ST and AndroidTV

Devices & Integrations
1

Is there any integration with AndroidTV through ST?

Example, Using Alexa and HArmony Hub, have ST turn on the AndroidTV inputs (I already have this) and then launch Plex or YouTube.

2

For anyone stumbling on the thread here is how I got this to work (no ST needed).

Instructions

Using Keyboard Shortcuts
It is based on remapping keyboard keys to launch an app. The idea is that you are probably not using a keyboard on your android TV device, and even if you are, there’s certain keyboard keys that you’re probably not using, like the F-number keys for instance.

What you do is:

  1. Register a Windows Computer device in your Harmony account.

– you will need to pair your PC with the Nexus Player. This means you need to put both PC and NP in pairing mode and have the NP pair with the PC. This is confirmed when you see the name of the PC in the BT settings for the NP.

This essentially behaves as a bluetooth keyboard that you can pair with your Android TV device. Make sure to choose Windows Computer, since this gives you a full keyboard layout. At first I tried ‘Other Computer’ which resulted in a very limited number of actions that I was able to send as part of an activity. Mac might work, but I didn’t try. Pair this keyboard to your Android TV device.

  1. Sideload the External Keyboard Helper apk on your Android TV device. The free version works just fine, since you are only remapping a couple of keys. I think the space bar button is the only limitation of the free version.

  2. Configure the External Keyboard Helper as your default keyboard

  3. Go into the External Keyboard Helper settings, and go to the Advanced Settings. Next choose Keyboard mapping.

  4. Going into Application Shortcuts menu and assign all the apps you are going to want to launch as part of an action to the A0, A1, etc fields.

  5. Go back and select Customize Keyboard mappings.

You are going to need a mouse and preferably a physical keyboard for this next step!

  1. Select Add new key mapping and press the button on the keyboard you want to assign to launching the app. The reason you want a mouse is because next you need to populate the Normal-field. But pressing the tab, enter or arrow key (even on your shield remote or controller) overwrites the scan code value of the key you wanted to assign. So you’re going to want to click the Normal-field with your mouse. In the Normal key-field enter the A0, A1, etc value that you assigned these respective values earlier. Now click save (I think it may translate the value to another notation, that’s fine). You will see the icon of the referenced app appear in this list if you’ve referenced it successfully.

That’s basically it. You can now press the key on your keyboard to launch the app you assigned to that key.

  1. All you have to do now is create a Harmony activity that uses this Windows Computer device and add a step > command in which you send the key you assigned to the app!

  2. Sync your changes and test it out.

Tips
If you already have another windows computer in the harmony you will need to create another PC device for this to work.

If you’re already controlling your computer with the ‘Windows computer’ you added to Harmony, you will probably need to create an additional ‘Windows computer’ (which is nothing else than a virtual bluetooth keyboard that is emulated by the Harmony hub).

After creating it you need to add it as a bluetooth device on your device (add bluetooth devices from the settings menu on the Shield).

Harmony has preset commands that can be used. When you edit the activity and add a command look at the available commands to assign in step 7!

4

Hey there, I have some questions for you:

What is the purpose of connecting a PC to the ATV (nexus player in your case, Nvidia Shield in mine)? Do you need to keep the PC connected via BT at all times?

For the step where you are connecting a keyboard and mouse, is this a separate KB and Mouse? Or via the PC you connect?

Thanks!

5

If you want to run full windows on your Shield or play full Triple A title PC games on your Shield. Another use is to Chromecast a video playing in Chrome to your Shield that otherwise wouldn’t have an app in the Google Play Store for Android TV.

You connect the keyboard and mouse to the shield because some apps require a keyboard for input or Mouse for movement that are not lean back coded apps

6

Hey, thanks for the response.

Just to clarify, it doesn’t look like connecting the PC to the Android TV device is strictly necessary to be able to send custom/remapped commands to the Android TV via Harmony. Is that correct?

7

Not physically but you need to make a device in harmony called computer to send the commands to the ATV.

8

Oh yeah, I meant that in your instructions, there was a step (under #1) that says:

which was throwing me off. It sounds like you really just need to:

  1. Create a Windows Computer in Harmony
  2. Sideload External Keyboard Helper and plug in a KB and Mouse because navigating the EKH app sucks.
  3. Follow above instructions to Remap certain keys to A0-AF.
  4. Add single keystroke to a Harmony Activity to launch that application

Does that sum it up correctly?

Edit: Ignore that, I see now that you have to pair the Harmony Windows PC that you create with the Nvidia Shield in order to send the commands. I was under the impression that you could send the Windows commands via IR.

Also, is there any way to keep the On-Screen Keyboard? The only way I see to use the On-Screen Keyboard is to switch the IME, which will likely not have a high WAF :frowning: