The beauty of all in one remotes

[RoyMi6]

Ok, so you've all heard me harp on about how good the Harmony Smart Control range is (http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/showthread.php?t=18631835) and while I still think it's the best option out there I'm not saying you need to go buy that.

But, something that occurred to me the other day is how useful a GOOD all in one remote is when you consider your whole AV setup.

I asked in the Amazon Fire TV thread while people were still using Kodi instead of Plex (as I personally find Plex a much better solution even after being a MASSIVE fan of XBMC originally) and it seemed that the biggest reason to stick with Kodi was its support for TV tuners (if used with an HTPC) and various channels.

The thing that just occurred to me is why I don't have this problem too. Why don't I NEED a TV tuner and an HTPC? Why am I happy with my Virgin TiVo box? Or freeview box? or hell, the built in freeview on one of my TV's that I combine with Amazon Fire TV's, Roku3's, BluRay players and various game consoles?

For me the reason this is such a non issue is the use of a fantastic all in one remote.

I don't know for sure (I never asked) but I'm willing to bet that the reason a lot of people need one device to do EVERYTHING is that they rely on a process of remotes and switches that make changing devices a complicated process.

With an all in one remote, like the Harmony Smart Control, it's almost EASIER for me to switch to the Virgin TiVo box and start using that rather than rely on a built in app which I need to scroll through menus to find.

If I need extra functionally I simply buy another device for the job and by setting up my remote the box is instantly as integrated into my setup just as easily as any additional app would be.

What do you guys think? Am I missing a trick or have I opened some people's eyes?

 

[spoffle]

I tried a Harmony Touch for a while, and I feel that it's massively over complicated.

I didn't have a problem setting it up or anything like that, it just seemed that actually using it was too much fuss for the set up I have. I have an Onkyo AV receiver that outputs video to a projector. I have a PS3, PS4, Wii U and a media PC plugged in.

It didn't make operating any of it any easier or straight forward over using the control that came with the AVR. It just made it a little bit more convenient being able to turn the projector and AVR on with the same control, and that's only because I haven't bothered to set up my AVR remote to turn on my projector.

I'm curious as to your comments about Kodi and Plex. I don't know much if anything about Plex. I've been using Kodi/XBMC for a few years now and I quite like it. I've had a quick google and the trend I saw was that Kodi has a nicer, more customisable interface, whereas Plex has seamless interdevice operations nailed down.

Do you have anything to expand upon with regards to that?

 

[lucid]

I'm a big fan of programmable remotes, but not so much a fan of Harmony. Don't get me wrong, I think they have a good product range and it's great value for money. But to me it's a bit too much like the restriction of using template designs to build a website when one already knows how to code.

I much prefer the freedom of a fully customisable remote where everything can be tailored just so. This makes day-to-day operation so much nicer. Just being able to place exactly the right mix of buttons and to control the work flow rather than hunting through pages for a button or accepting someone else's idea of how I should run my system makes a world of difference to usability for me and the family. The rub of course is cost. But hey, truly bespoke design never came cheap.

 

[spoffle]

That's something I didn't like, and it was done in such a way that it made me feel like I was missing something when I couldn't find the deeper customisation options.

I had to make up whole "events" just to be able to turn my projector on by itself, as well as my amp.

I really wasn't in to the whole press one button, all your stuff comes on for that activity and your AVR switches to the correct input.

Especially considering it has no functionality to turn my PS4, PS3 or Wii U on. My AVR does via CEC for the PS4, but that's not quite the same.

 

[RoyMi6]

I tried a Harmony Touch for a while, and I feel that it's massively over complicated.

I didn't have a problem setting it up or anything like that, it just seemed that actually using it was too much fuss for the set up I have. I have an Onkyo AV receiver that outputs video to a projector. I have a PS3, PS4, Wii U and a media PC plugged in.

It didn't make operating any of it any easier or straight forward over using the control that came with the AVR. It just made it a little bit more convenient being able to turn the projector and AVR on with the same control, and that's only because I haven't bothered to set up my AVR remote to turn on my projector.

I think you're missing a massive trick here then as I'm willing to bet your AVR remote doesn't allow you to control your PS3, WiiU or your HTPC? The PS4 can't be controlled with the Harmony range but that's because of issue at Sony's end not even supporting a Bluetooth remote.

