Database Users

Android and IR Remote Control

Hey all,
I am interested in the idea of using my phone to control my home theatre equipment. The ability to control any IR equipment with your phone would be a very neat feature and a nice selling point, especially as Google has made clear their intentions to enter the home automation field. However at present it seems very hard to do this with Android.
I know that a solution is to use an IR transmitter connected to the 3.5mm headphone jack. The leader in this market seems to be a company called ThinkFlood who have a product called RedEye Mini. Here's an explanation of how it works...
http://thinkflood.com/products/redeye-mini/#how-does-it-work
Unfortunately for us Android users the software is in beta testing and the RedEye Mini hardware is not compatible yet.
I am wondering if anyone can shed some light on this project and whether it can be achieved yet by any other means?
Also does anyone know whether native support of IR hardware has been considered for Android. Seeing as this technology could very easily be built into phones it seems like a smart move for Google with their home automation drive and all.
I am interested to hear your thoughts and solutions.
Thanks

The concept of home automation would be improved if IR were not used at all. Line of sight comms is very limiting. On the plus side of course it means there are fewer radio waves flying round my house and frying my brain!

I agree 100%. I need to keep all the brain cells I can
Unfortunately though most home theatre equipment still relies of IR and I believe it will for a few more years. Google should jump on IR if they are serious about home automation.

if you use XBMC than there is an nice app to control it and many more.

Controlling the PC is easy as apps can communicate with it via my home network. The problem I have is using my phone to communicate with other equipment such as my TV and AV receiver. For these the only way I can think of controlling them is via IR.

edcoppen, as far as I know you have 2 options for IR on Android:
1/ - Already available DIY solutions -
You can check the Androlirc application (that would be me!)
And a friend of the project has developed a enhanced Audio2IR module that is called Irdroid (mine was just a proof of concept)
You'll have to be (or get) familiar with LIRC to go down that path.
2/ - Anounced and "soon to be available" IR equipped Android devices -
Touchsquid
Conspin Andi One
That a lot of link dropping for a first post, I hope xdadevelopers will let me submit that... (Submit...) Yeah, that's what I thought, you'll just have to look for web sites by yourself then.
Anyway I think we're gonna get some action in the IR/Tablet world soon... Until we get rid of that 30 years old, one way tech (on the plus side, it "owns" 100% of the market and the battery autonomy for a traditional remote control has to be measured in years... that's close to an infinity in the Android world)!

Quite interesting that there will be IR equipped mobile devices any more. I thought the technology would die out. I actually still carry my Nokia N73 with me and from time to time change the channel on the TV in the pub. Great fun!!!

Yeah, I had a nokia 7650 ten years ago with an IR transmitter/receiver and used to have so much fun changing channels in my sports bar. I reckon the technology has less interest nowadays as we move further into the digital age. The best and easiest way to automate your home theatre and stereo systems is to connect them to a pc and control everything from your phone. there are tons of apps in the market that allow you to do this. I have tried a few and am currently using three I find the best: Unified remote (specifically for their spotify remote, which now a days is my stereo system, but they have tons of other remotes and works great over LAN), phonemypc (for me one of the best vnc apps in the market) and remote desktop client, a great RDP app. Whatever you can connect to your pc (with the right hardware/firmware you can even connect all the appliances in your home, even your lights and air-conditioned, to a main server) you can control from your phone, either through LAN - using your home network - or even away from home using the internet (WAN). IR is an obsolete technology in the digital age.
Sent from my Desire HD using XDA Premium App

StreetGuru said:
Whatever you can connect to your pc (with the right hardware/firmware you can even connect all the appliances in your home, even your lights and air-conditioned, to a main server) you can control from your phone, either through LAN - using your home network - or even away from home using the internet (WAN). IR is an obsolete technology in the digital age.
Sent from my Desire HD using XDA Premium App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I dont agree that it is a dead technology... yet! Most AV devices in the home still rely on it and unless i'm mistaken cannot be connected via the PC. Take for example my Samsung TV or my Harman Kardon AVR. I really want to be able to control these from my phone and cant find a viable solution. I have all the apps you mentioned and none of them help me here. You say via the right hardware/firmware can help... but what hardware would you use to connect the two devices I named to a PC, and how mush does it cost?
If an IR transmitter could be built into a watch 10 years ago I see no reason why it coultn't easily be added to a mobile phone. I know its personal preference but I would see it as a strong selling point.

