Limit TV Time?

[Dueport]

Any ideas on how to authenticate a user and limit TV time?  My wife asked if there's a way to have C4 require our young child to enter a code to watch TV then shut off the TV after an hour?  This seems like a doable request but I'm not sure it is because I'm having trouble solving how to identify a user through a Neeo or TS to Control4. 

My first thought was to use the access agent (which I haven't used before) but this is really limited and would be annoying to have to enter a code throughout the house to start a media session - there doesn't seem to be a way to create a code just for the child and just for the room with the tv they watch. 

I looked at the Identity agent but that seems specific to the mobile app and our child doesn't have a mobile device yet so it doesn't fit here. 

Am I missing something - is there another agent or way to do this? 

Only other ways I can think of would be to use an experience button or physical button (like a lutron pico) that they would have to select before turning on the TV - but this isn't as seamless as having a pin code prompt in the den anytime the watch menu is selected.  Another way would be to have the TV automatically pause or turn off when it has been on an hour but that's annoying if my wife and I are watching something on our own....

[chopedogg88]

I'm not sure of a way to do it.  I use Control4 receptacle outlet switches to control power to my TVs, and I have those outlets set to turn on/off on a schedule, or of course I can manually turn them on/off through the app, my kids haven't figure out how to do that yet so they have to ask me if they want to watch TV outside of the normal schedule.

[RAV]

Make if default to an hour, announcement near the end, shutsdown and sets a no more TV variable, which turns the TV back off and announcement you're done for today and a text notification for parenting if they try to turn it back on.

Use the pico for the parent over ride.
Just sets a variable to skip the announcement and shutdown part, and variable resets at room off.
No access to pico, 1 hour of TV.

[Cyknight]

2 hours ago, Dueport said:

there doesn't seem to be a way to create a code just for the child and just for the room with the tv they watch.

Well, just for the child makes sense not to exist. You can't expect a system to know who's handling a device by ... what electromagnetic signature?

Not having the ability to set access control per device (remote/screen) or per room is something that has long been requested unfortunately.

[TFlury]

Going to start with this being not my best idea but a version of what I did per a clients request for an event venue

When I did this it was based on a 6 button keypad configuration numbered buttons 1-6

In your case use the custom buttons agent it will show on remotes and TS. 

Set the real TV driver to be the video endpoint of a hidden room

Fake TV driver for video endpoint of the room you wish to monitor. - Will work best if you have a HDMI matrix, set the output of the matrix to be the same for both TVs.

Under custom buttons for that room create one called "Activate TV" number each button 1-6

Under Timer agent create a timer for you and your wife - Adult timer, another for the kid - Kid timer set each one to 5-10sec, create a 3rd timer for how ever long you want your kid to watch TV call it Kid Mode, finally a 4th timer for how long you want to make your kid wait between screen time call it Kid Delay

Under variable agent create two variables each with type Number, Adult Code Count and Kid Code Count

The fun part in programming. Start with each timer. When Adult Timer expires -> set Adult Code Count = 0, when Adult Timer Stop ->set Adult Code Count = 0 , do the same for the kid timer. Then set Kid Mode timer expires -> turn off Visible Room also under Kid Mode Timer Expires -> Restart Kid Delay

Select your visible room, when room turns off -> turn off hidden room

Now this Next part is dependent on the codes you select. For Example we will use Adult Code = 135, Kid code = 235

When Custom Button 1 is pressed

    If Adult Code Count = 0

           Set Adult Code Count to Value 1

           Reset Timer Adult Timer 

    else 

           Stop Timer Adult Timer

           Stop Timer Kid Timer

 

When Custom Button 2 is Pressed

    If Kid Code Count = 0

           Set Kid Code Count to Value 1

           Reset Timer Kid Timer

    else 

           Stop Timer Adult Timer

           Stop Timer Kid Timer

 

When Custom Button 3 is Pressed

   If Adult Code Count Not Equal To 1

           Or if Kid Code Count Not Equal To 1

                      Stop Timer Adult Timer

                      Stop Timer Kid Timer

                     STOP

    If Adult Code Count = 1

           Set Adult Code Count to Value 2

           Reset Timer Adult Timer 

           STOP

    If Kid Code Count = 1

           Set Kid Code Count to Value 2

           Reset Timer Kid Timer

           STOP

   

When Custom Button 4 Is Pressed

     Stop Timer Adult Timer

     Stop Timer Kid Timer

 

When Custom Button 5 Is Pressed

     Stop Timer Kid Timer

    If Adult Code Count = 2

          Turn On Visible Room to Cable (Arbitrary just select your most used source)

         Turn on Hidden Room to Same Source

     Else

          Stop Timer Adult Timer

 

When Custom Button 6 Is Pressed

     Stop Timer Adult Timer

    If Kid Code Count = 2

          If Kid Delay is Running

              STOP

          Turn On Visible Room to Cable (Arbitrary just select your most used source)

         Turn on Hidden Room to Same Source

         Reset Timer Kid Mode

     Else

          Stop Timer Kid Timer

 

I hope this makes sense. Using a "Fake TV driver" will keep the watch menu from actually tuning on the TV but allows you to switch sources and the the hidden room with room based logic will keep C4 happy and in sync.

