I'm looking to see if anyone here has setup their Harmony remote with the new Apple TV. My new Apple TV will be here today and I'm looking to control it with my Harmony One. Will the current Apple TV controls for the Harmony One work for the new model?
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New Apple TV and Harmony One remote
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Most likely the old Apple TV codes will work with the new one. I have a Harmony 700 that I will be able to test out today as well.
Let me know what you find out about the One.
I received my Apple TV in the mail yesterday, and set up my Harmony 900 to work with it last night. Everything is working perfectly, and I really had no issues with setup.
I believe the 900 and the One are virtually identical, so I would imagine you not have any problems either.
Here's how I set mine up:
- Added the Apple TV to my devices as a Media Center PC.
- Since I already had a "Watch TV" activity, I made a new "Listen to Digital Music" activity, and renamed it "Use Apple TV + iTunes". When I tried to create a generic activity/utility, the Harmony software told me that the remote would not be able to control my Apple TV in the activity, plus did not give me the proper options for volume control, etc.
- It did update my firmware prior to set up. The Harmony software has been a little finicky for me on OSX, but hopefully this will resolve some of the issues.
Hope this helps!
I believe the 900 and the One are virtually identical, so I would imagine you not have any problems either.
Here's how I set mine up:
- Added the Apple TV to my devices as a Media Center PC.
- Since I already had a "Watch TV" activity, I made a new "Listen to Digital Music" activity, and renamed it "Use Apple TV + iTunes". When I tried to create a generic activity/utility, the Harmony software told me that the remote would not be able to control my Apple TV in the activity, plus did not give me the proper options for volume control, etc.
- It did update my firmware prior to set up. The Harmony software has been a little finicky for me on OSX, but hopefully this will resolve some of the issues.
Hope this helps!
Thanks for the quick replies. I should be good to go then, the remote is already prepped for use! I too set mine up as a Media Center PC, I then selected Apple TV. I had a Watch TV activity already so it named it Watch TV 2 which I just renamed to Apple TV. I'll report back here once I verify that it is working.
Yeah I just used the existing settings for the Apple TV to get it to pair. Although the touch screen didn't populate anything for me, but that's ok I suppose. I just mapped the buttons that I need.
I have a harmony one and I was replacing my old apple tv with the new one. I didn't do anything it worked immediately. My apple tv remote is still in the plastic.
I am awaiting delivery of my AppleTV 2010 and plan to replace my old AppleTV... or rather move the old one to a new location. I figured since it used the same remote control, that the Harmony would just work with it, no changes.
I do wish the AppleTV would "understand" separate 'play' and 'pause' commands in addition to 'toggle'. If you program the Harmony to "auto stop the device" when you change sources, it will turn it back on instead if you paused it. Or if you turn "auto stop" off, then if you forget to pause the AppleTV first, you have to go through the harmony process again to turn it off. Stateless controls are a bit of a pain.
Anybody got a better solution or know something I don't?
Jim
Not sure I"m understanding correctly. I have my Harmony One set to control play & pause functionality separately via the standard play & pause keys on the Harmony remote. I also set the ATV device to be set to Always On in its settings so that when I switch Activities with the remote it doesn't do anything to the ATV.
I have a bunch of Harmony remotes and gave up on using them for the Apple TV a long time ago. I have an Activity for the Apple TV which is set to power on the TV and receiver and switch to the appropriate inputs but it doesn't send any signals to the Apple TV. This started out as a problem with the standby commands and never being able to keep the Apple TV in standby mode. Once the Remote app came out for the iPhone/iPad that sealed the deal. Once you use it you will never use another remote for Apple TV again.
Sounds like you didn't successfully pair the Harmony with the ATV.
The Harmony, in my opinion, is significantly more convenient that using the App Remote. Especially since if you have house guests or others using the system you don't want to have to hand off your iPhone/iPad just to make it so they can control the ATV.
It's the lack of a keyboard that is the big limitation of the Harmony remotes, although I agree about guests. I solve this by keeping the original ATV remote handy. Don't get me wrong, I like the Harmony remotes I just think they are very limited for Apple TV.