One thing I have to completely disagree with is the Harmony Hub range being over complicated. Even my mum and dad (retired) use it in their house.

If they want to watch TV they press the TV button. If they want to watch a film on the BluRay player, they press the Film button. The remote works intuitively by the arrow buttons etc always allowing them to control whatever device is used for that activity.

I personally use a harmony remote in every single room in my house that has a TV or Projector.

My most complicated setup is with a projector screen that comes down in front of a TV with a PS4, Xbox 360, Amazon Fire TV, FreeView Box and AVR.

My most basic setup (that I still use a Harmony Smart Control for) is a TV in the bedroom (that I use it's built in FreeView) and a Amazon Fire TV.

One advantage of this setup is that I've actually hidden the AmazonFireTV in the cupboard

While I didn't start this thread specifically to voice how great the Harmony Hub range are (again) I'll admit that I'm not sure how many other all in one remotes offer the same "activity" functionally combined with the rock solid performance you get by combining the Hub with IR emitters that really make this whole process so simple.

I'm curious as to your comments about Kodi and Plex. I don't know much if anything about Plex. I've been using Kodi/XBMC for a few years now and I quite like it. I've had a quick google and the trend I saw was that Kodi has a nicer, more customisable interface, whereas Plex has seamless interdevice operations nailed down.

Do you have anything to expand upon with regards to that?

Personally for me having a server/client architecture is the real bonus here. While technically possible with Kodi - if you role your own network shares and MySQL database, which I did for quite some time - the ease by which Plex allows you to create and maintain this setup is the real winner for me.

As I have 5 rooms that I use Plex in my OCD to get consistent artwork in each room and the ability to allow to me resume playing something from the living room to the bedroom is a massive bonus.

The sheer simplicity of setting it up and devices that natively support it without issue is another great aspect of it. Just look how many people are scrambling to get Kodi working on their Amazon Fire TV (which is a fantastic bit of kit for this kind of use) and then look how many people are complaining about Plex - none. That's because it just works.

 

[spoffle]

I think you're missing a massive trick here then as I'm willing to bet your AVR remote doesn't allow you to control your PS3, WiiU or your HTPC? The PS4 can't be controlled with the Harmony range but that's because of issue at Sony's end not even supporting a Bluetooth remote.

It doesn't, but neither does my Harmony Touch. It can't control my PS3, Wii U or PC (I'd need to get an add on USB IR receiver for my PC).

One thing I have to completely disagree with is the Harmony Hub range being over complicated. Even my mum and dad (retired) use it in their house.

If they want to watch TV they press the TV button. If they want to watch a film on the BluRay player, they press the Film button. The remote works intuitively by the arrow buttons etc always allowing them to control whatever device is used for that activity.

I personally use a harmony remote in every single room in my house that has a TV or Projector.

My most complicated setup is with a projector screen that comes down in front of a TV with a PS4, Xbox 360, Amazon Fire TV, FreeView Box and AVR.

My most basic setup (that I still use a Harmony Smart Control for) is a TV in the bedroom (that I use it's built in FreeView) and a Amazon Fire TV.

One advantage of this setup is that I've actually hidden the AmazonFireTV in the cupboard

It's the fact that you have to fuss around to set up simple tasks is what I mean when I say over complicated.

I wanted to simply set my harmony touch to allow me to turn my projector on or off, and allow me to control its settings like contrast and so on.

I also wanted to be able to set my AVR so that I could turn it off or on, and change its inputs.

I managed to get it working, but due to its reliance on setting "tasks", it ended up being more fuss than was necessary and over complicated the controlling of my set up.

I had to bodge a task so that it did nothing, and just took me to the controls of my AVR or projector, but the way it was set up meant that I needed to press.

So it was overly complicated to set up the simple tasks I wanted it to do. I think this is largely an oversight on Logitech's behalf. As they really could include and allow universal remote functionality, whereby I can press "projector" and it becomes the remote for my projector without having to invoke a "task".

While I didn't start this thread specifically to voice how great the Harmony Hub range are (again) I'll admit that I'm not sure how many other all in one remotes offer the same "activity" functionally combined with the rock solid performance you get by combining the Hub with IR emitters that really make this whole process so simple.

It's the fact that they only have activity functionality that I had a problem with, I did get it to do what I wanted, but it was quite a fuss when I would have just preferred the choice to change between universal remote modes.

