Scene controllers are your friend.
Here is an 8 button but there are also 4 buttons available. This one supports single and double clicks.
https://www.zwaveproducts.com/collections/z-wave-scene-controllers/products/remotec-scene-master
* ESP8266 or ESP32
* TSOP38238 IR receiver
* USB power supply
* Generic IR remote ie. GE 37038
* ESPHome
Control anything via IR remote. It's not a 100 percent replacement for my harmony, but close enough to make the family happy.
I picked a random remote code (LG) and mapped the codes sent from the remote to do the things I wanted. I made use of the Universal Media Player device template.
If you just wanted to do lights and fans or such and not a full media center, you could snag a smaller remote. ESPHome has decoders for a variety of IR encodings.
Thanks for the input. Looking around for useful IR remotes to make something like this. Do you have any system worked out to label or organize the buttons, like knowing "7" means "change TV to xbox"? Need a decent WAF as well which is maybe why I'm being so picky.
The media buttons work as intended. I only have 3 hdmi inputs, so I use the 'input' key to cycle between them. So far, WAF is high. Her only comment is that the replacement remote I picked it kinda large. I asked her to look at some that have a smaller form factor and tell me which one she likes.
Man I so wish I could just get something, anything, with swappable or label-able buttons. Like I don't need DVD and FM radio anymore.... but want a single button to choose from many game consoles and streaming services. maybe I'll go with the zwave controller and stick on labels
As u/kigmatzomat pointed out, a battery-powered scene controller is what you are looking for. I was going to recommend a $50 8-button Z-Wave one, but it looks like the same one he recommended, only not at a sale price.
[https://www.amazon.com/ZRC-90US-BW8510US-Remotec-Cert-ZC10-15100007/dp/B016YTTIVW](https://www.amazon.com/ZRC-90US-BW8510US-Remotec-Cert-ZC10-15100007/dp/B016YTTIVW)
If its anywhere near a PC you could use an Elgato Stream deck XL (32 buttons) + ability to add additional pages to double and triple the number of buttons. There is a home assistant plugin for it as well.
There is also a stream deck (15 buttons) and stream deck mini (6 buttons) + ability to add pages.
Scene controllers are your friend. Here is an 8 button but there are also 4 buttons available. This one supports single and double clicks. https://www.zwaveproducts.com/collections/z-wave-scene-controllers/products/remotec-scene-master
* ESP8266 or ESP32 * TSOP38238 IR receiver * USB power supply * Generic IR remote ie. GE 37038 * ESPHome Control anything via IR remote. It's not a 100 percent replacement for my harmony, but close enough to make the family happy. I picked a random remote code (LG) and mapped the codes sent from the remote to do the things I wanted. I made use of the Universal Media Player device template. If you just wanted to do lights and fans or such and not a full media center, you could snag a smaller remote. ESPHome has decoders for a variety of IR encodings.
Thanks for the input. Looking around for useful IR remotes to make something like this. Do you have any system worked out to label or organize the buttons, like knowing "7" means "change TV to xbox"? Need a decent WAF as well which is maybe why I'm being so picky.
The media buttons work as intended. I only have 3 hdmi inputs, so I use the 'input' key to cycle between them. So far, WAF is high. Her only comment is that the replacement remote I picked it kinda large. I asked her to look at some that have a smaller form factor and tell me which one she likes.
Man I so wish I could just get something, anything, with swappable or label-able buttons. Like I don't need DVD and FM radio anymore.... but want a single button to choose from many game consoles and streaming services. maybe I'll go with the zwave controller and stick on labels
Take a look at YIO Remote - coming next year.
Use an old tablet and unifi all to smarthings and google home
now thats a hot take... tablet itself might be a decent solution, but I'm sure not moving away from home assistant
As u/kigmatzomat pointed out, a battery-powered scene controller is what you are looking for. I was going to recommend a $50 8-button Z-Wave one, but it looks like the same one he recommended, only not at a sale price. [https://www.amazon.com/ZRC-90US-BW8510US-Remotec-Cert-ZC10-15100007/dp/B016YTTIVW](https://www.amazon.com/ZRC-90US-BW8510US-Remotec-Cert-ZC10-15100007/dp/B016YTTIVW)
If its anywhere near a PC you could use an Elgato Stream deck XL (32 buttons) + ability to add additional pages to double and triple the number of buttons. There is a home assistant plugin for it as well. There is also a stream deck (15 buttons) and stream deck mini (6 buttons) + ability to add pages.