Apple TV, MacBook, Front Row and Harmony One remote
Has anyone experienced the following:
When using the Harmony One remote in the "Listen to Music" activity (with the Apple TV) it activates "Front Row" on your MacBook.
As you push the "up and down buttons" on the Harmony remote, you can see the volume icon on the MacBook being activated in the middle of the screen as if you are raising and lowering the volume on the MacBook itself only the remote is doing it.
In order to get out of the Front Row environment on the MacBook, you have to push the escape key. However, the Harmony remote still controls the volume and when you switch to the "Watch TV" activity on the Harmony, the MacBook shows a picture of the Apple TV remote going to sleep.
Has anyone experienced the following:
When using the Harmony One remote in the "Listen to Music" activity (with the Apple TV) it activates "Front Row" on your MacBook.
As you push the "up and down buttons" on the Harmony remote, you can see the volume icon on the MacBook being activated in the middle of the screen as if you are raising and lowering the volume on the MacBook itself only the remote is doing it.
In order to get out of the Front Row environment on the MacBook, you have to push the escape key. However, the Harmony remote still controls the volume and when you switch to the "Watch TV" activity on the Harmony, the MacBook shows a picture of the Apple TV remote going to sleep.
KDR said:
This doesn't make any sense to me. The atv remote has no keyboard. Logitech has the appletv in its database so you do not have to do any learning. When you map the keys to harmone it has the exact same functionality as the original Apptv remote. Actually it appears to have more functions since you can map keys that perform two functions to different keys on the harmony. Makes it easy for anyone to use who is not familiar with atv remote.
As for controlling MacBook its not just the harmony but the Appletv remote as well. The macbook has the most sensitive broad IR ever made. I literally have to put the thing in a diff room. The harm one has a very wide IR blast so even if the computer is closed bedside you it can still be activated.
When you set the apple tv device to always stay on and do not send stop start commands upon an activity push it works perfectly. You can resume where you left off when you switch back and forth between activities and or devices
Harmony Repeats Entries
I've set up my Apple TV with a Harmony 890 using an RF extender (all of our equipment is in an A/V closet out-of-sight from the TV).
I'm having a problem when I'm in most of the Apple TV menus (keyboard, movie/tv title selections) where one click of the arrow results in the cursor moving twice.
I've tried troubleshooting with the Harmony software and dialed the repeat setting down to zero and am still having the problem.
I have a similar issue with a Sony DVD player.
I've now put in a trouble ticket via email with Harmony Customer Support. Supposedly, they can make adjustments to the software on their end that when I next refresh my remote and extender will be downloaded to fix the issue.
Sign me, "hopeful"
Chris
I've set up my Apple TV with a Harmony 890 using an RF extender (all of our equipment is in an A/V closet out-of-sight from the TV).
I'm having a problem when I'm in most of the Apple TV menus (keyboard, movie/tv title selections) where one click of the arrow results in the cursor moving twice.
I've tried troubleshooting with the Harmony software and dialed the repeat setting down to zero and am still having the problem.
I have a similar issue with a Sony DVD player.
I've now put in a trouble ticket via email with Harmony Customer Support. Supposedly, they can make adjustments to the software on their end that when I next refresh my remote and extender will be downloaded to fix the issue.
Sign me, "hopeful"
Chris
I wasn't referring to the ATV remote. With an iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch with the Remote App, there's no need for an IR based remote anymore and you get a much needed keyboard.
My frustration with the Harmony remotes and ATV stemmed from the inability to keep the old inferno ATV in sleep mode when the Harmony was set to send commands to it so I ditched that a long time ago.
In all fairness, I have messed around with the Harmony remotes and the new ATV and they seem to be fine. It seems to keep it in sleep mode when I turn it off and even if it doesn't the new ATV is set to automatically sleep after a preset time and doesn't use much power anyway. It is nice to have the play/pause and menu scrolling commands on the Harmony, but a keyboard is
a must for the ATV.
