IR remote
May 9, 2023 10:28 AM Subscribe
Do I need a Harmony Remote, Broadlink RM4 Pro, or something else to control my "home theater"?
I have a few pieces of technology in my living room: a projector, an HDMI switch and a sound bar. I have had a Harmony Hub, which is now discontinued, and a Broadlink RM4 Pro, which has stopped working; I cannot get it connected to my home network for the life of me, and this seems to be a common problem. I would like to be able to change the HDMI input with my phone or my voice (with an Alexa) as the switch is in an awkward spot that requires me to move around my living room with the remote to try and get to it. I would also like to be able to turn the projector on and off.
I can spend $200-ish on this, and would like a device that is somewhat reliable. I'm fairly tech savvy, but for example, the Hubitat device I bought is being returned; the set up is frustratingly complicated, and it lacks the capability to do what I want anyway.
Are there any devices that meet these criteria? I'm open to another Harmony or Broadlink device, if they fit the bill.
I have a few pieces of technology in my living room: a projector, an HDMI switch and a sound bar. I have had a Harmony Hub, which is now discontinued, and a Broadlink RM4 Pro, which has stopped working; I cannot get it connected to my home network for the life of me, and this seems to be a common problem. I would like to be able to change the HDMI input with my phone or my voice (with an Alexa) as the switch is in an awkward spot that requires me to move around my living room with the remote to try and get to it. I would also like to be able to turn the projector on and off.
I can spend $200-ish on this, and would like a device that is somewhat reliable. I'm fairly tech savvy, but for example, the Hubitat device I bought is being returned; the set up is frustratingly complicated, and it lacks the capability to do what I want anyway.
Are there any devices that meet these criteria? I'm open to another Harmony or Broadlink device, if they fit the bill.
A physical switch for HDMI is not what's really done anymore. What people use to solve this is areceiver - like this: https://www.amazon.com/Denon-AVR-S760H-7-2-Channel-Theater-Receiver/dp/B09QK54CRK?source=ps-sl-shoppingads-lpcontext&ref_=fplfs&psc=1&smid=A1J7WSBJHTGUFA
(Refurb is fine and common for these devices.)
In addition, I think moving toward one "control" device is key to solving the "remote bloat". They might not be things you can implement today, but eventually I hope you can work toward one of the techniques. I've tried the following:
Receiver-controlled setup. All devices plugged into a receiver (It would replace your sound bar, most likely). These receivers can now detect HDMI inputs and auto-switch to new inputs. With this setup, you usually need 3 remotes. Your TV remote (to turn on). Your receiver remote (to switch inputs/volume). And your input remotes (Roku/etc).
TV-controlled setup. In this setup, your smart TV is the hub for all things. You plug HDMI into smart tv, which sends audio to receiver/soundbar. This requires your smart TV to be smart (I prefer roku TVs greatly for this reason). With this setup, you really only need 2 remotes - your TV remote, and the receiver/soundbar remote (for volume control).
So... given your situation, it's a little tricky. Could you plug in your HDMI devices into your projector, and use your projector remote to change inputs? Then, could you send sound from your projector to your soundbar? If you use HDMI instead of optical cable, you could even control the soundbar with just one remote (assuming it stays turned on).
posted by bbqturtle at 11:05 AM on May 9, 2023
(Refurb is fine and common for these devices.)
In addition, I think moving toward one "control" device is key to solving the "remote bloat". They might not be things you can implement today, but eventually I hope you can work toward one of the techniques. I've tried the following:
Receiver-controlled setup. All devices plugged into a receiver (It would replace your sound bar, most likely). These receivers can now detect HDMI inputs and auto-switch to new inputs. With this setup, you usually need 3 remotes. Your TV remote (to turn on). Your receiver remote (to switch inputs/volume). And your input remotes (Roku/etc).
TV-controlled setup. In this setup, your smart TV is the hub for all things. You plug HDMI into smart tv, which sends audio to receiver/soundbar. This requires your smart TV to be smart (I prefer roku TVs greatly for this reason). With this setup, you really only need 2 remotes - your TV remote, and the receiver/soundbar remote (for volume control).
So... given your situation, it's a little tricky. Could you plug in your HDMI devices into your projector, and use your projector remote to change inputs? Then, could you send sound from your projector to your soundbar? If you use HDMI instead of optical cable, you could even control the soundbar with just one remote (assuming it stays turned on).
posted by bbqturtle at 11:05 AM on May 9, 2023
All of the things you want should be possible with the Harmony Hub alone - or, was that the thing that stopped working? Harmony Hub can integrate with Alexa and can control an HDMI switch, sound bar and projector. I've used one myself in a similar configuration. Even without a physical remote, voice controls and/or the Harmony app on a phone should be able to do those things. While the device itself is discontinued, they're still supported and operational. I'm not entirely sure what's going wrong here.
(Also, switches for HDMI that are not receiver/amplifiers are still very much a thing.)
posted by eschatfische at 11:54 AM on May 9, 2023
(Also, switches for HDMI that are not receiver/amplifiers are still very much a thing.)
posted by eschatfische at 11:54 AM on May 9, 2023
HDMI switches still exist - to be clear - I was just saying it's not what is commonly done in an enthusiasts home theater setup.
posted by bbqturtle at 3:39 PM on May 9, 2023
posted by bbqturtle at 3:39 PM on May 9, 2023
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posted by lemonwheel at 10:30 AM on May 9, 2023