NEW: Improved Apple TV support for HDMI-CEC and Bluetooth remotes

Need more specifics about which screens do not work as expected

Its pretty much all the submenus.
If I go to Library, Kids, TV Shows, Movies, Search, Schedule, etc... then the Color buttons work (testing button going to Guide and Live). On Library, if you go from there into More, Movies, TV Shows, Kids, Recently Recorded... on those screens the Color buttons do not work. Back out to the main Library screen and it works again. This is the same for all the main submenus of Kids, TV Shows, Movies, and Search that you select from the Navigation row. The main screen you go to from Navigation works... going deeper doesn't. For example it works on the main Search Screen, but if you go into the sub screen for Upcoming Movies it doesn't work. The only area where the submenus seem to work is the subs of Settings. There if you go deeper the color buttons still work.

This works for me. What version number is shown on the Settings tab?

EDIT: I'm using F1-F4 mappings, but you're using HDMI-CEC. That's probably where the bug is.

I'm on 4.0.3 I believe.... whatever the latest is I updated last night.

I am using CEC as I have the Sony remote with the colored keys that I programmed via Channels Settings. I then programmed my OneForAll Streamer to mimic those colored keys and have red power set to Guide and the * set to Live TV. But its the same result with the Sony remote too.

I'm uploading a new testflight build with a possible fix for HDMI-CEC case. Please try it out and let me know if the issue is fixed.

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That fixed it. I didn't go through every single child view but spot checked a bunch and seems to be all good.

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tl;dr; Softabaton Remote Users: Use the OK button (instead of Menu) to wake the Apple TV..

Update on the Softabaton remote that was recommended in the article. I was able to do everything with Channels and the Apple TV, except power on, or wake up, the Apple Tv. I had tried Menu as I would on the Siri Remote. Tried other "menu" entries available in the app. I pressed every key on the remote, so I thought. Until I pressed..... the OK key by accident with the Apple TV off and alas, the Apple TV light came on. The CEC command also came through to turn on the TV. I can 100% recommend the Sofabaton as a perfect end to end solution for simple configurations of an AppleTV, TV and soundbar.

Before the discovery, I did try support. The Sofabatton support team at least answered but did not comprehend my question. They said that a newer U2 version was coming out soon that might address my issue.

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The OK button still doesn’t work with all configurations. I have a few-month-old TCL TV which has a terrible HDMI-CEC implementation in which it won’t just switch to the last input or the HDMI-CEC input on power-on — it insists on showing its own menu system first.

So when I press OK on the Sofabaton, the Apple TV and TV turn on, but the input doesn’t switch. No subsequent presses of the OK button or any other button will cause the input to switch.

With the native Apple TV remote, things aren’t quite as bad. If I press a key, the TV turns on then it starts a 5 second countdown to switch to the Apple TV.

So, hopefully other people made better choices. Amazingly I found no mention of this behavior in any of the reviews of the TCL TV before I bought it.

This is the same on my Sony TVs and either the Sony remote or the OneForAll Streamer remote.

When exploring a show (Library -> click show -> explore show) the HDMI cec colored buttons do nothing. For example clicking the green button does not bring me to the guide. Same behavior when in scheduled recordings, your passes, and trash. Is this expected behavior or a bug?

The fix should be in TestFlight if it’s the same issue as a few posts before yours.

Missed that post and I'm not running the TestFlight build. Thanks.

  1. I understand. However, we use your Channels app in two different households with people from various ages and I can tell you that the channel up and down feature is something that is missed by everyone from 15year old to 65. It is not used all of the time, but sometimes, not having it gets in the way of just fully chilling in front of the TV.

Surprisingly, we noticed that the Siri remote is really Marmite: love it or hate it. I used to hate it but some apps have used it so well I realised it is a brilliant remote when implemented properly.

From my experience using various TV and IPTV apps in the US, UK and France, I suggest you and your team test the following ideas that, in my opinion, would improve even more the UI/UX for both young and Elderly people:

  • channel up: double tap at the top of the Siri remote (channel down: double tap at the bottom) (some apps use the click on the right for up and left for down but it is not reliable
  • Slide down reveals the language menu ONLY or anything else about the current program.
  • Slide up reveals the quickguide only
  • you can even imagine a slide to the right (from the left edge) to reveal an overlayed EPG

Anyway, just brainstorming with you guys...

  1. We have Apple TV 4Ks and HDs. It feels like since the Channels App 4.0 release that it takes significantly more time to launch the app from the Apple TV homescreen: "your TV is being prepared" message takes really long time now.

Best wishes

After this was fixed, now in the Search screen if I select More on Upcoming Movies, the cover art for all the movies is messed up. It looks like they are zoomed in and are larger than the size of the spot to display them so you get a rectangle from the middle of the page, not the full cover art.

Love the new “C” functionality that was added to toggle captions. Assigned it to a dedicated button, works great!

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Wait, what? You can toggle CC with one button? I need that badly. I can't hear anything and our granddaughter always complains about the CC on her kid shows. Can this be assigned to a colored key, or how do you access it from the remote?

Yep, just assign a button to send a “C” key with the windows computer device. Works great. I don’t remember seeing it mentioned here but it was in the iOS app update notes. :blush:

I have everything set up and working great on a Harmony Elite using the "BT Apple TV 4" and "Windows Computer" devices. Using CEC on a Samsung Q50 with a "watch TV" activity in order to use the favorite channels feature which works very well.

The only thing I cannot seem to map is "last channel" using "backspace" on the "Windows Computer" There is not a "backspace" in this device, just "back" which does not provide any function (have tried within the activity and directly from the device). Has anyone else been able to get this to work? I can use the double press of "play" but would prefer to map last channel to a single button and single press using "backspace" or similar. Thanks.

You can use the Live TV key as a previous channel shortcut

This is only possible on Harmony remotes that have a hub, I believe.

I have a Harmony 650, which is IR only and doesn’t use a hub. It works great for me and works with CEC, and has colored buttons that work with Channels.

Is there any way for me to program a button to toggle Closed Captions?