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Samsung TV remote and Apple TV

D

downingp

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Jun 26, 2006
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Should I be able to control an Apple TV 4 with my Samsung TV remote?
I got a new series 6 Samsung TV for Christmas and hooked it up to my Apple TV 4. Everything works fine other than the fact I have to use the Apple TV remote to control the Apple TV. Is this normal? I even went into the Apple TV settings and tried to setup the third party remote option but when I press the “down” button on my Samsung remote it says the command is already in use.
Any thoughts?
Thanks.
 
downingp said:
Should I be able to control an Apple TV 4 with my Samsung TV remote?
I got a new series 6 Samsung TV for Christmas and hooked it up to my Apple TV 4. Everything works fine other than the fact I have to use the Apple TV remote to control the Apple TV. Is this normal? I even went into the Apple TV settings and tried to setup the third party remote option but when I press the “down” button on my Samsung remote it says the command is already in use.
Any thoughts?
Thanks.
Click to expand...
I had a 7 series a 49MU7000 and the remote worked with it fine. Assuming it's the same remote it should work automatically.
 
That’s what I don’t understand. On the initial TV setup, the TV recognized the Apple TV in HDMI 1 and thought everything was good to go.
 
I just got off the phone with Samsung support and they are telling me it is not possible to control the Apple TV with the Samsung TV remote.
That doesn’t seem right if I am reading all over the internet that it’s possible
 
downingp said:
Should I be able to control an Apple TV 4 with my Samsung TV remote?
I got a new series 6 Samsung TV for Christmas and hooked it up to my Apple TV 4. Everything works fine other than the fact I have to use the Apple TV remote to control the Apple TV. Is this normal? I even went into the Apple TV settings and tried to setup the third party remote option but when I press the “down” button on my Samsung remote it says the command is already in use.
Any thoughts?
Thanks.
Click to expand...

I went through all the setup instructions for the Samsung universal remote to control my Apple TV (2nd gen) and it didn't work... UNTIL I UNPAIRED the original Apple TV remote and voilà! the Samsung remote miraculously started working with my Apple TV. Hope this helps someone. ;)
 
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nicellis said:
I went through all the setup instructions for the Samsung universal remote to control my Apple TV (2nd gen) and it didn't work... UNTIL I UNPAIRED the original Apple TV remote and voilà! the Samsung remote miraculously started working with my Apple TV. Hope this helps someone. ;)
Click to expand...

Atv 2 & 4 handle this completely differently

on the aTV 2, (and all apple IR remotes) pairing causes the receiver to only listen to certain remotes. The remotes have a random changeable code 0 to 255, when you hit a button it sends that code along with the command so "play 98." If you receiver has been paired with a remote, then it only listens if the code matches. the remote always sends the code since it doesn't know if it's been paired or not.
If you find another "98" remote they would both work.
the apple branded remotes can change their code.

the IR commands recorded into your Samsung remote were recorded using only one code, and you can't change it


the previous parts of this thread are about the aTV 4, which uses HDMI-CEC.

if setup properly, your TV remote will talk via IR to the Television, which will send the command over the HDMI cable to the appleTV.

and at the same time power and volume commands will go from the aTV remote via bluetooth to the aTV, and then over HDMI to the TV or AV Receiver.
 
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downingp said:
Should I be able to control an Apple TV 4 with my Samsung TV remote?
I got a new series 6 Samsung TV for Christmas and hooked it up to my Apple TV 4. Everything works fine other than the fact I have to use the Apple TV remote to control the Apple TV. Is this normal? I even went into the Apple TV settings and tried to setup the third party remote option but when I press the “down” button on my Samsung remote it says the command is already in use.
Any thoughts?
Thanks.
Click to expand...

There's a setting in one of the menus about Smart Remote or something, have a look for that.

If I remember I'll have a look tonight to see if I can find in on my MU6400, but my ATV4K works fine with my Smart Remote.
 
Thanks all, I kind of forgot about this thread I created and figured it was a lost cause as far as getting the Samsung remote to control the Apple TV. I look forward to any other tips and/or info you all can provide.

Thanks.
 
downingp said:
Thanks all, I kind of forgot about this thread I created and figured it was a lost cause as far as getting the Samsung remote to control the Apple TV. I look forward to any other tips and/or info you all can provide.

Thanks.
Click to expand...

I have Apple tv 4th gen and samsung tv q7fn. When i plugged in atv, tv identifies it as atv (with apple logo also) but samsung remote was not working. So, i just deleted apple tv from settings, universal remote and it started to work perfectly. When you delete atv from universal remote list, it is showing as unknown device, than you can change the name. I also changed as cable box.. Very strange solution, but it worked for me...
 
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I some how came across this old thread and found a few tricks I just used on my parents samsung tv.

Th trick for me was programming the return button on the samsung remote as a back button for the ATV.

Everything worked well after that and I could navigate pretty well with the Samsung remote.

the ATV does not offer a way top program the home button and Im not even sure what button on the samung remote would work well for it.

The other trick is realizing you don't have to program every function in the apple TV settings to a button on the remote. You can just press the left or right buttons and skip over them.

