Can a Droid act as a TV remote yet?

**RRollergod** · 04-15-2010, 09:20 PM

I have noticed slowly there are dongles you can plug into your media center to turn your iPhone into a super remote, but can we do this on the Droid yet? Any solutions? I am sure it could be something as simple as a bluetooth adapter on your cable box and some fancy coding.

**fyrman49#AC** · 04-15-2010, 10:13 PM

Yes. There is an app in the market for that. I think if you have verizon and verizon cable service with a digital dvr box, you would be good to go.

**RRollergod** · 04-15-2010, 10:24 PM

I know FiOS offers Droid support, but I use AT&T U-Verse. So I was looking for a more versatile option.

**matrix2004** · 04-15-2010, 10:53 PM

There's an Android home phone/VOIP/remote control.

**Romple** · 04-16-2010, 08:16 AM

Anyone know off the top of their head if there's any support for DirecTV receivers?

GenericMessage · 04-16-2010, 08:35 AM

Originally Posted by Romple

Anyone know off the top of their head if there's any support for DirecTV receivers?

Yup, there is a direct TV app that lets you control your DVR from abroad. Requires you to have your DVR connected to your internet though

**Romple** · 04-16-2010, 08:43 AM

Originally Posted by GenericMessage

Yup, there is a direct TV app that lets you control your DVR from abroad. Requires you to have your DVR connected to your internet though

Yea I have that meant more as a TV Remote Control app. I always lose my remote, never lose my phone ;p

**mjones73** · 04-16-2010, 09:36 AM

Originally Posted by GenericMessage

Yup, there is a direct TV app that lets you control your DVR from abroad. Requires you to have your DVR connected to your internet though

No it doesn't, they send down the record requests via satellite.

**mjones73** · 04-16-2010, 09:38 AM

I'm pretty positive the Droid doesn't have an IR transmitter, it isn't capable hardware wise to perform as a traditional remote.

GenericMessage · 04-16-2010, 09:56 AM

Originally Posted by mjones73

No it doesn't, they send down the record requests via satellite.

Hmmm, well I was told by a direct tv employee that it requires your system to be connected to the internet.

**Captain Amazing** · 04-16-2010, 10:50 AM

Originally Posted by mjones73

I'm pretty positive the Droid doesn't have an IR transmitter, it isn't capable hardware wise to perform as a traditional remote.

DirecTV receivers can accept an RF signal as well as an IR signal. Their higher end receivers can, at least. Is the Droid capable of sending an RF signal?

**RRollergod** · 04-16-2010, 07:58 PM

I wasn't even thinking RF or IR, I was hoping someone was making external hardware that can use bluetooth to talk to the droid and utilize it as a remote.

**redman213** · 04-17-2010, 03:11 AM

I'm sure someone will make an IR dongle for the Droid we just have to show interest in it. That or get lucky with RF signals.

Change thread to a poll/petition?

**mupi** · 04-17-2010, 11:15 AM

Originally Posted by GenericMessage

Hmmm, well I was told by a direct tv employee that it requires your system to be connected to the internet.

Well, now you've been told by a former DirecTV employee that it doesn't.

Not all DVR's are even capable of being connected to your internet (non HD, for example, don't have a network port, at least the older ones like mine). I use it quite a bit, works fine.

I'm pretty sure that the iphone doesn't have an IR emitter either, the dongle either attaches to a cable box USB port or is an IR emitter on its own, that connects to the iphone via bluetooth (or wifi). Such a device would be at least theoretically possible with the Droid.

@captain amazing, the droid is capable of sending an RF signal, it's called "bluetooth". Bluetooth uses the same frequency range as an RF remote (2.4Ghz, just like WiFi, too). Whether you could convince the bluetooth transmitter to send the appropriate data is another question entirely.

The FIOS thing works because it can send data back and forth through the internet. So if direcTV, for example, decided to accept full remote commands via the internet, you could do the same thing easily enough, without any additional hardware.

**coatlegs** · 04-17-2010, 12:15 PM

+1 Didn't realize there was a directv app until I read this thread last night. Downloaded it, logged in, and set it to record a program while I was sleeping and im watching it right now. No internet connection required. The only thing my box is hooked to is the satellite.

Originally Posted by mupi

Well, now you've been told by a former DirecTV employee that it doesn't.

Not all DVR's are even capable of being connected to your internet (non HD, for example, don't have a network port, at least the older ones like mine). I use it quite a bit, works fine.

I'm pretty sure that the iphone doesn't have an IR emitter either, the dongle either attaches to a cable box USB port or is an IR emitter on its own, that connects to the iphone via bluetooth (or wifi). Such a device would be at least theoretically possible with the Droid.

@captain amazing, the droid is capable of sending an RF signal, it's called "bluetooth". Bluetooth uses the same frequency range as an RF remote (2.4Ghz, just like WiFi, too). Whether you could convince the bluetooth transmitter to send the appropriate data is another question entirely.

The FIOS thing works because it can send data back and forth through the internet. So if direcTV, for example, decided to accept full remote commands via the internet, you could do the same thing easily enough, without any additional hardware.

**dagwood00** · 04-20-2010, 09:28 AM

I have used my droid to control my FIOS TV box. It is actually pretty cool. You get a guide on the phone with icons for the different networks on your plan. It communicates through wifi to your router, and then from the router to the cable box. It is no replacement for a harmony, but it is a cool way to change the channel if the remote is hiding.