![]() ![]() Using friendly names, I attached "HBO", "Hulu" and "Netflix" to the Apple TV event, and "Amazon" and "Prime Video" to the Roku event. Although Prime Video is only on Roku and iTunes is only on Apple TV, Hulu, Netflix and HBO Now can be used on both-but I only set them up on Apple TV because I am tired of entering username and password. This feature solves another problem that my wife and I often encounter: remembering the equipment we set up for which streaming service. You can also give it "PC" and "computer" as friendly names. You can assign multiple friendly names to each event, so you don't always have to call Media Center PC through "Media Center PC". Therefore, although my Roku event is actually defined as "Central: Roku 4", the friendly name I defined is just "Roku". When you link it to Alexa through the Harmony Hub's skills, you can also set various "friendly names" for the event. Logitech created the Alexa skill, so when you say "Turn on Apple TV" to Alexa, the Harmony Hub will respond by performing a programmed activity-in my case, change all the HDMI switch settings I described above. The hub can talk to apps on iPhone or Android devices, so you can use your phone as a Harmony smart remote. Harmony Hub is a Bluetooth and Wi-Fi device that can transmit IR signals through its own stone-shaped housing or through two IR repeater nodes. The remote control and hub of the Elite Edition kit are priced at US$349. However, the Harmony Hub that drew our attention most today is the Harmony Hub that comes with Elite. , It is an upgraded version of the Harmony One remote control. Logitech is very friendly, you can send it to me But Alexa cannot communicate with Harmony. These are all IR commands, and our old version of Harmony One executed these commands almost perfectly. The Harmony system has always been good at sending a series of IR commands to enable activities.įor example, to switch from a media center PC to an Apple TV, we need to set our 1x4 HDMI switch to input 2, and our 4x4 HDMI switch must be set to input A and output 3. Alexa doesn't speak IR.īut harmony is true. You can only use the infrared remote control to switch the input. Although we have a few streaming media boxes, the amplifier and two HDMI switches don't have any IoT intelligence. But Alexa has never been able to control a TV or entertainment center. Their most common use is to turn on and off Hue and WeMo lights. We are still using those Harmony Ones to turn on and off the TV and amplifier, switch inputs and control our equipment. Since then, we have replaced it approximately once a year near the entertainment center, but we have not replaced the remote control. The good thing about the Harmony software is that I can set up the device and activity once, and then download the settings to the two remotes. My wife and I have been sharing a remote control, but we decided that each of us would like to put a remote control on each side of the sofa.Īvailable, so we bought two. We used the high-definition TV as an excuse to replace the old TV to make things more convenient. Then, back in 2008 or 2009, we carried out another recreation center renovation. ![]() Not only is it effective, but it also makes it easier for my wife and guests to navigate between all my boxes. ![]() You connected the PC to the remote control via the USB port and ran a program to manage your devices and group them into activities. The controller not only has no limit on the number of devices to be controlled, but also makes it very easy to set up everything. They are the first company to satisfy entertainment center geeks with a controller. The harmony at the time (in the mid-2000s) was amazing because Logitech solved the multi-remote problem. Fortunately, a better product appeared during this period: Logitech Harmony. When Pronto worked, it was troublesome, and after about five years, it just failed. You have to find and download the remote configuration for each device you have, and then use the software on your PC that is basically a drawing program to design and program the screen that will run on Pronto. Its price is over $500, but even so, it is worth it because it unifies all these remotes. Thanks to the API released by the company, Amazon's Alexa product line will soon acquire new home automation skills.Īlthough the gear mechanism has changed over the years, it has remained the same: switching between devices is always a bit painful. Since the establishment of the network, I have been connecting VideoGuide, WebTV, TiVos, DVR, Apple TV, game consoles, speakers and amplifiers together. By combining Amazon's Alexa with the Logitech Harmony Hub, you can now extend Alexa control to your entertainment center. ![]()
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