--- title: Universal media player description: Instructions on how to create a universal media player in Home Assistant. ha_category: - Media player ha_iot_class: Calculated ha_release: 0.11 ha_quality_scale: internal ha_domain: universal ha_platforms: - media_player ha_integration_type: integration --- A universal media player can combine multiple existing entities in Home Assistant into a single media player {% term entity %}. This is used to create a single media player {% term entity %} that can control an entire media center. Multiple media player entities may be controlled from a universal media player. Additionally, the universal media player can enable volume and power commands to be directed to other Home Assistant entities. This enables the media player power and volume commands to control devices like a television, amplifier or audio receiver, for example. A universal media player is created in `configuration.yaml` as follows. ```yaml # Example configuration.yaml entry media_player: - platform: universal name: MEDIA_PLAYER_NAME children: - media_player.CHILD_1_ID - media_player.CHILD_2_ID commands: turn_on: service: SERVICE data: SERVICE_DATA turn_off: service: SERVICE data: SERVICE_DATA volume_up: service: SERVICE data: SERVICE_DATA volume_down: service: SERVICE data: SERVICE_DATA volume_mute: service: SERVICE data: SERVICE_DATA media_play: service: SERVICE data: SERVICE_DATA media_pause: service: SERVICE data: SERVICE_DATA media_previous_track: service: SERVICE data: SERVICE_DATA media_next_track: service: SERVICE data: SERVICE_DATA attributes: is_volume_muted: ENTITY_ID|ATTRIBUTE state: ENTITY_ID|ATTRIBUTE browse_media_entity: media_player.CHILD_2_ID device_class: tv unique_id: a_unique_string ``` {% configuration %} name: description: The name to assign to the player. required: true type: string children: description: Ordered list of child media players that this entity will control. required: false type: list active_child_template: description: "A [template](/docs/configuration/templating/) that will allow to select (override) active child. Must return the `entity_id` of the child selected as active, or `None` to use the default behavior." required: false type: template state_template: description: "A [template](/docs/configuration/templating/) can be specified to render the state of the media player. In this way, the state may depend on entities that are not themselves media players, like switches or input booleans." required: false type: template commands: description: "Media player commands to be overridden. Almost all media player service commands may be overridden. Example entries are `turn_on`, `turn_off`, `select_source`, `volume_set`, `volume_up`, `volume_down`, `volume_mute`, `media_play`, `media_pause`, `media_stop`, `media_previous_track`, `media_next_track` and `play_media` (refer to the [`media_player` documentation](/integrations/media_player/) to see the full list)." required: false type: string attributes: description: "Attributes that can be overridden. Most, if not all, media player attributes can be overridden. Example entries are `is_volume_muted`, `state`, `source`, `source_list` and `volume_level`. The values should be an entity ID and state attribute separated by a pipe character (|). If the entity ID's state should be used, then only the entity id needs to be provided." required: false type: string browse_media_entity: description: Allows override the browse media entity to desired media player. required: false type: string device_class: description: The device class that this entity represents. Can be `tv`, `speaker`, or `receiver`. required: false type: string unique_id: description: A unique identifier for this entity. Needs to be unique within the `media_player` platform. required: false type: string {% endconfiguration %} The universal media player will primarily imitate one of its `children`. The universal media player will control the first child on the list that is active (not idle/off). The universal media player will also inherit its state from the first active child if a `state_template` is not provided. Entities in the `children:` list must be media players, but the state template can contain any {% term entity %}. Using `active_child_template` will allow you to specify an active {% term entity %} if the default behavior is unsuitable for your task. The template must return the `entity_id` of the child that will be selected as active or `None` to return the default behavior. It is recommended that the command `turn_on`, the command `turn_off`, and the attribute `state` all be provided together. The `state` attribute indicates if the media player is on or off. If `state` indicates the media player is off, this status will take precedence over the states of the children. If all the children are idle/off and `state` is on, the Universal Media Player's state will be on. If not provided, the `toggle` command will delegate to `turn_on` or `turn_off` based on the `state`. It is also recommended that the command `volume_up`, the command `volume_down`, the command `volume_mute`, and the attribute `is_volume_muted` all be provided together. The attribute `is_volume_muted` should return either True or the on state when the volume is muted. The `volume_mute` {% term service %} should toggle the mute setting. When providing `select_source` as a command, it is recommended to also provide the attributes `source`, and `source_list`. The `source` attribute is the currently select source, while the `source_list` attribute is a list of all available sources. When using `state_template`, if you use a template that depends on the current time it is recommended to use `now()`. Using `now()` will cause templates to be refreshed at the start of every new minute. For more information see the [time](/docs/configuration/templating/#time) section