![]() ![]() Pro tip: Use Chromecast and Chromecast Audio to create instant surround sound with the speakers you already have in your home. It’s an à la carte system, requiring you to make shortcuts for shows or movies you’d like to easily access, but building shortcuts takes mere seconds in the app, which is faster than building a custom Activity in the Harmony Hub. ![]() You can also create shortcuts for specific video content, such as one called “Moonrise” to start Moonrise Kingdom on Netflix, or “Winter is Coming” to start Game of Thrones on HBO Now. For example, you can set up “Movie Lights” in your living room by creating a task that sets all the lights at 25% brightness all you’d have to say is “OK Google, Movie Lights” to activate it (instead of “OK Google, dim my living room lights to 25%”). These shortcuts would be for singular tasks, unlike Logitech’s singular Activity that encompasses several, but they still work well. If you want to watch Zootopia, for example, you’d need to say “OK Google, turn on Zootopia on Netflix on my Chromecast.” You can give your Chromecast a shorter name, but the best way to expedite these commands is to create shortcuts within the Home app. Once you have a Chromecast on your TV and a Google Home installed, you can activate a long command to show the video content of your choosing. A regular Chromecast will control what’s streaming on your TV, while Chromecast Audio can control nearly all the speakers in your home (notably SONOS isn’t compatible). If you’re a Google Home user, you have two options for a smart home theater: 1) Get a Logitech Harmony Hub and follow the above steps, as the hub also works with Google Home, or 2) Get a few Chromecast devices to take over your TV and any speakers in your home. Google Home and Chromecast: Shortcuts for Everything & amp amp amp amp amp amp lt img src=”///sites/default/files/styles/4_3_horizontal_-_1200x900/public/image/2017/07/main/diy-home-theater-google-chromecast-sun-0817.jpg?itok=o4z4WDjy” alt=”Google Home and Chromecast” /& amp amp amp amp amp amp gt & amp amp amp amp lt br /& amp amp amp amp gt & amp amp lt br /& amp amp gt & lt br /& gtPro tip: If you’ve got smart outlets and a popcorn machine, hook it up to start popping when you ask to watch TV! Make sure you’ve got the kernels in the machine beforehand, though. Once you do that, your Alexa will automatically learn your Activities and their names, so that you can say “Alexa, turn on Watch TV” and the series of events you set up will occur. Instead, once you’re done creating the Activity, open up your Alexa app and activate the Harmony Skill. Build the Activity in the app first-but don’t add Alexa to it directly. In setting up your own Activities, you’ll choose the devices you want in the Activity, what you want them to do when it starts, and what you want to happen when it ends. And, when we ended the Activity, the lights turned back to normal and the TV switched off. ![]() In our Smart Cottage, we demonstrated an Activity called “Watch TV.” In it, our TV turned on, the Roku switched to our Amazon Prime Video, the smart lights dimmed, and our previously-on SONOS speaker switched off, prepping the living room for a show or movie to begin. Next, if you have them in your living room, make sure to connect smart light bulbs to the hub.Īfter you’ve added all the devices to your hub via the app, you can create “Activities.” An Activity is a singular command that triggers multiple things in sequence. For example an Amazon Echo, your streaming device, and the TV. You’ll start by installing the hub in your living room, and then sync it to other entertainment-related devices in your home using the app. & amp amp amp amp amp amp lt p& amp amp amp amp amp amp gt & amp amp amp amp amp amp lt /div& amp amp amp amp amp amp gt & amp amp amp amp lt br /& amp amp amp amp gt & amp amp lt br /& amp amp gt & lt br /& gt& amp amp amp amp amp amp lt img src=”///sites/default/files/styles/4_3_horizontal_-_1200x900/public/image/2017/03/main/logitech-harmony-hub-0417.png?itok=NocuKiid” alt=”Logitech Harmony Hub” /& amp amp amp amp amp amp gt & amp amp amp amp lt br /& amp amp amp amp gt & amp amp lt br /& amp amp gt & lt br /& gt & amp amp amp amp amp amp lt div class=”inner-container”& amp amp amp amp amp amp gt & amp amp amp amp lt br /& amp amp amp amp gt & amp amp lt br /& amp amp gt & lt br /& gt & amp amp amp amp amp amp lt /p& amp amp amp amp amp amp gt & amp amp amp amp lt br /& amp amp amp amp gt & amp amp lt br /& amp amp gt & lt br /& gt ![]()
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