JVC HR-XVC1U VCR/DVD Combo, Discrete Power?

[jon_armstrong]

and John F. Kennedy had just secured the Democratic nomination to run for President!

Not quite that far back, but Ohm's law was high tech...

[KBevo]

It really is pretty simple, particularly if you can program a PVR with XML Here is thelink

I very much appreciate the ideas you and Rob have given me here. Since I just installed a second tuner in my HTPC I believe the easiest thing at this point is to just use the "record" VCR I freed up as my playback VCR. I know it responds to discrete power ON/OFF/Eject.

Now, everything works off of a RS 15-1994 running extender 3... I now control 11 devices with one 15-1994 (it has been as high as 13).

Wow. That's impressive. It also shows how little I know about what can be done with the stuff I already have.

I also trigger x10 commands for various HS events including lighting.

What are you using for your X10 IR receiver? Me thinks that it would be nice if the 2117's RF transmitter was compatible with the MR26 receiver.. at least for the X10 setup code. Or, is there already a 2117 hack out there somewhere?

The extenders radically decrease the execution time of Macro's -- Compared to HS/Ocelot or even unextended OFA remotes it seems instantaneous! Extenders also effectively eliminate the limit on number of commands within a macro.

Prior to this post I didn't know what an extender was. I did some reading and now have a vague idea. I do notice the 2116 has extenders 1 & 2 (but I didn't see a 3). I am running out of Learning memory, so I assume by going to an extender, memory wouldn't be a problem. I gather, that since the extenders take away the learning capability, that learned codes are handled more directly?

Even when I was controlling 13 devices, I still had used only about half of the 2K EEPROM.

Because of the Extender, right?

I like the physical buttons and I know where they are located. My advice would be to try to program the 2117 to do what you want and see if you like it. Extenders really separate the physical buttons from any hard coded meaning.

Hard buttons tend to fit my style a little better as well. Between bad eyes and low light, I mostly use my remotes by feel. Hard(er) to do on a smooth glass.

You don't have to associate a device with a physical device button, even in a non-extended remote.

Really? I would think you would run into memory problems real fast. I sure seem to.

That was a "while" back -- let's put it this way, Darrell Royal was still the head coach

Well I too go a while back. Obviously you were there between 1963 & 1976. Does the name James Street ring a bell.

[The Robman]

I also trigger x10 commands for various HS events including lighting.

What are you using for your X10 IR receiver? Me thinks that it would be nice if the 2117's RF transmitter was compatible with the MR26 receiver.. at least for the X10 setup code. Or, is there already a 2117 hack out there somewhere?

To control X10 using an IR remote, you need an IR543 box, available from http://www.homeautomationnet.com for $20

[jon_armstrong]

What are you using for your X10 IR receiver? Me thinks that it would be nice if the 2117's RF transmitter was compatible with the MR26 receiver.. at least for the X10 setup code. Or, is there already a 2117 hack out there somewhere?

I use the IR543 and it responds to commands from CD/0167. The 543 does all commands from one house code. You could also use the Ocelot/HomeSeer IR match event trigger. The Ocelot can match any command located in IR positions 1 through 80 (by default). You have to use a learned command (to the Ocelot rather than a generated command) to get a reliable match. I thought the IR543 was easier and I didn'd have mess with my IR distribution system.

Prior to this post I didn't know what an extender was. I did some reading and now have a vague idea. I do notice the 2116 has extenders 1 & 2 (but I didn't see a 3). I am running out of Learning memory, so I assume by going to an extender, memory wouldn't be a problem. I gather, that since the extenders take away the learning capability, that learned codes are handled more directly?

Don Grovestine just wrote an excellet document that describes the extender in a little more detail. The suffix to the extenders are just version numbers for a specific remote. So I suspect extender2 for the 2116/7 is the latest.

As far as learning memory, we really view learning as a temprorary expedient. IR should decode the learned commands and if you don't know what setup code correlates with something like NEC1:80 (NEC1 protocol: device 80) just ask here, and we can tell you if there is a built-in setup code. If there is, it will save a few bytes. If not then you create a device upgrade and delete the learned commands.

If IR doesn't decode the learned signal , first make sure you have the latest DecodeIR.dll in the Windows\system folder and the one that comes with IR renamed in the "IR" folder. Then if it still a mystery, save the file in IR and post it in the JP1 Yahoo Group files|diagnosis area and describe you problem in this forum andn let us know it's there.

The data compression of a device upgrade is substantial. One learned command is typically a little under 50 bytes. The memory allocated for learning in an unextended remote is about half of the 2KB EEPROM so you can get 20+ learned commands . But, a typical device upgrade is only 50 Bytes for all the available/upgradable (~30) keys.

I am not trying to get you to move to an extender prematurely. The 2116/7 are some of the few remotes that allow macros to be assigned to device keys without an extender. We suggest you get the remote working as well as you can without the extender and then to use to use it to get the exact customization/features you want.

Even when I was controlling 13 devices, I still had used only about half of the 2K EEPROM.

Because of the Extender, right?

Yes

You don't have to associate a device with a physical device button, even in a non-extended remote.

Really? I would think you would run into memory problems real fast. I sure seem to.

Here is an example. I have a Sony HD projector. I only need On, Off and three input commands. It uses Sony15:183 that is not in the 1994. So I create a device upgrade select a setup code and device type let's say TV/1000, Sony12/15 protocol, device 1=183, and upload that device upgrade. Then I key move the discrete power commands to shift-Discrete On and shift-discrete Off on my DSS device and the video inputs to phantom 1 through phantom 3. The reason is that I don't want anyone to accidentally shut it down for bulb life consideration and the power and video inputs are only used in macros. The shift-discrete On/Off and phantom 1-3 commands are virtual keys. The commands work in macros but they are not physical buttons. The bottom line is that I get every command I need and don’t “waste” a device on it. In all I have 52 key moves and they take up 5 bytes each.

Well I too go a while back. Obviously you were there between 1963 & 1976. Does the name James Street ring a bell

You and Rob are "bracketing" me, I graduated in '66 and James Street was famous just after my time there...

[The Robman]

You and Rob are "bracketing" me, I graduated in '66 and James Street was famous just after my time there...

And I was looking forward to celebrating my 2nd birthday, which was coming up soon!