell still announces there's someone at the door OK, so it still works between Google apps.

The Google Home feature of "broadcast" can be used, but it requires a "man-in-the-middle". You'd need to send a request to an Android device, which could then send a command (using Tasker) to Google Assistant of "broadcast [XYZ]". I haven't tried this, but the current lack of support for Google Home should be irrelevant for this.

Some of the posts on variable door notifications and TTS have me really excited for the possibilities with casting to a Chromecast, Google Mini or Home. Exploring the options, this seems like the best one for me (I think). Will it be able to keep a persistent connection?

Or am I just misinterpreting the issue? I don't have any cast enabled devices at the moment.

Persistent connection yes, restore track?, unknown at this time.

1 Like

Hoping to see cast support soon. I'm using @ogiewon 's really useful port of Google Assistant Relay to hear door announcements, laundry status announcements, Ask door status, and Ask laundry status, but would really like to move my door chime sound from VLC Thing to Google Home instead.

1 Like

Maybe y'all can give me a better solution for what I am doing.
Devices are ring doorbell echo show and Sonos speaker.
I wanted a way that when the DB is pressed it will automatically display the camera in the show. Unfortunately the show has to be spoken to.
I set up an Alexa routine that flips a virtual switch when DB is pressed. That switch triggers the tts to my Sonos speaker that tells the echo show to display camera. It works but the Sonos speaker is a little too far so has to have higher volume. It's not practicle.
I'd rather have a small speaker next to my echo show. I have a Google mini. Can I get that to work?

Google Home mini will work. You can either use VLCThing or send custom TTS through google assistant relay. Anything you want, just have to deal with a tone at the beginning of the message. Can’t be shut off.

Can a routine activate the show or must you speak to it?

Cool thanks in your opinion which option is easier to set up and or more reliable? I would use a raspberry pi.And yes the show has to be spoken to for the ring doorbell to display

I don't have a show yet, back ordered till after christmas. When I get it I was going to try what's on this page for a fire tablet. Side load Play Store and then use automateit.

https://support.actiontiles.com/communities/12/topics/2852-solution-fire-ring-doorbell-fully-and-action-tiles

1 Like

LOL, glad you could read it. Was out and didn't notice how Siri had mangled my response.

Anyway, I believe TTS isn't possible with VLCThing, so that would be a pre-recorded response to trigger Alexa needed. It's reliable, just a bit of a trick needed to get it working at first. I run mine on an old laptop that also runs the Node.js server I use for Google Assistant Relay.

For sure the VLCThing is easier to setup, but the benefit from Google Assistant Relay is much greater. You can get TTS in the Google voices, and you can send silent messages to anything that Google supports by adding [CC] the beginning of your TTS phrase in Hubitat. So anything that isn't already supported by IFTTT or is too slow via IFTTT, but is also supported by Google, is controllable. Couple of examples I used this for is controlling an August Smart Lock, Changing colors of a Trådfri color bulb each day at random via Hue bridge, and activating a virtual motion sensor in the SmartThings cloud, that in turn triggers an Alexa routine to announce when my door opens.

It's not super hard, and the directions are well written, but it's for sure not as simple as VLCThing.

Well I've followed all the directions for installing Google Assistant relay on my pi device but npm install throws a bunch of errors

Are you trying to install version 1 or version 2? Post the errors here so we can help.

2

You have node 11 installed. GAR doesn't work with that version of node. I would use 8.11. That's what Greg and I found to be the best to use when debugging something similar over on the ST forum.

v2 can be a pain apparently and doesn't offer any advantages over v1 at this time.
@ogiewon just posted a v2 driver and install instructions this evening. Don't know if you saw them. Here's the link.

As @Ryan780 commented, node 11 is too new. You'll notice that in Dan's screen shot in his instruction, he's installing node 8.x

He's also created a doc for v1, so since there's no immediate benefit to v2, you may just want to do the v1 install since you don't have anything setup yet anyway.

Ah. As I recall there was a difference t guide for the node.js installation. Easy to uninstall?

Has nothing to do with the drivers in HE....the problem is installing the Node server. v11 doesn't work. I know 100% that v8.11 does work and that was the version that Greg, the developer of the server, and I figured out to recommend after testing back on the ST forum. Doesn't matter which version of relay you want to install, can't use node v11.

If you want an easy way to change what version of Node you are using, check this out.

I already removed v 11 and installed v 8. Now when running npm I am getting token error. I have my json file in secrets folder but there is nothing in tokens folder

I last notice it says assistant v2 but I downloaded zip linked in the v1. Ergh

Configbuilder. No, never saw that in the guides