HD200 remote goodness

[webwalker]

I am thrilled to report that after 15 months of fighting with CommandIR, MythTV, USBUIRT, et all....that the HD200 remote link/unlink feature has solved my outstanding challenge of getting down to ONE remote.

I have the Pioneer Tivo remote Vxx2870, a fantastic remote almost perfectly designed for a DVD integrated PVR. I've been trying to integrate it for a long time.

The mappable nature of the HD200 means that I was simply able to teach it the native Vxx2870 signals and how I wanted the HD200 to treat them in the interface. I couldn't be happier. (Well, the aspect toggle doesn't work right, but 99% is several AUs better than I've been experiencing recently.

So I can sell my USBUIRT, the three different remotes I had bought to try to work well with this rig, The MCE remote ehome kit, the CommandIR, AND the Vista MCE remote. Ahhhhhh.

M

[webwalker]

Well, it seems that I have spoken too soon...again.

The darn thing works. But it is awfully fussy about allowing duplicate key presses. So when I hit Stop to stop a play back, and then hit stop again to go back up to the next menu....the HD200 won't take the next 'stop' transmission....ANY of the next stop transmissions, until I transmit something else, whether that is UP or DOWN or even a button that hasn't been mapped yet.

Same thing for 'enter' (or select, depending on which interface you're looking at). Hit Enter to go in to TV, then enter again to go in to recorded TV without pressing a nav button....no soap. Any subsequent enter is ignored (though received: I can see the HD200 light flash) until some other IR signal is transmitted.

Um....ideas? Help? GIve up and file a bug report?

M

[Opus4]

I'm guessing that the remote is using a toggle code and you didn't teach both codes for each button on the remote to SageTV. If the remote uses a toggle code, then it toggles between two codes each time the same button is repeatedly pressed. In this case, you have to teach each button to SageTV twice w/o pressing any other button on the remote in between.

- Andy

[webwalker]

Perhaps I'm in over my head... toggle code? Meaning that when a single button is pressed on a remote that it alternates between sending two different codes that 'mean the same thing' but are used (I would guess) to help the receiver sort out double key presses?

[gplasky]

Originally Posted by webwalker

Perhaps I'm in over my head... toggle code? Meaning that when a single button is pressed on a remote that it alternates between sending two different codes that 'mean the same thing' but are used (I would guess) to help the receiver sort out double key presses?

Yes. Just learn the button twice. You will see the two distinct codes when you learn it to Sage.

Gerry

[webwalker]

Ok. I'll give this a whirl when I get home tonight. My wife was thrilled that we get to keep the remote (which she claims that she will be buried with) but was disappointed that the controls were like trying to drive a stick shift without a clutch. I promised her that I would look in to it and get the sage 'posse' on it and it looks like the sage posse has come through again!

I'll give this a shot when I get home. The urgency is doubled because my mother-in-law is here for two weeks and she's a bit baffled (but game to learn) by anything more complicated on a TV than CH_UP/CH_DOWN/VOLUME/POWER.

M

[Opus4]

Originally Posted by webwalker

...like trying to drive a stick shift without a clutch.

Yes, starting from a standstill w/o using the clutch is a bit beyond me, but once the car was moving I used to drive w/o using the clutch all the time.

- Andy

[webwalker]

I had the Bowden tube (the tube that the clutch cable runs down) tear loose from its spot weld INSIDE the frame tunnel in my 1968 Beetle while I was driving it. My GF and I pulled over, thought it through and then having started the engine, we got it pushed and rolling, hopped in and got it in second. I limped it 12 miles to my shop (a specialty shop for those cars, fifteen years ago!)

It wasn't much fun, and the clutch never did forgive me, but I know how to do it!

M

[webwalker]

Well, no such luck.

I sent the command twice from the same button. It does not (according to the link section) send different codes for the same button. I didn't think it did (I've used the Jon Rhees 'learnhelper' for my usbuirt and always gotten the same code per button) but I was holding out hope.

I'm willing to give up the goodies on the Pioneer version of this remote to keep the rest of the things that I love, but I've got 5 different remotes, all bought (at non-trivial prices) to work with various incarnations of MythTV, SageTV, CommandIR and finally USBUIRT. I really can't lay down cash for another one without a darned good reason.

Does anyone else have a tivo remote that they can test this phenomenon with on their hd200?

[webwalker]

The story so far:

I'm using a Tivo remote send commands to my HD200. I've used the link/unlink function of the command section in setup, and mapped the keys that I want to use, e.g. all of them.

