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Apple TV questions

kingpikeykingpikey Posts: 19
in NetLinx Studio
I'm trying to control an Apple TV device via IR. I've tried the IR files provided by AMX, and have even captured my own. I've also verified that the IR emitter is working (controller sends & IR LED attached to the Apple TV blinks), but the Apple TV doesn't respond. It does respond to the actual Apple remote.

I've tried PULSE and TO, with a couple different pulse times. Everything works as far as the controller and emitter goes, but the Apple TV doesn't respond.

Does anyone have any experience with controlling an Apple TV device via IR? Any suggestions?

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    mpullinmpullin Posts: 949
    I have not had any problems with this file. I've been using TOs. Better make sure that the emitter is in the right place?
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    kingpikeykingpikey Posts: 19
    Tried it, still no luck. I've even swapped the IR emitter with one that was connected to another device, and that I confirmed to be working.

    The apple remote still works great. Anything I need to set up? IR baud rate or something strange?
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    shr00m-dewshr00m-dew Posts: 394
    The last AppleTV I setup was real sensitive to IR. It wasn't AMX, but a standard IR repeater system. It wouldn't work with the emitter anywhere near the thing. We would up putting it on the side of the cabinet firing a foot or so across to it.

    If it works fine pulled away from the unit, you can add a resistor in line to drop the power down.

    Kevin D.
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    ColzieColzie Posts: 470
    I'm using the AMX IR file and it works great. I agree with the sensitivity comments. I'm using TO since PULSE would always send double commands (and I didn't feel like changing the pulse time). It also works nice because holding a button will allow the "cursor" to scroll quickly through lists.

    Sounds like you've tried quite a bit. I would load an IR file for a different device and verify that the Apple TV's IR port can control a different device....and/or load your Apple TV IR file to a port that is successfully controlling another IR device and move the emitter to the Apple TV.

    In my experience if the IR emitter is blinking but the device isn't responding, it means the IR being sent out isn't the right IR for the device.

    If you have all the source code/IR files, etc., you could even go so far as to do a 'clean disk' (or is it 'clean disc', I never can remember?) and then reload just your Apple TV IR. A bit extreme, but if you are running low on options.....

    Also, if the port had previously controlled a device via one-way serial you would have to send command 'set mode ir' to the port. But if the emitter is blinking I don't think this is the problem.
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    kingpikeykingpikey Posts: 19
    I've tried another working emitter connected to another working device (a Cox cable / DVR box) and I'm still having the same trouble. The Apple TV responds great to its remote, but still nothing from the IR emitter. I've since verified that the IR emitter I was using, connected to the original port, does blink (both on the controller light and the IR emitter itself), but the Apple TV still does not respond.
    The last AppleTV I setup was real sensitive to IR. It wasn't AMX, but a standard IR repeater system. It wouldn't work with the emitter anywhere near the thing. We would up putting it on the side of the cabinet firing a foot or so across to it.

    If it works fine pulled away from the unit, you can add a resistor in line to drop the power down.

    Kevin D.

    Are you saying that you moved the actual emitter away from the IR receiver on the front of the Apple TV?

    I'll keep playing with it. Thanks again for the help / suggestions... if anyone else has had this problem and knows of a solution, I'm all ears.
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    kingpikeykingpikey Posts: 19
    Couple of things I wanted to add just for the sake of being thorough.

    I have checked the Apple TV settings for "remote control" and have verified that no remote is paired with the Apple TV. I have also tested an additional remote (my apple remote from my MacBook Pro), which is able to control the Apple TV as well.

    I tried removing the IR emitter from the front of the Apple TV and issued commands while moving the IR emitter varying lengths from the receiver... no luck. The LED on the controller for the IR port lights up, the IR LED emitter lights up, but the light on the front of the Apple TV (which goes from white to green on IR activity from the Apple remote) doesn't respond at all.

    Thanks again.
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    ericmedleyericmedley Posts: 4,177
    kingpikey wrote: »
    Couple of things I wanted to add just for the sake of being thorough.

    I have checked the Apple TV settings for "remote control" and have verified that no remote is paired with the Apple TV. I have also tested an additional remote (my apple remote from my MacBook Pro), which is able to control the Apple TV as well.

    I tried removing the IR emitter from the front of the Apple TV and issued commands while moving the IR emitter varying lengths from the receiver... no luck. The LED on the controller for the IR port lights up, the IR LED emitter lights up, but the light on the front of the Apple TV (which goes from white to green on IR activity from the Apple remote) doesn't respond at all.

    Thanks again.


    There has been some buzz about the latest Apple TV firware requiring a new apple remote. I have not seen this myself. But, if you're capturing the working IR remote, you've got some kind of AMX-side problem. Have you looked at the IR emitter with a cell phone camera? You should be able to see it flash.
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    kingpikeykingpikey Posts: 19
    I have looked at the IR emitter, and have even connected the IR emitter to another device (cable box), and the box responds fine. I have connected the IR emitter that was previously on the cable box (working and controlling it fine) to the Apple TV, only to have it produce the same results... no response.

    I know there are quite a bit of things one can do with the IR (SET BAUD, SET MODE, etc), but have never had the need to use any of these, and am unfamiliar with them. I don't see IR control being this complicated.

    Just to rule things out, I'm going to see about getting a brand new IR emitter connected, confirm visual flashes and the ability to control other devices. I'll also test both with the AMX provided .irl and my own .irl created from actually capturing the working IR remote's signals.

    Other than doing this, what else can I do?
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    kingpikeykingpikey Posts: 19
    Got it working. Here's the final combination that worked (in case someone else runs into this problem).

    I removed a known working IR emitter from a cable box and affixed it to the front of the Apple TV. Made the necessary changes in the code to swap the ports of the two emitters. I used the .irl file I'd made by capturing the commands from the actual Apple remote.

    Voila! Worked. I could have sworn that I'd tried this (multiple times) before with no success. Worth noting is that the first time I swapped the IR emitters, I believe I was only using the AMX .irl file for Apple TV. This time I used my own captured set of codes.

    Another thing that changed is that I updated the Apple TV to the latest software version ( 2.3 http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3187 ), which lists one of the new features as "Apple TV can now learn other remote controls and use them in addition to the Apple Remote." Now, I didn't actually use the "learn" function that the update provided, but noticed that the Apple TV started responding to the touch panel.

    So, in conclusion:
    New IR emitter + .irl captured IR from Apple remote + 2.3 Apple TV software update = works

    Not sure what portion of that equation didn't actually play a role in it finally working, but I figured I'd just go through all of it in case someone else has this problem.

    Thanks again!
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    adcantrelladcantrell Posts: 24
    having the same problem.

    this is a old thread but im having the same problems as originally stated. i am using an amx single imitter for testing and have checked its operations thru other devices, however thru the port 9 (IR 1) of my 3100 it is not working. i will say that the emitter does output some type of light, but it seems as though the apple TV does not understand it in any way. the apple TVs orange IR indiccator light does come on but its like its just sending out jiberish. the reason i say that is bc the apple TV does have that "learn your remote" feature and when i try to get the apple TV to try and learn what ever codes im sending to it, it does show that it is getting any IR signal to learn. but the emitter thru another port (say for the cable box) will teach the codes to the apple TV. which leads me to believe that the port 9 is outputing codes the same way that is on say port 10 or 11 (which ive tested)

    I have tried the amx apple000.irl as well as the 001 and 002 files.

    and yes the stock apple remote works it just fine.

    any help would be great!
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