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AppleTV & Harmony Remote Step by Step Guide
- Thread starter MobyIck
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Updated Logitech Database
Just a note on this (excellent) setup guide... Logitech has apparently updated their database, and it is no longer required to enter "Mac Mini ..." as the device. Follow the guide in the first post, but you can select "Computer", then select "Apple", and enter Apple TV (the software even prompts you for Apple TV as a suggestion). You do not need to adjust the delays, as they are now by default set up correctly.
Everything else seems the same as above. I also did not need to unpair the original remote and re-pair the Harmony, but you may need to if your original remote was paired.
Does anyone know if the wiki can get updated with the above information?
Just a note on this (excellent) setup guide... Logitech has apparently updated their database, and it is no longer required to enter "Mac Mini ..." as the device. Follow the guide in the first post, but you can select "Computer", then select "Apple", and enter Apple TV (the software even prompts you for Apple TV as a suggestion). You do not need to adjust the delays, as they are now by default set up correctly.
Everything else seems the same as above. I also did not need to unpair the original remote and re-pair the Harmony, but you may need to if your original remote was paired.
Does anyone know if the wiki can get updated with the above information?
I'm not sure what you mean by reset. What I did was add a new Apple TV device as mentioned above, then removed the previously created Apple TV device. Then I had to go back into my Activities and either modify them or recreate them.
The AppleTV will reset if you press MENU and "-" for 5 seconds, if not try to reset your Harmony to the default settings for AppleTV media cente because it works for me.
Well it would be great if the harmony profile of the appleTV included this reset command and the sleep as two accessible device options or whatever. The sleep command (Play for 5 seconds) has been integrated into the profile but works occasionally for me.
You cannot configure these commands yourself as you need to press the keys for 5-6 seconds and there is no way to specify a duration for custom sequences.
I've being trying to contact customer support to include a reset command but it is proving to be difficult to reach the right people as I am outside US. If someone else could try it would be useful for all of us.
That's my point, though, it doesn't work for me. The "-" is the down button in the remote, right? So Menu-Down should reset, but it doesn't.
I've tried getting this to work w/ my programmable remote and haven't been able to get it to work. I think the Apple Remote actually sends a discrete (and different that Menu+Down) command that resets the AppleTV. Maybe someone could capture this IR command w/ a learning harmony remote? It might be tricky because you don't want the initial Menu or Down command.
I swear to ....
So I call Logitech. When the rep answers I hear noises and breathing, finally says Hello.
Me: Hello, I'm calling because the Logitech setup for the Apple TV Remote doesn't reset it. To reset the Apple TV you click the minus and menu button on the factory remote, but when you do that with the Harmony it doesn't work, and I was wondering if Logitech can update it to have a reset button.
Rep: Wait.
:three minutes go by:
Me: Hello?
Rep: What's your Logitech login ID?
Me: Why do you need that?
Rep: To access your account.
Me: This is not account related.
Rep: Ok. So you go to devices, and add device, then Media Center PC....
Me: I already did all that. Every button works perfectly, except reset.
Rep: Is reset a button on the remote?
Me: Nope. Combination.
Rep: Combination... combination... combination.... hold please.
:hold music this time, three minutes pass:
Rep: Ok, you going to djhfdjfhje.
Me: Going to what?
Rep: fhjkshfjkfd.
Me: Going to what?
Rep: fjdkfjdkfj. First go to device, then Learn IR...
Me: I don't have the original remote.
Rep: You don't have the original remote?
Me: No. I was just wondering if Logitech can update their profile.
Rep: No.
Me: No?
Rep: No.
Me: So they can publish a whole profile but they can't add one function to it?
Rep: What you see is all you get.
Me: So I can't put in a request?
Rep: A request? Ok. What you need to do is call this number.
Me: What's the number to?
Rep: Ready?
Me: What's the number to?
Rep: This same department.
Me: Ok.....
Me: This is option 1. You need the option 2 people. Option 1 people cannot do requests.
So off I go to call option 2.
Option 2:
Me: Explain the whole thing (and gasp, she gets it on the first try).
Rep: Sorry, I'm not in tech support, let me get them.
Me: Is tech support option 1?
Rep: Yes they are.
Me: They sent me to you because they said option 1 people can't do requests, only option 2 people can.
Rep: I don't know why they sent you to Warranties.