SOME keys, like the nav pad, work fine. most keys, like the select, play, stop do not. So for instance, select will fire multiple times but only the first transmission received by the HD200 will be acted on ONCE and then ignored by the HD200 until it has received some other signal first, then it will respond to the select key again. So to drill in to interface pressing select,select,select (for instance MEDIA CENTER,MUSIC,ARTISTS) requires me to send some kind of alternate key (even an unmapped key) from the Tivo remote before the HD200 will acknowledge the select. So I end up sending select, [unmapped key, select, [unmapped key]. select. Which is getting ridiculous.

A previous thread implied that this behavior was because the Tivo was sending a 'toggle' command, e.g. one that sent a different code if it were a repeated key than if the select were being pressed 'fresh.' I tried to map with that in mind, but the HD200 didn't see any difference between the two command sequences when I tried to teach it. I also ran Jon RHees 'learn helper' and looked at the Pronto codes inbound; I don't see any change there, either.

Can someone PLEASE help me diagnose this?

[gplasky]

I didn't know the HD200 supported a Tivo remote. As far as I know it only supports it's own remote, the hauppague remote (it's remote are based on these codes) and just recently the MCE remote. (or any programming/learning remote that can learn the codes from the HD200's remote)If you get it to react at all to a Tivo remote it is just luck.

From the FAQ:

Q: What other remotes work to control the SageTV HD media extender?

A: These two remotes:

The HD extender is preconfigured to be controlled by its own remote or the Hauppauge 45-button remote (the one that comes with the MVP, as seen here and in the comparison photo above).


Q: Can the media extender remote be used to control my TV?

A: No.

Neither the Hauppauge MVP's remote nor the SageTV HD extender's remote can be programmed to control other devices.


Q: Can other remotes be used to control the SageTV HD media extender?

A: Yes and no...

Yes, the HD extender can learn IR codes from some other remotes to be assigned to SageTV commands in Setup -> Detailed Setup -> Commands -> Link IR/Keystroke to SageTV Command, but the power on/off commands are not customizable. Those are recognized only from the power buttons on the HD extender and Hauppauge 45 button remotes.

For more custom remote info, see the SageTV HD extender section of Information Resources for Remotes, Receivers, and IR Blasters.


Q: How could I customize my programmable remote to have full control of the SageTV HD media extender?

A: If you can program IR codes into your remote directly, or if your remote has selectable device codes, see below.

The HD extender remote uses the RC5 IR protocol. Attached is a zipped Excel spreadsheet file showing the remote's buttons and the associated SageTV command and IR code. If you are able to program such codes into your remote directly, you could duplicate any button on the remote. There are also discrete Power On and Off codes.

If your remote can be set to select the Hauppauge 45 button remote or the SageTV HD extender remote, you could use those device codes. If neither remote is available, ask the remote's manufacturer to add them to its database

So a Hauppague, a MCE remote or a URC-MX700 or a URC-6311. These are rogrammable through their JP1 interface.

As far as I know the only thing you can program on a Tivo remote is "TV Power, Volume and Mute," is one section. "AV Volume and Mute," is the second section. The final section is "TV Input."


Gerry

[webwalker]

Gerr,

No one was more surprised (or thrilled!) than I when I figured, "What they hey....let's try it." And it worked! Sort of.

Its the 'sort of' stuff that has me trumped. I'm going to feel awfully silly if the only thing I wind up using the USBUIRT I bought is for sending 'tv on' 'amp on' blasts because my remote can't.

It seems that the MCE remote support is variable, too; just because a remote says 'mce' doesn't make it either work, or work well. I've got one that is an RC6 remote that works great. I've got an MCE remote for Vista that doesn't work AT ALL but its a Yacoo Clone Remote and 'sucketh.'

I'm increasingly convinced that the only way to remote control Nirvana is either to design my own, or to find a learning remote with a good design and use the configurable attributes of both the HD200 AND the programmable remote to get something useful.

THanks again,

M

[gplasky]

Originally Posted by webwalker

Gerr,

No one was more surprised (or thrilled!) than I when I figured, "What they hey....let's try it." And it worked! Sort of.

Its the 'sort of' stuff that has me trumped. I'm going to feel awfully silly if the only thing I wind up using the USBUIRT I bought is for sending 'tv on' 'amp on' blasts because my remote can't.

