Device that changes TV channels etc on a schedule?
July 20, 2020 3:25 PM Subscribe
Is there a device that I can program to send specific remote control signals to my TV's cable box on a set schedule?
We have a TV in our window for our local homeless neighbors to watch the news on closed caption.
Unfortunately, we have to press a button on the remote every couple of hours or so or the cable box goes into screensaver mode. There doesn't seem to be a setting option to turn that off.
I'd like something I can program to press a button once per hour to keep the cable box awake. I'd also like to be able to program it to change channels on a schedule so it will automatically switch to something else overnight while the local news station is playing infomercials.
I'm poor so ideally this device would be relatively cheap.
I've tried Googling but I don't even know what such a device would be called and thus all my results are for something else.
Please advise, thanks!
We have a TV in our window for our local homeless neighbors to watch the news on closed caption.
Unfortunately, we have to press a button on the remote every couple of hours or so or the cable box goes into screensaver mode. There doesn't seem to be a setting option to turn that off.
I'd like something I can program to press a button once per hour to keep the cable box awake. I'd also like to be able to program it to change channels on a schedule so it will automatically switch to something else overnight while the local news station is playing infomercials.
I'm poor so ideally this device would be relatively cheap.
I've tried Googling but I don't even know what such a device would be called and thus all my results are for something else.
Please advise, thanks!
There used to be a device called a VCR copilot that you could program to control your VCR on a timer. You might be able to figure out how to jury-rig one of those. Alternately I’m sure there’s some kind of Arduino solution.
I think what you want is an IR remote timer (assuming your remote is infrared -do you need to actually point it at the box?).
posted by mskyle at 3:37 PM on July 20, 2020
I think what you want is an IR remote timer (assuming your remote is infrared -do you need to actually point it at the box?).
posted by mskyle at 3:37 PM on July 20, 2020
A logitech harmony hub should do what you want. It's not incredibly cheap.
posted by bbqturtle at 3:39 PM on July 20, 2020
posted by bbqturtle at 3:39 PM on July 20, 2020
A cheap microcontroller (ESP2866 or similar) and an IR LED can probably be coerced to transmit the right signal on a timer, if we can figure out what the right signal is. Total BOM cost probably less than $40.
This is a cool project, please follow up with the cable box model number.
posted by Alterscape at 4:03 PM on July 20, 2020 [1 favorite]
This is a cool project, please follow up with the cable box model number.
posted by Alterscape at 4:03 PM on July 20, 2020 [1 favorite]
This could be done cheaply (maybe $30 worth of stuff?) with a raspberry pi, a couple of dollar IR blaster attachment, and a bit of python code scheduled to run with cron, but it would not be in any sense plug and play.
posted by wierdo at 4:05 PM on July 20, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by wierdo at 4:05 PM on July 20, 2020 [1 favorite]
Why not just use IPTV?
posted by turkeyphant at 4:32 PM on July 20, 2020
posted by turkeyphant at 4:32 PM on July 20, 2020
Like a couple of posters above, I have done this with an infrared LED and an Arduino. You can look up the flash patterns for your particular cable box modem online.
posted by mekily at 4:58 PM on July 20, 2020
posted by mekily at 4:58 PM on July 20, 2020
Is skipping the cable box and using an antenna to get local over the air channels an option?
posted by hankscorpio83 at 6:25 PM on July 20, 2020
posted by hankscorpio83 at 6:25 PM on July 20, 2020
Who is the cable provider? Before I told Verizon fios to ahem stick it, I had a cable remote on my phone using their app. My kids would prank me by changing the channel when they weren't even home. I am not sure about the timer but I also know I could turn the box on and off on a timer.
posted by AugustWest at 7:09 PM on July 20, 2020
posted by AugustWest at 7:09 PM on July 20, 2020
Response by poster: Why not just use IPTV?
It might already be that? I had to Google IPTV.
The box connects wirelessly to our router/cablemodem and not directly to the cable.
posted by Jacqueline at 7:34 PM on July 20, 2020
It might already be that? I had to Google IPTV.
The box connects wirelessly to our router/cablemodem and not directly to the cable.
posted by Jacqueline at 7:34 PM on July 20, 2020
Response by poster: Is skipping the cable box and using an antenna to get local over the air channels an option?
We tried but we're at the bottom of a concrete canyon and can't even pick up the one local station.
posted by Jacqueline at 7:35 PM on July 20, 2020
We tried but we're at the bottom of a concrete canyon and can't even pick up the one local station.
posted by Jacqueline at 7:35 PM on July 20, 2020
The shutting off problem might be fixable with a simple call to your cable provider. I recently signed up with a new-to-me cable company and I found that if I left the station on for a certain period of time (I want to say two-hours) the cable would shut off. I eventually called the cable company, and was told it was deliberately set up that way due to "customer demand." The CSR walked me through the procedure to switch that option off by going through the cable menu. It was very simple.
posted by sardonyx at 9:06 PM on July 20, 2020 [3 favorites]
posted by sardonyx at 9:06 PM on July 20, 2020 [3 favorites]
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posted by Brockles at 3:30 PM on July 20, 2020