I recently stumbled upon a fantastic project called AV Scenes, and I wanted to share my experience with the community. This integration has completely transformed how I control my home theater setup, making it more seamless and efficient than ever before. Here’s my take on it! ### What is AV Scenes? AV Scenes is a Home Assistant integration designed to bring activity-based control to your multimedia devices. Instead of manually toggling each device, you can create scenes like “Watch Movie” or “Listen to Music,” and the integration handles the rest. It’s an excellent alternative to devices like the Logitech Harmony, but with the added benefit of being 100% local, open source, and fully integrated into Home Assistant. ### Key Features That Blow My Mind - Smart Activity Switching: The integration is smart enough to keep shared devices powered on during transitions. For example, if I switch from “Watch TV” to “Watch Movie,” the receiver stays on but adjusts the input and volume. No more interruptions or delays! - Automatic Volume Control: You can set a volume controller per activity, ensuring the perfect listening experience every time. - Power Sequencing: Delays between device power-on ensure everything is ready before sending commands, which is a lifesaver for slow-to-boot devices like projectors. - Multi-Room Support: If you have multiple entertainment areas, AV Scenes can handle them independently, each with its own set of activities. ### My Use Case Before AV Scenes, my home theater setup was a chore. Turning everything on required a series of manual steps, often taking over 30 seconds. Now, with just one tap, I activate the “Watch Movie” scene: 1. The receiver turns on and switches to the BD/DVD input. 2. The projector powers up and selects the HDMI1 input. 3. The Blu-ray player starts playing. 4. The volume adjusts to my preset level. It’s like magic! And when I switch activities, the integration handles it gracefully without any user intervention. ### Configuration Made Easy One of the best things about AV Scenes is how user-friendly it is. No YAML required—everything is configured through the Home Assistant UI. You can add rooms, activities, and devices with ease, and changes are applied immediately. The auto-save and auto-reload features ensure your setup stays up-to-date without any hassle. ### Why I Love It - Local Control: No reliance on the cloud means faster, more reliable operation. - Open Source: The community-driven nature of this project ensures continuous improvement and customization. - Seamless Integration: Works perfectly with existing media_player entities, so you don’t need to overhaul your setup. ### A Word of Caution While AV Scenes is incredibly powerful, it’s still in its early stages. Some features, like multi-room support, are works in progress. However, the developer is actively seeking contributions, so the future looks bright! ### Final Thoughts AV Scenes has been a game-changer for my home theater experience. It’s taken the hassle out of controlling multiple devices and elevated my entertainment setup to new heights. If you’re looking to streamline your AV setup, I highly recommend giving this integration a try! You can find more details and installation instructions in the AV Scenes documentation. Happy automating! 
