[Q] Control Marantz receiver using tasker - Android Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

Hi all,
I use tasker since a long time now and it's great.
But what I would like to do, is to control my receiver using tasker. I have a Marantz SR7007: http://us.marantz.com/us/Products/Pages/ProductDetails.aspx?CatId=avreceivers&ProductId=SR7007
I can already control my receiver using my PC and eventghost using this plugin: http://www.eventghost.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=5498&sid=016284b1e4ec93d122c334091d72fc01. And I can control it with this app: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=de.pskiwi.avrremote
And here is some documentation on how to control the receiver: http://us.marantz.com/DocumentMaster/US/Marantz_AV_SR_NR_PROTOCOL_V01.xls
So is there a way to directly control the receiver using tasker. Or can tasker maybe control the AVR remote app in a way so I can control it through that? I don't want tasker to send events to eventghost and that I can control it from there. So it should be: smartphone---->receiver
Help is much appreciated,
Thanks

@CypherMK you can make EventGhost work with Tasker messages through AutoRemote Plugin
Install this plugin on your phone and as well eventghost on your pc.

Like I said, I don't want that. I already use terremote for that. I want a direct connection between smartphone and receiver using tasker. I want to automate some stuff.

Anyone? ?

Found a solution. I can use the run shell command, with the following command: input tap x y, where x y is the location of the button I want to press. I also use autoinput plugin to control some stuff, that run shell can't do. So with these commands I can manipulate the avr remote app.
But if there is a better solution, I'm happy to hear it

I know this is a little old but for anyone else interested...
The Marantz and Denon receivers can be controlled via HTTP GET requests - which you can issue from tasker. I'm working a way to turn on my Zone2 and switch to internet radio when cooking via Android Wear (LG Urbane). Just tried the ON/OFF command from the link below and it worked perfectly in tasker:
http://www.openremote.org/display/docs/OpenRemote+2.0+How+To+-+Denon+HTTP+Control
...all you need is the IP for your receiver
E.g. http://192.168.2.4/MainZone/index.put.asp?cmd0=PutZone_OnOff/OFF&ZoneName=ZONE2 - this turns Zone2 off.

Tasker plugin
You can do as nedge2k suggested if you have a newer receiver with HTTP support. If you need telnet protocol support, or just would like an easy solution, you can try out my Denon/Marantz plugin (that's the name) from Google Play. id: dk.vindvejr.plugin.avreceiver.denon. I recently added Locale/Tasker support (only action plugin for now). It supports both protocols.
Which commands do you need? I would like to hear about any real use-cases for this type of plugin. Personally I'm only using it to mute my receiver on incoming calls. I guess I just lack imagination.

jacoblaursen said:
You can do as nedge2k suggested if you have a newer receiver with HTTP support. If you need telnet protocol support, or just would like an easy solution, you can try out my Denon/Marantz plugin (that's the name) from Google Play. id: dk.vindvejr.plugin.avreceiver.denon. I recently added Locale/Tasker support (only action plugin for now). It supports both protocols.
Which commands do you need? I would like to hear about any real use-cases for this type of plugin. Personally I'm only using it to mute my receiver on incoming calls. I guess I just lack imagination.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wow....stumbled on my own thread again. Was trying to get this to work with restask plugin, but it was somewhat complicated. But this plugin works great. Thanks!
Some improvement suggestions: Can there be a 'test' button while configuring the plugin. And can I do multiple commands at once, or do I need to make every command seperate? So for example: set volume + source. Or select radio input + channel

Does anyone know the http quick select command? It looks like the link to the command list no longer works.

