So i got this combination working pretty well untill… my wife uses the regular remote to turn devices off (home automation would be so much easier without wives) 
Anybody got a fix for this? For instance ST and the Harmony Hub still think the tv is on when it’s turned of using the regular remote.
I found the toggle button script bit for virtual dimmers but I don’t know how to intergrate this with the Harmony Triggers. Also the harmony still thinks it’s turned on when it’s not.
Hide (misplace) the regular remote.
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This is why I gave Harmony the boot some time ago… the stupid toggles for power. I’ve yet to run in to a component I could not find discrete on and off commands for, so if only it could use those instead.
I ended up going the iTach route. Now every scene issues discrete on/off commands for gear used/unused, so it doesn’t matter what state components were left in or changed to by manual operation.
That’s not what I wanted to hear after receiving the harmony hub this week, but thanks anyway haha. I guess i should have done some better research.
Had the same problem, get the Harmony simple remote it’s like 20 bucks on Amazon, universal remote, she uses that now and it updates the status also on Smartthings
I gave the harmony hub a shot and decided against it pretty quick. I do have the harmony one plus remote.
Anyway, while browsing the Alexa skills section of the app the other day I ran across this little skill called the “anymote smart remote”.
I haven’t had a chance to check it out, but it might be interesting.
My housemate got the Harmony Home set (hub and button remote) last July, and we’ve been really happy with it, both as a universal remote and as a means for Echo to control our a/v stuff.
As far as your synch issue, what are you still using the old remotes for now that you have the harmony? Usually when you get a universal remote you put all the other remotes away and just use the universal. Is there a particular reason why your wife might find the old remote physically easier to use? Because otherwise you should just be able to map any buttons on the old remote to the harmony.
I only bought the hub, my setup box is rf and ir but guide for instance only works with rf from what I read. I’ll think I’ll order a harmony remote anyway, hide the original ones, and give it a try.
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The anymote smart skill requires the anymote home device from Google.
Including cable and DVR boxes?, please share!
I have been using TiVo (which have no off button) for a long time. Before that, IIRC, all the power button did on the old Moto boxes I had previously was turn off video output and change the display to a clock… so no real reason to turn them off.
In the harmony app, you can have extra commands added to execute at startup and shut down. If your devices offer discrete on and off commands (not just toggle) you should be able to put the on commands and input select commands in that startup section.
Then, even if someone switched it another way it would fix itself.
Todd
You’re right Todd, I can create activities and startup sequences but that still doesn’t solve the problem with ST staying in ‘on mode’. So the tv only goes on when i say ‘Alexa, turn off tv’
Last I looked, Harmony did not provide a way to input discrete commands into the database. Has that changed?
You can use Discrete Codes in Harmony, but you have to have Logitech support add them to your account.
See here: https://forums.logitech.com/t5/Harmony-Remotes/Discrete-IR-codes-for-Harmony-One/td-p/623034
Another topic discusses it here and implies you can do it using the older software:
https://forums.logitech.com/t5/Harmony-Remotes/Tip-on-the-harmony-remote-using-discrete-codes/td-p/1094985
I know I could do it at one point, but recently haven’t had the need, so haven’t looked.
That said, I love my Amazon Echo integrated via IFTTT directly to the Harmony.
Nothing better than, “Alexa, Trigger AppleTV” and then everything turns on and my Harmony remote is on that activity.
To turn off, I programmed a trigger for “TV” and just have it END an activity that puts everything in the state I want (in my case it’s ending “Watch DirecTV”.
Hmmm… both your links point to not so fruitful results. Not having a device like an iTach to execute, test, and edit codes that you scour from the net makes this very messy.
Good luck.
Guess I don’t understand why you need discrete codes.
That said, the links point to straightforward advice, did you attempt what they said? (sending the discrete codes to logitech support and asking them to add them to your account profile?)
That was FAST!
@hasse As to the original question of the post…sorry just found it today thanks to Todd_Whitehead.
I don’t use the native SmartThings <-> Harmony integration. Instead I use the Echo with Harmony both natively added as channels to IFTTT. I’m not sure why, but this specific integration works flawlessly for me. I got rid of IFTTT for most of my integrations because of the delay. However, when I say “Alexa, trigger Direct TV” and Alexa says back, “Sending that to IFTTT” (she pronounces it “ift”, I immediately see the Harmony hub blinking and receiving the command. Also, the remote immediately starts processing it as well. There is no delay.
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Just tried using IFTTT, works great very fast and easy, but still doesn’t rule out the problem. The activity stays on when the wife or kids turn off the tv using the original LG remote. So IFTTT cant turn on the activity again. I guess the only solution would be a way to get the harmony hub return it’s activity back to ‘idle’. Or am i missing something?
I’ll have a look at the links you posted aswell.
The problem you’re trying to solve cannot be solved with technology. It’s a people issue.
Take the LG remote and put it in a drawer. That’s kind of the whole point of having a universal remote, that you only have and use ONE remote.
When something OTHER than the Harmony performs an action, there is no way for the Harmony to know that happened. There is no bi-directional communications with remote controls, so no way for the Harmony to know that the state of the devices has changed.
Having discrete IR codes won’t help either, if the LG remote turns of the LG TV, there’s no way for any other remote to know that happened.
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