Hello,
I am just wondering if anyone has tried building a remote control for the browser on a mobile phone to control various devices in a home theater using NR and the ui builder node?
I have searched the forum without finding anything, maybe using bad terms? I want to do a simple interface with modern unified swipe gestures for most of the gear in a HT with a few buttons in there for things like volume and power buttons and such.
I know there are dedicated HT apps for iPhone and the like and I have used many of them, but I am pretty deep into node red for home automation and the dashboard so got curious if this could be a way forward? Probably too complicated and cumbersome but just wondering if anyone is doing it?
Many thanks regardless.
I do a lot of this. What you actually do depends a lot on the equipment that you have. I have a mix of IR and IP equipment. For the IR I use 2 emitter/receivers. One at the front of the theater and one in the equipment closet.
There are no "smarts" in the phone. Everything is done on a server.
What other questions might you have?
Thanks @jmorris644 Interesting!
I have lots of experience in Pro HT installs using all the usual apps.
Now retired and have a decent HT where the important stuff is a Marantz receiver, a big Sony TV as well as Apple TV and a Kodi box.
I have a perfect remote setup using iRule but those servers went dark recently so I need to start planning ahead for a migration of this.
I use NR for all my Home Automations and have uibuilder ready on my Ubuntu NR server but not sure how to get going. Any chance of some examples?
I want basically a home screen where you have a main on/off and where pick sources and then four similar swipe gesture ui:s for the various boxes.
I am in the Apple iPhone camp. Any hints to get started?
Are you doing swipe gestures? Kodi? Apple TV?
I use a Denon 11 channel receiver, an Optoma 4K projector, Apple TV and a PC that runs PLEX.
I too was an iRule user. I actually had a lifetime subscription.
Do you have any experience with MQTT? I have sort of a mix of things that I use.
I got tired of having to wake the phone up so I went with an Elgato Streamdeck. It is pretty easy to config each button with a custom image and control it via NR. I put a Pi zero on the back of it running Ubuntu and NR. From there I issue any IR commands that I need to the 2 IR repeaters.
I would be happy to share what code might work for you.
I will upload a pic of the Streamdeck.
Many thanks!
So you do it all on your Stream Deck?
No swipe gestures for control of, say the Apple TV at all? No phone?
The stream deck switches to navigation for the Apple TV via one set on the Stream Deck and then you control it via IR with up-down-left-right buttons?
That sort of thing?
Well, not everything is controlled via the streamdeck. The streamdeck controls all power on and off of all components, the lighting, volume, and the sources for the receiver. It can also control the transport of the Apple TV. I do not use it for the Apple TV navigation.
I also use a fully programmable universal hand-held remote to control the apple (I can get you the brand and model if interested). I could do it with the streamdeck but it is just not handy. (I am inherently lazy).
The AppleTV is in the closet so it does not "see" the IR signal from the remote directly. I pass that through the 2 IR receivers.
Interesting,
Yes I am familiar with MQTT.
Yes, very interested if you use some form of screen remote for swipe control.
Presently I swipe to the Apple Remote app on the iPhone for control of the ATV, as it has a bunch of acceleration and stuff that I have so far been unable to do in my custom programming. I like a GUI that I do not have to look at for much of the stuff. Just swiping and tapping without looking once you are controlling something. Would be difficult to let go of that 
Take a look at this. I have only played with it but I think it will be able to do everything you want. Especially to create MQTT and IR outputs into NR.
Many thanks, I will.
As it is I control everything in iRule and some other apps I am testing via IP and ideally would like to keep it that way, as I want the feedback too for various obvious things.
The other candidates that I have not gotten around to yet is Home Assistant (NR as an add-on) and Demopad. But the clock is ticking for iRule now. Ah well. Thanks again!
I just ran into this. Might do the trick!!
I will be making a few of these. 
Interesting, but not working yet by the look of it.
Will probably work towards an iPhone app or web app here in some form regardless. Thanks again for your comments.
Did exactly this - using an AJARemote to control the IR equipment (sony tv, bluray, dvd, yamaha rxa) and http to control main receiver (Anthem). Running node-red and mqtt broker on RPi 4b. Used node-red dashboard to create action based AV control and zone 1 and zone 2 control. Also created an admin tab for RPi monitoring and debugging.
This topic was automatically closed 60 days after the last reply. New replies are no longer allowed.
