I just found a solution for this that works great for me!

It is based on remapping keyboard keys to launch an app. So no 'down, down, right, right, ok' anymore. (To launch an app anyway, I'm still using it within some apps).

The idea is that you are probably not using a keyboard on your android TV device, and even if you are, there's certain keyboard keys that you're probably not using, like the F-number keys for instance.

What you do is:

1. Register a Windows Computer device in your Harmony account. This essentially behaves as a bluetooth keyboard that you can pair with your Android TV device. Make sure to choose Windows Computer, since this gives you a full keyboard layout. At first I tried 'Other Computer' which resulted in a very limited number of actions that I was able to send as part of an activity. Mac might work, but I didn't try. Pair this keyboard to your Android TV device.

2. Sideload the External Keyboard Helper apk on your Android TV device. The free version works just fine, since you are only remapping a couple of keys. I think the space bar button is the only limitation of the free version.

3. Configure the External Keyboard Helper as your default keyboard

4. Go into the External Keyboard Helper settings, and go to the Advanced Settings. Next choose Keyboard mapping.

5. Going into Application Shortcuts menu and assign all the apps you are going to want to launch as part of an action to the A0, A1, etc fields.

6. Go back and select Customize Keyboard mappings.

You are going to need a mouse and preferably a physical keyboard for this next step!

7. Select Add new key mapping and press the button on the keyboard you want to assign to launching the app. The reason you want a mouse is because next you need to populate the Normal-field. But pressing the tab, enter or arrow key (even on your shield remote or controller) overwrites the scan code value of the key you wanted to assign. So you're going to want to click the Normal-field with your mouse. In the Normal key-field enter the A0, A1, etc value that you assigned these respective values earlier. Now click save (I think it may translate the value to another notation, that's fine). You will see the icon of the referenced app appear in this list if you've referenced it successfully.

That's basically it. You can now press the key on your keyboard to launch the app you assigned to that key. All you have to do now is create a Harmony activity that uses the Windows Computer device and add a step in which you send the key you assigned to the app!

You can set the remote to do the scrolling for you. Like set a new thing to do all this on one button:

• Turn on shield
• Turn on TV to Shield HDMI port
• -if necessary add pauses for how long it takes to turn them on-
• scroll down 3 and right 2 (for example)
• push ok

You can try playing with Tasker on your Shield. It can launch apps and tell your harmony to do things.

I have been trying to find a way to do this for a while as well. Unfortunately all I know currently is the scrolling method. Any new ways would be awesome.

I use eventghost thats hosted on my HTPC to send commands to the eventghost app on my Shield to launch apps. My control system (RTI) has a driver that sends a command from the remote to eventghost on my pc which then sends a command to the Sheid. All you need to be able to do is figure out how to send a command to a pc then have eventghost translate it. It works great. I also use this with my firetv.

This will not integrate with the harmony part of your desired solution however this app is really good at launching apps on your TV. The reviews for it are not very good but if you are simply looking for an app that can launch apps to the TV this is for you.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.cetusplay.remoteservice

Can you explain how you got the harmony keyboard work on your android tv box. I have setup windows computer in my harmony but all it does is control my computer. I can't get it to send to my android tv box.

Can you link to that apk?