Remote function enhancements in TVOS15

Channels Apple TV
#1

Hey good news for some on Apple TV. With latest TVOS15, it appears Apple added additional learning functionality for use with old fashion IR remotes!

They added the ability to learn the TV/HOME button @Fofer lol

Some of us went through quite a journey to get that working about 6 month ago, including learning a special code from a channel master remote.

Anyway, even though I had already solved this issue for me I had to try the new functionality built into TVOS15.

I can verify I was successful in learning my old Samsung TV remote , and using that to even get the app switcher and control panel working (infamous TV/HOME button and double click)

I haven’t played around with this, but there appears to be the ability to learn additional transport controls. I don’t even remember if this was in TVOS 14 or not TBH.

Have fun

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#2

This is great!

#3

Amazing! Time to dig out the old yet still comfortably ergonomic TiVo peanut remote again and see how well I can get it working with Channels and tvOS!

#4

Wow, this is a welcome improvement and opens lots of doors for comfortable old IR remotes to integrate nicely with AppleTV. It's not a perfect solution, there are many unused buttons, and IR requires line-of-sight, but it's nice to be able to use the TiVo Peanut once again. The up/down buttons now work for channel surfing (via "previous track" and "next track" commands) too!

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#5

Wow! Channel up/down being mapped is huge. It's almost like someone on the Apple TV team watches TV!

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#6

Amazon delivering my new TiVo remote in the morning. Can’t wait to give it a try!

#7

The only thing they forgot was to be able to map the ATV volume up and down With AirPods there is no way to adjust the Apple TV volume via IR without going through the control panel.

#8

I’ve noticed more and more cable operators (especially smaller ones) are transitioning to IPTV apps on streamers and ditching traditional cable tv. Our little provider in MS is Sparklight (formerly CableOne). They are ditching traditional cable for IPTV and rolling it out completely by the end of the year. Apple TV is a recommended device by them.

I guess Apple if finally waking up to this and making button navigation more friendly to these apps in hopes of luring more onboard.

#9

This is probably due to cable providers no longer being required to support CableCARDs.

1 Like
#10

Good point. I mapped the TiVo Peanut remote to control my TV's volume (and mute) via IR, but that's ultimately controlling my Sonos soundbar via CEC. And the power button turns it off. Input button works too. Altogether these features make the old reliable TiVo remote a newborn contender for the bedroom TV. But of course, everybody's got different ingredients and priorities.

Thanks for mentioning it!

#11

It's working great here. I also reversed "previous track" and "next track" commands, so now, channel-surfing down actually follows the direction down the Grid, as I tap the down button on the TiVo remote, as opposed to the opposite.

I've previously wished that was an option (with the up and down clicks) on the new AppleTV remote's clickwheel. On that remote, clicking down, moves up in the Guide, and it's a bit disorienting.

#12

Anyone find a way to make number keys, guide button, etc work on the TiVo remote through CEC or some other fashion? Is it even possible? I have all of the basic keys set up and working nicely through remote learn, but was curious if there is any other way to make more of the buttons functional.

#13

Sadly not possible, at least not with current apps, or the current operating system on AppleTV.

#14

Something I noticed about channel surfing.... after moving a couple of - channels pressing the back button it takes you to the guide on the channel you started on, not on the channel you are on.

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#15

:arrow_up: This! The grid guide does not maintain focus if you channel surf then return to it. It’s always on the channel that you started from. I’ve noticed that On Now does maintain focus in that if you channel surf and return to On Now, it’s actually on the current channel. Any way to get the grid guide to do this?

#16

Hate for my first post not to contribute anything, but has the back button action been changed? It appears to go to the top of the guide when the back button is pressed. Is there a way to set it back to the way it was?

#17

Yes, the behavior changed. If you are browsing a future time, like 12 hours in the future, a single press of Back will bring you to the current time on the channel you have selected. Once you are on the currently airing program of a channel, pressing Back will take you to the top of the guide. One more press of Back will open the sidebar to allow you to navigate to other places in the app.

If you wish you bypass going to the top of the guide, you can press Left to open the sidebar. This change was made to address long-standing requests to quickly return to both the current time in the guide, as well as a way to easily navigate back to the top. At present, it cannot be disabled.

#18

That makes sense. The work around is easy enough. I apprecaite such a quick reply. Thanks!

#19

@maddox not sure if you saw this comment. Is this behavior working as designed? Thanks

#20

Yes.

Previously there was no way to get back to the front of the guide if you had traveled far into the future, or the top of the guide if you'd traveled down.

With the change, pressing back will take you back to current time. Another press of back will take you to the top of the guide (like all of our other views).

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