Related

The one and only - one remote for ALL ur devcies

hey guys
dont know if anybody has explained that but its possible to create one remote for all (with most common used commands)
in my case i control my sagem iptv stb, onkyo av reciever and my samsung LE46C750
create a remote with manual adding comands and use the remote from device of ur needs
example
sagem remote for channel up,down,epg,...
onkyo remote volume up, down, sound modes,...
samsung only the menu, input and dvb input...
try it it works too with oldern devices, maybe some parents active here, the tablet is the ultimate parental control ^^
I think it's a good idea. Universal remote for basic commands then just register the device by itself for more complex commands.
Now we need a way to trick it to do macros. I'll need one icon tap that'll turn on my Sat receiver, amp, and TV, as well as sets them to the proper inputs for that activity. Another icon to tap for my BlueRay player, amp, and TV. Etc.. Until then my Logitech Harmony wins the Sofa award.
4dthinker said:
Now we need a way to trick it to do macros. I'll need one icon tap that'll turn on my Sat receiver, amp, and TV, as well as sets them to the proper inputs for that activity. Another icon to tap for my BlueRay player, amp, and TV. Etc.. Until then my Logitech Harmony wins the Sofa award.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
^ +1 agreed. Macros would make this unbeatable!
Hmmm... I used to have a 20 something dollar sony remote that was programmable for macros. I wonder if that eoyuld work in this case...although my hrmony app for google tv does the job just fine.
There will be an update coming for the remote software either later this year of beginning of next... In the mean time, to set up one universal remote you can just add a device, sect learn from remote, choose "other" then teach it controls from all your other devices and label the buttons what you like, takes time but saves switching between devices.
What if I send a all ready made "macro signal" from my logitech multi remote to the tablet for example the on/off button?
try it out!
I tried to send a macro command to the sony tablet from my harmony remote that should turn my tv on switch it to hdmi, turn on my popcorn hour and turn on my stereo. It recognised the command but only applied the first 2 steps.
So i think the tablet is able to learn macros but not on several devices.....
Sent from my Optimus 2X using XDA App

[Q] One click connect to *specific* Bluetooth device? [NFC Automation]

