Hi everyone,
I’m trying to create a simple SmartThings routine for my living room, but I’m not sure if I’m setting up the trigger correctly.
The idea is that when I start using my Samsung TV for media or screen sharing, the room lights should dim automatically and one smart plug should turn off. I recently downloaded CapCut on my phone and sometimes cast or preview edited videos on the TV, so I wanted the room to switch into a “media mode” automatically instead of turning everything on manually each time.
The routine works fine when I run it manually from the SmartThings app, but it does not always trigger by itself when the TV turns on or when media playback starts. My TV shows as online in SmartThings, and the lights/plugs respond normally from the app.
Is there a better way to detect TV activity for this kind of automation? Should I use the TV power state, a virtual switch, a motion sensor, or another condition instead of relying on media activity?
Any suggestions from people who have built similar media room routines would be appreciated.