Even as Amazon unveiled a whole new collection of Echo devices, it was still smarting from one major partner's decision to block video content from its big-screen Echo Show.
"It was a surprise to us," said Amazon SVP and devices lead Dave Limp when asked on Wednesday about why Google had pulled YouTube off of the Echo Show device.
SEE ALSO:Hands on with Echo Spot, Amazon's alarm clock killerIt was, until yesterday, Amazon's only Echo product with a display. That, along with its powerful audio system and voice-enabled digital assistant Alexa made Echo the perfect platform for making a simple video request: "Alexa, show me cat videos."
Google has yet to fully explain its decision, which left Amazon, Limp, and potentially existing Echo Show customers frustrated. It also means the new small-screen Echo Spot, which Amazon unveiled on Wednesday, can't play YouTube videos, either.
Amazon, according to Limp, believes a lot of Show users were consuming YouTube video on the platform and enjoying it, and he's anxious to return that experience to those customers who ponied up $229 for the boxy device.
"What I’ve said to Google," said Limp, "is just tell us where we weren’t compliant with the APIs and we’ll send a team down to Mountain View tomorrow -- I’ll send one tonight -- and we’ll get the product back in line."
Limp's statement, though, runs somewhat counter to Google's official comment, which claims that "Amazon’s implementation of YouTube on the Echo Show violates our terms of service, creating a broken user experience."
If that's the case, perhaps Google just needs to communicate which specific part of the TOS the YouTube-on-Echo Show experience is violating.
"They just haven’t told us what’s wrong with it," insisted Limp. He added that it might be time for Show customers to ask Google what needs to be done. "Ask them what to fix and we’re committed to fixing it," said Limp.
When reached for comment, a Youtube spokeperson disputed Amazon's claim and reiterated this official comment:
"We’ve been in negotiations with Amazon for a long time, working towards an agreement that provides great experiences for customers on both platforms."
[Updated with comment from YouTube.]
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