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Setting up a context-sensitive remote
Hi everyone,
I found out about Homey a couple of days ago and I am very excited about this hopefully pretty amazing product (directly ordered it of course). :-)
However, I still would love to have a physical remote for a couple of tasks and that's why I wanted to ask if it is possible to set up a context-sensitive remote?
For example: if I have the TV input on TV, the remote would work as a regular TV remote with sound control of the audio system, if the input is on Apple TV, it would control the ATV and if the TV is off, it would control the lights for example.
This is just a sample situation, I am sure that there are a lot of great uses for that.
I would also like to know if it could be done with the remote of the new Apple TV, I love this simple remote and think it would be an amazing companion to Homey.
Or maybe someone knows another nice, clean and simple remote that would work for that job?
Best regards,
Theo.
PS: I might have to add that I would love to get rid of my Harmony Ultimate, I just hate that remote (it's a shame that this is the supposed best universal remote on the market).
Comments
Adding up to this idea. Also still think a remote is somehow needed.
Alternative, how about a digital remote in the app? Like switching not channels is not fun with voice recognition I guess......
Cheers
Adding up to this idea. Also still think a remote is somehow needed.
Alternative, how about a digital remote in the app? Like switching not channels is not fun with voice recognition I guess......
Cheers
I don't think homey is made for replacing your TV remote. It is equipped with infrared but some things are just not easily voice controlled.
Maybe neeo is an interesting project for you?https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1227115988/neeo-the-thinking-remote
I had a look at Neeo a couple of days ago too and it looks great, but I actually like a couple of things better about Homey (apps, community, voice control, flow, etc.) and I saw a thread where Emile said (I believe) he doesn't think that Neeo can do something that Homey couldn't.
I also saw a video where an Athom guy programed a couple of buttons on a regular TV remote and I believe that this should be applicable on a context-sensitive situation.
If Homey can't replace a regular remote mess then I don't see much use for it actually and I am pretty sure that everyone at Homey is aware that I don't want to scream at Homey to turn the volume on my TV down when the volume is already so loud that Homey won't really understand me (as an example).
I would also like to avoid using two independent systems like Homey and Neeo in conjunction because that seems like a waste to me.
Everyone his own cup of tea but I haven't purchased homey to replace my TV remote and I don't believe it was created for this purpose. It is a smart home controller used for solving your smart home controlling mess, whether by remote control, apps or physical switches. Sure you can use it for controlling some specific TV remote functions, but I don't see it as a full tv remote control replacement.
For instance, homey would be useful for certain situations like:
"homey, I'm going to bed" TV turns off, soundbar turns off, lights after 2 minutes, etc.
"homey, mute" turns off sound of TV, soundbar, etc.
"homey, radio please", turns on radio, etc.
I personally won't be using it for:
"homey, zap to next channel", "homey volume up by x percent", etc. IMHO you would still use a remote for that.
Sure its possible, but convenient? Not in my opinion.
I'm still hoping they will implement the Harmony api in the future...
@rob: I am with you regarding the tee. ;-) But in the kickstarter video of Homey, one of the first things they tell and show us is a pile of (TV) remotes that Homey wants to replace. I am pretty sure Homey actually wants to help us with everything in our homes including the entertainment area, that's why I was asking about a context-sensitive remote.
When you're just using your TV for browsing channels, Homey is not the best use case. But for scenario's (e.g. at 19:55h, "Do you want me to turn on the TV for the news on channel one?" it's freakin' perfect.
@Fire69: I saw Emile a couple of times writing that he is not looking to add that because it is basically not as powerful as the things that Homey already can do. This is also why I believe that there should be an easy way to get a "smart" remote working with Homey.
I know Emile has said that, but I don't agree :-P
I need a physical remote. As rob_houweling said, you can't use Homey to change channels or volume, that would just be ridiculous... You need a remote for that. And a Harmony gets desynchronised when it has to compete with Homey (and no, that's not a Harmony design flaw)
@Emile: Thanks Emile for joining this thread. You're right, it's perfect for that scenario but I am pretty sure that this is not how most of us are watching TV, films or other stuff. So basically this remote mess you showed in the kickstarter video has to stay because we would need these remotes anyway for all of the other scenarios where we just want to control channels on the TV, volumes on the 5.1, apps on the ATV, films on the PS4 and all that stuff? That's kind of a bummer because I honestly thought that Homey would be the hub of everything in my home including entertainment. I love the whole schedule- and automation-thing but a hub this powerful should be able to replace my Harmony too, I believe.