Hi All,
I have an NFC enabled Samsung Galaxy Nexus and have placed NFC tags in specific places (car, living room, home theater, bedroom, etc.) so that I when I set my phone on the NFC tag I can automatically play music over Bluetooth in that location.
I am trying to completely automate connecting to a *specific* Bluetooth device. (I am not looking to simply toggle Bluetooth on or off, or select the desired Bluetooth device from a menu.) I am currently using "NFC Task Launcher" to accomplish the majority of this, but as far as Bluetooth is concerned, the most I've been able to automate so far is to simply Bluetooth on or off. (I also tried "Tasker" but the functionality I am looking for is missing from this app as well.) I have not found a way to read an NFC tag and automatically connect to a specific Bluetooth device based on which tag is read, nor have I even found a "one click" app / widget that connects to a specific Bluetooth device. (If such a "one click" app / widget exists, I could automate the launching of that app to make the connection.).
(Also having the Bluetooth device in each location initiate the connection isn't a viable solution, I need for the phone to iniatiate the connection.)
Does anyone have any suggestions? Thanks in advance!
Ran across this looking for the same answer. Surprised no one has responded in over a month here.
Did you have any luck finding a workaround for specific BT device connections?
Hi,
I am the developer of MacroDroid an automation application for Android (that supports NFC tags).
This is a feature one of my users has just requested, so I'm just starting to look into the feasibility of adding it. (I came across this post during my initial research).
I will report back here on what I find and if all goes to plan I'll get the feature added to MacroDroid ASAP.
In the meantime, I'd appreciate ALL feedback (positive and negative) with regards to MacroDroid as I hope to make it as powerful and flexible as possible. It's available on Google Play here:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.arlosoft.macrodroid&hl=en
Cheers,
Jamie
Just a quick follow up to my last post.
I believe it is possible to implement functionality to connect to a specific device. I currently don't have an appropriate device to test this, but I have one on order. As soon as I receive it, I'll have a go at adding this to MacroDroid.
In the meantime the following app on the market:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=a2dp.Vol&hl=en
Has the capability to connect to a second Bluetooth device when a Bluetooth connection is established. This may or may not help depending on what you are doing.
Any update on this? I'm also in the same boat. My car doesn't automatically connect anymore, never really did, I think its Bluetooth > 3.x on phone( 4.0 right now, but same on older past devices on S3 ) and the stereo bluetooth is older version( can't remember exactly. )
Anyways, thanks dev for posting about the other app, plan on trying it out tomorrow. In the meantime have you made any progress on your app for this functionality? I'd rather keep everything( all settings ) in one app if I can. Don't think Tasker allows this still, not sure on locale but I doubt it also.
Eagerly awaiting an update
A few more options
Did a little more searching just in case anything new has been released recently - came up with a few new options.. None seem to suit my need (trigger connection within Tasker via a plugin or directly opening an app), but posting here since they may help others.. I haven't tried these - just going on app descriptions.
So, in addition to A2DP Volume as suggested by UndeadCretin, which would be the best option if you want the connection to a A2DP device when another BT device connects, there's also Car Music Connector (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.cleansoft.carmusic) which would seem to fit the bill for most people perfectly. Free, and "Connects you device to Bluetooth stereo in one widget click or NFC tap." Downside would seem to be that it would need to be set as default NFC app for one tap NFC triggering.
If just a widget is needed, Bluetooth Autoconnect (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.btautoconnect), which is a paid app - although Car Music Connector also has a widget so is probably a better (and free!) choice.
Edit: Scratch that.. Car Music Connector doesn't prompt for a device to connect to.. I only have 1 A2DP device paired, and it wont connect to it (just times out) - maybe someone else will have better luck.
Bluetooth Autoconnect seems like it should work, however it enables/disables bluetooth at the same time - so if you already have bluetooth turned on, it turns it off. <sigh>
I'm unable to get it to connect to the either of 2 A2DP devices though - emailed the Dev hoping that it's just something funky with my device (Galaxy S3) that can be worked around.
Interested in this as well.
Firstly sorry for the long delay in replying!
I have now added the ability in MacroDroid to connect to a specific Bluetooth audio device. I have it working on my 2.3 and 4.0.4 and 4.1 devices but I only have a single audio device to test against. Some users have reported that it's not working for them, so if anyone does try this I would appreciate any feedback if it works or doesn't. If it's not working for you could you please tell me the device, OS version and device you are trying to connect to. Feedback here is fine, or mail me at: [email protected]
Best Regards,
Jamie
UndeadCretin said:
I have now added the ability in MacroDroid to connect to a specific Bluetooth audio device.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Awesome to hear.. I'll give it a test run when I get a chance and get back to you with results.. Just a query - what's the system resource usage of MacroDroid? I currently use Tasker, and am more than happy to buy and use MacroDroid for this one single function if it works, but don't really want them both running in the background at the same time if they're using up resources.. Can MacroDroid be setup to only run when called (i.e. having a shortcut trigger it, or even better via a Locale plugin?) I know that this is probably wanting a little too much