Personally for me having a server/client architecture is the real bonus here. While technically possible with Kodi - if you role your own network shares and MySQL database, which I did for quite some time - the ease by which Plex allows you to create and maintain this setup is the real winner for me.



As I have 5 rooms that I use Plex in my OCD to get consistent artwork in each room and the ability to allow to me resume playing something from the living room to the bedroom is a massive bonus.

I have been meaning to look in to this usage, as I would like to synchronise my libraries and video positions.

The sheer simplicity of setting it up and devices that natively support it without issue is another great aspect of it. Just look how many people are scrambling to get Kodi working on their Amazon Fire TV (which is a fantastic bit of kit for this kind of use) and then look how many people are complaining about Plex - none. That's because it just works.

How about the user interface aspects of it? How do they compare?

 

[lucid]

That's something I didn't like, and it was done in such a way that it made me feel like I was missing something when I couldn't find the deeper customisation options.

I had to make up whole "events" just to be able to turn my projector on by itself, as well as my amp.

I really wasn't in to the whole press one button, all your stuff comes on for that activity and your AVR switches to the correct input.

Especially considering it has no functionality to turn my PS4, PS3 or Wii U on. My AVR does via CEC for the PS4, but that's not quite the same.

The Harmonys I tried all offered a 'Devices' interface separate to the 'Activities' interface. In Devices the Harmony simply replicates the functions of the original remote, so that's how you'd control individual elements.

Fair point about the PS3/PS4/Wii U though. There are an IR to Bluetooth interfaces for the PS3, so it's not an unsolvable problem; and I guess its more of an issue if routinely using them for DVD/Blu-ray playback and streaming. I don't come across that so much in my line of work. Clients tend to have a dedicated BD player and leave the consoles just for gaming which means they've already picked up a controller so powering on isn't an issue. It would be handy to have the ability to power up a media PC from cold.

As for the "press one button" thing, then I guess it's down to personal preference. I structure my remotes so that audio for Hi-Fi can be run on its own rather than firing up the whole system. Then there's options to run just the TV or TV with Sky for quick programming checks. There's a lot of freedom with a fully programmable remote.

 

[RoyMi6]

It doesn't, but neither does my Harmony Touch. It can't control my PS3, Wii U or PC (I'd need to get an add on USB IR receiver for my PC).

Fair point about the PS3/PS4/Wii U though. There are an IR to Bluetooth interfaces for the PS3, so it's not an unsolvable problem; and I guess its more of an issue if routinely using them for DVD/Blu-ray playback and streaming. I don't come across that so much in my line of work.

Ah, ok, sorry guys - the part we're all getting confused about is the different between the Harmony Touch and the Harmony Ultimate as (as far as I can tell) the Harmony Ultimate is the same remote as the Harmony Touch but also include the Harmony Hub. It's the Harmony Hub that allows you to control devices via Bluetooth and I think also empathises how lacking all in one remotes are in general compared to the "hub" range that's newly available (last 18 months) from Harmony.

The Harmony Hub range (Smart Control, Ultimate and Home) can all control your PS3, WiiU and PC (via Bluetooth).

Lucid is correct that your problem is partly solved by the harmony ability to act as the remote for any one device. There is however one problem that remains (that you mention) that it can't act as device unless an activity has been activated.

But, I'll address each point:

It's the fact that you have to fuss around to set up simple tasks is what I mean when I say over complicated.

I wanted to simply set my harmony touch to allow me to turn my projector on or off, and allow me to control its settings like contrast and so on.

Why would you ever want to do this? Why would you ever turn your projector on without using your AVR or at least one other device? Do you enjoy looking at a blank screen?

Why are you changing contrast? Calibrate it and leave it OR if you're adjusting for a new bulb then pull out the projector remote every 12 months that you have to do this.

In addition why would you ever want to calibrate your projector WITHOUT having any other device on? Surely you need to calibrate against some image and then you've not got a problem as the phone app or Harmony Touch/Ultimate remote let you access all the device specific buttons via the touch screen.

I also wanted to be able to set my AVR so that I could turn it off or on, and change its inputs.

I managed to get it working, but due to its reliance on setting "tasks", it ended up being more fuss than was necessary and over complicated the controlling of my set up.

Why? Why would you want to turn off/on your AVR but not your devices? Why would you want to change the input without turning on the device your changing the input to?

