$129 AUD per processor · Version 1.89 · 120-minute free trial · RTI XP processors
Full two-way Apple TV control over the LAN via Apple's native Companion Protocol - navigation, transport, app launching with real App Store icons, on-screen keyboard and volume feedback. Now a hybrid IP + IR driver: the remote keeps working over infrared when the Apple TV sleeps or the network drops, with automatic fallback and one-click IR setup. Plus a Web Object dashboard, on-screen browse menu, a self-healing connection surviving port changes and reboots - every Apple TV under one licence.
Full two-way Apple TV control over the LAN via Apple's native Companion Protocol - navigation, transport, app launching with real App Store icons, on-screen keyboard and volume feedback. Now a hybrid IP + IR driver: the remote keeps working over infrared when the Apple TV sleeps or the network drops, with automatic fallback and one-click IR setup. Plus a Web Object dashboard, on-screen browse menu, a self-healing connection surviving port changes and reboots - every Apple TV under one licence.
Features
- Full navigation, transport & media control
- App launching with real App Store icons
- Text input / on-screen keyboard + volume feedback
- NEW - Hybrid IP + IR: infrared fallback when IP drops or the Apple TV sleeps
- NEW - IR unlocks extra commands IP cannot send: discrete power off, display, forward/reverse scan, video resolution, screenshot, restart
- One-click IR setup wires the full 32-command Apple TV IR code set
- Browser Web Object dashboard + on-screen browse menu
- Self-healing connection - survives port changes & reboots
- Every Apple TV on the processor under one licence
Introduction
Smart Home Programming and Automation (Australia) writes RTI drivers and RTI interface programming. Apple TV Control is a two-way IP driver for Apple TV.
The driver controls an Apple TV over the network using the same protocol as the Apple Remote on an iPhone. It gives navigation, media control, volume, power, app launching, text input, Now Playing with cover art, an on-panel browse menu and a browser-based Web Object remote.
Important Note
This driver uses cloud services run by Smart Home Programming. Control itself is local: the processor talks to the Apple TV directly on your network.
- shpdrivers.services (Smart Home Programming), port 443, TLS.
- Pairing and reconnect (Full Crypto Offload, on by default). The driver sends the pairing values it needs worked out (SRP, Ed25519 and Curve25519 numbers for this Apple TV session) and gets the results back. No PIN, password or Apple ID is sent. If the server cannot be reached the driver does the work on the processor instead.
- Web Object (off by default). With Web Object Enabled the driver keeps one connection open, sends the Apple TV's state (connection, current app, volume, Now Playing, licence status) and receives the commands pressed on the Web Object page.
- Show look-ups (on by default). For ABC iview, 9Now and SBS the driver sends the programme identifier the app reported and gets back the show name and cover.
- Remote Logging (off by default). The driver sends its log lines to our support log server.
- The broadcaster's own catalogue answers the show look-ups through our server. The processor does not contact it directly.
Pairing needs the Apple TV set to Settings > AirPlay and HomeKit > Allow Access > Anyone on the Same Network. With "Only People Sharing This Home" the Apple TV refuses pairing and never shows a PIN.
Driver Features
- Remote control: D-pad, Select, Menu / Back, Home, App Switcher (double-tap Home), Play / Pause, skip and scan, volume, mute, power (sleep / wake), Smart Skip / Scan buttons.
- App launching: browse and launch installed apps with real icons, 50+ app launch shortcuts for macros, launch by bundle ID, and Open URL for deep links.
- Text input: Send Text into a focused search field; Keyboard Active tells you when a text field is open; a one-button keyboard Web Object served from the processor.
- Feedback: connection state, current app and icon, volume, screen state (awake / asleep / screensaver).
- Now Playing: title, second line, elapsed / duration / remaining, progress, live flag, cover art and playback state, over AirPlay using the existing pairing. What appears depends on the app.
- Browse menu for touch panels and handheld remotes: apps, controls, system and pairing.
- Web Object remote in any browser or RTI Web Object, with an optional access code.
- IP-down command events: optionally signal an event for each command pressed while IP is down, so you can bind a fallback macro of your own.
- Several Apple TVs on one processor: load the driver once per Apple TV; one licence covers all of them.
- Polling: status is polled every 10 seconds by default (Poll Interval); app, screen and keyboard changes are pushed by the Apple TV.
Supported Devices
- Apple TV HD (4th generation, A1625).
- Apple TV 4K, all generations (A1842, A2169, A2737, A2843 and later).
- tvOS 15 or later.
System Requirements & Prerequisites
- RTI XP processor with runtime 24 or later. Tested on XP-8v, XP-6s and XP-6. XP-3 and XP-8s are not yet confirmed.
- Integration Designer 10.0 or later.
- Apple TV on the same network as the processor, with a fixed IP address (static or DHCP reservation).
- Internet access recommended (pairing offload, Web Object, show look-ups). The driver works without it; pairing is then slow and may not finish on an XP-3 or XP-6.
- Apple TV setting Allow Access = Anyone on the Same Network (Settings > AirPlay and HomeKit).
Limitations
- No volume control unless the Apple TV controls the audio output (Volume Available shows when it does).
- Now Playing depends on the app. Netflix sends no details; some apps send no cover.
- An app only launches if it is installed on that Apple TV. Refused launches are reported in Last Launch Error.
- Apple TV HD (A1625) on tvOS 26.5: Apple drops the app list, current app and volume requests on this model. Remote control still works.
- Some wired Apple TV 4K models drop off the network in standby, so Power On can take a while to land. Adding the Apple TV to the Apple Home app keeps its network up in standby.
- The driver does not send IR. IP-down command events only signal events; any fallback is a macro you bind yourself.
Troubleshooting
- No PIN on the Apple TV: set Allow Access to Anyone on the Same Network (see Device Setup).
- Pairing never starts and TraceView repeats "ResolveName - failed for host: shpdrivers.services": the network cannot resolve our server. Set SRP Server (and Log Server Host if used) to 209.38.27.58.
- Wrong or missing Apple TV at the IP: Different Apple TV at this IP or Apple TV Not Responding turns on. Check the address.
- Commands do nothing: check Connection State is Connected and License Status is not Unlicensed.
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