Apple TV 4K and URC-7556

quartermain · Post by **quartermain** » Fri Feb 15, 2019 12:12 pm

Hi

I just bought an Apple TV 4K so of course I want to control it with my URC-7556 just like all my other gear.

I see there is an upgrade in the files section so I load that into Remote Master, but when I change the remote type to "URC-7556 Digital 5" I get an error: "The selected protocol "Apple (Official)" is not compatible with the selected remote.This upgrade will NOT function correctly".

Does this mean I can't ever use this remote (or the 7557 I recently bought as a backup) for the Apple TV?

I have a URC-6440 and I don't get the error if I select this one, but I much prefer the URC-7556. The URC-6440 needs the extender loaded to put macros on device keys, but the extender changes the behaviour of the LIST button in a somewhat wife-unfriendly way.

Post by **The Robman** » Fri Feb 15, 2019 3:05 pm

Have you tested the upgrade using your URC-6440 to verify that this is the right upgrade for you?

Is this the upgrade that you are referring to?
http://www.hifi-remote.com/forums/dload ... e_id=14185

mdavej · Post by **mdavej** » Fri Feb 15, 2019 4:20 pm

Try this one:
http://www.hifi-remote.com/forums/dload ... e_id=11767

quartermain · Post by **quartermain** » Sat Feb 16, 2019 11:56 am

The Robman wrote: Is this the upgrade that you are referring to?
http://www.hifi-remote.com/forums/dload ... e_id=14185

Yes, that was the one.

I've since discovered that the ATV can itself learn any IR remote. I had one I got with a TBS DVB-T card that I wasn't using and I used that. It works OK. So all I need to do is to make an upgrade from the TBS remote.

quartermain · Post by **quartermain** » Sat Feb 16, 2019 11:59 am

mdavej wrote:Try this one:
http://www.hifi-remote.com/forums/dload ... e_id=11767

That doesn't give me an error when I change the remote type in Remote Master. I'll try it when I can prise the 7556 from my dear wife's hands

quartermain · Post by **quartermain** » Sun Feb 17, 2019 5:32 am

Yes, that works fine, thanks. There is no Home button but I can live without that since a long press of Menu does the same.

quartermain · Post by **quartermain** » Mon Feb 03, 2020 12:39 pm

Update: I've used both a 7555 and a 6440 and they both work more-or-less OK, but not perfectly.

The problem is with the up/down/left/right buttons. They work fine when navigating the ATV menu and the menu of the apps. However there is a problem when playing content on *some* apps.

The problem is that where you would swipe down on the infernal trackpad to bring up the context menu so you can (for example) enable or disable subtitles, using the URC does precisely nothing. Ditto when paused if you swipe left or right you can move the play point in the content, but nothing with a URC.

The problem apps are the some of the UK catch-up ones: ITV Hub, UKTV Play and BritBox. All4 and My5 are OK. iPlayer lets you enable subitles but you don't get any which I believe is a restriction of the app.

I am wondering if anyone else has seen this and if there is a workaround. Fortunately subtitle enable/disable is sticky so I only had to do it once for each app.

mdavej · Post by **mdavej** » Mon Feb 03, 2020 1:14 pm

Rather than use ATV codes which are incomplete, try teaching your ATV any codes you wish, including the missing "Menu" command as well as the skip commands.

https://www.imore.com/how-use-universal-remote-apple-tv

Post by **The Robman** » Mon Feb 03, 2020 3:22 pm

Has anyone every taken the time to try all 256 possible OBCs to see what the rest of them do? The working upgrade file referenced above has just 7 functions included.

OBC Function
003 Menu
006 Right
009 Left
010 Up
012 Down
092 Select
095 Play/Pause

I found another file with the following additional functions, where each was described as another button "held down". I further noticed that they used the OBC + 128 of the un-held button.

OBC Function
133 power off
134 fast forward
137 rewind

Given that HOME is MENU held down, I would hazard a guess that the HOME OBC is 131. I wonder if there are other codes that replicate swiping on the trackpad?

mdavej · Post by **mdavej** » Tue Feb 04, 2020 9:20 am

Here are a few more for the ATV 4K found in this upgrade:
http://www.hifi-remote.com/forums/dload ... e_id=25595

OBC Function
01 Menu
03 Right
04 Left
05 Up
06 Down
07 Take Snapshot
11 Video Output
12 Restart System
46 Select
47 Play
49 Restart System
50 Take Snapshot
53 Send Diagnostics

I guess the protocol is different in this upgrade because these OBC's do not match some other upgrades.

Post by **The Robman** » Wed Feb 12, 2020 10:56 am

quartermain, what's the word? Have you tried any of these additional OBCs, and are you willing to try all of the possible OBCs to see if there are yet more codes to be found? I'll create upgrades for you if you're willing to test them.