Me: Well can you connect me and stay on the line and let them know they are the ones that can help me?
Rep: Sorry I don't have conference capabilities. Call again. What you want to do is to be able to accomplish with the Harmony a button combination that would reset the Apple TV, right?
Me: Yes.
Rep: Maybe the tech rep did not have a grasp of the situation. I apologize for the inconvenience, please call them again.
On to option 1...
Got a very nice and knowledgeable guy who walked me through doing a sequence (didn't work) and then offered to connect me to tier two. Tier two says there's a hardware limitation that doesn't allow for the Harmony to send two commands simultaneously for a 5-second period.
Sigh
Time to find the Apple TV remote or buy one off eBay.
In short: Harmony remotes do not support dual-button presses. Reset will never work.
So I call Logitech. When the rep answers I hear noises and breathing, finally says Hello.
Me: Hello, I'm calling because the Logitech setup for the Apple TV Remote doesn't reset it. To reset the Apple TV you click the minus and menu button on the factory remote, but when you do that with the Harmony it doesn't work, and I was wondering if Logitech can update it to have a reset button.
Rep: Wait.
:three minutes go by:
Me: Hello?
Rep: What's your Logitech login ID?
Me: Why do you need that?
Rep: To access your account.
Me: This is not account related.
Rep: Ok. So you go to devices, and add device, then Media Center PC....
Me: I already did all that. Every button works perfectly, except reset.
Rep: Is reset a button on the remote?
Me: Nope. Combination.
Rep: Combination... combination... combination.... hold please.
:hold music this time, three minutes pass:
Rep: Ok, you going to djhfdjfhje.
Me: Going to what?
Rep: fhjkshfjkfd.
Me: Going to what?
Rep: fjdkfjdkfj. First go to device, then Learn IR...
Me: I don't have the original remote.
Rep: You don't have the original remote?
Me: No. I was just wondering if Logitech can update their profile.
Rep: No.
Me: No?
Rep: No.
Me: So they can publish a whole profile but they can't add one function to it?
Rep: What you see is all you get.
Me: So I can't put in a request?
Rep: A request? Ok. What you need to do is call this number.
Me: What's the number to?
Rep: Ready?
Me: What's the number to?
Rep: This same department.
Me: Ok.....
Me: This is option 1. You need the option 2 people. Option 1 people cannot do requests.
So off I go to call option 2.
Option 2:
Me: Explain the whole thing (and gasp, she gets it on the first try).
Rep: Sorry, I'm not in tech support, let me get them.
Me: Is tech support option 1?
Rep: Yes they are.
Me: They sent me to you because they said option 1 people can't do requests, only option 2 people can.
Rep: I don't know why they sent you to Warranties.
Me: Well can you connect me and stay on the line and let them know they are the ones that can help me?
Rep: Sorry I don't have conference capabilities. Call again. What you want to do is to be able to accomplish with the Harmony a button combination that would reset the Apple TV, right?
Me: Yes.
Rep: Maybe the tech rep did not have a grasp of the situation. I apologize for the inconvenience, please call them again.
On to option 1...
Got a very nice and knowledgeable guy who walked me through doing a sequence (didn't work) and then offered to connect me to tier two. Tier two says there's a hardware limitation that doesn't allow for the Harmony to send two commands simultaneously for a 5-second period.
Sigh
Time to find the Apple TV remote or buy one off eBay.In short: Harmony remotes do not support dual-button presses. Reset will never work.
Correction, following your post I re-tried resetting the AppleTV by pressing the MENU and down keys for 5 seconds on the harmony remote and it did not work. I must have done it with the AppleTv remote.
Great post GatorDeb, you spent valuable time discovering a clear answer !
I finally got around to trying out my idea about "learning" the reboot command from the AppleTV remote and IT WORKS. The dual button press (of - and Menu) actually sends a discrete IR code after holding for 6 seconds. I captured/learned this command w/ my harmony remote. I just pointed the AppleTV remote away from the harmony remote at first and then pointed it back at the learning port after a second, in time to capture the AppleTV reboot signal. It took two tries but I got it.
I've tested it now and can do a one button reboot whenever needed from my harmony remote.
Setup my Harmony 885 with my new Apple TV last night and it's far better to use than the remote supplied from Apple.
