Google TV driver for Control4 released

Where this came from: this question was asked on r/Control4 — not here. We answered it there, in public, and this is that answer.

The thing that will make or break this for most of you isn't in the feature list: Google TV's remote protocol is a paired connection, not a fire-and-forget IP command set. You have to pair the controller to the TV once, and Chowmain's guide confirms it with a code shown on the TV screen, so someone has to be in the room. Worth knowing before planning a remote-only install. It also means a factory reset or a panel replacement on the TV can invalidate the pairing and you're back on site. I'd confirm how Chowmain handles re-pairing before buying several.

Second thing, and this is the one that generates the callback: power on over IP only works if the TV stays on the network while it's off. Chowmain's guide says Screenless Standby must be on (generally Settings > System > Power and Energy > Standby Mode), and that after a power outage the TV has to be turned on once with its own remote. It needs OS 3.4.3 or later, and HC-series controllers aren't supported (https://chowmain.software/drivers/control4-tcl-google-tv).

Third, give the TV a DHCP reservation on the router before you bind anything. An IP driver pointed at a lease instead of a reservation is one of the most common remote service calls there is. Client swaps a router or the ISP pushes a new gateway, the TV comes back on a different address, and the driver sits there dead while everything else in the house works fine.

My actual opinion on where to use it: bedrooms, guest rooms, gyms, anywhere the TCL is both the display and the source. It kills the IR emitter and the app launching through Mini Apps is genuinely nicer than navigating with a directional pad. For a main room I'd still put an Apple TV or a cable box in front of it and use this driver only for power, input and the odd deep link. TV-resident apps update on the manufacturer's schedule, and when TCL reorganises its launcher your package names and deep links can move. Also be careful with volume. If audio is going out over eARC to an AVR, bind the room's volume to the AVR and leave the TV's internal volume alone, or you'll get two things fighting over the same ramp.

If anyone's unsure whether their specific set will take it, tell me the TCL model number, the Google TV build it's running and what OS your controller is on and I'll tell you what I think before you spend money on the licence. If I don't know, I'll say so rather than guess. I'm a Control4 and Lutron dealer and do this remotely, so take the opinion with that in mind.