Honestly, there is no reason to put the new Apple TV to sleep. It only has a 6 watt power supply. Someone tested it when powered on (not sleep) but at idle and it was a measly 1 watt. So Apple wasn't lying that it uses less power than a nightlight. That's very important for a media center device especially if you plan to put one at each TV.
Yes it works. I had my Harmony One programmer to work with the original atv and didn't have to reprogram for the atv2. It just worked.
I own a Harmony 550 and recently set it up with the new AppleTV. I've noticed something strange with putting it into sleep mode when switching activities -- it works, but the white LED blinks several times before finally staying off. This is obviously not what happens when you use the included remote to put it to sleep. It's as if the Harmony remote is sending additional power/sleep commands to the AppleTV. This is how it was setup straight from the remote database -- I didn't do any customizations or remappings.
Has anyone else noticed this? I'm thinking of just disabling the sleep mode and just leaving it on as others have suggested. However, then I worry about making sure whatever is playing, gets stopped first, so the box will actually be "idle" and thus go to sleep on its own.
Has anyone else noticed this? I'm thinking of just disabling the sleep mode and just leaving it on as others have suggested. However, then I worry about making sure whatever is playing, gets stopped first, so the box will actually be "idle" and thus go to sleep on its own.
The Apple TV 2, according to what I've seen in menu options, can learn to use any remote. So you can just pick an arbitrary remote profile and then use your existing remote to go into settings -> remotes -> learn remote to set up the Apple TV to use it.
This way you can avoid conflicts with other Apple remote supporting devices with which you haven't paired a remote or disabled the IR support (in System preference -> Security)
This way you can avoid conflicts with other Apple remote supporting devices with which you haven't paired a remote or disabled the IR support (in System preference -> Security)
To get discrete Stop, Play, Pause, Fast Forward, Rewind, Skip Ahead, Skip Back, Chapter Ahead, Chapter Back buttons working on your remote, read on:
Use the Apple TV "Learn Remote" Feature
1) On your Harmony remote, add a remote profile for a DVD player you do not own and that does not conflict with your current setup.
2) Go into Settings -> General -> Remotes
3) Click "Learn Remote"
4) Click "Start"
5) Follow the on-screen instructions to learn each individual button available on the basic Aluminum remote. Simply press and hold the button on your Harmony remote which you want to perform each function. Bear with me!
6) Once setup is complete, press down on your now working Harmony remote and choose Setup Playback Buttons
7) Again, follow the instructions to set up the following commands:
Play
Pause
Stop
Rewind
Fast Foward
Prev Chapter
Next Chapter
Skip Ahead
Skip Back
8) Profit.
You can do this as many times as you like, for multiple remotes. If you have a sound system remote with a little switch on it that shifts between System/DVD/TV etc you can flip this switch to DVD and follow the above tutorial to roll your volume control/AppleTV2 control into one remote.
Use the Apple TV "Learn Remote" Feature
1) On your Harmony remote, add a remote profile for a DVD player you do not own and that does not conflict with your current setup.
2) Go into Settings -> General -> Remotes
3) Click "Learn Remote"
4) Click "Start"
5) Follow the on-screen instructions to learn each individual button available on the basic Aluminum remote. Simply press and hold the button on your Harmony remote which you want to perform each function. Bear with me!
6) Once setup is complete, press down on your now working Harmony remote and choose Setup Playback Buttons
7) Again, follow the instructions to set up the following commands:
Play
Pause
Stop
Rewind
Fast Foward
Prev Chapter
Next Chapter
Skip Ahead
Skip Back
8) Profit.
You can do this as many times as you like, for multiple remotes. If you have a sound system remote with a little switch on it that shifts between System/DVD/TV etc you can flip this switch to DVD and follow the above tutorial to roll your volume control/AppleTV2 control into one remote.
I just use the prebuilt Apple TV device in the Harmony database. You can even pair the remote using the option in the Device->Apple TV screen in the LCD. There is also a "Reset" button there that has been useful the couple of times I've had to reset the Apple TV. The remote even does a good job of putting the box to sleep with the prebuilt settings.