🎥 Apple TV IP driver for AVA OS

AVA Cinema Remote and AVA OS can control Apple TV over the network, as well as by using IR. This video shows you how to set up and use the Apple TV IP driver.

Transcript

Opening

The Apple TV IP driver for AVA OS gets you rocket-fast control of Apple TV.

You can have Flows that launch directly into various TV apps.

And it puts the very useful TV button on the touchscreen so you can escape from those tricky places Apple TV has where the back button doesn’t work.

Best of all, it simplifies and speeds up your installations.

Introduction

This video shows you how to set it up, use it, and customize it.

Setup

Whenever possible, use the Apple TV model with Ethernet.

Ethernet gets the best performance and reliability.

Wi-Fi sucks for media streaming.

The Apple TV displays an authentication code on the screen that you must enter when adding the driver.

So, before adding the driver, get the Apple TV on screen.

Add Driver

On an AVA remote, go to Devices and tap Add Device.

Select the main Brain and tap Next.

Search for “Apple TV IP” and tap the driver.

Read the “Important Instructions” page on any driver.

You will save time and a support call.

In this case, Apple TV has AirPlay on by default, so unless you have turned it off, you probably don’t need to check.

Tap next to see the Apple TVs on your network.

If you have multiple Apple TVs, you can use the Apple TV remote to give each Apple TV a unique name under Settings > General > About (on the Apple TV).

Select the Apple TV you want to control, then tap Next.

Verify the authentication code showing on the Apple TV’s display.

Then add to a room.

Trimming

Before doing anything else, the name from the Apple TV device may not be the best name for the flow icon.

So, go to Settings > Devices, tap the Apple TV, and give it a good name to show on the remote.

Now you can do the normal wiring steps to tell AVA OS how you have the system set up.

Slides, and an Important Button for Clients to Know

When you launch the Apple TV flow, the remote displays the slide with all the major TV apps.

It’s a good default if you do no other customization.

Other videos show how to put TV apps on a custom slide to trim down the list.

But the Apple TV IP driver lets you make flows that launch TV apps directly.

So, you can Edit Slides and hide the slides for TV Apps…

…and for the Custom UI…

…leaving just the Transport slide.

Before we move on, make sure to tell your client about the TV button.

It acts just like the one on the Apple TV remote.

Certain apps and screen saver modes on the Apple TV require it instead of the Back button.

But AVA has you covered by putting it here.

So teach your client about it before they get stuck.

Flow Icons for TV Apps

Last item: you can use the Apple TV IP driver to create Flows that go directly into TV apps like Netflix and Hulu.

In Settings, go to Flows and tap the Apple TV driver.

In the menu tap Duplicate.

This new Apple TV (2) Flow is an exact copy of the Launch, Power Off, and Slides in the original.

So make sure everything works in the original before you duplicate it.

Now you can rename the Flow…

…and assign the desired icon.

Tap Done.

To make this Flow launch the Netflix app, tap the Netflix flow…

then Edit Launch.

Scroll down and Add Step.

Tap Send Command to Device, then Next.

Tap Apple TV, then scroll down and tap Netflix.

Tap Add.

I always sort the command to put it in a more logical place than the end of the Launch.

The Netflix flow is now ready to use.

You can duplicate the Apple TV flow for other apps you want.

You can even hide the Apple TV flow if you just want to show TV apps on the remote.

I have also hidden the TV’s flow here, since this TV is never used for anything except as a display for external sources.

Summary

And there you go, a nice clean interface with just the apps that your client sits down to watch.