For others, Bluetooth Auto Connect (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.myklos.btautoconnect) has had a recent update of "New: Tasker/Local plugin - new Profile action added - Connect / Disconnect actions supported" which sounds promising.
I never got the app to work previously (it just never connected), but others may have better luck. I haven't tried it since the update.
Kaibosh said:
Awesome to hear.. I'll give it a test run when I get a chance and get back to you with results.. Just a query - what's the system resource usage of MacroDroid? I currently use Tasker, and am more than happy to buy and use MacroDroid for this one single function if it works, but don't really want them both running in the background at the same time if they're using up resources.. Can MacroDroid be setup to only run when called (i.e. having a shortcut trigger it, or even better via a Locale plugin?) I know that this is probably wanting a little too much
For others, Bluetooth Auto Connect (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.myklos.btautoconnect) has had a recent update of "New: Tasker/Local plugin - new Profile action added - Connect / Disconnect actions supported" which sounds promising.
I never got the app to work previously (it just never connected), but others may have better luck. I haven't tried it since the update.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The resource usage of MacroDroid should be very low as it is effectively dormant in most cases. MacroDroid does run as a foreground service so it displays a persistent icon in the notification bar. If this annoys you there is an option in settings to turn off the foreground service. In most cases it will still work but YMMV. Anyway you can get the basic functionality for free, so you can give it a try and see how it works for you.
Regards,
Jamie
I have just submitted an updated (V1.3.8) that will hopefully solve the issue some users were seeing with the Bluetooth audio connection. I appreciate any feedback if it works (or not) for you....
Car Music Connector
Hello,
In addition to A2DP profile Car Music Connector waits for Headset profile to be connected by default. This is more reliable for most car bluetooth enabled stereos. If you are using it with A2DP only device you need to disable "Wait for Headset Bluetooth connection" in settings.
Hope that helps.
Alexander Shakhov.
Car Music Connector author.
An amazing One click - Connect 2 Specific Bluetooth device for A2DP and Phone app:
Bluetooth Pair
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.gnssoftworks.bluetoothpair
found it very useful for swapping bluetooth headphones between devices WITHOUT turning off Bluetooth entirely or going into the settings menu.
Example Use Case:
I have one Stereo Bluetooth headset with mic (two profiles - phone and A2DP audio)
I have one Android Phone and one Android Tablet.
Phone Profile is always connected to the Android Phone, but the A2DP audio changes depending on which device you want to listen to music from.
Normally, if you want to listen to audio from the Tablet when your headset's A2DP profile is connected to the phone, you'd have to first go to the settings menu of the phone, and disconnect the A2DP, leaving Phone Profile connected. Then go to the settings menu on your tablet and connect the A2DP only.
Then you'd have to do the opposite if you want to listen to audio from the Phone again.
Takes a long time.
With Bluetooth Pair, you can specifically connect or disconnect to a specific device and specific profile (phone / a2dp) by widgets.
So you won't have to turn off the bluetooth completely on one device just to allow your headset to connect another device. Nor do you need to go into settings anymore.
1.) Just tap on the A2DP device specific widget on the phone to disconnect, the A2DP Profile from the phone
2.) go to the Tablet, and tap on the A2DP device specific widget to connect the A2DP profile of the headset to the Tablet
Two taps!
klau1 said:
An amazing One click - Connect 2 Specific Bluetooth device for A2DP and Phone app:
Bluetooth Pair
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.gnssoftworks.bluetoothpair
found it very useful for swapping bluetooth headphones between devices WITHOUT turning off Bluetooth entirely or going into the settings menu.
Example Use Case:
I have one Stereo Bluetooth headset with mic (two profiles - phone and A2DP audio)
I have one Android Phone and one Android Tablet.
Phone Profile is always connected to the Android Phone, but the A2DP audio changes depending on which device you want to listen to music from.
Normally, if you want to listen to audio from the Tablet when your headset's A2DP profile is connected to the phone, you'd have to first go to the settings menu of the phone, and disconnect the A2DP, leaving Phone Profile connected. Then go to the settings menu on your tablet and connect the A2DP only.
Then you'd have to do the opposite if you want to listen to audio from the Phone again.
Takes a long time.
With Bluetooth Pair, you can specifically connect or disconnect to a specific device and specific profile (phone / a2dp) by widgets.
So you won't have to turn off the bluetooth completely on one device just to allow your headset to connect another device. Nor do you need to go into settings anymore.
1.) Just tap on the A2DP device specific widget on the phone to disconnect, the A2DP Profile from the phone
2.) go to the Tablet, and tap on the A2DP device specific widget to connect the A2DP profile of the headset to the Tablet
Two taps!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Awesome! Gonna download it now and try it in the morning... but ya still get the thanks regardless of how it works for breathing life into this thread