Looks like there is now a menu option for this under 2.2, so crises averted
Now if the green apple would kick in and make this function relevant....
Anyone with Harmony 880 and ATV v2.3 still has Power-Off function working correctly? I just spent 2 hours messing around with this, but still can't get it to work.
I selected Apple TV as a device in Harmony database.. tried it with default "power off" settings and tweaked everything I could think off - Apple TV refuses to go to standby.
Can someone confirm they have it working under v2.3?
I selected Apple TV as a device in Harmony database.. tried it with default "power off" settings and tweaked everything I could think off - Apple TV refuses to go to standby.
Can someone confirm they have it working under v2.3?
On 2.2 you needed to be on the main menu before you powered off (or the unit would appear to power off and then spring back into life). In 2.3 this is still true, but I think Apple might have extended it to any menu so now if you power off from the Harmony during playback it will simply bring up the chapter/audio/subtitle menu and if you power off on a menu it will power down correctly.
I simply hold the menu button down until the main menu appears and then press power.
It doesn't seem to make any difference what menu I am on.. Whenever I power off with Harmony - the ATV appears to power off & then comes back to live about 1-2 seconds later. The power-off still works correctly with Apple remote when I press/hold the Play button. Just can't do it with Harmony 880.
I guess I will have to power off by clicking Standby menu function, unless anyone else has a solution.
After having this problem where it turns back on (on 2.2, no less) after getting a Harmony 880 and messing with it for a while, I came up with this solution that seems to work great:
Note: I used the Apple TV settings from Logitech's database. If you're using a Mac Mini configuration or something else, this may not work for you.
1. Go into the Device Options for the Apple TV/
2. Choose Adjust power settings.
3. Choose I want to turn off this device when it's not in use.
4. Choose A button on the remote for On, and a different button for Off. (I know this isn't the case, but it's needed here)
5. The default for the Power On command will say "I don't have the original remote, but I know the command that is used" and it will be set to "Play" and the Duration will be 6500ms. It won't let you continue with 6500ms, as that's beyond the maximum in the software. It doesn't need to be this long anyway. I changed it to 2500ms. It works fine.
6. For the Power Off command, also choose I don't have the original remote, and change the command to Select rather than the default of Play. Set the duration to 5000ms. The Menu command will probably also be there by default, but I removed it. You can choose to leave it there. It probably won't hurt anything.
7. On the next screen, choose anything as the Apple TV has no channels.
8. Reprogram your remote and see if it works now.
These steps worked for me. Hope they help others.
Note: I used the Apple TV settings from Logitech's database. If you're using a Mac Mini configuration or something else, this may not work for you.
1. Go into the Device Options for the Apple TV/
2. Choose Adjust power settings.
3. Choose I want to turn off this device when it's not in use.
4. Choose A button on the remote for On, and a different button for Off. (I know this isn't the case, but it's needed here)
5. The default for the Power On command will say "I don't have the original remote, but I know the command that is used" and it will be set to "Play" and the Duration will be 6500ms. It won't let you continue with 6500ms, as that's beyond the maximum in the software. It doesn't need to be this long anyway. I changed it to 2500ms. It works fine.
6. For the Power Off command, also choose I don't have the original remote, and change the command to Select rather than the default of Play. Set the duration to 5000ms. The Menu command will probably also be there by default, but I removed it. You can choose to leave it there. It probably won't hurt anything.
7. On the next screen, choose anything as the Apple TV has no channels.
8. Reprogram your remote and see if it works now.
These steps worked for me. Hope they help others.
Actually, keeping the Menu command in Step-4 is necessary to be able to properly sleep aTV from within a sub-menu level. Without it, aTV won't go to sleep unless you're in a root menu.
But changing 'Play' to 'Select' appears to be the key to this working - nice catch. Someone should email Logitech and ask them to fix the database default for Apple TV.
I figured the Menu command was there for that reason, but personally, I always go back to the root menu before turning it off.
As for contacting Logitech, I read on their forums as recently as 2 weeks ago that someone got it working by using Menu, then Play. I imagine they changed this in their database as a result of that posting. So there appears to be some variation here for some reason.
Anyone get this to work with the 550.. I dont seem to have the ability to set power off delay time. I am using 7.5.0 with firmware 2.6 I can set the button for power off to menu but cannot set duration..
Any help?
Any help?