The AfO has a Home button, which I believe is actually long pressing the Menu button in how it works. My understanding is that long pressing the Home button on the Siri remote is Bluetooth only, and I have only ever been able to replicate that function on a remote that uses Bluetooth... in my case Caavo and Harmony Elite. If you got that to work with IR, I'd love to understand how you did it.
Out of the box
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Yep, they've got an IR code that sends the AppleTV back to home screen.
It worked out of the box in this Channel Master, and I was able to copy it to the Home button on my One For All URC7935.
Interesting because you can't copy the Siri remote command to the OfA. So you were able to train the OfA with this key and can bring up the control panel and the app switcher with the OfA? If so, I'll have to buy one and use it to train my OfAs. I still prefer them because I have dedicated keys for Menu and Live, which I use a lot.
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Yep, I trained the OfA with this key.
I'm not sure what you mean by control panel and app switcher -- this button will take you to the Apple TV App (or to the Home Screen, if you change the setting for what it does in the AppleTV settings, which is my preference).
FWIW, I much prefer the physical feel of the One for All. I don't really have anything positive to say about the Channel Master except that it controlled the ATV with no setup needed.
The OfA already has a Home button that will take you to the Apple TV Home screen. I believe that its accomplishing this by sending a long press of the Menu button which does the same thing. On the Apple remote, if you long press the Home key, it brings up the Control Panel which allows you do access HomeKit stuff, put it to sleep, etc. If you double click the Home key, it brings up the app switcher to let you close apps. The long press and double click of the Home key do NOT work on the OfA, which is what led me to believe that they were using an IR code for long press of Menu. Long pressing Menu on the OfA does also bring you to the home screen.
So the functionality that has evaded the IR world until apparently ChannelMaster figured it out, is this long press of the Home key? Just curious if that long press or double click on your trained OfA works like it apparently works on the ChannelMaster. I have 4 OfA and will order a ChannelMaster today as a means to program them to get that functionality.
And to wrap this back to the original context. If this works, it will not go through CEC so will need line of sight to use it. But that doesn't stop the use of all the other keys without the need for line of sight.
I see. I had only ever single-clicked the Home button.
But now that I've tried it, I see the additional functionality. And yes, both the Channel Master and my trained OfA match the functionality of the Apple TV remote: Single click takes me to Home screen. Double-click pulls up an app switcher. Long press causes some sort of quick settings overlay menu to pop in from the right.
Only caveat is that it isn't flawless. The double-click on CM and OfA doesn't work if you click too quickly or too slowly; the Apple TV remote seems a little less finicky. But it does all work.
I can confirm that you can program the Home button of the OfA with the channels remote. I programmed all the buttons with the Channel remote except the bottom 4.
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The bottom four can only be programmed for macros of the other buttons with the Apple TV. I've not found a use for them. According to their tech support, you are supposed to be able to learn functions with them, but after some time with them on the phone we could never get that to work. I tried to setup a Macro to call a top row app, but it was very unreliable so I abandoned it.
I will now order a Channel Master and use it to program the home button on my OfA remotes so I get the full functions of it. I still prefer the OfA because I have the couple of extra buttons I can use for Guide and Live (Red Power and *)
Tactile wise the OfA is much better you will see. Using the the Channel Master very easy to hit the wrong button when you are going up down or select.
I finally got back from my daughter the Harmony Hub with remote that I gave her and is not using. I want to try playing around with that one.
I just received the ChannelMaster remote and am thrilled! Its TV button works perfectly with no Bluetooth and this is the first remote I've seen do that. Not sure how they are accomplishing it because there isn't a button on the Siri remote you can use to train it, but it works. Single press, double press, and long press.
The first thing I did was program my One for All Streamer to learn this button. And it works perfectly for all 3 functions. Ironically, the ChannelMaster stuggles to bring up the task list reliably with double click , and it took many attempts before I got a double up arrow to cancel an app. The One for All seems much more consistent with the learned function than the ChannelMaster in was responding to the double click every time, and canceling apps every time I did the double up arrow.
Now I have finally settled with a remote that I'm very happy with on the Apple TV with Channels DVR. I can program my other 3 One for Alls with this guy.
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Glad to hear also the double arrow up is how it works just like my apple keyboard so I was not surprised when the remote was the same way.
I just programmed my harmony hub and remote so I use that as my main TV remote. Since it's Bluetooth I like that better plus I have some of my lighting setup on it.
Another approach, which doesn't eliminate the need for line of sight, but allows you to tuck the AppleTV away, behind the TV or in a cabinet, is an infrared repeater, which also offers a bigger target.
True. In my case it would look kind of ridiculous because the Apple TV is sitting on white built in shelves, but maybe I might look into getting a repeater and then I could relocate it into the cabinet under the shelf. That would solve the problem of the TV button needing line of site. If I could fish it through the wall to above the fireplace and attach it to the bottom of the TV would be perfect.
They should build in IR repeaters into TVs.
On one TV, I just centered it perfectly on the bottom lip and it looks like a built-in part of the TV. On the other, it's hidden on the side of the credenza, but just visible enough for the Harmony Hub that's behind and to the right of my couch to be able to send it commands. Both TVs have a USB port that powers the IR repeater, no AC plug required, and thankfully these IR repeaters are available in very long lengths.
I know that conceptually it seems like a janky solution, but it works exceptionally well, reliably and instantaneously for me. I haven't had a single issue. Once you figure out placement, if possible, it opens up some interesting doors. Since my Harmony Companion doesn't even emit infrared, I don't need to worry about line-of-sight, because the Hub always has it.
You can also go Bluetooth from the hub to apple TV no repeaters needed.