Apple TV 4K, Logitech Harmony Remote and the new Lightbox App

Forums › Sky, Neon, Lightbox › Apple TV 4K, Logitech Harmony Remote and the new Lightbox App - no FF or REW.

mminehan

25 posts

Geek

#236134 19-May-2018 09:34

Hi,
We have an Apple TV 4K and a Logitech Harmony Elite remote. The remote controls our smart TV, AV receiver, Apple TV 4K, PS4, Sky box etc.
Before Lightbox was upgraded the transport controls (Fast Forward, Rewind) worked fine. But now with the new Apple TV Lightbox app we can't fast forward or rewind using the Harmony Remote.
The touch surface of the Apple TV remote works fine with the new app. But our apple TV is in a media closet some distance from the TV, too far for the apple remote.
The Lightbox app on our smart TV (Sony Bravia / Android TV) works fine and we can FF/REW using the harmony remote, but it is a little clunky compare to the Apple TV app.

If anyone else has a Harmony remote and an Apple TV 4k can you check if you can FF and REW? I would like to know if it is our setup or something in the new Lightbox Apple TV app.

Just in case anyone asks....yes there are discreet FF and REW commands on the Apple TV despite no corresponding buttons on the remote. The Harmony remote can FF/REW on other Apple TV media apps (Plex, Netflix, TVNZ, TV3 etc.)

I think the problem maybe that Lightbox has not mapped the discrete FF/REW commands in the Apple TV (4K).

Marty.

Junta

270 posts

Ultimate Geek

Trusted

#2018798 19-May-2018 09:38

Thanks for the feedback. We'd not tested using Harmony setups. Hard to tell the usage/penetration in the market to work out whether it's warranted to develop & test for it. Keen to hear if others are using & having same issues...

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mminehan

25 posts

Geek

#2018809 19-May-2018 10:12

The real issue is that the Harmony remotes do (yet) support the Apple TV swipe functions. But other developers of media apps overcome this by using the discrete transport controls from the IR protcol.

The swipe functions of the Apple TV remote only work over bluetooth, and not IR. Apple TV does have an IR receiver which the Harmony remotes use. But Logitech support is shocking. They are incredibly slow to reposed to issues that require some work (e.g. drivers for Windows 10). So I don't think they will be rushing to support Bluetooth for Apple TV any time soon.

It would be nice if Lightbox could address this.

driller2000

935 posts

Ultimate Geek

ID Verified

#2018840 19-May-2018 10:24

New Android TV Lightbox app on Nvidia Shield - works fine with my Harmony remote.

So I am guessing this is an Apple issue as noted above.

Benjip

940 posts

Ultimate Geek

ID Verified

#2018875 19-May-2018 11:34

Why not just use the Apple remote that comes with the Apple TV?

Seems strange for Lightbox to spend/waste their time on such a fringe issue.

mminehan

25 posts

Geek

#2018952 19-May-2018 13:37

Benjip:

Why not just use the Apple remote that comes with the Apple TV?

As mentioned in the OP the Apple TV is in a media cupboard, along with the Sky decoder and AV receiver etc., and is too far for the Apple remote to reach.

Benjip:Seems strange for Lightbox to spend/waste their time on such a fringe issue.

Might be fringe in your opinion but there are plenty of Harmony remote owners. Harmony remotes a the biggest selling 3rd party remotes. So note sure it's such a waste of time. The lack of swipe support is also an issue for DirectTV on ATV4 in the US for example. Other media apps (e.g. Netflix, Plex) have acknowledged this issue and fixed it accordingly. E.g: http://forums.plex.tv/discussion/191765/fast-forward-and-rewind-problem/p12

I guess time will tell if others are having similar issues.