Polk audio command bar

2

Comments


  • Hello,
    The firmware version 206 will allow you to play Amazon music.
    It is available for downloading.
  • munizv
    munizv Posts: 21
    Hello,
    The firmware version 206 will allow you to play Amazon music.
    It is available for downloading.

    I've already tried factory reset, reconnecting etc etc etc. Device is already on 206 firmware as noted earlier. Having followed the procedure to factory reset as told by Polk, the sound bar now won't even respond to "what is the time" or "change to hdmi 2" type requests.
  • Okay, let me forward this to Polk.
  • I believe Kim Jasper is going to contact you via email.
  • munizv
    munizv Posts: 21
    Yes, I've been in touch with him. Thanks very much
  • I have been unable to play amazon music since day 1 in November. I tried to follow the procedure above but got stuck at c) - where is the power button? Ho do I find the firmware version? My app (ios) version is 1.495.0 but I cannot access the firmware info.
  • munizv
    munizv Posts: 21
    @Grandpapa_g sorry to hear you’re ask affected. In your Alexa app, under devices you’ll see your Polk command bar. If you tap that and then choose About you’ll see the firmware version it’s running. The most recent is 206.

    I don’t know where the power button is but I’ve seen write ups online for factory resetting the unit but holding the top and bottom buttons until it goes into demo mode (it’ll tell you it has) then releasing and repeating to get out of demo mode which automatically will force a factory reset.
    I have been unable to play amazon music since day 1 in November. I tried to follow the procedure above but got stuck at c) - where is the power button? Ho do I find the firmware version? My app (ios) version is 1.495.0 but I cannot access the firmware info.
  • Thank you munizv for the quick response. My firmware version is 206 and have tried everything and still no prime music. It seems to access my [rime music list and tries to play a recent selection - but no sound. The only other problem is when I ask for a radio station it plays it thru tunein but occasionally it will suddenly stop. Two times recently it it has stopped playing after approximately 10 sec and I had to 'hard' reboot before it returned to normal. Is there any hope that this will ever work reliably or should I consider returning it under warranty?
  • munizv
    munizv Posts: 21
    @Grandpapa_g That’s my experience too, when I look at my Alexa app it seems to just skip from song to song without playing anything. If I set a different Echo device as my preferred speaker then the command bar processes the command flawlessly and the music plays out of the other Echo so it’s clearly not an Amazon issue. I did hear back from Polk finally and they’re sending me a replacement under warranty. I’m hoping that’s the last of this issue for me. I wish you luck with your warranty replacement.
    Thank you munizv for the quick response. My firmware version is 206 and have tried everything and still no prime music. It seems to access my [rime music list and tries to play a recent selection - but no sound. The only other problem is when I ask for a radio station it plays it thru tunein but occasionally it will suddenly stop. Two times recently it it has stopped playing after approximately 10 sec and I had to 'hard' reboot before it returned to normal. Is there any hope that this will ever work reliably or should I consider returning it under warranty?

