Remote Control To Use (Harmony setup help?)

[TheraEdge]

Sorry all, I have been working a bit to much and getting into getting a car for the wife, so I have been kind of busy. The sage thing is kind of where it was before though. The remote works good, and yes, the harmony profiles would be able to use the hauppauge IR reciever, if I can talk Harmony into posting the profiles somehow obviously, which isn't so easy to convince them of sometimes....I need to do a little more work, but I will be sure to post the results when I am done. I am actually back for some other issues I am having with sage right now, so sorry, motivation greedy right now.

[TheraEdge]

OK, haven't finished the remote stuff, but here is another thing starting to tick me off, and I have heard this issue befor with the Harmony remotes. The thing is freaking eating batteries...so I thought well, I better turn off the backlight because that is said to effect the battery life greatly. So I did, and the only way to get it on is to turn it on with the Glow button, but this last set has lasted exactly 3 weeks, the time before that they only lasted about a week and a half though with the glow set to come on when you pushed certain buttons...I mean that is rediculous when my other remotes really last forever...plus this remote won't run on half full batteries, it tells you to replace them...not sure if there is some issue when the batteries get low or not, but it really is annoying. I finally find a nice universal remote that does what I want it to, and it has enough faults to make it questionable as to if it really is THE remote.

In my opininon, the negatives are:
1.) Eats batteries...some seem to and some don't mine didn't seem to, but seems to now
2.) Bad interface for progamming. This interface would be so much better if it could be manipulated offline, and things could be coppied, and saved, and imported around...doing each thing piece by piece online is painfully slow. They have a decent quick setup, but to get the bugs all ironed out you really have to put some real time and thought into it. I still haven't had time to get everything working the way I want it to, but the main items work well enough. Anyone else want to chime in on Harmony? I am defninatly contacting support to find out what the deal is...

[Opus4]

Rechargeable batteries and



- Andy

[TheraEdge]

Yeah, I hate that kind for some reason becuase they never seem to last long even when you aren't using them...might be my only choice though...I like rechargables I don't have to remove...just plug in the device.

[silkshadow]

1.) Eats batteries...some seem to and some don't mine didn't seem to, but seems to now

Humm, I'm actually not having a problem with my batteries and I use my Harmony alot. I'm getting 4-6 weeks of life from them. Which is adequate. I tried recharables but the batteries die in like 2 weeks. Its a pain to keep replacing them and charging them.

2.) Bad interface for progamming. This interface would be so much better if it could be manipulated offline, and things could be coppied, and saved, and imported around...doing each thing piece by piece online is painfully slow. T

Agreed. The interface is crap. You can save your current config but theres no way to restore it to the remote. Thats a pain. I switched the imputs on my reciever from video 1 to video 2 for my HTPC and, to change it on the remote, I had to re-run the wizard which erased my button config! That sucked big time.

[TheraEdge]

I think they have fixed the issue of erasing button configs if you rerun the wizard for an activity profile, but don't take my word for it...It should be possible to copy profiles or parts of profiles around, but they make it difficult. I want to make an extra set of activities for all of the ones I currently have, that will use the oposite audio output, so like a DVD setting that will use the tv speakers and a TV setting that will use the sterio's speakers, but haven't yet because it will take a bit to copy all the profile stuff over...Although, the technical support is pretty good I have to say, and if you want to do something you can't on the page, it is pretty simple to send them instructions and they will usually do it for you. So for instance, copying profiles is probably possible through asking them to do it. Just seems like it would be easier if there was a simple piece of software that would let you copy and paste lines into it to get things done...Anyway, enough venting...I'm seriously considering starting to look at those Pronto remotes, where you can even design the look of the screen, and do much more as far as macros...they are kind of pricey though, but may be what I was looking for in the first place...from the Harmony Remotes though I will take the nice idea of activity buttons that set everything up for you and the device buttons as well...

[silkshadow]

Thats good news TheraEdge, I had to run the wizard several months ago so its good to know that they fixed that after I sent them 3 complaint emails (having to redo my button config was a real big pain). I'm soon going to have to redo my setup again so I hope they did fix it. Any tips on rerunning the wizard and keeping my button configs?

Yeah, support is ok. But they are constrained by the software as well. They can manipulate accounts to a certain degree and they can duplicate your current account. However, for example, if you have a backup config on your hard drive they cannot upload it into your current account for you. When the wizard trashed my button config I asked them to upload my backup to my account and they said they couldn't (I asked twice because sometimes you get a lazy CSR who just doesn't want to do their job). So I had them create duplicate accounts for me. I currently have 4 Harmony accounts with my remote configs in various backup states. Its not a great solution but it is a work around. You just have to remember which account is which and do alot of repetitive setups.

The prontos are sweet, I used to have one, but the Harmony can't be beat for GAF. I think they will work fine for WAF because a wife will have the time to get used to it and it does have a great interface. I think its just a mtter of the "sales pitch" .

[TheraEdge]

Just as a precaution I would go to your button configuration on the remote and print the page off so you have a backup record in case something does go wrong again...

Also, make sure you don't change the divices that use the certain Activity or I think that messes up the activity because the device it was using is no longer there...so if you are changing devices you might lose that...you might mention to them about that if say you have a watch sage set up with one TV and change your TV that you want them to make sure that if you change you TV you will only lose those controls for the setup but not the other ones...then hopefully rerunning the wizard will just let you add back the TV...that is the way it should work, but I would contact them to make sure...

As for the backups and multiple accounts that is an interesting idea. If the software was just what it should be where you have all those profiles on your computer and easily modifiable it would be a dream. I am surprised if they can make the files for the remotes that they don't have a utility to simply make your profile back from the file for the remote...I am becoming less and less impressed with this company as far as thought and hardware...it is still one of the best solutions I have ever seen and works great when you finally get it tweaked to where you want it, but is some where inbetween where it should be...It tries to be a simple to setup remote so anyone can use it, but it falls short here because of the profiles that are either incomplete or have many buttons that do nothing for certain people's devices. And it tries to be a very configurable solution, but doesn't do it well quickly or efficiently or painlessly, and has no real power in it's tools...I think the only thing keeping them from being arguably one of the top, top solutions is there reluctance to really put our a good piece of configuring software for computers. That and the eating of the batteries.

As for the prontos, with the macros and such I would assume you could configure a pronto to work almost exactly like the harmony works with all of it's functions and such...but I guess it may depend on the model of pronto also.

[silkshadow]

Thanks TheraEdge! Maybe if enough people complain, Logitech will do something about their software. I've sent a few complaint emails. I am sure if a big enough percentage of their customers complain then they will do something. I was all psyched when I saw the firmware update a few months ago but it was nothing. Rumor was that they were supposed to include a copy of the webfront in the firmware so that users could configre it without going online. However, it was too big (wouldn't fit on the flash) so they scrapped it. As for the Pronto, I was reffering to the form factor and ergonomics of the remote. The feature set is awsome. However, a girlfriend has to get used to soft buttons and the pronto is not a normal kind of remote that you can just throw around. It looks like it needs more delicate treatment so that takes time to get used to. Actually it does need more delicate treatment. I stopped using mine because the screen cracked.

[TheraEdge]

Delicate Treatment huh? Well, I have to say, that is another thing the Harmonys have going for them...they really are pretty much like other remotes you can just toss onto the couch or whatever...I mean don't be tossing them at concrete walls, but they are fairly normal as far as there requiered treatment...Although I have noticed that some of the buttons on the remote are acting a little strange, you have to push them in just the right way to make them work sometimes...not sure what that is all about...also I think I would rather not have the snap in the buttons...like the soft presses where you know it works because whatever you just told stuff to do happened...not becausee a button clicked...besides, that is what I was talking about before, I get clicks sometimes when the button doesn't actually activate...I havn't even had this thing a real long time yet...I mean um, can't remember, but at least less than 6 months...I am pretty sure...

[silkshadow]

yeah I thow my harmony all over the place too. Its a pretty hardy remote. I agree, I do wish the buttons on my remote were a bit better. Though, I have to say, I have gotten used to it. My biggest gripe is the glow button. That thing is impossible to find once the glow-in-the-dark goes away. I've resorted to using the green button to light the remote up.

[aoehlke]

Hi all, just wondeing what the state of this harmony to hauppauge 45 button remote is?

what do I choose in the harmony config to get the hauppauge 45 button remote commands loaded in for sage?

It looks like progress was made... but this thread is kinda dead now

[Crashless]

Originally Posted by aoehlke

Hi all, just wondeing what the state of this harmony to hauppauge 45 button remote is?

what do I choose in the harmony config to get the hauppauge 45 button remote commands loaded in for sage?

It looks like progress was made... but this thread is kinda dead now

I'm not sure what progress was ever made, but you don't have to wait for a profile to show up on the site. You could very easily program your own harmony using the 45 button remote (I'm assuming you have one.)

