Good Multi Remote

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#1143025 28-Sep-2014 17:26

Dunnersfella:
lchiu7: I love Harmony remotes and have a 880 and a Harmony One.

But I am now experimenting with iRule and using an Android tablet to control my devices. One of the advantages of tablet based control (whether it's iRule for Android/IOS or Roomie Remote for iPhone only) is IP control.

Most of my devices are now IP controllable so I don't have to worry about line of sight from the control to the unit.

Of course it does mean you have to invest in some like this

http://www.globalcache.com/products/itach/wf2irspecs/

And the programming effort is not trivial (well it's not for iRule) but the end result looks like it will be cool.

I'd be very interested to hear about your experiences with this sort of kit.
A step by step / photo project could be quite a cool sticky for this forum... if you have time, that is.

It's been a bit challenging so far. The programming itself isn't hard once you get what they are trying to do but if you use the Wizard and you have any complexity in your system then you don't know where the tweaks are. But iRule have been great so far for support.

For me the main challenge has been programming the T-Box. The codes don't appear to be in their database so I have had to learn them. But the iTach learner is rubbish. It hardly ever registers the remote signal. Then I went to their forum and found I wasn't alone and many folks took the case off to make learning easier. That worked for me but the codes never captured properly.

Since I have a USB-UIRT I use for GBPVR to change channels on the T-Box I at least knew the codes from 0-9. I then used the USB-UIRT and a free utility to learn all the other codes. That also was challenging as I at first tried it on a XP box (which is where the USB-UIRT runs) and that didn't work. Then I tried a Windows 8.1 Pro Surface and while it learnt codes, they all had the same hex value! Finally I dig out a Windows 7 32bit machine and was able to learn all the codes I needed.

So far I am able to use two activities. One is to watch OTA TV using an antenna and the second to watch T-Box and control the channels and DVR playback via the app. It's pretty cool so far but I must have spent several hours doing it. What is nice is you don't have to aim the control at the equipment since the iTach has a IR blaster than can be set to aim at all your equipment and the IR signals are triggered over IP. I suspect many of my devices are IP controllable so I am going to investigate that path.

Staying in Wellington. Check out my AirBnB in the Wellington CBD. https://www.airbnb.co.nz/h/wellycbd PM me and mention GZ to get a 15% discount and no AirBnB charges.

overkill

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#1143057 28-Sep-2014 18:34

Another good thing about Apps like iRule, is you can do more than just control your home theatre. We use a product called DemoPad (we are an authorised installer), you can go from a single room installation right through to a whole home automation system using these "Apps" as your control interface, fully customisable to suit your taste. Control your lighting, AV equipment, heat pumps, pretty well much anything that you want to.

We've had the Harmony and other make remotes, but for our family, the touch screen fully customised is the best fit for us, mostly because you do not have to point and shoot. Push a button (touch the screen at least) for the Bluray, the TV turns on, the Switch go to the correct input and output, the receiver turns on and on the correct input, the Bluray turns on and ejects ready for a disc, the lights dimm to 50% (good viewing light level in our room) and then hit play, you can't get easier than that.

My wife hates remotes with a passion and would never attempt to put a DVD on before the touch screen (iPad), she absolutely loves it now, can control everything in a simple layout, these setup correctly have AWESOME WAF!!!!!!!

"Setting the Standard in Quality and Commitment"

lchiu7

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#1143523 29-Sep-2014 13:13

Well as I get more into the programming I am finding with power comes complexity. That's why I guess they give you a 30 day trial since you need that much time to work out if it's right for you.

I toyed with either Roomie Remote or iRule and went iRule even though it's more complex because I didn't have to buy an IOS device just for a remote whereas I had a spare Android tablet around.

The main challenges for me have been (as noted earlier) getting IR codes learnt and understanding the panels and how I can have Volume controls on a panel that control different equipment depending on what is the source.

My next challenge is to get IP control working. My Panasonic 60" plasma has IP control and the devices is in the database but for the life of me, I can't get iRule to send out command over IP.

That being send iRule support is pretty responsive so I am sure they will have an answer.

The home automation side also looks interesting but I don't feel I like have to go down that path yet.

As for the WAF I finally got my wife to work out how to watch her streaming TV over a STB controlling the device and TV with a Harmony remote. I know to get that with with iRule I am going to have to go through learning all the codes since the STB is not in the iRule database. That is the main pain.

Staying in Wellington. Check out my AirBnB in the Wellington CBD. https://www.airbnb.co.nz/h/wellycbd PM me and mention GZ to get a 15% discount and no AirBnB charges.