IR remote control macro commands and activities

Hi!
I was wondering if it is possible to have macro commands an activities with tablet S IR remote control.
What I mean is something like Logitech Harmony remotes have.
Macro commands - Button press does more than one action (i.e. one button press turns on TV, sets it to HDMI1 and turns on DVD player)
Activities - If you set activitie i.e. watch DVD, you set screen is TV, signal is DVD player and audio is Audio amplifier, so buttons on remote are set accordingly (volume up down changes volume on amplifier, play stop works on DVD player...)
I know there is a way around this (haven't tried yet), if I set everything on Logitech remote and then learn those commands to Tablet S, but this is not a good solution.
I wan't to know if there's some good app that can be used with this tablet, or is there some other way (without using logitech remote) to set this up.
Thank you!
P.S. Is there a way to set air conditioner remote to this tablet without learning commands (it's a little tricky because remote is more like controller and on it is only indication what is set)

WORKING: Sony NSG-MR5U Bluetooth Remote

I was able to successfully pair my Sony NSG-MR5U Remote (from my old Google TV NSZ-GS7)
Keypad works great, directional pad works but the center button on the pad does not function as the "select" button. If you press the "
Enter" key, that serves as the select button as well as the play/pause option on youtube. The mouse/touch pad also does not seem to work as well. The back button and the home button work fine as well. Still playing around with it trying other buttons to see what they do in other apps.
To enable or force pair mode:
Hold Fn + the center button between the navigation arrows on the remote side. you will notice the green light flashing in a slightly different pattern than while pressing the buttons.
The 1st try found the remote but failed when trying to pair. I played around with the Fn + center button a couple more times during paring mode and it finally paired successfully.
This will more than likely work with NSG-MR7U as well.
chibluboy said:
This will more than likely work with NSG-MR7U as well.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I can verify that all that you have said is true for the NSG-MR7U as well. Tried it all this morning.
Someone from the kodi forums seems to have worked on a patch for the Linux Kernel, but it seems abandonned as the last threads are pretty old.
Here is the informations I've found :
The kodi forum (look the jflatt post where he says everything but the accelerometer works) : http://forum.kodi.tv/showthread.php?tid=153504
The patch (by Jason Flatt, or jflatt) : http://www.spinics.net/lists/linux-input/msg26324.html
I don't have any coding abilities, maybe some xda-dev could help create a working module for Android.
Yes...mine works as well, however the center ok button on the directional pad does not work for some reason...very annoying.
Select/OK Button
Well I got the select button in the middle of the direction pad working by installing External Keyboard Helper an app in the play store (web play store!). I then created a custom keyboard layout and programmed the select button as enter!!! Almost perfect, but still no mouse!
I would totally buy one of these if there was a way to get the mouse working! This remote was very well designed and would go great with my NP
I had been trying to get this damned remote to work with my stuff for years. short of finding a developer to create a proper working driver for it, i dont think we will have much success getting it to work completely functional with anything.
Although, i wonder if anyone with the original google tv player this remote works with, can somehow find and pull the android drivers from it? maybe someone here can tweak the driver to make the mouse and other functions work with the nexus player?
I've been playing around trying to figure something out with a different device, and found that in the root directory, going into /system/usr/keylayouts brings up a few files with a .kl extension to them. Its in these kl files that some devices are configured with scan codes. If we can find the proper scan codes for this remote, as well as the device and vendor ID, I think we might be able to create our own kl file specifically for this remote to make it do whatever we want. I think for everything except the mouse/touchpad unfortunately.
Personally im busy and wont be able to jump right onto looking into this, but if anyone is willing to beat me to it, a little research might help configure it. i dont think the mouse/touchpad is affected by this file though: there was only one other file in the folder for a device with an existing mouse/touchpad (the logitech revue, to be exact) and i dont recall seeing any sort of settings related to a touchpad or mouse other than the left and right mouse buttons, but its a step in the right direction.
You can find the device and property ID by pairing the remote to your windows pc, going into device manager and looking in properties for the remote. Not sure how to find scancodes, but if anyone is familiar with Event Ghost, I seem to recall being able to play with the remote in that program (paired to my pc) and i think i was able to pull up scancodes through the programs log. not positive though. just mentioning all of this because unless someone beats me to it, i might not be able to get to it for another month myself.
