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Home Automation


psinide
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2 hours ago, psinide said:

With Android TVs or chromecasts, their APIs expose the play/pause state, but webOS only has play/pause toggle. So I can still control it via voice/mobile or use similar toggle animations, but they will be dumb. With Android, I could actually use the state as triggers.


Right. But what if you have multiple devices with different OSes? I’d like the same to work for an Apple TV, the Tata Sky, blu-ray player, the PS4 etc. The pause/play state then could be relayed to and from the AV processor. The complication would then be of being certain of the pause state. The play state should be relatively easier to determine. 
The HT integrator companies do this using the C4 modules at base level, but that’s too backward now. 

The TSky box is there because live sport is still best viewed on broadcast with DVR. 

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1 minute ago, achilles said:


Right. But what if you have multiple devices with different OSes? I’d like the same to work for an Apple TV, the Tata Sky, blu-ray player, the PS4 etc. The pause/play state then could be relayed to and from the AV processor. The complication would then be of being certain of the pause state. The play state should be relatively easier to determine. 
The HT integrator companies do this using the C4 modules at base level, but that’s too backward now. 

The TSky box is there because live sport is still best viewed on broadcast with DVR. 

You can add each of your AV devices as individual media-players. I know it works for Apple TV & PS4. I had automations for them, but waiting for someone to update the PS4 sensor to now work with PS5.

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@HundredProofSam, I think there's actually a hub thing for the smart lightstrip that you need to plug into your TV to get it to sync with the on-screen action.

 

 

I like this channel, btw. Plenty of simple automation tips and tricks.

 

Also, Wipro may not be as outright sexy as Philips Hue, but I highly recommend their bulbs, battens, and switches if you're looking to automate a majority of the lights in your home. Works out super cheap, no hub needed, and they haven't failed on me yet (touch wood). I also don't think anyone else makes smart battens, but that may have changed now.

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If anyone's looking for a smart outdoor security camera, I recently picked this one up: https://www.amazon.in/Qubo-Detection-Weatherproof-Continuous-Recording/dp/B08NWXZ4N7/

 

Real easy to set up, and it's just cool pulling a live view up on the OLED via an Echo :D

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2 hours ago, Keyofx said:

I like this channel, btw. Plenty of simple automation tips and tricks.

 

Also, Wipro may not be as outright sexy as Philips Hue, but I highly recommend their bulbs, battens, and switches if you're looking to automate a majority of the lights in your home. Works out super cheap, no hub needed, and they haven't failed on me yet (touch wood). I also don't think anyone else makes smart battens, but that may have changed now.

Thanks. That was the idea, to see what all people have setup in their homes, or what they might be looking for. Home Automation is a rabbit hole, and I'm proper sucked in! 

 

I think those Wipro LED battens are using an LED strip, should be straight forward to DIY. The LED 'standing corner lamp' I'm making is similar, but its using a bit more expensive RGB individually addressable LED strip. Its still comes out to be a lot cheaper than the Hue or the Xiomi LED strips, and gives you a lot more flexibility as have a plethora of options with custom firmware to control them. The below link is showing them still in their prototype stage, these are 3 separate LEDs which can be synced to respond to music with a different EQ Visualization effects:

 

I'm 3d printing a base for them to make them stand, and they will stand facing the corner so the light falls on the wall corner, reducing the harshness further. 

 

I've started DIY-ing 'smart-switches' by splicing nodeMCUs or other ESP8266 boards on power cords to make them wifi capable. For my geyser I've used a Shelly switch which is connected behind the switch-button, in the wall recess, a very clean setup.

Edited by psinide
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default_majesty.gif

 

Bought the Hue HDMI switcher. Better be worth the $250 and the years of waiting.

 

I don't even want to thing about how many $ I've sunk into Hue. default_ph34r2.gif

It's good as long as you're OK with 4k@60. It doesn't support HDMI 2.1 and it won't work with any of your smart TV apps. If you run your consoles through it, they will default to HDMI 2.0b standards and max out at 4k@60 and won't support VRR.

 

It does really well in the Hue ecosystem though. And if you add the Hue light strip around your TV, it should give you the Philips Ambilight effect

 

BTW, where did you get it from? It wasn't available anywhere I checked recently

 

Sent from my SM-G998B using Tapatalk

 

 

 

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12 hours ago, Keyofx said:

@HundredProofSam, I think there's actually a hub thing for the smart lightstrip that you need to plug into your TV to get it to sync with the on-screen action.

 

Also, Wipro may not be as outright sexy as Philips Hue, but I highly recommend their bulbs, battens, and switches if you're looking to automate a majority of the lights in your home. Works out super cheap, no hub needed, and they haven't failed on me yet (touch wood). I also don't think anyone else makes smart battens, but that may have changed now.

 

Yes all my smart bulbs are Wipro. Reliability wise they are superb. And price wise too. Just the random repairings are annoying. 

 

And they make smart battens too

 

https://www.amazon.in/dp/B07P7JNQ56/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_fabc_dlT1_JXQBGFZ1VF8H5NSWAAH1?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

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1 hour ago, Jigsaw said:

 

Yes all my smart bulbs are Wipro. Reliability wise they are superb. And price wise too. Just the random repairings are annoying. 

 

And they make smart battens too

 

https://www.amazon.in/dp/B07P7JNQ56/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_fabc_dlT1_JXQBGFZ1VF8H5NSWAAH1?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

From what I've read about Wipro smart bulbs, they are pretty much using Tuya or Tuya licensed bulb & battens, may be you could try using the Tuya Smart or the Smart Life app? Technically it shouldn't make a difference with connectivity, but worth a shot?

