The swipe to navigate is awful. It's been a few years now and I still can't reliably scroll one item left or right. The old remote was perfect (except for a weak battery cover clip and tendency to get lost) - could I pick up an old Apple Remote and use that?
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Is there a good alternative to the Siri Remote, eg can you use an old Apple Remote?
- Thread starter mazz0
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You have 4 options here.
1. Use any old Apple remote and pair it by going to Settings --> Remotes and Devices (aluminium or even the old white ones still work)
2. Use any universal IR-remote and program the remote to emit the correct commands (following the manufacturers manual)
3. Use any universal IR-remote and program the apple tv to listen to the commands the remote emits by default. On your ATV go to Settings --> Remotes and Devices
4. Use HDMI-CEC to control basic functions through HDMI using your tv-remote.
1. Use any old Apple remote and pair it by going to Settings --> Remotes and Devices (aluminium or even the old white ones still work)
2. Use any universal IR-remote and program the remote to emit the correct commands (following the manufacturers manual)
3. Use any universal IR-remote and program the apple tv to listen to the commands the remote emits by default. On your ATV go to Settings --> Remotes and Devices
4. Use HDMI-CEC to control basic functions through HDMI using your tv-remote.
You can use any IR remote with the remote learning feature on the ATV. This has been around since the ATV2.
Once this feature came out, I didn't ever use the little remotes anymore, as they were too easy to get lost.
I used the remote that came with the TV and used the remote learning feature to "program" buttons for the ATV.
The downside of doing this with the newer ATVs, meaning the ones with tvOS, is that some apps won't work with it. You also won't have Siri.
Although, in my experience all the streaming apps work, it is mostly games that don't work with IR remotes. I think the app developers have to choose to include IR remotes to work with the apps.
Once this feature came out, I didn't ever use the little remotes anymore, as they were too easy to get lost.
I used the remote that came with the TV and used the remote learning feature to "program" buttons for the ATV.
The downside of doing this with the newer ATVs, meaning the ones with tvOS, is that some apps won't work with it. You also won't have Siri.
Although, in my experience all the streaming apps work, it is mostly games that don't work with IR remotes. I think the app developers have to choose to include IR remotes to work with the apps.
you don't have to pair the apple IR remote, it should work by default.
that setting is for the siri remote.
Each apple IR remote has a random code (0-255)
when it send a command it also sends the code... "play 23"
if a receiver has been paired, it only listens to the code of the device it was paired with.
(there is a 1 in 256 chance of another random remote controlling it)
an unpaired receiver will respond to any apple IR remote
(to unpair, hold left and menu for 6 seconds)
so if you're trying to use a remote, and nothing is happening, use that key combo to try and unpair
I think i remember that pairing a remote using "menu + Right for 6 seconds" will cause the remote to pick a random new ID code, in addition to pairing the receiver.
Look for the Apple in the manufacturers list, most of them have it.
If you tap on the cardinal points (in other words up down left right) near the edge of the trackpad, it will scroll one item at a time pretty much the same as the old remote.
The swipe to navigate is WONDERFUL. Have you considered that perhaps yours is broken?
It is SO much better than the aluminum remote! Particularly when using swipe to scrub.
If you think anything about Apple TV/Siri remote is bad, try working a Roku. I have a friend who curses and throws things whenever he tries to forward/reverse.
I think this is more of a preference than fact. I dislike the endless swiping when browsing libraries. And I have two Siri remotes, one on a ATV4 and one for ATV4k, and they both behave the same way.
it is way too easy to swipe past what your intended place to stop.
It is especially annoying when putting in passwords, or entering something into a search.
Scrubbing is pretty much the only thing that is better about the touch pad imo. The D-pad has been around for a long time, and I doubt it will disappear anytime soon.
I don't own a Roku, but a few days ago, I purchased a new TV that had Roku, and have been mostly impressed by it. The biggest thing missing from it is the gaming library that tvOS has. I am not replacing my ATVs with Rokus, but I will probably buy less of them in the future for our secondary TVs, and just use the built-in Roku if it has it.
As for the remote, it is the TV's remote, not necessarily a Roku remote, but it is fine, as I much prefer D-pad over endless swiping on a touch pad.
Another point about the Roku, I downloaded a Roku remote app and it is much better for navigating and app selection than the Siri remote and the ATV remote app imo.
I shall try that, thanks! And if that doesn’t work I forgot I can use my TV remote!
Yeah, the scrubbing isn’t bad, although I tend to use the skip back 15 seconds command more than scrubbing, which is easier with buttons.
Other than that I find it much worse than buttons. So easy to scroll past items, or not scroll at all if you’re trying to be delicate and not go past!