do you all think that a PS3 or PS4 remote will connect to the nexus player
Not working for me
Any idea why?
I Hold Fn + the enter key between the navigations buttons on the NSG-MR7U, hit the "add accessory" button on the Nexus Player, but it just goes on searching for accessories without finding anything. The led on the remote's side panel is blinking quickly, but as said nothing seems to be happening.
Thanks,
Roy
With the Sony Nsz gs7 remote, will I be able to control my TV & Sony audio system all by itself without connecting the Sony google tv? I understand Sony google tv has loop through and IR sensor which could be programmed for our devices. My requirement with TV & audio system is going to be very limited like power, input toggle & volume controls. Can anybody please confirm?
shahul_555 said:
With the Sony Nsz gs7 remote, will I be able to control my TV & Sony audio system all by itself without connecting the Sony google tv? I understand Sony google tv has loop through and IR sensor which could be programmed for our devices. My requirement with TV & audio system is going to be very limited like power, input toggle & volume controls. Can anybody please confirm?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You will not be able to control other items of equipment like you did when it was connected to the NSZ-GS7. The remote is a Bluetooth remote only. It was able to do so because the NSZ-GS7 had the ability to transmit IR. I use it connected to my media server PC, which also has an IR receiver/transmitter, and Event Ghost to turn on/off my system, control volume, and switch inputs (and d-pad and transport controls if I'm using Windows Media Center or Power DVD). But it can only be connected to a single device at a time, so I still use the stock remote to control the Nexus Player. Yeah, it's not a single remote solution, but it's the best I could come up with.
ninja_rancher said:
You will not be able to control other items of equipment like you did when it was connected to the NSZ-GS7. The remote is a Bluetooth remote only. It was able to do so because the NSZ-GS7 had the ability to transmit IR. I use it connected to my media server PC, which also has an IR receiver/transmitter, and Event Ghost to turn on/off my system, control volume, and switch inputs (and d-pad and transport controls if I'm using Windows Media Center or Power DVD). But it can only be connected to a single device at a time, so I still use the stock remote to control the Nexus Player. Yeah, it's not a single remote solution, but it's the best I could come up with.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the detailed response. I hoped Sony ps3 remote would solve my problem but unfortunately I was not able to pair to Nexus player because of the pairing code issue. If only it had worked it would have been my ideal single remote.
---------- Post added at 05:15 AM ---------- Previous post was at 05:11 AM ----------
ninja_rancher said:
You will not be able to control other items of equipment like you did when it was connected to the NSZ-GS7. The remote is a Bluetooth remote only. It was able to do so because the NSZ-GS7 had the ability to transmit IR. I use it connected to my media server PC, which also has an IR receiver/transmitter, and Event Ghost to turn on/off my system, control volume, and switch inputs (and d-pad and transport controls if I'm using Windows Media Center or Power DVD). But it can only be connected to a single device at a time, so I still use the stock remote to control the Nexus Player. Yeah, it's not a single remote solution, but it's the best I could come up with.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks very much for this info. I am yet another person who loves this little remote. I have the MR7U and am attempting to use it with my windows 7 Pc running Kodi. So far I got it paired to my Samsung Note 5 just to play around with. I still need a Bluetooth dongle for my PC, are there any you recommend? Also, I am interested in what you used as an IR transmitter for your PC. I read about Eventghost and have an idea of what it's about. I did notice what you said about the "ok" button not working. I have a harmony remote with IR and RF but I really need the keyboard so I've committed to the idea of using the MR7U and retiring the Harmony. I'm confident I can get the MR7U to do what I want with kodi, but I want to be able to use it to also transmit IR to my Sony receiver and Bravia TV. Can I use the PC IR transmitter to turn on the TV, control the volume on my receiver and control Kodi simultaneously? Any info shared is greatly appreciated!
Jaygatesny said:
Thanks very much for this info. I am yet another person who loves this little remote. I have the MR7U and am attempting to use it with my windows 7 Pc running Kodi. So far I got it paired to my Samsung Note 5 just to play around with. I still need a Bluetooth dongle for my PC, are there any you recommend? Also, I am interested in what you used as an IR transmitter for your PC. I read about Eventghost and have an idea of what it's about. I did notice what you said about the "ok" button not working. I have a harmony remote with IR and RF but I really need the keyboard so I've committed to the idea of using the MR7U and retiring the Harmony. I'm confident I can get the MR7U to do what I want with kodi, but I want to be able to use it to also transmit IR to my Sony receiver and Bravia TV. Can I use the PC IR transmitter to turn on the TV, control the volume on my receiver and control Kodi simultaneously? Any info shared is greatly appreciated!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Even though it's slightly off-topic for using the MR5U/MR7U with the Nexus Player, I'll try and answer some of your questions. First, as far as the PC Bluetooth dongle goes, I just bought a generic cheap one off of eBay for under $5 (USD). Just search for 'usb bluetooth dongle' or 'usb bluetooth adapter'. As far as the "OK" button not working, I believe that was only when it was directly paired with the Nexus Player. All buttons seem to work fine for me when paired with my PC.
