Video Messages (Project Need Ideas)

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1

So in currently looking for a way to have video messages display on my television when my wife arrives home. Does anyone know of a way or have any ideas on how i can accomplish this?

2

Please elaborate. Are you seeking to have actual videos, with voice and image, that you record pop up when she returns? Or do you seek to have text messages pop up over whatever it is you are watching?

If itā€™s the latter, and you have Android tv, itā€™s easy. Give her an ST presence sensor. Have sharptools (running on an android phone or tablet) subscribe to it, and when the alerts pop up in the android unit have them sent to the tv via Notifications for Android TV.

3

My goal is to have actual video messages with picture and voice appear. I think Iā€™ve figured out how to accomplish this with and iPad, Apple TV, Logitech Harmony, Core, and iCloud.

4

Hmmm. This has me thinking. There would not be a way to overlay video on whatever you are watching without some serious cash outlay. But you could possibly switch to a different source with the android tv, if you use google cast to send video it automatically switches to that from whatever source you may currently be using. So youā€™d have to find the ā€˜intentā€™, or, wait a momentā€¦

(does a quick search)

Ahh there he is to the rescue again!! Joaoapps has AutoCast, a Tasker plugin. So you can use the sharptools idea described above, but instead of sending a notification it casts a video to your screen.

Man, my automations would be lost without Tasker and the Joaoapps. And sharptools of course.

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5

Do you have a Harmony? What about an HTPC or Kodi Box?

Harmony, VLC Thing and CoRE should be able to do this.

6

So the way I have it setup at the moment is as followed.

  1. Using the iPad in the Foyer or Kitchen record a video using the front camera, which then saves the video and posts to iCloud.
  2. IFTTT then switches on my (Home)Video Message on/off button tile.
  3. When either Arrival Shane or Arrival Christy routines fire. Core then looks to see if the switch is turned on. If the switch is turned on it will auto launch my Harmony activity that goes to iCloud videos.
  4. when the IFTTT switch is turned on it will send a SmartThings notification to whichever user is currently not home at the time that a new video message is waiting.
  5. After 10 minutes the Activity will auto turn off.
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