OK the new remote gizmo looks to be made for me as using the Apple TV remote is testing to say the least, plus I get a few extra toys and gizmos - whats not to like???
Well the connection potentially…
I currently use Apple TV with a Wattbike and HR belt - it “just works” and the protocol for pairing them has me feeling slightly nervous
Looking at the comprehensive instructions I would have to pair them through ZC on my Android phone but Im not clear if I then have to switch the Wattbike and my HR monitor over to my phone as well. If so would I have to go through all this palaver each time I log on or is it a one off, and if I do have to run the lot from my phone how stable would it be?
Its also complicated by the fact that 2 members of the house use Zwift - the only current hassle is selecting which one of us when it boots and cracking on uneventfully
Thanks in advance - I appreciate its early days and few if any of you have seen the controller but theres a wealth of knowledge here on Bluetooth and connection stuff
Hi @Tony_Thomas
In your case with an AppleTV as the computer running the game - yes, all of your Bluetooth device signals would have to pair via the Companion app.
With ATV and Bluetooth device signal sources - they’re either all paired natively to your computer, or all bridged via Companion. A how-to article is here if you need more details
Is Zwift planning to make the pairing via ZC properly supported now that ATV users are forced down that route if they have Zwift Play?
Up till now if someone is pairing via ZC and reports any issues, then the usual forum response (including from Zwift staffers) is, paraphrasing, to not pair via ZC because it’s a less reliable option.
After some tweaking this morning I have to say that using ZC as a bridge is just not for me
The issue I have found is that whilst the wattbike and HR monitor work fine when I use this configuration I then have to repair the whole lot each time I log in - thats power/speed/cadence/HRM - and then I would presumably have to pair the Play controller(s) too. In contrast its all paired and ready to go on each of our accounts just using Apple TV
My main reason for wanting the controllers is on account of the Apple TV remote having poor functionality in selecting courses/workouts etc, Im not prepared to have this but then have significantly increased hassle and complexity each time we log on
And I havent even got as far as riding with the ZC bridge although I am mindful of niggles around this in itself being unstable
I think Zwift get a bad rap about Apple TV pairing.
It is a media centre, not a gaming platform. It is not set up to natively support a lot of bluetooth connections. The ZC bridge works surprisingly well as a hack, but it’s impossible to fully support the relay of bluetooth connections from every mobile device, considering how different they all are too.
My answer to people frustrated with the Apple TV experience is to use something fit for purpose instead.
If you have a Wattbike Atom it is not supported by the Zwift play as I presume the steering brake\shifter covers the gear buttons, so had you been able to connect it, you might have wasted your money anyway. Silver lining and all that
Though, I do think a bodge will get you around the Atom limitation.
Why do you say that, considering that Zwift support such BT connections from the same device when it’s the Zwift game app running on the phone, they support BT on PCs with a gazillion different configuration options, etc.
I’m struggling to follow your logic.
Also, why some PC users feel the need to bash the ATV?
Relaying bluetooth from mobile devices to Apple TV is completely different to natively supporting bluetooth connections in the app itself. Apple TV is a media centre. It’s amazing it works at all. They are working within a very tight boundary of possibilities. Maybe if you can point to another example on Apple TV that handles it better, that would be a start. They can’t perform magic. I’m sure a lot of companies would avoid Apple TV support completely because it’s such a minefield.
am not sure saying that a device that doesn’t handle multiple Bluetooth connections properly is trashing it, i think some people might expect too much from a device that is being used in a way it was never really intended, the bluetooth connections limit seems to an apple issue as the protocol for BL5 should support upto 7 devices
I have no idea what percentage of the Zwift user base uses ATV, but it would be interesting if the Play controllers could act as a BT bridge, in the same manner as a Viiiiva HRM.
My experience of the Viiiva HR bridge is a mixed one - Once it is working, its pretty good but by god getting it work & stay working is a pain in the backside. Plus the battery drain on it is phenomenal.
What you probably want is a NPE Cable - Though I think this is about to be relaunched under a slightly different name.
That will rebroadcast multiple BT streams or convert from BT to Ant+
Looks like they have rebranded the device to WYUR possibly.
I thought it was more of a BT aggregator.