Second, I am using a Gateway USB IR receiver (like http://www.ebay.com/itm/GATEWAY-USB...967892?hash=item33ad7cc714:g:PUIAAOSwnH1WWmvY). Also cheap, also off of eBay. It used to be used for receiving IR as well when I had the Sony NSZ-GS7 and I had it blasting its TV and receiver IR codes to my PC instead. But now I just use it as an IR emitter controlled by EventGhost.
You should be able to do everything you want as far as device and app control. The only gotcha I encountered is that I had to disable the Windows 'Human Interface Device Access' service (hidserv). Because the remote pairs as a HID device, there are some buttons that Windows was interpreting automatically. Like the volume and menu buttons. If you want volume to control your receiver, then you need to disable the service to prevent Windows from adjusting its own volume. But it's all very doable. I use the MR5U remote to power my enter system on (TV, receiver), change volume of my receiver, switch inputs on my receiver, and control Windows Media Center or PowerDVD when I have to switch away from the Nexus Player to watch live TV or play a physical disc that I haven't ripped into Plex yet. Just have to have the time and the determination to do it.
ninja_rancher said:
You will not be able to control other items of equipment like you did when it was connected to the NSZ-GS7. The remote is a Bluetooth remote only. It was able to do so because the NSZ-GS7 had the ability to transmit IR. I use it connected to my media server PC, which also has an IR receiver/transmitter, and Event Ghost to turn on/off my system, control volume, and switch inputs (and d-pad and transport controls if I'm using Windows Media Center or Power DVD). But it can only be connected to a single device at a time, so I still use the stock remote to control the Nexus Player. Yeah, it's not a single remote solution, but it's the best I could come up with.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
ninja_rancher said:
Even though it's slightly off-topic for using the MR5U/MR7U with the Nexus Player, I'll try and answer some of your questions. First, as far as the PC Bluetooth dongle goes, I just bought a generic cheap one off of eBay for under $5 (USD). Just search for 'usb bluetooth dongle' or 'usb bluetooth adapter'. As far as the "OK" button not working, I believe that was only when it was directly paired with the Nexus Player. All buttons seem to work fine for me when paired with my PC.
Second, I am using a Gateway USB IR receiver (like Also cheap, also off of eBay. It used to be used for receiving IR as well when I had the Sony NSZ-GS7 and I had it blasting its TV and receiver IR codes to my PC instead. But now I just use it as an IR emitter controlled by EventGhost.
You should be able to do everything you want as far as device and app control. The only gotcha I encountered is that I had to disable the Windows 'Human Interface Device Access' service (hidserv). Because the remote pairs as a HID device, there are some buttons that Windows was interpreting automatically. Like the volume and menu buttons. If you want volume to control your receiver, then you need to disable the service to prevent Windows from adjusting its own volume. But it's all very doable. I use the MR5U remote to power my enter system on (TV, receiver), change volume of my receiver, switch inputs on my receiver, and control Windows Media Center or PowerDVD when I have to switch away from the Nexus Player to watch live TV or play a physical disc that I haven't ripped into Plex yet. Just have to have the time and the determination to do it.
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I'm determined! Haha. I'm going to be ditching cable TV for a few months so Kodi and ps4 will be my only devices. I'm following everything you've said and am very confident at this point. The last question I have is, how do you make the PC's IR emitter send the correct codes to the TV and receiver (on/off, volume, input)? Is there software I would need to learn/program the correct codes to blast? I'm mean there has to be right? Thanks!
Jaygatesny said:
I'm determined! Haha. I'm going to be ditching cable TV for a few months so Kodi and ps4 will be my only devices. I'm following everything you've said and am very confident at this point. The last question I have is, how do you make the PC's IR emitter send the correct codes to the TV and receiver (on/off, volume, input)? Is there software I would need to learn/program the correct codes to blast? I'm mean there has to be right? Thanks!