JimZ

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#1143575 29-Sep-2014 14:42

The Harmony 650 from Logitech is good. I supports lots of devices and custom macros which you configure from your PC. I have one and am very pleased with it.

http://www.logitech.com/en-nz/product/harmony-remote-650

lchiu7

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#1143582 29-Sep-2014 14:52

I have a 880 and a Harmony One and have used them for years. But I want to move onto more sophisticated automation which the Harmony's cannot do.

Staying in Wellington. Check out my AirBnB in the Wellington CBD. https://www.airbnb.co.nz/h/wellycbd PM me and mention GZ to get a 15% discount and no AirBnB charges.

MileHighKiwi

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#1143589 29-Sep-2014 15:22

This thread has inspired me to buy a multi-remote. My wife hates the 4 remotes we have on the coffee table and when she complained about it on Saturday I thought, "have I got a thread for you".

Think I'll start with the Harmony 650.

wasabi2k

2096 posts

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#1143604 29-Sep-2014 15:57

MileHighKiwi: This thread has inspired me to buy a multi-remote. My wife hates the 4 remotes we have on the coffee table and when she complained about it on Saturday I thought, "have I got a thread for you".

Think I'll start with the Harmony 650.

Great idea - my wife is even open to spending close to $200 on a Smart Control next...

Haven't quite sold the in-laws though.

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dukester

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#1143605 29-Sep-2014 15:57

JimZ: The Harmony 650 from Logitech is good. I supports lots of devices and custom macros which you configure from your PC. I have one and am very pleased with it.

http://www.logitech.com/en-nz/product/harmony-remote-650

Just ordered one of these from Alpha City. $74.20 delivered

MileHighKiwi

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#1143665 29-Sep-2014 17:14

Will it work with my Roku 3? and I have an old Sony surround sound system (must be early to mid 2000's).

dukester

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#1143727 29-Sep-2014 18:34

MileHighKiwi: Will it work with my Roku 3? and I have an old Sony surround sound system (must be early to mid 2000's).

According to the logitech website it looks like most of there newer remotes support the Roku 3

Wills1

710 posts

Ultimate Geek

#1143845 29-Sep-2014 21:29

I've been reading through this thread, and now I am also interested in the harmony 650. Mainly because I'd like to run MY SKY in dolby digital, but have it set to PCM instead, as it annoys me using one remote for the volume and the other for changing the channels. Would this eliminate my problem? and are they simple to use?

lchiu7

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#1144888 1-Oct-2014 15:11

Wills1: I've been reading through this thread, and now I am also interested in the harmony 650. Mainly because I'd like to run MY SKY in dolby digital, but have it set to PCM instead, as it annoys me using one remote for the volume and the other for changing the channels. Would this eliminate my problem? and are they simple to use?

That is SOP for the Harmony's. You can set for each activity what volume control would be used. So for say watching TV say FTA you could set the volume control to be the TV's. But for watching Sky movies with DD audio and you are routing the sound through your AVR, then the volume control could control the AVR instead.

Staying in Wellington. Check out my AirBnB in the Wellington CBD. https://www.airbnb.co.nz/h/wellycbd PM me and mention GZ to get a 15% discount and no AirBnB charges.

Wills1

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#1144964 1-Oct-2014 17:26

lchiu7:
Wills1: I've been reading through this thread, and now I am also interested in the harmony 650. Mainly because I'd like to run MY SKY in dolby digital, but have it set to PCM instead, as it annoys me using one remote for the volume and the other for changing the channels. Would this eliminate my problem? and are they simple to use?

That is SOP for the Harmony's. You can set for each activity what volume control would be used. So for say watching TV say FTA you could set the volume control to be the TV's. But for watching Sky movies with DD audio and you are routing the sound through your AVR, then the volume control could control the AVR instead.

Thanks for your reply. Will a harmony remote handle all the musky functions like series link?

vexxxboy

4244 posts

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#1145055 1-Oct-2014 19:02

Cheapest place to get a 650 seems to be Computer Lounge, $69.95 free shipping.

Common sense is not as common as you think.

Dunnersfella

4086 posts

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#1145125 1-Oct-2014 21:22

Wills1:
lchiu7:
Wills1: I've been reading through this thread, and now I am also interested in the harmony 650. Mainly because I'd like to run MY SKY in dolby digital, but have it set to PCM instead, as it annoys me using one remote for the volume and the other for changing the channels. Would this eliminate my problem? and are they simple to use?

That is SOP for the Harmony's. You can set for each activity what volume control would be used. So for say watching TV say FTA you could set the volume control to be the TV's. But for watching Sky movies with DD audio and you are routing the sound through your AVR, then the volume control could control the AVR instead.

Thanks for your reply. Will a harmony remote handle all the musky functions like series link?

My Harmony One and Ultimate did and do. :-)

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