 

PS - I've ordered 1 batten as my kitchen tubelight was on the verge of dying. Will experiment and see if I can add it to my integrator platform. I prefer having one single place to control all my devices instead of having different apps (I know you can do it with Google Home/Alexa, but their routines, scripts and automations are very limited compared to what other integrator platforms offer)

Edited by psinide
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5 minutes ago, psinide said:

From what I've read about Wipro smart bulbs, they are pretty much using Tuya or Tuya licensed bulb & battens, may be you could try using the Tuya Smart or the Smart Life app? Technically it shouldn't make a difference with connectivity, but worth a shot?

Yeah bro using the smart life app since I got them. 

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16 hours ago, Keyofx said:

Have you looked at the Binge+ box? That has bluetooth functionality.

Yeah, it’s non-DVR. Plus I don’t want another box in the house that I’d have to connect to the internet, specially one that’s Powered by Google™

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1 hour ago, psinide said:

From what I've read about Wipro smart bulbs, they are pretty much using Tuya or Tuya licensed bulb & battens, may be you could try using the Tuya Smart or the Smart Life app? Technically it shouldn't make a difference with connectivity, but worth a shot?

 

PS - I've ordered 1 batten as my kitchen tubelight was on the verge of dying. Will experiment and see if I can add it to my integrator platform. I prefer having one single place to control all my devices instead of having different apps (I know you can do it with Google Home/Alexa, but their routines, scripts and automations are very limited compared to what other integrator platforms offer)

 

Yea their smart life app is clearly white label, but it's fully functional and has never given me any issues. Plus the Alexa and GA integration means you don't really need to use it for anything more than setup. Let me know how you get on with adding it to the integrator platform. I have 6 of those smart battens, so I've fully bought in :D

 

13 hours ago, psinide said:

Thanks. That was the idea, to see what all people have setup in their homes, or what they might be looking for. Home Automation is a rabbit hole, and I'm proper sucked in! 

 

I think those Wipro LED battens are using an LED strip, should be straight forward to DIY. The LED 'standing corner lamp' I'm making is similar, but its using a bit more expensive RGB individually addressable LED strip. Its still comes out to be a lot cheaper than the Hue or the Xiomi LED strips, and gives you a lot more flexibility as have a plethora of options with custom firmware to control them. The below link is showing them still in their prototype stage, these are 3 separate LEDs which can be synced to respond to music with a different EQ Visualization effects:

 

I'm 3d printing a base for them to make them stand, and they will stand facing the corner so the light falls on the wall corner, reducing the harshness further. 

 

I've started DIY-ing 'smart-switches' by splicing nodeMCUs or other ESP8266 boards on power cords to make them wifi capable. For my geyser I've used a Shelly switch which is connected behind the switch-button, in the wall recess, a very clean setup.

 

Awesome stuff! But isn't adding a smart plug (or behind the switch button as in your case) for an AC or Geyser a bad way to power those things down? It feels like you're just cutting off power which may hurt them in the long run? This probably is less an issue with geysers, though. More so ACs.

 

3 hours ago, Jigsaw said:

 

Yes all my smart bulbs are Wipro. Reliability wise they are superb. And price wise too. Just the random repairings are annoying. 

 

And they make smart battens too

 

https://www.amazon.in/dp/B07P7JNQ56/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_fabc_dlT1_JXQBGFZ1VF8H5NSWAAH1?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

 

Yea, those battens are great. I've been recommending them to everyone :D

 

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30 minutes ago, Keyofx said:

 

Awesome stuff! But isn't adding a smart plug (or behind the switch button as in your case) for an AC or Geyser a bad way to power those things down? It feels like you're just cutting off power which may hurt them in the long run? This probably is less an issue with geysers, though. More so ACs.

 

Yes, I'm only using it with the Geyser, its spliced between the 15A power and the Geysers switch with a bypass as well. Shelly devices are good in that way, as they can sense the state of the physical switch as well and report it to my main platform, so my automations don't mess up.

 

For the AC I'm using a broadlink mini as a IR blaster, and I have copied the IR codes for ON, OFF, TEMP UP, TEMP DOWN, FAN +/- and made scripts from them, I can control the broadlink from my raspi using these scripts and plug them into other automations.

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50 minutes ago, Keyofx said:

 

 

 

Yea, those battens are great. I've been recommending them to everyone :D

 

 

Too bad they are limited to 20W. We have been using 36W LED battens for some time. The brightness will be a huge downgrade. Hope they bring more options. 

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Finished 3d printing the 1st prototype of the base for the lamp. Will add a few more pics, but here's a YT vid of it in action:



Thinking of getting feet done in ply, the wiring will run from inside the feet f30dd1763c242a7bca0fd33ea2141d7f.jpg

Sent from my SM-G998B using Tapatalk

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11 hours ago, Bird Bird Bird said:

 

Too bad they are limited to 20W. We have been using 36W LED battens for some time. The brightness will be a huge downgrade. Hope they bring more options. 

Yea, it’ll definitely depend on the size of your rooms. I find them to be no different personally, but that could just be me being happy with the tech :D

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6 hours ago, psinide said:

Finished 3d printing the 1st prototype of the base for the lamp. Will add a few more pics, but here's a YT vid of it in action:

 


Thinking of getting feet done in ply, the wiring will run from inside the feet f30dd1763c242a7bca0fd33ea2141d7f.jpg

Sent from my SM-G998B using Tapatalk
 

 

That’s a nice design! Did you do it yourself, or is it from one of those model download sites? And what printer are you on, btw?

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53 minutes ago, Keyofx said:

Yea, it’ll definitely depend on the size of your rooms. I find them to be no different personally, but that could just be me being happy with the tech :D

 

World of difference in brightness, man. We were using the 20w battens before, and upgraded all to 36/40w owning to size of the rooms. 

Quite a visible difference. 

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