SmartIR Guide - How to Smart Home Your Air Conditioner and TV with Broadlink and Home Assistant

What do you need to get started?

To follow this guide, you should have:

1. IR transmitter: I recommend the Broadlink RM4 Pro (which also includes Radio Frequency) or the Broadlink RM4 Mini (IR only).
2. Temperature/Humidity Sensor: If you use Broadlink’s special cable with a sensor, you’ll get real-time data from the room.
3. Home Assistant: With HACS installed.

💡 Tip: If you haven’t set up your Broadlink in Home Assistant yet, take a look at this previous step.

Step 1: Installing SmartIR via HACS

SmartIR is a custom integration that makes it much easier to create climate entities (climate control) and media_player entities (players).

1. Go to HACS > Integrations.
2. Click the three dots (top-right corner) > Custom repositories.
3. Paste the SmartIR URL: https://github.com/smartHomeHub/SmartIR and select Integration.
4. Download it and restart Home Assistant.

Once restarted, add the basic line to your configuration.yaml:

smartir:

Step 2: Setting Up the Air Conditioner (Climate Entity)

To make your AC appear as a real thermostat in Home Assistant, add the following code to your configuration. You’ll need to look up your model’s code in the SmartIR library.

YAML code for the Air Conditioner:

climate:
  - platform: smartir
    name: AC Salón
    unique_id: ac_salon
    device_code: 1120 # Sustituye por el código de tu modelo
    controller_data: remote.emisor_ir_remote # ID de tu Broadlink
    temperature_sensor: sensor.emisor_ir_temperatura
    humidity_sensor: sensor.emisor_ir_humedad
    power_sensor: binary_sensor.ac_salon_power # Opcional: para saber si está encendido

Status sensor (Optional but recommended)

If you have a power meter (like a Shelly or current clamps), you can create a binary_sensor so Home Assistant knows whether the AC is actually on:

template:
  - binary_sensor:
      - name: "AC Salón Encendido"
        unique_id: ac_salon_power
        state: >
          {{ states('sensor.consumo_aire_acondicionado_salon') | float(0) > 10 }}
        icon: >
          {% if this.state == 'on' %}
            mdi:air-conditioner
          {% else %}
            mdi:air-conditioner-off
          {% endif %}

Step 3: Controlling the TV (Media Player Entity)

Turning your TV into a media_player will let you control the volume, mute, or switch sources from the dashboard.

YAML code for the TV:

media_player:
  - platform: smartir
    name: TV Salón
    unique_id: tv_salon
    device_code: 1060 # Sustituye por el código de tu marca
    controller_data: remote.emisor_ir_remote
    power_sensor: binary_sensor.tv_power_status # Opcional

Recommended gear

These are the devices used in this project:

• Broadlink MR4 Pro (Con IR + RF): Aliexpress · Amazon · RM4 Mini (solo IR)
• BroadLink RM4 Mini — Budget option (Sin RF): AliExpress · Amazon

Conclusion and Testing

After adding the code and restarting, you’ll have new entities in your system. Now you can:

• Raise and lower the temperature from your phone.
• Automate the AC so it turns on based on feels like temperature (you can see how to do it in this other post).
• Control the TV with Google Home or Alexa through Home Assistant.

Smart home your house for less than €20 is possible! Don’t forget to check the updated AliExpress coupons to get your Broadlink at the best price.

Useful links mentioned:

• SmartIR GitHub