I had to bodge a task so that it did nothing, and just took me to the controls of my AVR or projector, but the way it was set up meant that I needed to press.

So it was overly complicated to set up the simple tasks I wanted it to do. I think this is largely an oversight on Logitech's behalf. As they really could include and allow universal remote functionality, whereby I can press "projector" and it becomes the remote for my projector without having to invoke a "task".

It's the fact that they only have activity functionality that I had a problem with, I did get it to do what I wanted, but it was quite a fuss when I would have just preferred the choice to change between universal remote modes.

I do concur that to manage a single device without first invoking an activity does seem a bit strange to start with but since the original release and purchase of my Harmony Smart Control (apart from calibrating my projector too! ) I've not had a single time I've had to use the original remote for any device.

I have been meaning to look in to this usage, as I would like to synchronise my libraries and video positions.

How about the user interface aspects of it? How do they compare?

The best thing you can possibly do with Plex is simply download and install it. It's completely free for both the server and client aspect. Install both and give it a shot.

One of the biggest bonuses with Plex is the "on deck" feature that lists all the "next episodes" of the shows you need to watch based on the previously watched episode. This synchronises between all clients so rarely do I even "see" the user interface because I simply select the show that it suggests I watch next

 

[spoffle]

Ah, ok, sorry guys - the part we're all getting confused about is the different between the Harmony Touch and the Harmony Ultimate as (as far as I can tell) the Harmony Ultimate is the same remote as the Harmony Touch but also include the Harmony Hub. It's the Harmony Hub that allows you to control devices via Bluetooth and I think also empathises how lacking all in one remotes are in general compared to the "hub" range that's newly available (last 18 months) from Harmony.

Certainly, except I realised that the Touch isn't actually the same control that comes in the Ultimate bundle. The "touch" that you get in the Ultimate bundle has a motion sensor, and haptic feedback.

The stand-alone touch doesn't have either.

The Harmony Hub range (Smart Control, Ultimate and Home) can all control your PS3, WiiU and PC (via Bluetooth).

Lucid is correct that your problem is partly solved by the harmony ability to act as the remote for any one device. There is however one problem that remains (that you mention) that it can't act as device unless an activity has been activated.

I have been considering a smart hub, as I really don't need the touch features.

Why would you ever want to do this? Why would you ever turn your projector on without using your AVR or at least one other device? Do you enjoy looking at a blank screen?

My AVR is nearly always on, but I sometimes can just have the sound output. Especially since I will be setting up a zone 2 set of speakers that will be plugged in to my main PC.

Why are you changing contrast? Calibrate it and leave it OR if you're adjusting for a new bulb then pull out the projector remote every 12 months that you have to do this.

In addition why would you ever want to calibrate your projector WITHOUT having any other device on? Surely you need to calibrate against some image and then you've not got a problem as the phone app or Harmony Touch/Ultimate remote let you access all the device specific buttons via the touch screen.

Because the projector is an ad-hoc install at the moment, it's just projecting against a white wall. I mess around with the settings out of curiosity. I will be making a fixed screen out of some composite panelling soon to finish the install.

The other things I use, which is mainly the media PC connected, is always on as well. So most of the time I'm just turning the projector on to see what's on the screen. I can run and control Kodi via my iPad if I want to use it just for music.

Why? Why would you want to turn off/on your AVR but not your devices? Why would you want to change the input without turning on the device your changing the input to?

Because the above, sound only situations.

I do concur that to manage a single device without first invoking an activity does seem a bit strange to start with but since the original release and purchase of my Harmony Smart Control (apart from calibrating my projector too! ) I've not had a single time I've had to use the original remote for any device.

My issue with this is that having to invoke the activity means I'm pressing more buttons than I would on the original remotes, which isn't really a good thing when the idea is to save time and hassle. I found it a chore to press the activity button, the remote pretend to turn the devices on (which I disabled, but it still seemingly ran the "turning device on" screen for a few seconds) and then navigate a through the menu to the input or button I wanted. It was just significantly faster just using the original remote, or reaching over and pressing the input button on the front of the AVR.




The best thing you can possibly do with Plex is simply download and install it. It's completely free for both the server and client aspect. Install both and give it a shot.

One of the biggest bonuses with Plex is the "on deck" feature that lists all the "next episodes" of the shows you need to watch based on the previously watched episode. This synchronises between all clients so rarely do I even "see" the user interface because I simply select the show that it suggests I watch next

I might just do that one of these days. I've just got a bit of maintenance to do on some of my computers before I can get down to playing with software again.

