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PRProd / HA-Firemote

Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Fire streaming stick, Chromecast, NVIDIA Shield, onn., Roku, Xiaomi Mi, and Android TV remote control card for Home Assistant
GNU General Public License v3.0
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[Feature Request]: Broadlink Integration #405

Open spuggy1968 opened 1 month ago

spuggy1968 commented 1 month ago

Is your feature request related to a problem?

No response

Feature Request

I know you have allow for Button Overrides which is wonderful, but how about adding a whole option that pulls from the Broadlink Remote's file stored when you Learn IR Commands. This module will allow you map the buttons that you have learned in Broadlink to buttons within Firemote. Once the buttons are mapped, if pressed, the Firemote would know all the information from the Broadlink file to fire the remote function using the SEND_IR information. This branch of your program would simplify the world of IR in HA because you would eliminate the need to create scripts for each and every command. Mapping could be limited to what you want to configure.... so if you had 10 Buttons learned in Broadlink, you would then be presented with configuration in Firemote to match the buttons. If you choose to only match 3 buttons, then those would be the only one usable.

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PRProd commented 1 month ago

Greetings @spuggy1968!

Intriguing! I know from online chatter and comments that a lot of Broadlink users/supporters are using Firemote, but I've also heard some say that they are sad that the support from the manufacturer is no longer there? Is that true? I don't own any Broadlink anything, so I know zero about it.

If I was able to get my hands on some Broadlink stuff (not sure what I need, maybe you can direct me?) I'd love to look into this! I prefer to move the project in a direction that benefits the largest group of people first, and Broadlink users might be a large portion.

-Doug

spuggy1968 commented 1 month ago

I have not heard so much from the BroadLink side of things regarding support from them.   I know there is a huge group of people using the RM4 Pro or RM4 units.  Really only difference is the pro works with RF as well as IR from all accounts.   When the device is left unlocked, you can control from HA.   Unfortunately the only way to bring codes in to HA is manually because the BroadLink Code Library is not accessible that I know of.  Adding remotes are now pretty straight forward and easy from my point of view.   When calling the learn command, you state the name of the device, and then the buttons you intend on learning (the names you give them).  If you tell it 5 different button names, when you call the service you the BroadLink will light up waiting for first button.   As you press the button, the light will go out, and then one for next button until they are all complete.   At which point, a file is created within the BroadLink directory that contains the Device Name, and all the buttons with the appropriate code that needs to be sent using the Send_IR command (these codes are long).Sent from my iPhoneOn May 8, 2024, at 12:52 PM, Doug Nelson @.***> wrote: Greetings @spuggy1968! Intriguing! I know from online chatter and comments that a lot of Broadlink users/supporters are using Firemote, but I've also heard some say that they are sad that the support from the manufacturer is no longer there? Is that true? I don't own any Broadlink anything, so I know zero about it. If I was able to get my hands on some Broadlink stuff (not sure what I need, maybe you can direct me?) I'd love to look into this! I prefer to move the project in a direction that benefits the largest group of people first, and Broadlink users might be a large portion. -Doug

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PRProd commented 1 month ago

@spuggy1968 ~

I might be confusing Broadlink with Harmony. Maybe it was Harmony that is losing support?

For broadlink, Is this the best device for me to put on my wish list or consider buying for myself to get started? https://a.co/d/1SQEv9j It looks like it has all of the features possible.

PRProd commented 1 month ago

@spuggy1968 ~

I just watched this YouTube video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jEOyTGaKwaQ and I like what I'm seeing! Maybe I will pick one up and see what I can do with it!

spuggy1968 commented 1 month ago

Harmony is really very similar to BroadLink in operation, the difference is it’s a locked down architecture, and all the stored codes only exist in their database.  Their phone or tablet software is more intuitive because it allows you to script functions.   But same setup, you send_ir.  To hub, device_id, and command.  There are a few other options for repeat, and length of press, but same way.Sent from my iPhoneOn May 8, 2024, at 3:42 PM, Doug Nelson @.***> wrote: @spuggy1968 ~ I might be confusing Broadlink with Harmony. Maybe it was Harmony that is losing support? For broadlink, Is this the best device for me to put on my wish list or consider buying for myself to get started? https://a.co/d/1SQEv9j It looks like it has all of the features possible.

