rf9000 Posted March 18, 2021 Share Posted March 18, 2021 All, I have 13 Samsung Smart TVs and looking for the best solution. I also have EA1s for most of these TVs, but now leaning towards not using that many EA1s. It was suggested in another thread to have a Roku Ultra at every TV. Forgive me, but I'm a little unclear on the benefits and features of these items and IP/IR. I'm also integrating JoshAI so want Josh to be able to control all the TVS or at least the TVs in the same rooms as Josh. I basically am doing Josh on all of the main level for now. Upper level may get it soon if I really like it. So, if Rokus are on each TV, the menu at startup will be a Roku menu? I have never had Roku. This menu would consist of all the apps that can be chosen from? So its basically the same thing as the Source menu on a Samsung smart TV where are the apps are displayed? Or is there something I'm missing. Are the Rokus a way that Josh can control the TV, or can Josh do this anyways if TVs are all simply IP controlled? Then if I added EA1s to a handful of the main TVs, do I use these in conjunction with the Rokus? Just trying to understand how this all works together Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eggzlot Posted March 18, 2021 Share Posted March 18, 2021 26 minutes ago, rf9000 said: All, I have 13 Samsung Smart TVs and looking for the best solution. I also have EA1s for most of these TVs, but now leaning towards not using that many EA1s. It was suggested in another thread to have a Roku Ultra at every TV. Forgive me, but I'm a little unclear on the benefits and features of these items and IP/IR. I'm also integrating JoshAI so want Josh to be able to control all the TVS or at least the TVs in the same rooms as Josh. I basically am doing Josh on all of the main level for now. Upper level may get it soon if I really like it. So, if Rokus are on each TV, the menu at startup will be a Roku menu? I have never had Roku. This menu would consist of all the apps that can be chosen from? So its basically the same thing as the Source menu on a Samsung smart TV where are the apps are displayed? Or is there something I'm missing. Are the Rokus a way that Josh can control the TV, or can Josh do this anyways if TVs are all simply IP controlled? Then if I added EA1s to a handful of the main TVs, do I use these in conjunction with the Rokus? Just trying to understand how this all works together What did your dealer suggest? you want to channel surf with voice control? what do you watch? Cable tv channels? Streaming apps? ea1 provides zero video content minus an OSD. A roku provides video content. Totally different animals. Not even sure how you are comparing them. with a project and budget this size you are doing yourself a disservice but trying to DIY this design Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rf9000 Posted March 18, 2021 Author Share Posted March 18, 2021 12 minutes ago, eggzlot said: What did your dealer suggest? you want to channel surf with voice control? what do you watch? Cable tv channels? Streaming apps? ea1 provides zero video content minus an OSD. A roku provides video content. Totally different animals. Not even sure how you are comparing them. with a project and budget this size you are doing yourself a disservice but trying to DIY this design Thanks, I have been told that before!! haha Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eggzlot Posted March 18, 2021 Share Posted March 18, 2021 7 minutes ago, rf9000 said: Thanks, I have been told that before!! haha Not sure what’s funny you gave no basis for what you want to watch. So hook up the ea1 and enjoy the osd menu control with your voice tried to help. others can chime in Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jreinardy Posted March 18, 2021 Share Posted March 18, 2021 As stated before, the Roku units are streaming video sources, nothing more. They can't turn on your TV's, switch inputs or anything else as far as I know. Without the EA-1 there would be no C4 on screen display if you are using that. If your TV is IP controlled, then a different controller can possibly send the control commands to the TV. If it is IR controlled with a flasher, then you need to extend the flasher wires to a C4 controller to enable that function to continue. This all assumes that you are not using the EA-1 as an audio source for other equipment in those rooms as the Roku can't do that either. Eggzlot is correct, the EA-1 and Roku are different animals. If you had a Roku hooked to the TV and controlled by IP, the default behavior would be to have the TV come on to the Roku main menu. You also get a Roku Channels Watch option that has a submenu with all the services you have enabled so you can go directly to one of those without going through the menu. Many streaming services on Roku have minidrivers that can be added to your installation. These create Watch options on the main level for the chosen services. I can't speak to how Josh plays into any of this, but hopefully that provides some clarity for you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sonic30101 Posted March 18, 2021 Share Posted March 18, 2021 Josh is configured to the roku as the playback device in this scenario, josh probably won't be able to turn the tv on natively but you could get a global cache ir device. Samsung and IP is flakey so from a reliability standpoint it could stop or inconsistently control the tv with or without c4. In a c4 ecosystem josh is using that to control the tv Roku is better than any tvs built in streaming menu for both consistency, speed, integration. You would be using it for all streaming and forget the samsung is anything more than a display and possibly the speakers if you don't have the audio output fed to the rack for distributed audio. Ea1 is only needed if the wiring requires additional ir or serial ports, on screen and zigbee AP. I rarely ever use the hdmi out for audio purposes unless there is an avr and it is a destination room where a delay is not a problem. Even then I don't like it because I can't watch one thing and listen to another at the same time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rf9000 Posted March 19, 2021 Author Share Posted March 19, 2021 4 hours ago, eggzlot