how does my replacement ATV4 know the remote codes for my Samsung TV?

[watermelonbook]

I returned my first ATV4 last week.

Today, I decided to give the ATV4 another try, so I bought another one from the local Walmart.(yes, of all places)

I came home and plugged everything it. When I started to use it, I was kind of amused the the new Siri remote was able to control the volume up/down on my Samsung TV. I had not set up that part yet.

How does it know what TV I have? Did it somehow pick up the information from the first ATV that I returned?(which was linked to the same Apple ID)

 

[Longkeg]

I think Siri may have been controling the volume output from the ATV4, not the volume on your TV. Use your TV remote to see where the TV volume is set then let Siri do her thing. See if the actual volume values on the TV are changed.

 

[chrfr]

I think Siri may have been controling the volume output from the ATV4, not the volume on your TV. Use your TV remote to see where the TV volume is set then let Siri do her thing. See if the actual volume values on the TV are changed.

The Apple TV's audio levels are fixed. Mine identified both my Samsung TV and Yamaha receiver. I assume it did this via HDMI, because I never programmed the remote to adjust either, but the Apple remote will adjust the volume of either the TV or receiver via infrared perfectly well.

 

[Longkeg]

I stand corrected. HDMI make perfect sense. Pretty cool too.

 

[watermelonbook]

The Apple TV's audio levels are fixed. Mine identified both my Samsung TV and Yamaha receiver. I assume it did this via HDMI, because I never programmed the remote to adjust either, but the Apple remote will adjust the volume of either the TV or receiver via infrared perfectly well.

My Samsung TV is really old.(2005 or 2006) I'm pretty sure it's not like those newer TVs that can communicate with devices connected via HDMI. I did program the ATV(the one I returned last week) to control just the volume up and down buttons.

I just did a test. I unplugged power cord of the 2nd ATV4 that I bought today. The Siri remote can still control the TV's volume up/down via IR. The only logical conclusion is that some Apple server used my Apple ID to remember what brand of TV I had.

 

[dauthiatull]

My Samsung TV is really old.(2005 or 2006) I'm pretty sure it's not like those newer TVs that can communicate with devices connected via HDMI. I did program the ATV(the one I returned last week) to control just the volume up and down buttons.

I just did a test. I unplugged power cord of the 2nd ATV4 that I bought today. The Siri remote can still control the TV's volume up/down via IR. The only logical conclusion is that some Apple server used my Apple ID to remember what brand of TV I had.

nope. most tv's use the same remote codes for common functions. my atv remote could control my lg tv volume right out of the box.

 

[chrfr]

My Samsung TV is really old.(2005 or 2006) I'm pretty sure it's not like those newer TVs that can communicate with devices connected via HDMI. I did program the ATV(the one I returned last week) to control just the volume up and down buttons.

I just did a test. I unplugged power cord of the 2nd ATV4 that I bought today. The Siri remote can still control the TV's volume up/down via IR. The only logical conclusion is that some Apple server used my Apple ID to remember what brand of TV I had.

I bought my TV in 2008 so it's not quite as old as yours but it's old. When I connect a computer to the TV by HDMI, it reports as a "SAMSUNG". Obviously that information is sent via HDMI, and it'd be trivial for Apple to use that to configure the remote.

 

[pjarvi]

It could be that Apple loaded up the AppleTV with remote codes for most manufacturers/models and is using EDID from the TV to identify which to use. EDID has been around since the mid-90's, chances are every single TV with a HDMI port supports it, as does just about any TV with a VGA port.

 

[bruinsrme]

its part of CEC. Each device has an identifier which identifies the device and its functions.

Instead of the user providing a 4 or 6 digit code its part of the interface that is picked off the hdmi handshake

 

[DNichter]

Samsung hacked your home network

 

[watermelonbook]

Instead of the user providing a 4 or 6 digit code its part of the interface that is picked off the hdmi handshake

I plugged the ATV4 and plugged it into my Panasonic video projector's HDMI port. (which has no speakers, because it's just a video projector, duh... ) Then I did a factory reset and restored the ATV4 to the way it was out of the box. The only thing I entered was my Apple ID. The projector is in the same room as the Samsung TV. I then pressed the ATV4 Siri remote's volume buttons. It still controlled the Samsung TV's volume. The thing probably didn't know it was not connected to a Samsung TV anymore.

 

[priitv8]

I was amused, that to learn my Sony AVR remote volume control codes, I had to point my Sony remote towards the aTV unit, not to the remote, as most of the programmable remotes have done so far.
Sony codes the aTV learned, were automatically transferred to the remote, I assume over BT.
If you say they also outlived the replacement of your whole unit, I only can imagine that Apple has cleverly stored the learned remote codes in iCloud as well.