URC6131 forgetting a device?

[bvm42]

I'm such a newbie I don't have a JP1 cable, though I suspect I will soon

I bought a JP1-upgraded URC6131 from www.replaytv.us in order to be able to control my 2 ReplayTV units. They program in some new device codes (2001..2004) to control the RTVs independently, and I put one (2001) on the PVR button and one (2002) on the DVD button. I also set two other device buttons to control my VCRs, and did a lot of key assignments with Setup-9-9-4 to make them useful. (Yes, I realize that must seem very tedious to you JP1 experts.) I quickly got to the point where it wasn't accepting any more key assignments (the light didn't double blink at the end of the assignment), so I guess I've exhausted my keymove memory. After reading all this JP1 material, I guess I really should be using JP1 to create my own device upgrades for the VCRs.

Anyway, since doing all that tedious button-pressing programming, twice now my remote's PVR button has stopped working. On one of those occasions, pressing PVR-related buttons on the remote while in PVR mode didn't even light up the LED. On the other, I think it did, but the machine didn't respond. In both cases, using Setup to assign 2001 to the PVR button got it working again.

So my question is, do I have a defective remote, or is this a known behavior of the URC6131 when keymove memory is full?

[The Robman]

Is it just the PVR device that loses it's memory? The reason I ask is that the remotes that Noel sells have some special programming in them that allows you to control up to 9 RTVs independantly all from the PVR button. It works like this...

1) Press PVR
2) Press PIP
3) Press a number (0 thru 9)

The remote is now programmed to work the Replay unit code that you just selected, and it will continue to work that unit code until you change it.

So, is it possible that you accidentally invoked this process?

[bvm42]

Is it just the PVR device that loses it's memory?

I believe so. I think at least the first time, I tested the other (DVD turned into PVR) button, and it was working.

The reason I ask is that the remotes that Noel sells have some special programming in them that allows you to control up to 9 RTVs independantly all from the PVR button. It works like this...

1) Press PVR
2) Press PIP
3) Press a number (0 thru 9)

The remote is now programmed to work the Replay unit code that you just selected, and it will continue to work that unit code until you change it.

So, is it possible that you accidentally invoked this process?

Noel is the guy at replaytv.us who programs the remotes? Sounds like a cool feature, but I just tested my remote, and it doesn't appear to have this feature (and they surely didn't document it in any case). Pressing PIP in PVR mode doesn't light the LED, and pressing a digit afterwards clearly sends the digit to the RTV.

[The Robman]

Noel is the guy at replaytv.us who programs the remotes? Sounds like a cool feature, but I just tested my remote, and it doesn't appear to have this feature (and they surely didn't document it in any case). Pressing PIP in PVR mode doesn't light the LED, and pressing a digit afterwards clearly sends the digit to the RTV.

No, Noel is the guy that runs that web site, he gets the remotes from me and I do the programming. The fact that the PVR/2000, etc codes are in there proves that the programming was loaded, but somehow the keymoves part of it seems to have been wiped out.

It would be easier to restore it using a JP1 cable, but you can restore it without one.

First, program PVR/1999 to the PVR button, then keymove the POWER button to the PIP button, like this...

1) Tap PVR
2) Hold SET, 2 flashes
3) Type 994, 2 flashes
4) Tap POWER
5) Tap PIP, 2 flashes

Then press the 1 button to load up unit code 1, or 2 to load unit code 2, etc.

Then when you want to change the unit code, press PIP, followed by a number.

If this works, but the remote later forgets the programming, you may indeed have a faulty remote.

[bvm42]

No, Noel is the guy that runs that web site, he gets the remotes from me and I do the programming.

Cool, now I don't feel too bad about ordering from them instead of from you.

Your instructions did indeed restore my PIP button to its intended but undocumented function. I'll watch and see if I have any more outages.

(I take it you put some voodoo on PIP so that PIP + n puts device 2000+n into the PVR button. Much to learn about JP1 I have.)

It's quite conceivable that I stomped on the PIP button while I was trying to program all my extra buttons. The only documentation that replaytv.us provides is this one-page pdf file, which has the cryptic notation "@ = Key Move", with @ marked next to pip, swap, and move. It's really too bad they don't document the pip function, since it could save someone a device button. Do swap and move have any interesting functionality on them? If so, I've already stomped on them, too.

At any rate, I guess I'm going to have to get me a JP1 cable if I want to get my VCRs set up nicely.

Thanks for your quick help!

[The Robman]

Cool, now I don't feel too bad about ordering from them instead of from you.

Noel's a good guy, but obviously it's cheaper to get things from the source!

Your instructions did indeed restore my PIP button to its intended but undocumented function. I'll watch and see if I have any more outages.

(I take it you put some voodoo on PIP so that PIP + n puts device 2000+n into the PVR button. Much to learn about JP1 I have.)

You did the voodoo in this case, that keymove that you programmed onto the PIP button activates the device multiplexor, which is what allows you to press a numeric button to select which Replay you want to use. All this really is, is a fancy way of programming the VCR/2000 or VCR/2001, etc setup code to the PVR button. The beauty is that you can switch unit codes with 2 button presses instead of manually programming the individual setup codes.

It's quite conceivable that I stomped on the PIP button while I was trying to program all my extra buttons. The only documentation that replaytv.us provides is this one-page pdf file, which has the cryptic notation "@ = Key Move", with @ marked next to pip, swap, and move. It's really too bad they don't document the pip function, since it could save someone a device button.

That is pretty poor. I told Noel how the programming works so I guess he just didn't have time to write it all up.

Do swap and move have any interesting functionality on them? If so, I've already stomped on them, too.

They did, the SWAP button would have let you switch between different Tivo units, and the MOVE button would have let you switch between different Sony Tivo and DirecTivo units. All in all, with my programming, this remote would have let you use up to 9 different Replays, 9 different Tivos, 3 different Sony Tivos, 3 different Sony DirecTivos, plus the Toshiba Tivo and Hauppauge PVR, all from the PVR button, thus leaving all the other device buttons free. Plus, I programmed macros to shift-DVD and shift-AUD that would let you control 2 additional devices.

Here's a link to an old ebay listing of mine where I describe in detail how the remote works.

If you have any need for them I can tell you how to re-create them, but it sounds like you just have ReplayTVs.

[bvm42]

Nice work. Yes, I only have ReplayTVs. If I ever do get a Tivo, I might know enough by then to figure out myself what you did under the covers there

(To me, "the device multiplexor" is voodoo -- I haven't run across such a feature yet in my JP1 reading, but then I've barely started.)