said: Not sure what’s funny you gave no basis for what you want to watch. So hook up the ea1 and enjoy the osd menu control with your voice tried to help. others can chime in I know that the EA1 and Roku are different. I’m trying to figure out if the EA1 is really needed. I get conflicting answers. Someone else told me to have all TVs IR controlled and have the Rokus IP controlled. I don’t know what benefits this will bring. I want to be able to walk into a room that has Josh, and tell Josh to turn on TV to Netflix (even to a certain show) and have that work. In the rooms with AVR, this would mean turning on the preamp/receiver, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rf9000 Posted March 19, 2021 Author Share Posted March 19, 2021 4 hours ago, sonic30101 said: Josh is configured to the roku as the playback device in this scenario, josh probably won't be able to turn the tv on natively but you could get a global cache ir device. Samsung and IP is flakey so from a reliability standpoint it could stop or inconsistently control the tv with or without c4. In a c4 ecosystem josh is using that to control the tv Roku is better than any tvs built in streaming menu for both consistency, speed, integration. You would be using it for all streaming and forget the samsung is anything more than a display and possibly the speakers if you don't have the audio output fed to the rack for distributed audio. Ea1 is only needed if the wiring requires additional ir or serial ports, on screen and zigbee AP. I rarely ever use the hdmi out for audio purposes unless there is an avr and it is a destination room where a delay is not a problem. Even then I don't like it because I can't watch one thing and listen to another at the same time. I think I understand this. So what actually turns the TV on with Josh? Do most people have audio from every tv in the house fed back to the rack? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sonic30101 Posted March 19, 2021 Share Posted March 19, 2021 Josh turns the tv on through control4 when authenticated it imports the project so it knows all your watch devices and can selects the Roku and the c4 interface shows the roku as the active source just like you selected it from a remote or the app so everything stays in sync. You also link Josh's search functions to the c4 roku device so the advanced features of deep searching are seen as 1 action to the end user Typically we design to have audio play through the speakers from a cabling standpoint for the prewire. It is rare that our customer's request the tv audio come from the tv and music only through the speakers but at the end of the day it is user preference. My prewire rule is for the speaker wire you run it from the rack to the tv and speakers for flexibility. Depending on the path you go rack to tv then ceiling, or rack to speakers then pigtail to tv. This gives you the ability to either put s local amp at the tv if you have to or a passive soundbar along with the ceiling speakers whenever you choose, the cost to add that step in the prewire is negligible in the grand scheme but is worth it IMO Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSTRONG Posted March 19, 2021 Share Posted March 19, 2021 My advice is to get all control4 working first doing everything you want to control. then use josh as a remote control or touch panel on your system. Then have fun. msgreenf 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eggzlot Posted March 19, 2021 Share Posted March 19, 2021 9 hours ago, rf9000 said: I know that the EA1 and Roku are different. I’m trying to figure out if the EA1 is really needed. I get conflicting answers. Someone else told me to have all TVs IR controlled and have the Rokus IP controlled. I don’t know what benefits this will bring. I want to be able to walk into a room that has Josh, and tell Josh to turn on TV to Netflix (even to a certain show) and have that work. In the rooms with AVR, this would mean turning on the preamp/receiver, etc. you are biting off more than you can chew you can turn a TV in via IR, serial or IP. Roku is IP. If you want to do IR control then an ea1 is 1 of a few ways to get an IR bud at each tv Ea1 as also mentioned many times helps with zigbee, audio, provided osd, I/o, etc. are you about to offload 10 ea1s now? You didn’t buy 10 used ea1s off eBay I’m assuming so ask the person who sold these to you. You will take a hit financially. I don’t think at this point you can tell josh to turn on the greatest baking show. I could be wrong. Calling up Netflix would work but not sure you can take it deeper than that. think if josh as a remote control - no remote can turn on a specific show on Netflix but a remote can turn on a tv, a streaming service and and tv-avr combo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSTRONG Posted March 19, 2021 Share Posted March 19, 2021 Whatever you can turn on with a control4 remote control, josh can also do the same thing. Obviously the up down left right commands are more of a challenge. But are still doable msgreenf 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSTRONG Posted March 19, 2021 Share Posted March 19, 2021 And for my NJ friend Eggzlot, here is my Josh launching shows on Netflix. Very cool stuff! https://youtube.com/shorts/e7xxBLc7TGw eggzlot 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSTRONG Posted March 19, 2021 Share Posted March 19, 2021 And I told Josh to "watch the greatest baking show" and he happily obliged Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zaphod Posted March 19, 2021 Share Posted March 19, 2021 How does it do the deep linking required? I thought that Netflix didn't really allow deep links. They want you to have to navigate through their UI to get to content. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eggzlot Posted March 19, 2021 Share Posted March 19, 2021 41 minutes ago, JSTRONG said: And I told Josh to "watch the greatest baking show" and he happily obliged I admitted I didn't know if it could do that - cool to see it can do it. Though not sure why anyone would want to watch the Greatest Baking Show but that is a topic for another thread. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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