IR and IP device control setup:

NetPlay can be configured to control your external source (cable box, Blu-ray, etc) devices and your external sink (TVs, AVRs) devices via either IR or IP.

Each device can have up to 48 predefined codes saved (either IR or IP commands).  The predefined codes cover all the normal "button press" operations needed to control your devices.  These predefined codes are shown on the virtual matrix IR config screen.  They also map directly to the GUI buttons shown in NetPlay Mobile and NetPlay TV.  Proper configuration allows you to easily control all your devices directly from the NetPlay apps.

These codes are used by both NetPlay Mobile and NetPlay TV to control your sources and sinks.  For more information on recommended remote controls to use, please click here.

IR control:

NetPlay uses standard Pronto HEX format IR codes.  Codes can be loaded for each device using 4 methods:

1. Copy and paste each Pronto Hex code directly. 
   1. First select the device and code you wish to program using the table (rows are devices, columns are codes, refer to the labels).  If no code is saved, the button will say "none".  If a code is already saved, the button will say "IRcode".  In either case, press the button to edit the code. 
   2. Next you can paste the Pronto Hex code into the edit field (just use "0" if you want to delete the code instead).  Select "IR Hex code" from the drop down selector and then press "Save"
2. Capture IR codes using the Virtual Matrix (VRX020 or NetPlay Manager) and the IR detector cable.
   1. First select the device and code you wish to program using the table (rows are devices, columns are codes, refer to the labels).  If no code is saved, the button will say "none".  If a code is already saved, the button will say "IRcode".  In either case, press the button to edit the code. 
   2. Next press the "Capture" button.  Then aim the remote at the IR detector (attached to Virtual Matrix) and press the key to learn six times.
   3. If learning is successful, the HEX code will now be in the edit field.  Press "Save" to store.
3. Load a predefined IR code file.
   1. IR code files can be downloaded from video-storm.com or exported from your Virtual Matrix.
   2. The file format details is described at the bottom of this page.  Code files can contain all the codes for a single device.
   3. These files can be edited directly in Notepad for a quick method of entry.
   4. Use the "Load File" button next to the device to load the file.
4. Copy the IR codes from one source/sink to another.  This is used if you have several sources/sinks that are the same model and thus use the same codes.
   1. Locate the "Copy from" drop box box and select the device you would like to copy FROM
   2. Locate the table row of the device you would like to copy TO.  Press the "Copy" button in that row.

After saving your IR codes, you should test the functionality using one of the NetPlay Apps or the IR/IP control link on your Virtual Matrix web index page.

Your IR emitters can be:

• IR emitter cable attached to a VRX device (sinks)
• IR emitter cable attached to a VTX device (sources)
• IRUSB cable attached to a NetPlay TV device (sinks)
• IRUSB cable attached to a CastHD device (sources)
• If you are using 3rd party ethernet to IR devices, they will be controlled using IP control below (not IR)

Proto IR hex codes are the most common IR format and can represent all IR devices.  Two good online sources for Proto codes are:

• IR online database
• Remote Central
• Video Storm IR/IP file library
• Device driver files from other control system vendors (use the IR conversion utility on your Virtual Matrix to convert these)

IP control:

NetPlay can also control your source and sink devices using IP based commands.  There are three types of supported IP commands:

• WAKE on LAN commands
  • Wake on LAN is used to turn on devices which go into deep sleep.  WOL often needs to be enabled in the devices config menus.
  • The command URL for Wake on LAN is wol://device_ip_address:port/device_mac_address
    • device_ip_address = the device ip address OR the broadcast address of that subnet
    • port is usually 9 for this command
    • device_mac_address is the 12 digit mac address without the ":'s   (123456789abc)
• TCP IP commands
  • TCP commands are the simpliest way to control devices via IP
  • The command URL for TCP commands is tcp://device_ip_address:port/url_encoded_command
    • device_ip_address = the device ip address
    • port is the port number used by the device to accept TCP control commands
    • url_encoded_command = the protocol specific TCP command to send using URL encoding.  Please use the online URL encoder to properly encode command strings.
• HTTP IP commands
  • HTTP commands are highly flexible and can be used to control nearly any IP connected device
  • NetPlay uses the tool cURL to provide nearly universal compatibility
  • Any IP command that is not WOL or TCP will be interpreted as a cURL command
  • cUrl commands have extensive online documentation and examples
  • The URL you provide is the exact cURL command line without the curl command itself
    • For example, if using a POST command such as

      curl --data "param1=value1&param2=value2" http://hostname/resource

      Your edit code field is just ==> --data "param1=value1&param2=value2" http://hostname/resource

NetPlay provides 3 methods for attaching your IP codes to devices

1. Copy and paste each IP code directly. 
   1. First select the device and code you wish to program using the table (rows are devices, columns are codes, refer to the labels).  If no code is saved, the button will say "none".  If a code is already saved, the button will say "IPcode".  In either case, press the button to edit the code. 
   2. Next you can paste the IP code into the edit field (just use "0" if you want to delete the code instead).  Select "IP code" from the drop down selector and then press "Save"
2. Load a predefined IP code file.
   1. IR code files can be downloaded from video-storm.com or exported from your Virtual Matrix.
   2. The file format details is described at the bottom of this page.  Code files can contain all the codes for a single device.
   3. These files can be edited directly in Notepad for a quick method of entry.
   4. Use the "Load File" button next to the device to load the file.
   5. The page will ask for the IP address of the device.  Please enter the device ip only (not port).  For example, (192.168.1.199).
   6. If your device requires a Username and Password, also enter these.  If not, leave these fields blank.
3. Copy the IP codes from one source/sink to another.  This is used if you have several sources/sinks that are the same model and thus use the same codes.
   1. Locate the "Copy from" drop box box and select the device you would like to copy FROM
   2. Locate the table row of the device you would like to copy TO.  Press the "Copy" button in that row.
   3. The page will ask for the IP address of the device.  Please enter the device ip only (not port).  For example, (192.168.1.199).
   4. If your device requires a Username and Password, also enter these.  If not, leave these fields blank.

After saving your IP codes, you should test the functionality using one of the NetPlay Apps or the IR/IP control link on your Virtual Matrix web index page.

IP codes do not require any external hardware.  They are sent directly from the Virtual Matrix.

Predefined IR/IP code files

Code files are XML format files that contain some or all of the 48 codes for a single source or sink device.

XML format details:

• <file> Root tag
  • <doc>   Documentation or comments for the file.  Informational only
  • <replaceval>  Contains a variable to replace in each code.  For example,  #IPADDRESS is the most common variable.  This allows you to specifiy the IP address when loading the file to a specific device (since all devices will have different IPs).
  • <codes>  Code container
    • <number>   Code number (1 to 48).  Use either number or name to specify which code this is.
    • <name>  Code name (case insensitive).  Must match one of the code names given on the source or sink IP setup pages.  Use either number or name to specify which code this is.
    • <type>  Code type:   0=IR hex code   2=IP code
    • <data>  Code data:  For IR codes, this is the proto hex code.  For IP codes, this is the URL.  Code data may contain the REPLACE variables from above.  For example, a TCP code data would be  tcp://$IPADDRESS:9091/V001001%0D

Video Storm provides a small library of XML files.  Please add to this libary by sending known good xml files to support@video-storm.com.  You can use the EXPORT button in your IR/IP setup page to automatically generate these files.

You can also use the IR format conversion untility on your Virtual Matrix to convert other IR driver file types to NetPlay XML format.