Setting Up Harmony Hub with Apple TV

Posted on
Sat Apr 07, 2018 1:28 pm
Colorado4Wheeler offline
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Setting Up Harmony Hub with Apple TV

I'm hoping that the answers I've been seeing around the Internet aren't correct or that there is a better way - but is it true the only way to use Harmony Hub with Apple TV is to unpair your Siri remote? I don't want to control my Apple TV from my phone exclusively, I need that remote to be usable too.

Any suggestions are greatly appreciated. If I lose my Apple remote then I'll ditch the new Harmony Hub because that makes it not worth it.

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Posted on
Sat Apr 07, 2018 2:06 pm
Different Computers offline
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Re: Setting Up Harmony Hub with Apple TV

I have no problem using my Siri remote and the Harmony remote that came with the HH. I didn't do anything special when setting it up, and both work just fine.

I don't know what those guys are talking about.

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Posted on
Sat Apr 07, 2018 2:27 pm
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Re: Setting Up Harmony Hub with Apple TV

I think the issue with using both Siri and Harmony Hub with Apple TV is more about getting the HH out of "sync". If you change inputs (or something similar) with Siri, HH doesn't know about it and might not select the right input when you want to do something through HH. At least that's my take on the "conflict".

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Posted on
Sat Apr 07, 2018 2:42 pm
Colorado4Wheeler offline
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Re: Setting Up Harmony Hub with Apple TV

Hmm, well I cannot even get it to work with ATV at all. When I first set up the hub it worked on one but then stopped, I've since not been able to get it working with any of the 5 that I have. Anything special about setting them up?

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Posted on
Sat Apr 07, 2018 2:44 pm
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Re: Setting Up Harmony Hub with Apple TV

Are you trying to make one Hub work with more than one AppleTV? And is it co-located with the Hub so that IR commands from the Hub will reach it?

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Posted on
Sat Apr 07, 2018 3:17 pm
durosity offline
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Re: Setting Up Harmony Hub with Apple TV

I can also confirm that it works perfectly fine with the AppleTV remote (using it in 3 rooms with 3 hubs and 3 ATVs). I’d suggest checking it’s got a direct line of sight with the hub or the emitters, and that if you have one make sure the ATVs working with one of the old IR remotes they used to sell them with.


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Posted on
Sat Apr 07, 2018 3:18 pm
Colorado4Wheeler offline
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Re: Setting Up Harmony Hub with Apple TV

FlyingDiver wrote:
Are you trying to make one Hub work with more than one AppleTV?

Yes, eventually, but for now just trying to get one going.

FlyingDiver wrote:
And is it co-located with the Hub so that IR commands from the Hub will reach it?

It's a WiFi device, the Harmony Hub is supposedly using reverse engineered direct WiFi access. I can confirm that it worked that way at least once because the HH was a room away when it worked at first, but then no amount of placement in front of TV's worked.

EDIT: With it in view of the infrared eye it would appear they are NOT using WiFi as so many have stated on the ever-so-reliable interwebz. Makes me wonder why they query it via WiFi if they are just going to use old IR signals. Unfortunately I don't see how this can then control all of my Apple TV's from one location so I suppose it was an exercise in futility.

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Posted on
Sat Apr 07, 2018 3:52 pm
Colorado4Wheeler offline
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Re: Setting Up Harmony Hub with Apple TV

This implies that I should be able to use my iTach's then to send IR commands.... Hmmm. I thought I tried that with the first gen ATV4 but probably worth another go, then I don't need the HH anyway. Now to find an old remote to use.

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Posted on
Sat Apr 07, 2018 4:03 pm
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Re: Setting Up Harmony Hub with Apple TV

I think that at least one company has reverse-engineered the protocol that the iOS Remote app uses to control the ATV. But they guard that information very closely and I don't think Logitech has licensed it from them. I'm pretty sure mine only uses IR. And trying to control multiple units from one Harmony is going to be a bust, even if it did Wifi. The. Harmony will only control devices in the current activity, and I don't think you could get multiple ATVs in one activity.

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Posted on
Sat Apr 07, 2018 4:19 pm
Colorado4Wheeler offline
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Re: Setting Up Harmony Hub with Apple TV

I appreciate all the help and input and I know which company you are referring to, formerly Roomie I think hacked it and, yea, they guard that pretty closely. As it turns out, the Gen 3 remote works great with all ATV4's without any pairing needed, so I was able to learn that remote and can now control all the of the ATV4's in the house by redirecting IR to the iTachs in each room. So while it was a bit of a waste trying to get HH working, the end result is what I had hoped for.

Thanks all for the comments!

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Posted on
Sat Apr 07, 2018 6:27 pm
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Re: Setting Up Harmony Hub with Apple TV

Just in case it helps I might suggest you use a different set of IR codes with your iTach and then have the AppleTVs learn those remote codes.. it gives you extra features like a discrete pause button (exceptionally handy if you want it to pause when the doorbell goes) and also I seem to recall it adds a few other commands that the default ATV remote doesn’t support.


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