Setting up Activities / selecting device inputs.

[DeanW]

I just received my 1 s today and there’s an element I can’t quite wrap my head around. Maybe I am too used to the Harmony way of doing things.

here are my devices:

• Fetch TV streaming device /TV tuner
• Sony DVD player
• apple TV
• Pioneer AV receiver
• Panasonic TV

Basically I have 3 “Activities” I want to enable.

• watch Fetch TV (a streaming device, like Roku) “A”
• watch Apple TV “B”
• watch DVD’s using a Sony BluRay player. “C”

I have been able to set up initially the activities themselves using the app, but how do I select the various power on states and HDMI inputs for each device?

for example, I am watching fetch TV (activity “A”) and want to watch a DVD or Apple TV. How do I enable this using the 1s?
This would require the 1s turning on the Apple TV(for example) and also changing the HDMI input on the Pioneer AV receiver and Panasonic TV. I don’t see where to do that.

I was hoping it would be a simple press:

”A” for Fetch (which would set the power states and inputs on other devices for that activity,

“B” for Apple TV which would set the power states and inputs on other devices for that activity

“C” for DVD and the associated power settings and inputs on other devices for that Activity.

What am I missing? It looks like the ABC activities only set the remote control to control devices, so is there a way to control device inputs some other way, or will there be an update to expand the ABC activity buttons to accommodate this?

Cheers

Dean W

[btouhey]

Hey Dean,

I am coming from the Harmony one.  this can do what you want.

Using the app, you can program the power button for A, B and C to turn on multiple devices and set inputs for those devices.  Each activity can control multiple devices.  You need to program each button to the device and the command, just like in the Harmony app.

I have activity A to watch cable.  It turns on the tv, cable box and soundbar.

Activity B watches Roku, it controls the roku and the soundbar.  The power button under activity B controls the tv input.  Under B, power on changes the tc input to HDMI 2 (for roku) and power down changes the tv input to HDMI 1 (to watch cable)

I power everything up on activity A = power button on power up and I power everything down on activity A power button, power down.  If I am watching roku (activity B) and want to turn everything off, I need to press A then the power button.  It's a little clunky, but not too bad, I always went back to the activity to watch tv using the Harmony On as my TV would get confused when powering back on again.

~Brian

[DeanW]

Thanks Brian,

Thinking it through I had come to the same conclusion as I didn't see any way of doing the same thing as the Harmony remotes do.

So to paraphrase your response:

Set all devices to turn on when in A activity and if I want to turn off go back to A and hit the power button, correct? So effectively the A activity is kind of a "master" power on switch. I think this will work pretty well as at least 80% of our viewing will be tied to the Fetch STB, which in this case takes the place of cable in your use-case.

The only issue there may be with this is that some devices, such as DVD player and Apple TV have automatic timeouts as a power saving measure. In that case when I hit A - Power off if the device is in power save mode hitting the power off as a master is just going to turn them back on again.  

I don't think this will be too much of a problem: I'll need to investigate each of my devices and see if there is a way to disable any power saving modes they have. 

[btouhey]

correct.  my tv is a pita so this has worked best for me, even with the Harnony.

I did set activity C to be a "device" activity.

I use the power on and power off to replicate the activity A power on.  But I also set rewind to power on the TV, play to power on the cable box and FF to power toggle the sound bar.  Basically used that row for power in the order I woudl turn things on so I can remember.  Number 1 sets the TV to HDMI 1 and number  2 sets the TV to HMDI 2.

I use activity C to adjust anything that needs adjusting that didn't get set right or turn on.

 

~Brian

Edited July 13, 2023 by btouhey

[bbaldino]

Where is the dialog to designate which input a device should be set to? I've been looking all over the app and can't seem to find it.  I also can't modify which devices are powered on in the Activity Summary page (one of the devices included in the activity isn't present there)

[bbaldino]

15 minutes ago, bbaldino said:

Where is the dialog to designate which input a device should be set to? I've been looking all over the app and can't seem to find it.  I also can't modify which devices are powered on in the Activity Summary page (one of the devices included in the activity isn't present there)

Ah, I just found it.  I was expecting it to be in the activity setup dialog (e.g. where it asks you if the actions look ok for starting an activity)--but it's actually in the remote button mappings dialog (where you can click the power button to see the current actions, and add additional buttons for things like setting the input)..