How To Turn off the TV Too with the Amazon TV Fire Stick

The simple answer is yes, Firestick can turn off your TV. However, it may not be able to do it right out of the box and your TV needs to meet certain requirements.

Also see our article How To Jailbreak Your Amazon FireStick TV

In other words, you need to tweak the Fire TV settings and ensure that your TV set is CEC compatible. From there on, you can enjoy a bunch of Alexa-enabled TV controls, which includes turning the unit on and off.

However, before we get to using Firestick as a remote for your TV, let’s go over what exactly is CEC.

What Is CEC?

Consumer Electronics Control or CEC is built into many contemporary TVs. CEC is an HDMI protocol which allows CEC-enabled devices to trade information and accept controls via HDMI.

If you have a CEC-enabled TV, you should be able to use your Firestick to control its functions. Just make sure that CEC commands are enabled on both the TV and the Firestick.

Here is how to do it:

How to Enable CEC on a TV

For illustration purposes, this article describes a Vizio TV. You shouldn’t have any problems navigating the menus to turn on CEC on any other TVs though. This is one of those things that once you see it, you’ll know how to apply it to other situations.

1. Press the Menu Button

Hit the Menu button on the TV remote.

2. Access the System

Now go to System and locate CEC.

3. Enable CEC

Select the CEC option and toggle left or right to enable it.

An Important Note

A lot of manufacturers use different names for CEC on their TVs. They might call it something proprietary but they all mean the same thing.

LG uses SimpLink, Samsung Anynet +, and Sony either Bravia Sync or Bravia Link. If you can’t find the exact name for your TV, here’s a complete listing on Wikipedia.

How to Enable CEC on Firestick

Once you’ve enabled CEC on the TV, you should make sure that the option is also enabled on your Firestick. It is worth noting that CEC is usually enabled by default on most Firesticks, but it wouldn’t hurt to double check.

These are the steps to enable CEC on your Fire TV:

1. Access the Settings Menu

Navigate right to the Settings menu and browse for Display & Sound.

2. Enable HDMI CEC Device Control

Under Display & Sound, navigate down and make sure HDMI CEC Device Control is turned on.

After enabling CEC on your Firestick, you should be all set. For example, press the Home button on the Firestick remote and the TV should immediately turn on and display the Fire TV home screen.

Turning off the TV is even simpler. Just tell Alexa to turn off your TV and she will do it for you. Different TVs offer different CEC capabilities, so you might have even more options.

Tip: Pair your Firestick with an Amazon Echo device, if you are using one of the older non-voice-operated models.

Other Cool Alexa TV Controls

You might not be aware that you can actually control your satellite and cable TV box via Alexa, in addition to turning the TV on and off. These all work with Alexa: Optic Hub, Dish, Tivo, Fios, and Frontier.

Note: Just to be clear, you’ll need the newer voice-operated Firesticks.

This is how to connect your satellite or cable TV box to the Alexa app.

1. Launch the Alexa App

Once inside the app, swipe right and go to the Music, Video & Books menu.

2. Choose Your Provider

Select your provider under the Videos tab. Some of them offer a separate Alexa skill so you might need to download it first.

3. Add a Device

Choose the Manage and Link Devices option that appears in your provider’s menu and tap on Link a device.

4. Select Your Set Box

Tap on your cable or satellite set box and choose Continue.

5. Finish up

At this point, you need to choose the Alexa-enabled device that will control your TV and tap on the Link Devices button to confirm.

Endnote

Even though Amazon Firestick might look simple, the number of supported features and control options are quite amazing. Turning off your TV with a Firestick is quite simple as long as you have a CEC-enabled TV. But why stop at that?

Alexa allows you to integrate even more TV controls. If that’s what you’ve been using at home, we would like to know how it’s working out for you.