Universal Remote

[Randy]

Ok.
Here's more food for thought. I just tried setting up the universal remote option for my tv remote. Set it up with the receiver as the control unit and every Roku function and receiver function works perfectly except the volume control which defaults to the tv's volume. I don't even get that with the Harmony.

Not sure if this will help or not, but I connected my receiver to the TV using the HDMI input with ARC (for me it was HDMI 2) that way whatever is showing on the display is outputting sound to the receiver and the volume control always works over the receiver.

 

[Towen7]

Tried this out and working like a charm.
This will be great for when we misplace the remote and turning on/off the TV in the morning/at bedtime.
Really really pleased with this. Thanks for the help.


New line of questioning...
2 hubs, 2 locations...1 Alexa app, 2 different Alexas (1 close to BR TV, 1 close to Main system).
I guess the scene names need to be different? Otherwise I'll be by the Alexa by the main system and say "Alexa turn on TV" and it will
turn on the TV in my bedroom?

Exactly (I think)
I believe that if you use different names for the hubs when you setup/link the harmony device to the Alexa account that Alexa will identify them by that "scene" name and operate only one at a time.

 

[Huey]

Yeah, I can't really read it as well. I've only used that new software a couple of times, my One allowed me to use the old software, but if it says the receiver is used to control the volume, it should work, unless somehow the volume buttons on the activity got mapped wrong.

 

[Dentman]

I found the problem, by accident after trying to reprogram the volume buttons. Turns out Haywood was right. It was working the whole time but the delay is so God awful long when using the guide/scroll features I just assumed it didn't work under watch tv. The volume reacts instantly but all other Roku functions have a solid 3 second delay.
So in the end it does work as it should and always did but it's way to slow. I'll need to go back to my original way of dealing with the Roku. This issue aside this remote rocks for as cheap as it is. It's so easy to program I love it.

New issue has arisen though. I don't blame the remote, it's a function of this TV. Everything powers off but the TV turns back on. I havnt looked into this issue yet, latter.

Thanks all for the help.

 

[Dentman]

Yeah, I can't really read it as well. I've only used that new software a couple of times, my One allowed me to use the old software, but if it says the receiver is used to control the volume, it should work, unless somehow the volume buttons on the activity got mapped wrong.

I may have down sized the photo too much.

 

[Huey]

I found the problem, by accident after trying to reprogram the volume buttons. Turns out Haywood was right. It was working the whole time but the delay is so God awful long when using the guide/scroll features I just assumed it didn't work under watch tv. The volume reacts instantly but all other Roku functions have a solid 3 second delay.
So in the end it does work as it should and always did but it's way to slow. I'll need to go back to my original way of dealing with the Roku. This issue aside this remote rocks for as cheap as it is. It's so easy to program I love it.

New issue has arisen though. I don't blame the remote, it's a function of this TV. Everything powers off but the TV turns back on. I havnt looked into this issue yet, latter.

Thanks all for the help.

When I first setup the 650, I had the exact same problem, only it was my receiver that would turn off and then turn back on. Took me a bit to figure it out, but in my case, somehow I had ended up with two receivers in device list, so the 650 thought it had to turn off two receivers, hence the off/on sequence. Check your devices and make sure you don't have two tv's in there. If that's the case, you may have redo some of your activities after the deletion of the 2nd tv, but just run the connection wizard, and it should be fairly straight forward.

 

[Huey]

Oh, and about the delay with the Roku. Has it always been slow to respond to commands? I have an older type Dish receiver, long story but it involves the mil when she lived here and wife wanted her to have dish, so I got to downgrade, so it could be a little clunky at times. With the 650, it's even worse than it was with the One. There is a setting for each device that allows you change it if your device is responding too slowly. It should be in the trouble shooting area, and I think it should solve your problem.

 

[Dentman]

Awesome, I'll check for that first.
This tv does get triggered on easy. For instance, I use Directv now, I always click my Ruko back to home when im done viewing so I'm not eating up my internet speed while not viewing. Well if I happen to forget to hit the home button first before shutting down my tv the simple act of hitting the Roku home button will trigger my tv to turn back on.

 

[Huey]

Good luck Jack! And don't get discouraged setting it up. It's not unusual to have to go back and tweak things a few times to get it just right.

 

[Batman]

Thank god you didn’t get a URC!!