in the template documentation. The `browse_media_entity` parameter allows you to specify which media player will be used in media browser. ## Usage examples ### Chromecast & Kodi control with switches In this example, a switch is available to control the power to the television. Switches are also available to turn the volume up, turn the volume down, and mute the audio. These could be command line switches or any other {% term entity %} in Home Assistant. The `turn_on` and `turn_off` commands will be redirected to the television, and the volume commands will be redirected to an audio receiver. The `select_source` command will be passed directly to an A/V receiver. The children are a Chromecast and a Kodi player. If the Chromecast is playing, the Universal Media Player will reflect its status. If the Chromecast is idle and Kodi is playing, the universal media player will change to reflect its status. {% raw %} ```yaml media_player: platform: universal name: Test Universal children: - media_player.living_room_cast - media_player.living_room_kodi commands: turn_on: service: switch.turn_on target: entity_id: switch.living_room_tv turn_off: service: switch.turn_off target: entity_id: switch.living_room_tv volume_up: service: switch.turn_on target: entity_id: switch.living_room_volume_up volume_down: service: switch.turn_on target: entity_id: switch.living_room_volume_down volume_mute: service: switch.turn_on target: entity_id: switch.living_room_mute select_source: service: media_player.select_source target: entity_id: media_player.receiver data: source: "{{ source }}" volume_set: service: media_player.volume_set target: entity_id: media_player.receiver data: volume_level: "{{ volume_level }}" attributes: state: switch.living_room_tv is_volume_muted: switch.living_room_mute volume_level: media_player.receiver|volume_level source: media_player.receiver|source source_list: media_player.receiver|source_list ``` {% endraw %} ### Kodi CEC-TV control In this example, a [Kodi Media Player](/integrations/kodi) runs in a CEC capable device (OSMC/OpenElec running in a Raspberry Pi 24/7, for example), and, with the JSON-CEC Kodi add-on installed, it can turn on and off the attached TV. We store the state of the attached TV in an [input boolean](/integrations/input_boolean/), so we can differentiate the TV being on or off, while Kodi is always 'idle', and use the universal media player to render its state with a template. We now can differentiate between the 'idle' and the 'off' state (being the second when it is idle and the TV is off). Because the input boolean used to store the TV state is only changing when using the Home Assistant `turn_on` and `turn_off` actions, and Kodi could be controlled by so many ways, we also define some automations to update this Input Boolean when needed. The complete configuration is: {% raw %} ```yaml homeassistant: customize: media_player.kodi_tv: friendly_name: Kodi input_boolean: kodi_tv_state: media_player: - platform: universal name: Kodi TV state_template: > {% if is_state('media_player.kodi', 'idle') and is_state('input_boolean.kodi_tv_state', 'off') %} off {% else %} {{ states('media_player.kodi') }} {% endif %} children: - media_player.kodi commands: turn_on: service: media_player.turn_on target: entity_id: media_player.kodi turn_off: service: media_player.turn_off target: entity_id: media_player.kodi attributes: is_volume_muted: media_player.kodi|is_volume_muted volume_level: media_player.kodi|volume_level - platform: kodi name: Kodi host: 192.168.1.10 turn_on_action: - service: input_boolean.turn_on target: entity_id: input_boolean.kodi_tv_state - service: media_player.kodi_call_method target: entity_id: media_player.kodi data: method: Addons.ExecuteAddon addonid: script.json-cec params: command: activate turn_off_action: - service: input_boolean.turn_off target: entity_id: input_boolean.kodi_tv_state - service: media_player.media_stop target: entity_id: media_player.kodi - service: media_player.kodi_call_method target: entity_id: media_player.kodi data: method: Addons.ExecuteAddon addonid: script.json-cec params: command: standby automation: - alias: Turn on the TV when Kodi is activated trigger: platform: state entity_id: media_player.kodi_tv from: "off" to: playing action: - service: media_player.turn_on target: entity_id: media_player.kodi_tv - alias: Turn off the TV when Kodi is in idle > 15 min trigger: platform: state entity_id: media_player.kodi_tv to: idle for: minutes: 15 action: - service: media_player.turn_off target: entity_id: media_player.kodi_tv ``` {% endraw %} ### Harmony remote example The complete configuration is: {% raw %} ```yaml media_player: - platform: universal name: Media Room TV attributes: state: remote.harmony_hub source_list: remote.harmony_hub|activity_list source: remote.harmony_hub|current_activity commands: turn_on: service: remote.turn_on target: entity_id: remote.harmony_hub turn_off: service: remote.turn_off target: entity_id: remote.harmony_hub volume_up: service: remote.send_command target: entity_id: remote.harmony_hub data: device: Receiver command: VolumeUp volume_down: service: remote.send_command target: entity_id: remote.harmony_hub data: device: Receiver command: VolumeDown select_source: service: remote.turn_on target: entity_id: remote.harmony_hub data: activity: "{{ source }}" device_class: tv unique_id: media_room_harmony_hub ``` {% endraw %} ### Override active children This example shows how you can use `active_child_template`: {% raw %} ```yaml media_player: - platform: universal name: sony_tv unique_id: sony_tv children: - media_player.sony_tv_cast - media_player.sony_tv_psk active_child_template: > {% if is_state_attr('media_player.sony_tv_cast', 'app_name', 'TV') %} media_player.sony_tv_psk {% else %} media_player.sony_tv_cast {% endif %} ``` {% endraw %}