Universal IR remote with keyboard shortcuts for Android TV Kodi

[Defendor]

Hello I've got a question about Android TV boxes with Kodi.
The remote controls which are shipped with this boxes just have a very little amount of buttons to control Kodi for example there are no direct buttons for fast forward/backward, play/pause and so on. You always have to open the menu with the remote.

If you connect a keyboard with the TV Box you can use shortcuts like F for fast forward, space for play/pause etc.

I have a Logitech Harmony universal remote. Is it possible to program the shortcuts known from keyboard and send it via IR to a Android Box like the Beelink i68 ?

I already tried to program the Logitech remote like a Windows Media Center remote with all the shortcuts but the Android TV Box didn't recognize the commands like expected. Is there any known similar remote for Android that works with IR ? Or is there an App for Android to adjust the IR-commands ?

[RISCy Dude]

Hello Defendor, Generally in Kodi, the IR remote's up/down directional keys will long jump forward or backward respectively. Also the IR remote's left/right buttons will short jump backward or forward respectively, same thing is true for a keyboard's directional arrow keys. In both cases, how much it jumps is adjustable from within Kodi's settings. The IR remote's OK button will pause/play. When pushing the OK button, Kodi's onscreen transport controls will popup, if you push OK again, it will pause/play. When the onscreen controls are showing, you can make other selections with the IR remote's left/right directional keys, click OK when the function you want is highlighted.
Have fun.
BTW I do not have a harmony remote and therefore can not address that.

[Defendor]

Thanks for your answer. I already tested the "standard" handling with the shipped remote. I just hopped I could expand the handling of the Media Player with some more direct commands from my Logitech Harmony.

Edit: There aren't anymore control options for the Harmony when you put in a standard Android TV device. But what you can do is to buy a Flirc Usb-Adapter and set the Logitech Harmony to Flirc and Kodi. Then you have all the Kodi commands known from a normal keyboard and you have full control.

[scottfree1]

Between the harmony app, the kodi keymap editor and editing the android .kl files, if you have the will there is a way..

https://source.android.com/devices/input/key-layout-files.html

https://pyra-handheld.com/boards/threads/tutorial-how-to-remap-android-hardware-keys.69593/

http://kodi.wiki/view/Add-on:Keymap_Editor

[Defendor]

Thanks for your reply. Maybe it can help someone else searching for the same. I'm very happy with my Flirc dongle and my Logitech Harmony so far.