It seems that the MCE remote support is variable, too; just because a remote says 'mce' doesn't make it either work, or work well. I've got one that is an RC6 remote that works great. I've got an MCE remote for Vista that doesn't work AT ALL but its a Yacoo Clone Remote and 'sucketh.'

I'm increasingly convinced that the only way to remote control Nirvana is either to design my own, or to find a learning remote with a good design and use the configurable attributes of both the HD200 AND the programmable remote to get something useful.

THanks again,

M

Not a problem. I have a Harmony 880 controlling a HD200 and my panasonic plasma and my sony receiver. Then I also have a Harmony 550 controlling a HD100 and a phillips surround sound receiver and dvd player. The wife operates the HD100 and loves it.

Gerry

[webwalker]

Well, here's the latest.

The Tivo remote is a complete wash.

I switched to an RC6 MCE remote (the one in the ehome kit) and the result was almost as frustrating: the MCE remote permits learning for only the tv power + volume up/down. NOT MUTE. Ugh.

So I concluded that I would program the up/down and tv power, and then use my usbuirt with Intelliremote to send the amp power toggle when the tv power toggle fired.

The first thing I discovered was that the MCE has a debounce toggle the same way the Tivo does: two different event codes for the same event button. So I programmed Intelliremote to acknowledge either of the event codes and send the same power event code via the blaster to the amp. I tested it by manually triggering the scripted interface. I tested it by sending the power command to the tv right in front of the usbuirt. CLICK! The both went off. CLICK! They both went on. Hot dog.

The I sat down across the room (about 9 feet away.) Punch the TV power button. TV came on, but no amp.

The batteries in the MCE remote were fresh all of 90 minutes out of the package bought earlier that week. Apparently the usbuirt in coordination with the MCE remote has problems with the distance...that's all I can think of. If I climb right down its throat, it triggers fine. The test firing of the script triggers fine, too. Walk across the room; nothin.

At this point I'm pulling my f-ing hair out and my mother in law (who is visiting) was making unhelpful suggestions (she thinks a molecule is something the size and shape of a pea) and taking her life in to her hands by doing so.

So I have put away the usbuirt and am building a URC-R6 and be done with this damnfoolishness.

At this point I'm in clean up on outstanding issues including the 'kinoscope' effect on some of my ripped DVDs.

M

[webwalker]

Debounce continues to haunt me.

I'm very close to giving up and buying a Logitech harmony, even though it is 1000x more than I need, just to get the good functionality.

M

[ma22xx]

Hey webwalker. I'm in the same boat as you. I currently have a pc and usb-uirt setup in every room so that I can continue to use my tivo remotes. I just love the design of that remote, and having a unified remote across all rooms is great for the WAF. I just recently got the hd200 to replace one of the pcs that's been acting up. It works great, and I thought I was in heaven when it picked up my tivo commands. But then I noticed the select of all buttons fails when pushed twice in a row. it's definitely not a toggle...as it won't work no matter how many times you push it. If you push down then up though, select comes through fine. I'm looking at the harmony now as well, but don't think it's worth the money for my uses. Plus I'd need 6 to provide that unified remote throughout the whole house. If only there was a way to fix those buttons!

[webwalker]

I finally gave up and put out for a Logitech Harmony 510. Programming took very little time, and there was no fighting with it: it just worked. And at this point, I decided that 'just works' beats 'perfect remote that doesn't work.'

M

[w84no1]

I feel your pain. I have multiple remotes in each room. I finally have my bedroom on a single remote. I use the MCE remote that came with my xbox 360 hd-dvd drive. I have most of the HD200 buttons mapped and it turns my TV on and off. Good thing I don't have surround sound in there

The only problem I have with the setup is that I have to keep the original HD200 remote beside the bed if the HD200 turns off. When I push the power button on my MCE remote it will not turn it on from off, but it works if it is in sleep mode.

[bcjenkins]

Wish I had seen this sooner.

http://forums.sagetv.com/forums/showthread.php?t=29124

B

[aflat]

If you want a decent cheap remote, look for an Atlas 1056 on ebay. They come with most cable company boxes, but they are JP1 enabled. I bought 2 of them for $20. They have every button you could want, plus a few more for extra fun. I just needed the green button, the quick rewind, and the live TV button so that the buttons look and work just like a Tivo remote. The WAF is pretty good with them. Plus now that I have 2 of them, I just need to create 1 JP1 profile for both of them.

As an added bonus it works with the Xbox 360, but the A,B,C,D buttons don't match the colors in the Xbox. I just matched the colors with the colors in the Xbox and ignored the letters.