If you don't have one, why does it matter if you get the profile or not? All the commands are already available to you. You can just take any 'dummy' remote (I used an old VCR remote), and give your harmony random unique codes, them teach those to SageTV using the detailed setup menu.

Maybe I'm missing something...could you explain your issue more?

[Opus4]

Originally Posted by Crashless

If you don't have one, why does it matter if you get the profile or not? All the commands are already available to you. You can just take any 'dummy' remote (I used an old VCR remote), and give your harmony random unique codes, them teach those to SageTV using the detailed setup menu.

But, that won't work if all you have is the Hauppuage IR receiver, since it isn't doesn't receive all types of IR codes.

- Andy

[aoehlke]

I dont really have an issue... I just want to teach my harmony the hauppauge commands.
If i have to do an IR learn do be it... but that is a pain... i was hoping harmony would have a working profile for the 45 button remote by now

[Crashless]

Originally Posted by Opus4

But, that won't work if all you have is the Hauppuage IR receiver, since it isn't doesn't receive all types of IR codes.

- Andy

That didn't even occur to me. Good point.
I guess I forget that a USBUIRT is not required equipment.

Originally Posted by aoehlke

I dont really have an issue... I just want to teach my harmony the hauppauge commands.
If i have to do an IR learn do be it... but that is a pain... i was hoping harmony would have a working profile for the 45 button remote by now

It _is_ a pain, but you only have to do it once. I guess the pain from when I did it has worn off.

I think Logitech concentrates on mainstream CE devices internally. I'm not sure what their QA processes are for user-submitted profiles, but I've seen a couple of SageTV profiles on there, though I never used them.

Maybe I'm a tinkerer, but I like to have things exactly like I want them, rather than adapt to a different way of doing things. My $.02.

If you have any problems getting things working right, post again.

[TheraEdge]

Well, you probably read the whole thread then, aoehlke, as crashless probably didn't quite do all that, hehe, but that was my original intent for the harmony remote. To be able to get a profile set up for other users that they could download to their remote to be able to use with the hauppauge IR recievers with a little tweaking of the irremote.ini to extend it (see the link in Opus4's signature if you need to do this), as well as giving other users a set of remote codes that will most likley not overlap any of thier other remote controls. This also has the result of making the actual similar remote work with what you have set up for the harmony, just like if you were to use your old TV remote, well, using one of the hauppauge remotes (given it is the same one as the profile you chose) should run sage also...The idea was also to extend the codes out to the full 128 available for the extended protocol in each of the remotes. I am getting the ones that don't relate to buttons already on remotes entered as something like Code64 etc...so you will have to relable them yourself in the LCD I believe...Does this sound interesting to the other Harmony users out there?

Anyway, I will try to make a point to finish this little project up. Sorry, I got them to enter the first 64 for each remote and then just kind of lost intereste after I configured one of them to work with my sage, then had hard drive problems, then right after I fixed that had video card problems that I haven't resolved yet as I am waiting for a new video card to be released to use in my server, so I have not been using the sage that much, just letting it run to make sure it is working correctly and well...The setup I am using for the remote needs a little tweaking (for me to be comfortable with the sage commands), but functionally it works well, so I just need to get them to finish up the rest of the codes for each remote and then see what they can do about posting it for the rest of you out there that want to use it. Since we kind of already worked through it once, I would like to share the work with the rest of you that may use it.

[aoehlke]

thanks thera, drop a line here when you get logitech to comply.

cheers
AO

[src666]

I just bought the Harmony 880, and had to go through the "learn each IR command" process. It's a bit of a pain (understatement alert!), mainly because of the ignorant way that they designed the webpage. At every step of the process, they assume that you just need one more (IR command, custom button, etc.) item. It would be best if they let you add 8-10 at a time and then just discarded the "empties".

I had to do a total custom learn because I have assigned an IR command to each of Sage's commands. I ended up combining the codes from 3 different remote controls (from old unused devices) to build a complete set of commands.

There are LOTS of things Logitech could do to make things better, especially with regards to HTPC setup. Maybe someday.

Meanwhile, this 880 really is great. I've been using Marantz RC2000 II's for a while now, and all I can say is that I'm glad they are still fetching good prices on EBay.

[TheraEdge]

Yeah, that is my big gripe with these remotes too, they have Special Ed designing the software. As for using 3 different devices, that was another reason I did this project, to not be spread accross 3 remotes and still have enough codes to use for everything you would want. I get all freaked out about using the play command on a remote to do something other than play, hehe, so that is another reason, to put my freaking wierd idealistic mind at ease, and like I said it seems to be working.