@Fire69: Complete agree with you! And I am pretty sure that we are not alone in our wish for a physical remote. But me personally, I would just love to get rid of the Harmony and program a simple remote control in Homey's great own system.
@theohesse: you're confusing a smart home controller with a universal remote.
Most of the things you're referring to are IR controlled devices. Homey can control much more than only that and is not created for replacing only IR remotes. It can control all different kinds of things like lights, heating, even a toaster if it is a connected device (and supported).
If you're looking for a device to control all of your TV functions, all of your ATV functions and all of your PS4 functions Homey isn't the most obvious device you could be using. Again, that's just my humble opinion..
Please correct me if I'm wrong @Emile...
I can't think of a better product to control your TV functions than your TV remote, to be honest. Homey is best at automating things and connecting devices together :-)
You could use an old remote to tell homey wat you want. For example you press the volume down button homey sees that and starts a flow that checks what you are doing and sends out the ir command for volume down for your tv or radio or wharever is on.
How would you want to implement that exactly? What do you mean with 'a simple remote control'? Have you seen the Harmony Smart Control / Companion? Very simple yet very powerful. I'm using it now and it' s awesome.
And that's why you should support Harmony ;-)
The TV remote is actually the worst TV remote possible when you have all those things I mentioned connected to the TV, then you get to the point of the remote mess and things not really being connected with each other that you showed and talked about in your kickstarter video (which makes this kind of misleading).
I am actually very sad about this, because I loved Homey the first moment I saw it but it seems like I loved it for something it is not.
To me a smart home controller should help me with everything I have in my home and it would be a way bigger help to let me change the channel of my TV every day (without looking at 4 remotes) than to lift my shades once a week.
Looks like it's just not my kind of product, sorry @Emile to bring it up in this thread but how can I cancel my pre-order?
@Wilbert: Thank you! That's actually everything I was asking for. If that would be possible without a big delay and with a clean, simple remote like the Apple TV remote, I would be super happy and would have everything I want. And that would also completely eliminate the need for Harmony support!
If I understand correctly you would rather make Homey learn all of the IR commands of a "simple remote" and create a flow for each button that is pressed than to buy:
And no, I do not work for or have anything to do with Logitech...
rob and me are on the same page here I think.
For example, I just installed a PS4 tonight for my son's christmas.
All I had to do was create a new activity with the Harmony-app, during the setup it asked me to pair it through BT with the PS4. Two minutes later I could use my Harmony to use Youtube on the PS4 to watch some videos.
Why complicate things when it can be so easy?
If there would be a simple interface for that, yes, in a heartbeat. I own the Harmony Ultimate and it's just a horrible remote with some really bad software behind it, the setup is painful and it works when it wants to (not very often). There are also a lot of things this remote can not control and a Homey-programed remote would be able to do everything the Harmony can and a LOT more! So yes, why have two separate "smart" ecosystems when you could just have one that is doing absolutely everything?!
We've seen in the demo video that Homey is great in sending IR, but how is it in receiving it?
I changed to an RF Harmony because I was always having problems controlling my stuff when we were sitting at the dinner table.
Why go back to an plain old IR remote...
@Fire69: But can the Harmony also control your lights (let's be honest, the Hue control is a joke), heating, toaster, shades and everything else in your home? No, it can't. So why use another remote for these things when everything could just be controlled by Homey, your voice and one simple remote that is context-sensitive?
For me would be great if homey can activate the Logitech scenes by voice. Then I have best of two worlds...
@Aljoen: You can probably program these scenes easily in the Homey system and give them a voice control. I don't know why you would want to program Homey to speak to your Harmony Hub and then to the devices if you could just use Homey directly. One less device seems like the smart way to me.
theohesse, would this solve the desynchronization between harmony/homey/TV as mentioned by Fire69?
I would think so because you would just use Homey and the devices, so Homey should always be aware of what is going on with your TV and other devices (because it sent the last commands that affected those devices).
An other remote i would like to use with Homey (instead of my old harmony) is Spin ( https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/spinremote/spin-remote-the-simplest-most-personal-remote-ever/description)
With this you can not only operate your TV, Music but also lights in a simple way....
@Aljoen: Looks interesting to me but maybe a little limited, would love to test it though.
I do hope I get my spin in February. Will let you know how it works...