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There are a couple of ways to accomplish this--assuming you are using EventGhost. The most fool-proof way is if you can find the Pronto remote HEX codes for the device(s) you want to control (the Files section of remotecentral.com is your friend). EventGhost has the ability to enter these codes for emitting IR. Otherwise, depending on the IR receiver/transmitter you buy, the IR plugin for EventGhost will allow you to "learn" a code from a remote. I've found this route to be a bit trial-and-error, though. As there are things that can affect the accuracy of the capture, like distance, the time you hold the remote button down for, etc. If you use this method, expect your workflow to be capture/test until you actually get the captured waveform to control your device.
ninja_rancher said:
There are a couple of ways to accomplish this--assuming you are using EventGhost. The most fool-proof way is if you can find the Pronto remote HEX codes for the device(s) you want to control (the Files section of remotecentral.com is your friend). EventGhost has the ability to enter these codes for emitting IR. Otherwise, depending on the IR receiver/transmitter you buy, the IR plugin for EventGhost will allow you to "learn" a code from a remote. I've found this route to be a bit trial-and-error, though. As there are things that can affect the accuracy of the capture, like distance, the time you hold the remote button down for, etc. If you use this method, expect your workflow to be capture/test until you actually get the captured waveform to control your device.
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You have been an extraordinary help. I think I'm ready to start ordering what I need and getting my hands dirty. One last thing. Does the IR emitter you have come with software or just drivers? The only gap in my fully understanding this is how to tell Event Ghost to tell this emitter what codes to push once I have them? Thanks again, and I will report back with any info I encounter that could help others.
Jaygatesny said:
You have been an extraordinary help. I think I'm ready to start ordering what I need and getting my hands dirty. One last thing. Does the IR emitter you have come with software or just drivers? The only gap in my fully understanding this is how to tell Event Ghost to tell this emitter what codes to push once I have them? Thanks again, and I will report back with any info I encounter that could help others.
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There are no drivers or software for the IR receiver/emitter. Windows is able to recognize it directly. From EventGhost, you will use the 'Microsoft MCE Remote - Vista/Win7' plugin (plus a service that it installs) in order for EventGhost to generate events on incoming IR and to send out IR (either from Pronto HEX codes or via capture). To use the MR5U/MR7U, you will use the 'Generic HID' plugin to perform actions on the button press events. The list of EventGhost plugins can be found here: http://eventghost.org/docs/pluginlist.html (some have links to individual documentation posts). So neither the IR receiver/emitter nor the Bluetooth dongle needed any extra drivers...they just worked out of the box.
ninja_rancher said:
There are no drivers or software for the IR receiver/emitter. Windows is able to recognize it directly. From EventGhost, you will use the 'Microsoft MCE Remote - Vista/Win7' plugin (plus a service that it installs) in order for EventGhost to generate events on incoming IR and to send out IR (either from Pronto HEX codes or via capture). To use the MR5U/MR7U, you will use the 'Generic HID' plugin to perform actions on the button press events. The list of EventGhost plugins can be found. (some have links to individual documentation posts). So neither the IR receiver/emitter nor the Bluetooth dongle needed any extra drivers...they just worked out of the box.
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Understood. I watched some tutorials about event ghost and have a basic understanding now. Also won that gateway ir blaster just now. Just gotta order the bluetooth dongle tonight. Should be good to go soon! Will report back in a couple weeks. Thanks greatly!!

[Q] "Simple" bluetooth question: Disable Automatic Connection or workaround?

[Q] "Simple" bluetooth question: Disable Automatic Connection or workaround?
I am looking for some way to prevent every phone in the house from trying to connect to a bluetooth speaker or receiver when it's turned on.
the devices in question all run Android 4.4.4 stock unrooted Motorola roms. I have access to Tasker, Locale, Llama, etc etc and would not mind paying for additional plug-ins if that's what it takes.
Turning Bluetooth Off is not an option as we have other devices that sync over bluetooth and I would like to take advantage of Trusted Devices.
If there is no way to disable auto connect, then the next best thing would be a way to remove the device/unpair. I'm under the basic assumption that unpairing a device is something that could be done with a shell command in Tasker, but i've trollled the web high and low today and cannot find any kind of current commands for controlling bluetooth. I've tried a handful of bluetooth plugins for tasker, and while some of them give me the triggers I'd need to run such a command, they don't seem to have the ability to delete the device pairing.
I could even work with a command that cleared ALL bluetooth pairings if such a thing is possible

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