  • Hello Grandpapa_g,
    I'll ask someone from Polk to contact you via email.
  • I have not yet received an email from Polk. I decided to contact Polk support by phone They seemed to be very swamped so i waited for a call back. When I received the call back I was guided thru some menus to obtain log files and ticket number, provided my internet / info, including modem make & model and was put on hold. After almost 50 minutes listening to "elevator music" I gave up and hung up!! I tried to call back later and was told all lines are busy - call back later. Very frustrating.
  • munizv
    munizv Posts: 21
    @Grandpapa_g that was my experience as well with the phone support. Just to update the people that are having this issue, I received a replacement command bar today. Hooked it up and am having exactly the same problem with Amazon music as with the other device. Have contacted the tech I was talking to and will wait and see
  • munizv, Today I again called service and eventually got a call from an engineer (Alex) who is working on our problem and I was able to glean a little additional information. It seems the difficulty accessing prime music is limited to Canada and the issue is being taken seriously. As I was writing this I got a call back from the Polk engineer and joined a conference call with a software engineer (presumably from amazon) and I ran thru some failed attempts to access prime music and downloaded the resultong logs from alexa for them. I then successfully accessed a radio station (thru tune-in) and and downloaded these logs as well. Hopefully this will give them more detailed information regarding our problem.
  • munizv
    munizv Posts: 21
    @Grandpapa_g thanks for that update. I was wondering if that was the case, or if it required an unlimited subscription. Good to hear they are taking it seriously and hopefully we’ll have a resolution soon. Keep us updated, and if they need any additional support info please let me know and I’ll forward my logs / troubleshooting steps as well.
  • munizv, After my message this afternoon I took out the manual and went over my options. I don’t know why I didn’t think of it before but I realized that I should be able to pair my ipad (Bluetooth) and stream prime music. When I asked alexa to pair my IPAD it responded to the effect that it can’t do that yet. So I tried to use my ipad to connect to alexa and it worked – now I can stream prime music to the command bar with blue tooth and it works! I can now listen to prime music on alexa – and I have some voice & remote control (pause, start and skip and maybe more?). I am not too far from full control.
  • munizv
    munizv Posts: 21
    @Grandpapa_g yes but in my case the kids will often ask Alexa to stream music etc, so it would be good to not have to worry about pairing devices. I was hoping for the same seamless experience I have with all the other Echo products in the house. But that’s a good workaround for now.
  • munizv, I see a new version of the firmware was downloded yesterday - progress maybe but amazon music still does not work. Have you tried muting the microphone on the command bar and pairing it with your echo and running alexa that way - I know it is a clumsy work-around but if it works :).
  • munizv
    munizv Posts: 21
    @Grandpapa_g no new version download on my device yet but I did try that on 206 and it won’t work. I can tell the command bar to play on another device but same silence if I tell my echo to play on the command bar. Thank for the suggestion though! :)
  • Amazon music and multi room works for me but took awhile to figure it out. Ensure to add the device to multi room in Alexa app. When you play music via Amazon Music app make sure you select your multi room group
  • munizv
    munizv Posts: 21
    @mauricecf thanks for that, i tried that and it does work with multi room if I start it in the app or on another echo. But it doesn’t work if I try it on the command bar by itself or if I use the command bar to initiate multi room. Serms to be that the command bar cannot be the music requesting device nor can it be the primary speaker still. Are you in Canada or the US? Sounds like the original issue is affecting Canadian customers.
  • I also purchased the Commandbar over the holidays in Canada as a compliment to a Fire TV. Everything worked as expected except I couldn’t hear music streamed from my Amazon Music Unlimited account. Yet the behaviour was if it was streaming including if I went to stream on another Amazon device it would tell me that music was already streaming on another device. I reset and removed the device on both the Polk and Alexa apps several times. I am paired with a Fire TV and all commands appear to work. I finally called Polk support and they acknowledged this as a known issue. They asked that I have the Commandbar exchanged through MorganTech (Canadian support). They were good and fast replacing the Commandbar. However same issue. Latest firmware did not resolve.

    I am thinking of returning as the music listening and control is one of my main uses. Yes I can use Bluetooth but I can do that with any device. Store has said they would relax their return policy given my frustrations over he last month.

    Does anyone have any last ditch ideas?
  • obstbecher
    obstbecher Posts: 1
    edited February 2019
    I have the same problem now. Request for music is accepted but silence afterwards. Rebooting the bar sometimes fixes the issue for a couple of days but the problem keeps returning. Very frustrating and no fix in sight ? I'm a customer from germany.
  • munizv
    munizv Posts: 21
    3 months, 2 command bars tried, 1 frustrated customer. My unit is still running 206, still not working and there’s not a peep from anyone at Polk. Guess it’s time to accept I’ve thrown away my money and go buy a Sonos.
  • munizv
    munizv Posts: 21
    @KennethSwauger has there been any movement on this? Still on v206, still the same issue. And since no one got back to me about what to do with the Command Bar that they replaced I have a unit with no power/remote sitting here taking up space.
  • F1nut
    F1nut Posts: 49,708
    Mr. Swauger is no longer involved with the forum. Other than calling and/or emailing Polk there is no one here to help you.
    Political Correctness'.........defined

    "A doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a t-u-r-d by the clean end."


    President of Club Polk

  • joesephK
    joesephK Posts: 50
    I heard the fix is going out sometime this week
  • munizv
    munizv Posts: 21
    joesephK wrote: »
    I heard the fix is going out sometime this week

    That would be nice. Though they said that in January too so I won’t hold my breath. Thanks for the update though, Inappreciate it.

  • Hi there!

    Since folks got more help here than Polk support I am trying to get this issue fixed.

    So Alexa will work normally with my Echo Show, but when I try to get here to play Spotify on Polk Command Bar it will say: "This action is not supported on this device".

    TuneIN radio works fine, as well as streaming from Spotify app by selecting the device (so Spotify has registered the device) - this is not Bluetooth connection.

    Only thing that comes to mind is some issue on how the Alexa - Polk integration has been done, but I can't troubleshoot it in any way.

    If Mr. @KennethSwauger can lend a hand and put in touch with someone that would be great as I can't reset Polk support login and I can't call their phone because I am from Europe.
  • Hello,
    My advice would be to send this information to: kim.jasper@soundunited.com he will help.