AppleTV & Harmony Remote Step by Step Guide

Ok I just spent 12 hours (there was some sleep in the middle there) getting my Harmony 676 remote to work properly with AppleTV. In the end the setup proved to be quite simple and it (finally) works perfectly. I figured I'd post my guide to save all you folks the tedious trial and error pathway I had to go through.

I figured it would be simple just to do a learn IR command for each of the settings but that never worked properly and the remote just wouldn't sense the commands. When it did, the IR response for the apple TV was sluggish or very sketchy.

The trick is to just add a new apple computer device and then have your activity reference it for the buttons. I also changed my delays to 100ms.

Ok here's the step by step to save everyone some time

1 In your harmony Remote Software Click "Add Device"
2 Click "Computer", next, next
3 Select "Apple", next
4 Now type in EXACTLY "Mac Mini 1.66GHz Intel Core Duo", next
5 Check "do not have a remote" and hit next again
6 All info correct, next

Back to Main Screen
1 Click on the settings button for "Computer"
2 Click adjust delays
3 Change delays to 100 ms, done

The activity setup is done, if you want to be fancy, you can rename it "AppleTV" knock yourself out.

Now go to the Activities window
1 Click on add new activity
2 Manually add
3 Click "utility", next
4 generic activity, next,
5 Add or Remove all the devices you do or don't need. Make sure to leave your TV, computer/AppleTV, amplifier or any other devices you use while the AppleTV is displaying, then hit save
6 Video 6 for me (your settings will vary), next
7 don't need to set, next
8 amplifier input for me is video 4 (again your settings will vary), next
9 next next done

Please rename your activity from custom to AppleTV etc

Ok Now you have to assign the correct AppleTV buttons to the remote
1 Click on "customize buttons" for the AppleTV activity
2 Just go down and select the "AppleTV" for the device, and the appropriate commands. I also set Menu, A, B and the guide buttons to the AppleTV Guide so I could hit any of them to go backwards. Set your Volume up, mute and volume down to be controlled by your amplifier/TV. I set my left and right direction buttons to skip forward and back as I wasn't sure if the rewind and fast foward buttons send a longer IR pulse...
3 Click done and you're as good as gold.

Oh, forgot one last thing, you have to unsynch your AppleTV remote and synch the harmony (by clicking the play/ok button) for the AppleTV to recognize the harmony.

Hope that speed's things up for a few people. I set my little music button on the remote to my AppleTV activity.

Enjoy,
Moby Ick

It really works perfectly now. I think changing the delay times make a big difference. It works just like a big, less-missplacable apple remote.

Pairing does indeed work. you just have to have just unpaired it with the apple remote, and the pair remote button has to be highlighted. Hitting the ok on the harmony then takes care of it for you. i promise.

My Harmony remote is a 676. I like the placement of the play/fast forward buttons. I'll probably have to upgrade to the RF remote in the near future though. Does the IR repeater work with the AppleTV as well?

dch57 said:

Thanks for posting. I have tried to program my Harmony 880 and had issues. I am clear on all steps except for your learning the remote.

"I also set Menu, A, B and the guide buttons to the AppleTV Guide so I could hit any of them to go backwards. Set your Volume up, mute and volume down to be controlled by your amplifier/TV. I set my left and right direction buttons to skip forward and back as I wasn't sure if the rewind and fast foward buttons send a longer IR pulse..."

Not sure what you did here. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks

Click to expand...

Basically you just have to assign the AppleTV functions to the buttons you want to use. You pull down the little menu item until it says Apple/TV (or computer if you didn't change the name). YOu then will have about 6 choices, play, menu, direction left, right etc to assign to the button.

Check out the pic below.

Hope that helps
Moby Ick

dch57 said:

I tried this but still did not work. Some of the functions worked ie: up and down keys but menu or play did not. Any suggestions. thanks for you help on this.

Click to expand...

Make sure when you put in the name of the mac mini you put it in exactly as I specified. If you just typed "Mac Mini" withouttt aall the GHz stuff it will assign the wrong discrete codes. Also make sure you pair the remote.

patrick0brien said:

Sorry guys. It was late, I was tired.

The millisecond setting only shows up on the "Off" command screen, just after the "On". Sorry, missed the fact you have to go past the "Command will power On your device" screen. It's subtle, need to read the screen header.

This is all true if you've set your TV up as an "Apple Media Center PC", as if it were a full Mac.

Click to expand...

I question if we really need to use the off command though. When the AppleTV is in sleep mode it is still on (the optical audio out is still bright red). Why not just leave it on all the time?

Moby Ick