 

[spoffle]

The Harmonys I tried all offered a 'Devices' interface separate to the 'Activities' interface. In Devices the Harmony simply replicates the functions of the original remote, so that's how you'd control individual elements.

Fair point about the PS3/PS4/Wii U though. There are an IR to Bluetooth interfaces for the PS3, so it's not an unsolvable problem; and I guess its more of an issue if routinely using them for DVD/Blu-ray playback and streaming. I don't come across that so much in my line of work. Clients tend to have a dedicated BD player and leave the consoles just for gaming which means they've already picked up a controller so powering on isn't an issue. It would be handy to have the ability to power up a media PC from cold.

As for the "press one button" thing, then I guess it's down to personal preference. I structure my remotes so that audio for Hi-Fi can be run on its own rather than firing up the whole system. Then there's options to run just the TV or TV with Sky for quick programming checks. There's a lot of freedom with a fully programmable remote.

Yeah it does offer it, but you have to go through menus to get to it, which takes more time than it should.

The thing I'm talking about is having the remote able to have the direct access to devices on the home screen along side the activities/tasks.

That's the part I felt like I was missing as it really didn't seem to make sense that they wouldn't allow you to have it there so that you could quickly switch between controlling different devices via, say, a swipe left or right on the screen.

Setting up the activities in a bodged way was the quickest way of accessing direct control from the handset.

 

[lude1962]

I've got a One for All Simple 4, smart stylish minimal buttons, £11 when on sale.
Operates tv sky box and br. I've used the copy function to enter the controls I need from my generic mce remote that operates my openELEC box.
It does everything I need for day to day use.

 

[Andybtsn]

The Logitech Harmony is one of the best things I've ever bought. In my lounge it controls my TV, amp, media machine (Kodi), Xbox One and Sky. Shame it doesn't control the PS4 but I can live without, very rarely do I need to ever pickup an existing controller for a device.

 

[RoyMi6]

Certainly, except I realised that the Touch isn't actually the same control that comes in the Ultimate bundle. The "touch" that you get in the Ultimate bundle has a motion sensor, and haptic feedback.

The stand-alone touch doesn't have either.

I have been considering a smart hub, as I really don't need the touch features.

Ah right, so basically the Ultimate is a better remote in a couple of ways. Either way, the simpler "Smart Control" is the way to go (unless the Harmony Home Control comes out soon!) and what I recommend to most people. I hate touch screens on remotes personally.

I'll admit that no all in one remote is going to give the the complete flexibility that you require, but that appears to partly relate to the fact that you haven't quite completed your installation yet.

Still, you're definitely missing a trick thinking you can't get this particular remote to do what you want.

Everything you've described e.g. having activities that allow you to switch on and off the projector as required and one mode that lets you only have the AVR on for sound from your PC is completely possible and it's EXACTLY the same situation I have in my cinema room

It really is as simple as being one button push away as I have buttons for:

PC sound only through AMP (I've got a PC monitor as well)
PC through TV
PC through Projector
PS4 through Projector (never play through TV)
Amazon Fire TV only through AMP (used for streaming Spotify as background music)
Amazon Fire TV through TV
Amazon Fire TV through Projector
etc

Again, almost 18 months of setup without having to configure anything via device specific commands.

If I'm playing something on the PC through the projector and I wan to "turn off the projector" without turning off the AMP (so I can still listen to music) then I simply change to the "Listen to music via PC" activity.

It's a bit of a change of mindset that you want to "turn off the projector" rather than "start a new activity" but if the end result is the same what does it matter? This is the key thing I think a lot of people can't get over, but ultimately you're being stubborn for no reason other than making it harder for yourself


The ONE limitation you need to be aware of with the Smart Control is the artificial limitation on the number of devices and activities you can create. So in my cinema room is the one place I've recently bought a Harmony Ultimate as it gives me enough activities and device options that allow me to configure my excessive number of devices and activities.

 

[RoyMi6]

I've got a One for All Simple 4, smart stylish minimal buttons, £11 when on sale.
Operates tv sky box and br. I've used the copy function to enter the controls I need from my generic mce remote that operates my openELEC box.
It does everything I need for day to day use.

