Cord Cutting - which box? Some comparisons
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Yes and no.
The Harmony Elite w/hub is what I have. I have set a button for stepping through sources on the K950, but there is no way to do it automagically.
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A better solution would be some sort of switch that has direct input addressing and relieve the sound bar of that duty.
It is neat that the Harmony Hub tries to remember where everything is at but sometimes it gets out of sync.
I tried controlling my K950 with a Harmony Hub but it was futile. I ended up scraping the Harmony and using CEC which works sometimes. 
I'm hoping another follow up to the K950 will finally include discrete input commands.
I'm hoping another follow up to the K950 will finally include discrete input commands.
I tried controlling my K950 with a Harmony Hub but it was futile. I ended up scraping the Harmony and using CEC which works sometimes.
I'm hoping another follow up to the K950 will finally include discrete input commands.
I don’t have a problem controlling it, just automating it with the Harmony. I’m not holding my breath for Samsung to even put out anymore updates for it since it has been superseded.
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The HW-R650 has a single source button on it so I'm assuming it cycles through the inputs. Their $1,400 model (HW-Q90R) uses the same remote.
Remote isn't the key. I've had plenty of devices over the years with a single input/source button on the remote but had discrete IR commands to directly select a source. Many discussions and code sharing back in the Philips Pronto days.
No idea why Samsung doesn't provide that on the K950 or the N950 which followed it. Can't cost that much I don't think.
I suspect it has more than a little to do with trying to develop a captive audience using Samsung's implementation of CEC (Anynet+).
Most likely and in many scenarios it would probably be fine. For instance if I had just a Tivo and an AppleTV I could hook each to their own HDMI port on the K950, enable CEC on all and have it work OK. But CEC and Harmony remotes don’t always like each other much in my experience. And of course, CEC among different brands often doesn’t work well either.
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Very long thread, but I'll throw my experience in here.
I have Apple TV, Roku, and Fire TV. I have also used all the major streaming companies except for Sling. I have used You Tube TV, Fubo, ATT TV, Philo, and Hulu.
I like the Apple TV the best, but that isn't the answer to your question.
The answer lies in the apps themselves that you want to use.
It depends on the app and how it works with the streamer box.
For example, ATT TV absolutely sucks on an Apple TV. Fire TV hands it better.
Fubo is better on the Apple TV and has more features.
I have Apple TV, Roku, and Fire TV. I have also used all the major streaming companies except for Sling. I have used You Tube TV, Fubo, ATT TV, Philo, and Hulu.
I like the Apple TV the best, but that isn't the answer to your question.
The answer lies in the apps themselves that you want to use.
It depends on the app and how it works with the streamer box.
For example, ATT TV absolutely sucks on an Apple TV. Fire TV hands it better.
Fubo is better on the Apple TV and has more features.
Speaking of remote controls and AppleTV remote--
I have a Home Theater Master MX-850 which allows learning IR transmissions from any remote control and cloning them. It also has software where you can write scripts to program complex instructions with one button press. Most Remote controls work with codes and some newer components may not be listed so a learning remote is actually superior but takes longer to program.
The big problem is the AppleTV remote with the touch pad and BT only transmission, not IR. There is a place in the ATV4K settings to program a couple functions with a learning remote that allowed me to get a few functions working. The two functions that can't be programmed are the voice control and that touch pad. I wish there was a way to replicate the touch pad operation signals to a set of buttons.
With the TIVO, there is a way to program the TIVO VOX remote to emit IR rather than RF which allowed me to teach my Home Theater Master remote all the TIVO buttons, except the VOX.
This is where the Harmony Hub shines as it supports Bluetooth, Wi-fi and IR technologies. I don't think the Harmony can emulate a track pad but it does just fine with compass points.
Turned my cable card and tuning adapter in a little while ago. 17yrs with Dish and 5 years with Cox/TiVo. Now will be OTA with TiVo and/or Plex.
Will use latest 4K Fire Sticks for any streaming I might do. I have Philo and Prime mainly. Also access to YouTube TV if I need/want to. I still wish there was some internet competition around here. $80 a month is kind of high for 150/10 with 1TB cap from Cox, since they have no competition in 90% of the area. I can barely get 3M DSL from Windstream, but barely a half mile down the road people get unlimited symmetrical gig service from BTC.
Will use latest 4K Fire Sticks for any streaming I might do. I have Philo and Prime mainly. Also access to YouTube TV if I need/want to. I still wish there was some internet competition around here. $80 a month is kind of high for 150/10 with 1TB cap from Cox, since they have no competition in 90% of the area. I can barely get 3M DSL from Windstream, but barely a half mile down the road people get unlimited symmetrical gig service from BTC.
Yep, Harmony Hub with Ultimate or Elite remotes can do it all. First turn off CEC as it is the devil's spawn. I control an LG OLED TV, an Onkyo AVR, a Shield 2019 Pro, a Fire TV Stick 4k, a Roku whatever stick, an LG BD, and a Sony CD deck plus lights, thermostats, outlets, and I imagine my garage door. the secret is setting up "Activities" properly. The by pressing an "Activity" button, every "Device" needed is turned on and all the necessary inputs/outputs are set. The downside is that Hub and remote are a little pricey.
The Logitech K600 is great for introducing a keyboard, track pad, D-pad, and mouse buttons into a system. Will support up to three operating systems at once out of a choice of several. I use LG WebOS, Android, and Windows.
Click here for info: K600
Only downside is no back-lighting. I guess a battery thing.
Click here for info: K600
Only downside is no back-lighting. I guess a battery thing.
The touch pad allows scrubbing the timeline on some programs. Can only do 10 second jumps with the button. Scrubbing menus up down left and right also is not possible with a button. That only does one at a time.
In use, if I want to jump to an hour into a movie without the touch pad I have to hit the skip ahead button many many times. If there is a better way, let me know.
AppleTV4K allows those compass points to be learned from the settings. I'm good on that but thanks.
Apple TV 4K compatible? They are not listed. Sony, Philips, LG, Samsung-- OK
The Harmony Hub can do a lot of the AppleTV features. I'm guessing that the Siri remote behaves somewhat like a track pad. When I say "track pad" I mean it in the laptop pointing device sense as opposed to a "joydisc" that sends compass directions. If it is really more an matter of sensing direction, the joydisc on a Harmony remote may well work.
The K600 appears to be uniquely designed for name brand televisions.
The K600 appears to be uniquely designed for name brand televisions.
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