So slowly but surely I am building up my HA configuration. I’ve been using a broadlink rm pro plus to control my remote control device but that was only with Alexa. Now I have added the broadlink to my HA configuration.
In my main room (bedroom). I have a Hisense tv, a Seiki tv that I use as a monitor, a Pioneer AVR and a Samsung mini split AC.
I did manage to find and configure Hisense discrete codes, so my off command only turns tv off, and stays off if already off, and the on command turns on, or does nothing if tv is already on. However the on/off state on HA doesn’t change if I use the real remote or Alexa voice command.
For the Seiki TV there doesn’t seem to be any discrete codes, so stuck with the same command for on/off. Same thing with my Pioneer AVR, can’t find IR codes that work, so stuck learning them from the remote that only has one on/off button.
I did connect a chromecast to the Seiki TV (monitor), and to my surprise HA detected by itself and I was able to configure it without doing much. I configured the chromecast just because it was so easy, but I didn’t really have a use in mind for it at the moment. However I did notice that when I turn off the Seiki Tv it also powers down the chromecas since it is getting its power from the Seikis USB port.
So finally my questions. Is there any reason why it wouldn’t be a good idea to use the status of the chromecast to update the Seiki Tv on/off state? Basically when the chromecast connects to HA it means the Seiki TV is on, and if the chromecast is not connected we can assume tv is off, or chromecast broken lol.
I am assuming this could work, but I have no idea of how I would be able to set it up. Automation? Script?
After I noticed that chromecast connected to HA means my Seiki TV is on, I started to think bigger. My Hisense TV also has USB ports on the back, and I am pretty sure my Pioneer AVR has a USB port as well. Could I just set up some d1 minis with tasmota powered from the TV and AVR USB ports (since d1 minis are much cheaper than chromecast devices) and use those to update the true state of the TV and AVR?
For the mini split AC seems it would be a bit more tricky since it doesn’t have USB ports. My AC doesn’t have an IR receiver and one LED, so I am pretty sure that if I open it up I could find a 5v source, hence I could add a d1 mini to the AC as well.
Another option I was thinking about. The hisense is a smart tv. So a few seconds after it turns on it connects to my local network. I can easily assign it a static IP from the router side, and if the IP is active means TV is on, if IP not connected means TV is off. Is there a way HA can see if a specific IP is active or not?
I did some quick google searches on how to update TV states, and most of the solutions I came across seemed to be either difficult to implement, or just buggy/slow overall. A few posts claim with their setup the “on” updates quickly, but the “off” state can take up to 5 minutes to update.
