Does the Remote get state/status from the Hub?

Posted on
Tue May 22, 2018 1:57 pm
Swancoat offline
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Does the Remote get state/status from the Hub?

This may be a bit of a 'Harmony' question more than specifically related to the plugin... but I figure this is where the expertise on these things will be.

Basically, I'd like to know if you have the harmony remote that works with the hub, does the hub have the ability to change the 'Activity Mode' that the remote is set to?

Specific Use Case: I'm a big fan of hard button remotes, so I have Harmony remotes through the house. One cool Indigo trigger I use is (and probably a good demo of how cool all these plugins are): When an Astros Game is starting (Cynical Calendar - subscribe to Astros Calendar on my Mac), and IF someone is home (pi Beacons) AND the TV is not currently on (Samsung TV Plugin), then turn on the TV and activate the lift (TV is in a cabinet with lift) (Global Cache Plugin), set the TV input on the Matrix to DirecTV (Shinybow Matrix plugin - props me!), and set the channel on the DirecTV receiver to the usual (DirecTV plugin).

So that thing uses SIX different plugins, and has been absolutely bulletproof. My wife loves baseball and is still thrilled every time we're home, starting dinner, attending to kids or whatever and we hear the whirrr of the TV lift and see it turn on literally 2 minutes before the first pitch. Even after the offseason, started up this season without missing a beat.

BUT, when you pick up the remote to adjust volume, change channel later or even shut it off later, you have to cover the IR window with your hand, and start the TV activity just to get the mode set.

If I had the Harmony Hub and it's remote, and this plugin, would I basically just pick up the remote and see that it's already set to 'Watch TV'?

http://nerdhome.jimdo.com

Posted on
Tue May 22, 2018 3:02 pm
jay (support) offline
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Re: Does the Remote get state/status from the Hub?

I don't think the remote itself knows about the state (at least not the companion remote) - I think all the state retention is on the hub. So you'd tell the Hub to start the Watch TV activity rather than controlling each piece independently (or in conjunction with the parts that the hub doesn't directly control).

Jay (Indigo Support)
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Posted on
Tue May 22, 2018 7:07 pm
Swancoat offline
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Re: Does the Remote get state/status from the Hub?

Seems lame for a product with that kind of native integration. So even in a non-Indigo environment, if you have an Echo and say “Alexa, Watch TVl and then pick up your remote, it won’t know what activity you should be on?

http://nerdhome.jimdo.com

Posted on
Wed May 23, 2018 6:37 am
FlyingDiver offline
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Re: Does the Remote get state/status from the Hub?

This has nothing to do with the remote (well, for the dumb Companion remotes anyway). It's all about the Hub. So you can make it work with your scenario pretty easily. Instead of turning on the TV directly, you use a "Watch DirecTV" activity to do it (using the Harmony Hub plugin). That eliminates the Samsung TV command, the ShineyBow command, and possibly the DirecTV command. Heck, if the Harmony knows how to activate the lift, you don't need to do that step directly either.

Then, since the hub knows what activity you're running, you can just pick up the remote and go.

In an Alexa environment, I think you do something like "Alexa, tell Harmony to watch DirecTV".

joe (aka FlyingDiver)
my plugins: http://forums.indigodomo.com/viewforum.php?f=177

Posted on
Wed May 23, 2018 7:19 am
Swancoat offline
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Re: Does the Remote get state/status from the Hub?

Yeah, I think the plugin would do the job great - for me it's just the link between the handset and hub that I'm hung up on.

If I understand what FlyingDiver is saying correctly, the 'what activity am I on' is just stored on the Hub, so it's irrelevant. You specifically mention the 'dumb Companion' remote, and in that scenario, yeah - that's probably correct.

My mind is trying to reconcile this to the Harmony One that I currently have (and you can pry out of my cold, dead hands). That remote is IR only and has a screen of 'soft' buttons at the top (I know we all know how the Harmonys work, but I digress...). When you start an activity, the buttons all map to IR signals for that activity, and the soft buttons reflect the relevant options. Now in Harmony Hub/Elite world, the hard button mapping can be done in the hub, I get that. All the hub needs to know is that the remote pressed 'menu' and it will issue the right command. But what about the soft buttons at the top? Can the Elite handheld reflect the correct options? (Does the hub somehow tell it, "show the Blu-Ray buttons now")?

Again, at this point it's not really a plugin question I guess, but hoping someone has a Harmony Elite that can chime in.

http://nerdhome.jimdo.com

Posted on
Wed May 23, 2018 7:26 am
FlyingDiver offline
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Re: Does the Remote get state/status from the Hub?

Swancoat wrote:
. But what about the soft buttons at the top? Can the Elite handheld reflect the correct options? (Does the hub somehow tell it, "show the Blu-Ray buttons now")?


Short answer, yes. The hub broadcasts out the activity changes, which is how the plugin knows the current activity (even if it was not started via the plugin). The mobile app and Elite type remotes use that information to display the correct information.

At least, that's how I understand it works. I would have to check my Elite type remote at home to be 100% sure. I won't be home again for a couple weeks.

joe (aka FlyingDiver)
my plugins: http://forums.indigodomo.com/viewforum.php?f=177

Posted on
Wed May 23, 2018 8:46 am
jay (support) offline
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Re: Does the Remote get state/status from the Hub?

I've had Harmony remotes for many years, including a Harmony One that's now relegated to the one room with A/V stuff and no Harmony Hub (the bedroom). I too am a HUGE proponent of remotes with physical buttons because I use muscle memory to use it and can just feel my way to the right button at any given time without having to look at it.

In my opinion, the combination of the Harmony Hub and the Companion remote is the best, most reliable, remote control solution I've ever used. Add in the fact that it also integrates well with Indigo via Joe's plugin, you can use the LIFX Bridge plugin (also from Joe) that allows the HA buttons on the Companion Remote to control Indigo devices, and the amazing form factor and battery life (it goes forever on a frigg'n button cell) and I'm just a big fan. Another thing to note is that on the Companion remote, the 3 activity buttons at the top can actually activate 6 activities - each button understands a normal press and a long press so that less-used activities can be connected to the long press.

I've never use the Elite remote because I just don't like/need an LED screen on my remote (and it takes the place of the hard activity buttons which I like and moves the hard HA buttons to the bottom which for me would be harder to use), but I'm assuming that it is also a bluetooth remote (as the Companion remote is) so it should be getting hub state information so that the menus on the LED are correct.

Jay (Indigo Support)
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Posted on
Wed May 23, 2018 12:05 pm
durosity offline
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Re: Does the Remote get state/status from the Hub?

I’ve just skimmed this and to answer what I think your question is about the elites.. the lcd screen and buttons will correspond to whatever activity you have set on the hub. So if I change something on the app/indigo plugin it’ll show up on the remote, and vice versa.

Sorry if that’s not what you were asking.. not been quite with it the last few days. If it wasn’t repost it below and I’ll reply, or if you want to see how it works I can either record a video or do a FaceTime.


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Posted on
Wed May 23, 2018 12:53 pm
Swancoat offline
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Re: Does the Remote get state/status from the Hub?

Yes, that's what I was asking. Thanks all for answering!

http://nerdhome.jimdo.com

Posted on
Wed May 23, 2018 1:46 pm
durosity offline
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Re: Does the Remote get state/status from the Hub?

Ah super!

The remotes do work well. I’m 90% satisfied with them. The plastic screen scratches too easily. And there’s some rather annoying bugs with setup, particularly replacing a device. But the vast majority of the time the system is great. Particularly with FDs astounding plugin!!


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