Review on IVY Universal Projector Conditioner Compatible by Robert Ryokan

I love this IVY smart IR blaster, although I've noticed a few limitations, most of which are more related to Google than the device itself. I already have the SmartLife app on my phone so I set up the Smart Blaster, just plugged it in and hit the setup button and it showed up in SmartLife. I then set up my Samsung TV and Vizio soundbar in just a few minutes from their fairly extensive list of devices. I chose the device type (TV/Stereo/Soundbar/etc) and then the manufacturer asked me to press a "button" on my phone and asked if it was controlling the device properly. He got a TV and soundbar on the first try, as well as a DeLonghi portable air conditioner, a few other Vizio TVs, a Yamaha soundbar, and a Sony portable stereo. It had no devices for a couple of Chinese brand devices I have, a CMUEPO brand mini projector or a Tenmiya brand portable Bluetooth speaker, but it received learning commands from both remotes and they worked fine. Device Management I set up dummy remote controls in the app in my phone, everything works fine and doesn't have much delay from pressing on my phone to device response. I don't need to turn on Wi-Fi for the app to work, and it can control devices even when I'm using them outside of my home. It's all done through the SmartLife app, so you don't have to sign up for a separate account on some random website to get things going. It is good that IVY cooperates with SmartLife. The only complaint I have about the app is that the remotes are fixed and separate from each other. By solid I mean you get the buttons they give you and the "More" button. If what you want isn't on the home screen, you'll have to go to "More" to get it, and you can't change a button you never use to one you want to see on the home screen . For example, the Mute button is in the More section on a Samsung TV, but I use it MUCH more than the Home button, which is on the home screen. I wish I could trade them, but I can't. I could make my own remote and learn button by button but the templates are fixed. I might end up doing this anyway because I want the TV's pause/play controls to be on the same remote as the volume and mute controls for the soundbar. Built-in devices are separate, so to mute or pause I have to go to the right remote screen. Otherwise all controls work very well, at least from the remote controls. My problems started with Google. When I tell Google to turn on the playroom, it turns on the lights, TV, and soundbar, which is great. Shutting down works the same way. Google can also turn on the TV and soundbar separately. It can adjust volume and mute on Vizio and Yamaha soundbars, but not TVs. Google also can't pause an app like YouTube on a TV (says it's an unsupported feature), although it can by pressing the pause button on the remote. The things Google can do are really limited compared to what I can do with the remote app. With fixed remote buttons and Google's inconsistent behavior I can't give 5 stars but at the same time the app and blaster work with every device I've tried using it with which is great. If you want to control everything and don't expect Google to be Ironman's Jarvis, then this remote will do damn good.