If you found a new Apple TV under the tree this holiday season, you’re likely still exploring all it can do. So, we’re going to share some useful commands you can issue to your new box, all via the Siri Remote that accompanied your new set top box.
All of the following commands can be issued to your Apple TV by holding down the Siri button on the remote and speaking into the remote. (It doesn’t need to be right up on your mouth. If it looks like you’re about to swallow the remote, back it off from your mouth a bit…)
- “What did he (or she) just say?” – This is a handy command for those of us that don’t hear quite as well as we used to. This command backs up the video a bit to replay it, as well as turning on captioning if it is available for the video content that is playing.
- “Turn on the captioning.” – Again, this one is quite handy for us oldsters. When you tell Siri this, she’ll turn on the subtitles. (You’ll also have the opportunity to select a language if more than one is available.) You can also say “Turn off the captioning” if it’s already turned on.
- “Reduce loud sounds.” – This one will reduce the sound level on loud sounds such as explosions and gunshots, giving you a better chance to hear dialogue during action scenes. (Wait, there’s dialogue in action movies?)
- “Go back 20 seconds.” – or – “Go ahead 20 seconds.” – This command allows you to rewind or fast forward in whatever video you’re watching. (This isn’t limited to 20 second increments, you can say any amount of time you’d like.) Quite handy when you’re trying to multitask by using your iPhone or iPad while viewing television. (You know you do it…)
- “Who stars in this?” – This one is handy when you see a guy that you knew was in that other movie, with that guy from The Transporter, who was in that other thing, but you can’t quite remember his name, and… You get the gist. When you give this command, Siri will pop-up a box with a list of the stars of the movie or TV show you’re watching. You can then use your remote to highlight the actor’s name to see what else they’ve been in. Press MENU to return to your video after your curiosity is satisfied.
- “Find Jason Statham movies.” – When you issue this command, Siri will find all of the movies starring Jason Statham that is available via compatible Apple TV apps such as iTunes, Netflix, Hulu, and more. Unfortunately, the technology isn’t perfect, and can’t find just those movies where Jason takes off his shirt. (What’s that you say? Yeah, I guess that is every movie he’s starred in…) You can also say: “Show me action movies,” and Siri will show you a selection of action movies. You can also narrow down your selection by then specifying “Only ones from the 80s,” or a similar era.
These are only a few of the commands you can give Siri while using the Apple TV. If you can’t remember these commands, or if you’d like to see what other commands you can use with your Siri Remote, just press the Siri Button and keep quiet. A series of useful commands will begin to cycle into view on the screen.
In a later post, we’ll share Siri commands for discovering content, including apps. We’ll also show you how to control your new box using the Siri Remote’s built-in touchpad. Stay tuned.