IR hardware range too weak
My older HTC Windows phone had IR support, I had hoped to install AV remote sw on it. Found out the hard way that the IR range on many phones that had the hardware was only a few feet. It was intended as a bidirectional business card sharing type of thing before bluetooth took over. I'm thinking bluetooth is why most phones don't even have the IR hardware built in anymore.
I'm currently looking for a T-Mobile Froyo phone that has IR with sufficient range for AV remote use, any experts out there?
I don't want to depend on any dongles plugged in to the phone, but I would consider an external wireless box that had the IR command set and transmitter and a wireless way to communicate with the phone, preferably bluetooth so I don't have to turn on the wifi radio every time I use it.
i have a new enough Sammy tv to use DLNA etc, but that means turning on the wifi.

[Info] MHL / DLNA Experience with samsung PS50 Plasma TV

Hello peeps,
Me again sharing my experience with a friend's samsung TV.
The TV is a samsung 50+" Plasma TV, the model is PS50C something...
The tv is connected with Cat 5e cable to wireless N access point, and the SGS2 was connected via wifi to that AP.
I could easily use All share to show all my Full HD vids from the phone to tv in a matter of seconds. Had to approve the action once on the TV.
Also, I could play movies located on a dedicated DLNA server to the tv via the SGS2, i'm not sure if any data actually went via the SGS2, but I used it as a remote control to select content to be played on the TV. Worked flawless.
One last thing to share, MHL.
I connected the phone to the TV with the MicroUSB to hdmi converter, I have no MHL cable... And the TV recognized an MHL device - I then found out, much to my surprise that I could control the SGS2 with the TV Remote!!!
Was pretty amazing. Everything just worked.
Cya
Eitam.

Please list all the TV remote control buttons that worked with S2. Can you get the S2 menu and back functions to work? Just so we all know. Sounds really cool though.

LouisJB said:
Please list all the TV remote control buttons that worked with S2. Can you get the S2 menu and back functions to work? Just so we all know. Sounds really cool though.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
TBH I can't answer that question cause I got annoyed with that remote very fast,
I used the arrow keys to cycle through the Icons on the homescreens, they appeared selected like windows xp style blue background, and I was able to click them to start stuff.
I didn't even try and look for android buttons...
I was just amazed it all just worked.

[Q] Universal Remote

Hi I would really like to turn my a500 into a universal remote but would like to find out witch app works the best before i go out and buy the hard ware. Is there an ir or rf sender that i can just plug into my a500 ? I have checked out digit and red eye but have gottn mixed reviews can some one help? thanks

I haven't heard of an app with an RF sender for the A500. I do know the Sony S Tablet has a built-in IR sender for this purpose.
Depending on where you live and what you want to do, there is an excellent DirecTV Remote Control app in the Android Market that does a great job. Love it. It even looks just like the original DirecTV remotes. It works over WiFi to access your HD receivers and DVRs.
I'd be interested to know if there is an IR sender/app package that works as well.

Thanks
i have found a couple apps but im not shore if there compatible with the a500. i dont want to spend the money for the hardware if its not.

My Samsung tv Works great with the Samsung remote app .. i Can control my tv with my tablet . play games on the tv and type into the tv apps with the a500 keyboard . for posting on facebook yahoo and so on the tv apps.. B
But as said above This is over wifi .. the tv has to be behind the same router as the tablet .can also send movies from and to the tv with the tabler..
no ir reciever in the a 500 you would first have to find kernel / drivers for the ir hardware you choose and have a app written to contol your tv.. this is likely propritaty function depending on brand . if you have a smart tv check and see if it supports remote access over wifi ..

Universal Remote?

Looking for a remote I can use with my TV (not connected to the internet ) to control smile functions such as channel and volume up and down power and input. Is it possible to download one from the play store or side load one if there is none? I need it to work on a Samsung plasma tv.
I appreciate your help!

I don't believe the Nexus 7 has the required IR Transmitter to accomplish this. If, however, your TV supports Bluetooth, then it very well may be possible if your TV company has released an app to do this.

With No IR blaster, any alternative solution/app for TV remote control on N6P?

It's probably a silly question, but just wondering and ask. Thanks

Harmony Hub with Harmony App maybe.

I have a Comcast app that lets me control my DVR including changing the channel.

You can use a wireless Global cache itach IR blaster with Touchsquid app but it'll cost you over $100 to get it working that way.

Only thing I really miss about HTC...

I've used TV (Samsung) Touchpad Remote and it works great, for a Samsung TV of course. I've also used Smart Remote, that works on every TV connected to the network. If you have a networked TV there are a few options.

My girlfriend bought me an anymote ir blaster, its awesome! I can control my stuff with my 6p or my work iPad basically anything needing an ir connection with anymote. Highly recommended it'll run you about $100 but works.

Depends on your TV, my LG has an app that works over WiFi. I'm guessing other models have similar applications.