 

[Dentman]

Not sure if this will help or not, but I connected my receiver to the TV using the HDMI input with ARC (for me it was HDMI 2) that way whatever is showing on the display is outputting sound to the receiver and the volume control always works over the receiver.

That's a good idea, thanks

 

[Haywood]

Tried this out and working like a charm.
This will be great for when we misplace the remote and turning on/off the TV in the morning/at bedtime.
Really really pleased with this. Thanks for the help.


New line of questioning...
2 hubs, 2 locations...1 Alexa app, 2 different Alexas (1 close to BR TV, 1 close to Main system).
I guess the scene names need to be different? Otherwise I'll be by the Alexa by the main system and say "Alexa turn on TV" and it will
turn on the TV in my bedroom?

You have to create different commands for the different systems. In my case:

Turn on Shield in the Living Room
Turn on Shield in the Kitchen
Turn off Living Room Shield
Turn off Kitchen Shield

You have to do the same thing with just about everything else (i.e. lights, thermostat, door locks).

 

[Haywood]

There is an add-on for the Harmony Hub that lets it talk to SmartThings and other smart hubs. This gives you direct control over various devices from the Harmony remote and allows you to incorporate those devices into Harmony Activities (i.e. automatically dimming the lights when firing off a macro called Watch Movie). You can do the same thing from the Alexa/Google Assistant side of things by using IFTTT, but that introduces lag and you cannot fire it from the remote.

 

[Towen7]

There is an add-on for the Harmony Hub that lets it talk to SmartThings and other smart hubs. This gives you direct control over various devices from the Harmony remote and allows you to incorporate those devices into Harmony Activities (i.e. automatically dimming the lights when firing off a macro called Watch Movie). You can do the same thing from the Alexa/Google Assistant side of things by using IFTTT, but that introduces lag and you cannot fire it from the remote.

Harmony Hub can already communicate with some other devices. With no additional add-ons it works with my Lutron Casetta lights and my Sonos speakers.

 

[Dentman]

After all that Ruko hassel, by the way it's back to not controlling the volume. It occurred to me that the unit I have can't do 4k. So I now use the built in tv apps or my Sony Blu-ray players apps for Netflix and amazon. Only need the Roku for Directv now.

Wow 4k HDR is out of this world!

 

[The DirtMerchant]

Purchased a second Harmony Hub, but can't get the Alexa in the room to control it. No new scenes are showing up in the existing Scenes list...Remote works though

 

[Haywood]

I thought about a second hub, but each remote only works with one hub. This is a problem for me, because I run a two-zone system. I got around the problem by controlling both systems with the same Hub. I did it using a couple old Radio Shack wireless IR repeater pyramids and with some wired emitters plugged into the receiver pyramid. The Harmony remote talks to the Hub, which blasts out an IR signal that is relayed to the pyramid in the other room and sent to the emitters on the various pieces of gear. Anything network controlled is handled by the Hub directly. Zone 2 Activities control the second zone output of my main system receiver, main system source components, second system receiver inputs and volume and second system display.

 

[The DirtMerchant]

I thought about a second hub, but each remote only works with one hub. This is a problem for me, because I run a two-zone system. I got around the problem by controlling both systems with the same Hub. I did it using a couple old Radio Shack wireless IR repeater pyramids and with some wired emitters plugged into the receiver pyramid. The Harmony remote talks to the Hub, which blasts out an IR signal that is relayed to the pyramid in the other room and sent to the emitters on the various pieces of gear. Anything network controlled is handled by the Hub directly. Zone 2 Activities control the second zone output of my main system receiver, main system source components, second system receiver inputs and volume and second system display.

Unfortunately this is a problem for me. The 2 systems are on opposite sides of the house and different floors.
I'm sure I can create new scenes for Alexa to handle, but I don't know how at this point.
Thought they should add automatically with the 2nd hub and different devices...but nothing new showed...

 

[Towen7]

If you haven’t already, try going to the Alexa app’s smart home section. Under scenes tap “discover scenes”.

 

[The DirtMerchant]

If you haven’t already, try going to the Alexa app’s smart home section. Under scenes tap “discover scenes”.

I have. "No new scenes discovered". Not sure what the issue is, but no time to tinker.
I'll probably get to it near the end of next week. As of now, the remote works great and controls everything I need it to.
But the Alexa voice commands are absent for this system for now.