[booch]

Since you're open to entering a user code either way, I'd suggest having an 'unlock' code for you and your wife for each room/zone (since it sounds like you want this in multiple/unpredictable rooms/zones).

For example, in your den, you could create a timer that ends any TV session after a cumulative hour each day unless a variable is flipped. The variable could be flipped by entering a keypad sequence in that room/zone, certian combination of buttons through the UI, access agent, etc.

You could automatically flip the variables after bedtime or when other conditions are met to save yourself the trouble of having to enter the sequence. You could also add a shortcut/webhook command on your phones only that flips the variables and/or use the access agent to put that on a room/experience button that can't be accessed without authentication.

Lastly, as other have said, warnings could be programmed when the functionality is active in case you forget to do it.

If you have interest, happy to explain in more detail.

 

[booch]

5 hours ago, Cyknight said:

Well, just for the child makes sense not to exist. You can't expect a system to know who's handling a device by ... what electromagnetic signature?

Not having the ability to set access control per device (remote/screen) or per room is something that has long been requested unfortunately.

Final idea -- if you had a distrubuted access point system (like I do) you could use the AP association to do exactly this, or at least know when the parent is in the room, provided they have their phone .

[Dueport]

Appreciate everyone weighing in here - lots of good ideas to consider to solve this....I'll give it some thought and play around - thanks again!

[booch]

Experimenting with a 'key code entry' UI button tonight and remembered this thread so figured I'd share.

Built the below (video) which cycles through the state of all 'numbers' on the virtual pad in navigator.

• Enter code correctly (1-3-5 in this case) and it 'unlocks' (enabling functionality)
• Enter incorrectly, e.g., out of order, wrong length, etc., goes to off
• Select while 'unlocked' and it goes to off/'locked' 

Could of course tweak the concept, e.g., # of buttons, visual style, etc. If anyone's interested, happy to send.

 

[South Africa C4 user]

@booch - this looks very interesting.  Are you doing it on a web page in order to get it to work on a Touchscreen?

[booch]

22 hours ago, South Africa C4 user said:

@booch - this looks very interesting.  Are you doing it on a web page in order to get it to work on a Touchscreen?

No -- it's just the 'Experience Button Key Status' driver repacked with images I made for each state plus a little programming to interpret the input and allow the 'clicks' to feel intuitive as you interact with it, e.g., once a number is selected by cycling, it goes back to the 'all unpressed' state.

(Note that the video I posted above was created on my Windows PC though (running Android emulation), but that was purely to capture it for posting -- works identically on all navigators and phones.)

[South Africa C4 user]

1 hour ago, booch said:

No -- it's just the 'Experience Button Key Status' driver repacked with images I made for each state plus a little programming to interpret the input and allow the 'clicks' to feel intuitive as you interact with it, e.g., once a number is selected by cycling, it goes back to the 'all unpressed' state.

(Note that the video I posted above was created on my Windows PC though (running Android emulation), but that was purely to capture it for posting -- works identically on all navigators and phones.)

That is really cool! Well done.

[Amr]

I do this through Fing app, When my boy was crazy one day, Punish came through Fing, we basically stopped all his favorite devices to get Internet access, and he was about to get mad, but the punishment was effective!  No need to remove devices, just have it local which he can’t do much, also no Internet means there is no way out.

You can build schedules as well, limiting after hours access to anything!

[booch]

33 minutes ago, South Africa C4 user said:

That is really cool! Well done.

Thanks, man!

It was a bit of a byproduct of figuring out how to ad hoc activate my irrigation. Didn't really want 16 buttons for all the zones, so made these two consolidated buttons (below). Wife likes it since she's into landscaping right now which is all that matters, ha!

(If you're extra curious btw, the way these work is first you select the zone on the 'map' of our yard, then it defaults you to 'test,' which is really just a 3m run cause my son likes to run through them. Clicking again takes you to 'auto,' which runs whatever duration the Rain Bird program is set for.)

 

 

 

 

 

[Dueport]

On 8/4/2022 at 4:27 AM, booch said:

Experimenting with a 'key code entry' UI button tonight and remembered this thread so figured I'd share.

Built the below (video) which cycles through the state of all 'numbers' on the virtual pad in navigator.

• Enter code correctly (1-3-5 in this case) and it 'unlocks' (enabling functionality)
• Enter incorrectly, e.g., out of order, wrong length, etc., goes to off
• Select while 'unlocked' and it goes to off/'locked' 

Could of course tweak the concept, e.g., # of buttons, visual style, etc. If anyone's interested, happy to send.

 

 

Very cool!

[South Africa C4 user]

4 hours ago, Dueport said:

Very cool!

I must say it is cool.  I have the driver installed and have been playing with it and it works like a charm.  Great use of the UI status key button as a base.