It took me a few times to realize that :)

The only issue with programming the Samsung IRDA Remote is that any push of the arrow keys wakes up the Apple TV. I find it annoying and would rather have a TV with HDMI-CEC support. Its a cleaner interface.
 
I HAD the exact same issue :)
But solved it as following:
On samsung smart tv go to „Source“ / „Universal Remote“
There, Delete the where your Apple TV is connected to. Like this your TV allows Apple TV to actually pick up on the signals of your remote it seems

Worked for me!


downingp said:
Thanks all, I kind of forgot about this thread I created and figured it was a lost cause as far as getting the Samsung remote to control the Apple TV. I look forward to any other tips and/or info you all can provide.

Thanks.
Click to expand...
 
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Apple TV 12.2 broke the Samsung Remote function on Apple TV for me. I can still click left and right but up and down buttons on the Sammy remote don’t work anymore when inside Apple TV.
 
Same for me. Has anyone has luck since 13.0. My Samsung Bluetooth smart remote doesn’t control the apple tv anymore.

I also can’t use the remote by iOS’s learn remote feature. Doesn’t work with this remote anymore.

i did found this link that states other folks are having issues. https://eu.community.samsung.com/t5...le-TV-via-HDMI-CEC-after-TVOS-13/td-p/1342292

for me, I can live with the Samsung remote not controlling the Apple TV 4 but now when I put the Apple TV to sleep, it no longer turns the TV off.

tbaer said:
Apple TV 12.2 broke the Samsung Remote function on Apple TV for me. I can still click left and right but up and down buttons on the Sammy remote don’t work anymore when inside Apple TV.
Click to expand...
 
Last edited:
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So it might not be a Apple TV problem, but a Samsung problem.

I would check if the samsung HDMI_CEC is working for other hardware. Once in a while I notice the amp that is also HDMI-CEC isn't her recognized by the TV.

Sometimes I have to unplug the Samsung TV over night, then replug it in, then it will suddenly see the receiver again. Magically the Apple TV remote works and the samsung remote will work when I switch to the apple tv HDMI.

But it is very frustrating.
 
tbaer said:
Apple TV 12.2 broke the Samsung Remote function on Apple TV for me. I can still click left and right but up and down buttons on the Sammy remote don’t work anymore when inside Apple TV.
Click to expand...

This sounds like a different issue than the rest of this thread BUT this just started happening to me 2 days ago as well. Up/Down buttons on my Samsung remote stopped working inside Apple TV. Did you get a solution for this?
 
Samsung still hasn’t updated their software (HDMI_CEC ) even on newer TVs with built-in Apple AirPlay. I recently picked up a 2019 model which prompted me to do a firmware update.
 
All my Samsung and one Vizio TV both control the ATV 4K/4 just fine--but some caveats:

1. only the up/down/left/right and OK buttons work. Back also works (Exit on Samsung)

2. I've only tested this on the older style Samsung remote, not the newer Bixby one

3. Pause/play/etc buttons do nothing. You can, however, add the remote by using Learn Remote in ATV Settings. This will give you control like rewind, play, pause, etc. Otherwise you play/pause with the OK button.

4. Anynet+ must be enabled, and for some odd reason, the TV must be connected to the internet. I disconnected one of my UHD Samsung TVs and suddenly I couldn't control the ATV even with Anynet+ on.

5. You cannot access recent apps, control center, or Siri with the Samsung or other Smart TV remote.
 
I have a Samsung "Frame" TV and its remote works great with the AppleTV 4K, with one exception. I would love to make the play/pause button on that remote act like the HOME button on ATV remote. I keep my Logitech Harmony remote around just for when I need to exit a stubbornly misbehaving ATV app. Otherwise I could retire it. What I want seems impossible, though. Right?
 
Go to settings and learn remote. When it asks you to push the 'home button' just tap play/pause on your remote.
 
nickdalzell1 said:
Go to settings and learn remote. When it asks you to push the 'home button' just tap play/pause on your remote.
Click to expand...
Thanks very much for the tip. Sadly, I could not get past the Down button in that process. The Down button returned an error message saying that button is already in use, and an hour of online research got me nowhere in solving the problem. Oh, well. I guess I'll count my blessings that the Samsung remote works 99% of the time.
 
Here’s my setup and observations:

AppleTV HD (A1265) -> Samsung HDMI 1
Pioneer Receiver <-ARC-> Samsung HDMI 2

CEC turned on on all three devices.

Waking up the AppleTV using the AppleTV remote will wake up both the Samsung and the Pioneer.
Turning on Samsung will not wake up AppleTV but will turn on the Pioneer.

Samsung apparently uses IR to control the AppleTV. I attached it to the back in the recess with all the HDMI ports with the front facing upwards, and the wall of the recess was blocking the lower part of the AppleTV, which is where I assume the IR eye is located. The AppleTV would only respond if I crammed the Samsung remote right into it. Repositioning the AppleTV helped solved it. Kind of… it’s still IR…

I thought the directional pad/home/back control is implemented via CEC, no? A similar setup with an LG TV worked without issue right away, but now I think that may be because that AppleTV is in plain view of the LG remote.

Anyone care to illuminate?
 
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