Obviously this thread has got a "bit" sidetracked with the focus on the Harmony range but it's all relevant as, while I still think the Harmony Hub range are the perfect bit of kit, it's really finding the device that works for you and your setup that's important.

Making the effort to switch between devices as hassle free as possible is the key here and this looks like a good recommendation.

It looks like it covers that main buttons that most devices are going to use and while it doesn't have activities, as this thread shows, that's maybe a good thing for some people!

 

[lucid]

Lucid is correct that your problem is partly solved by the harmony ability to act as the remote for any one device. There is however one problem that remains (that you mention) that it can't act as device unless an activity has been activated.

My issue with this is that having to invoke the activity means I'm pressing more buttons than I would on the original remotes, which isn't really a good thing when the idea is to save time and hassle. I found it a chore to press the activity button, the remote pretend to turn the devices on (which I disabled, but it still seemingly ran the "turning device on" screen for a few seconds) and then navigate a through the menu to the input or button I wanted. It was just significantly faster just using the original remote, or reaching over and pressing the input button on the front of the AVR.

The thing I'm talking about is having the remote able to have the direct access to devices on the home screen along side the activities/tasks.

That's the part I felt like I was missing as it really didn't seem to make sense that they wouldn't allow you to have it there so that you could quickly switch between controlling different devices via, say, a swipe left or right on the screen.

Setting up the activities in a bodged way was the quickest way of accessing direct control from the handset.

All the above is why I won't use Harmonys on install projects.

 

[RoyMi6]

All the above is why I won't use Harmonys on install projects.

Am I correct in thinking Home AV installs is part of your business Lucid?

You've mentioned you use a Harmony remote at home but for people like spoffle, that obviously aren't keen on how they work, what do you typically end up using?

 

[lucid]

Am I correct in thinking Home AV installs is part of your business Lucid?

You've mentioned you use a Harmony remote at home but for people like spoffle, that obviously aren't keen on how they work, what do you typically end up using?

Yes, I supply and install all things AV and home entertainment related.

No, I don't use a Harmony; either at home or on jobs. I won't. It would drive me up the wall.

I started out back in the 90's with Prontos and progressed as new products came available. Universal Electronics (UEI) brought out the Nevo range. They feel lovely in the hand and I still use one of those for the lounge system.

Crestron and AMX has been around for donkeys years and evolved very nicely, but those products make most sense when doing whole house control including HVAC and security. If you're spending under £200,000 on home electronics though then Crestron/AMX is probably overkill. Control4 will do more than most need in a similar market, though the handset range is a bit limited.

UEI has the URC range which is mainly wand handsets. I tend to use RTI though because there's a broader range of remotes and very good integration with smartphones and tablets.

Most of the above solutions have a budget for the remote system that exceeds most peoples entire AV equipment spend. It's typical for control to range in price from £2000 up. Smaller systems come in at around the £300-£500 depending on how much integration there is to the house backbone. I have seen jobs though in London and the high-end domestic market where the control budget exceeds £50K. Then again, that's still less than 15-20% of the overall AV budget

 

[RoyMi6]

Ah sorry, I misunderstood.

Anyway, those prices are a little beyond my means so I think I'm getting pretty great ROI with my harmony remotes

Still, looking at the websites for those products makes it clear what can be done. While it's nothing I even dream of (I'm pretty sure I'll be happy opening my own curtains for quite some time) it goes to show that taking the concept of an "all in one" remote to dizzying levels can yield fantastic results

 

[deuse]

The Logitech Harmony is one of the best things I've ever bought. In my lounge it controls my TV, amp, media machine (Kodi), Xbox One and Sky. Shame it doesn't control the PS4 but I can live without, very rarely do I need to ever pickup an existing controller for a device.

I'm getting this one when it comes out in a month or two
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1227115988/neeo-the-thinking-remote

 

[Broken Hope]

The Logitech Harmony is one of the best things I've ever bought. In my lounge it controls my TV, amp, media machine (Kodi), Xbox One and Sky. Shame it doesn't control the PS4 but I can live without, very rarely do I need to ever pickup an existing controller for a device.

Harmony remotes can control the PS4 just fine, you just need to make sure HDMI Control is enabled on the PS4 in the system settings.

When I switch to the HDMI input for my PS4 it automatically switches on the console, I can use the remote to navigate the UI and also use the play, stop, pause and seek buttons to control Blu-ray etc.