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spuggy1968 commented 1 month ago

There is also ones from Bestcom like RM4C which are off brand you still use BroadLink, and this model has both IR and RF, but is compact and does not have large range for RF.The original TV-Card has one way of configuring BroadLink, but I think as stopped development, but has ideas I I think your programming would be much better with more remotes.Sent from my iPhoneOn May 8, 2024, at 4:25 PM, Doug Nelson @.***> wrote: @spuggy1968 ~ I just watched this YouTube video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jEOyTGaKwaQ and I like what I'm seeing! Maybe I will pick one up and see what I can do with it!

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PRProd commented 1 month ago

Thanks!

Do you know if the codes learned in one Home Assistant environment will work in any other different Home Assistant environment? For instance, if I grabbed the power command from my cable box remote control, and packaged it with a Firemote Release for someone else to use, assuming they have the same cable box and Broadlink device will it work for them too?

--Edit--

Maybe @NightShaman or @chemelli74 might be able to weigh in on this question too?

spuggy1968 commented 1 month ago

I would think it would… when using BroadLink app, you can search for thousands of stored devices.    Myself we use TiVo Box, and I learned all the codes for one remote, then in the file I just duplicated it and changed the name of the device for each TiVo unit, and works perfectly.   I was able to copy codes between devices, like change the power on the TiVo to power the TV with TV code.Sent from my iPhoneOn May 8, 2024, at 4:58 PM, Doug Nelson @.***> wrote: Thanks! Do you know if the codes learned in one Home Assistant environment will work in any other different Home Assistant environment? For instance, if I grabbed the power command from my cable box remote control, and packaged it with a Firemote Release for someone else to use, assuming they have the same cable box and Broadlink device will it work for them too?

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PRProd commented 1 month ago

As of right now I have good news, and bad news...

The good news is that I am now the proud owner of a Broadlink device. I'm unimpressed by the device itself. It refused to connect to my network until I compromised my own wireless network security. I'm not happy having it on my weakened network right now, but it is online and working with Home Assistant.

The bad news has to do with how the Broadlink integration stores the codes that you teach it through Home Assistant. I haven't yet found a way to write something that can access and read that file. If I can't write software to read the file, then I can't make a cool time saving "match this with this" sort of UI like you were hoping for.

I'm not giving up, I'm just stepping back a little bit while I think about a good approach for this. I still want to make it as easy as possible if I can.

chemelli74 commented 1 month ago

Hi,

I think that you should at first code the services behind the buttons. For reusing the codes between different HA installations I think. We should add a remote.backup and remote.restore services (if not already there) and should be externally handled

spuggy1968 commented 1 month ago

Hey Doug,Sorry to hear that it compromises your network. What issue was happening with your network that maybe I should also be aware of.   I am not versed in how the file system restrictions are with HA.   I know it stores the Files in the .Storage folder.Just throwing this thought out there….  Because I don’t think you would be intending on building an interface to Learn the BroadLink commands, that would be up to the users to do so.  Could have a way to create a device or multiple ones, you have to use the same name as the name you used when you learn devices in BroadLink.   But difference is your configuration file would contain only the commands Firemote uses.   So for example, the file might go like so:TiVo‘Firemote          BroadLink Up                      ChannelupDown                 Channeldown Select.               EnterSo all command if available would match their counterpart in BroadLink.   Your Firemote integration would if pressing Up, would know you have the BroadLink device selected and it would simply call the Send_IR with the Device name TiVo, and would know from the setup it needs to send Channelup.I know I missing you have to tell it the BroadLink Hub you are sending the commands to as well I was giving a basic idea.You get full control of the buttons you want to be available to use.   If you only wish for 20 buttons, then the user can only map 20 commands.   If they are not mapped, they don’t work.   Much like button mapped on Android devices.It would only be as good as the user is willing to learn in BroadLink.Just an idea…Sent from my iPhoneOn May 10, 2024, at 5:55 PM, Doug Nelson @.***> wrote: As of right now I have good news, and bad news... The good news is that I am now the proud owner of a Broadlink device. I'm unimpressed by the device itself. It refused to connect to my network until I compromised my own wireless network security. I'm not happy having it on my weakened network right now, but it is online and working with Home Assistant. The bad news has to do with how the Broadlink integration stores the codes that you teach it through Home Assistant. I haven't yet found a way to write something that can access and read that file. If I can't write software to read the file, then I can't make a cool time saving "match this with this" sort of UI like you were hoping for. I'm not giving up, I'm just stepping back a little bit while I think about a good approach for this. I still want to make it as easy as possible if I can.

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