Need help with GoVideo DV2140 DVD/VCR Combo

Post by **The Robman** » Fri Sep 10, 2004 2:18 pm

I think the key factor that you might be missing is that "advanced code" and EFC (Extended Function Code) are synonyms for each other.

To expand on what John said...

As you know, when you create an upgrade using KM or RM, you first need to select a protocol and enter a device code or two. Then you go to the Functions sheet and start entering function names. Next to each function name, you enter a code. If you selected "EFC" as the code style on the Setup sheet, you would enter EFCs here (aka "advanced codes"). When you're finished creating the upgrade, you load it into your remote where it becomes just one more setup code available to you.

Therefore, hopefully given that you know how to make an upgrade, you can accept the concept that every setup code in the remote looks somewhat like this, including the ones that are built into the ROM. What I mean by that is they all have a protocol and device codes associated with them.

For non-JP1 users, if they discover that the setup code that they're using to control their TV (or whatever) is missing a few functions, they can come to that list of advanced codes that I pointed you to and find the code that they need.

Sometimes an example helps explain this sort of thing better....

Let's say that you have a Toshiba TV. You would find that TV/0156 is the right code for your TV set, but you would also find that the MENU and ARROW buttons don't work properly. If you look at your original Toshiba TV remote, you would notice that the VOLUME and CHANNEL buttons double as ARROW buttons, so you could use keymover to copy the VOLUME and CHANNEL buttons to the 4 ARROW buttons on your UEI remote. That still leaves the problem with the MENU button. If you look up TV/0156 on my web site, you'll find the correct EFC (aka "advanced code") which you can then use to re-program the MENU button.

Now let's try to think of an example for a JP1 user...

Let's say that you have a Panasonic VCR that responds to VCR/0162 (and the various codes that duplicate this one, such as VCR/1162, VCR/1062, etc). Your original Panasonic remote most likely doesn't have an EJECT button, but your VCR almost certainly supports the EJECT function. So, let's say that nobody's created a KM file for a Panasonic VCR yet and you want to create an upgrade for yours. You could try learning each of the buttons from your Panasonic remote and find the codes that way, but this still wouldn't tell you the code for EJECT. To find that you would need to either (a) go to my advanced code list and look it up, or (b) try testing all the un-accounted for EFCs to try and find it yourself.

To test a bunch of codes, it's obviously a good idea to create a dummy upgrade, but let's say you're reading the forum and somebody suddely announces that EFC 123 is the (previously undiscovered) "discrete on" code for one of your devices, how would you test that? Would you use KM or RM to create an upgrade with one EFC in it to test it, or would you simply grab your remote and use the SETUP+nnn method? Personally, I'd use the later method to test a single code.

garypen · Post by **garypen** » Fri Sep 10, 2004 3:32 pm

The Robman wrote:I think the key factor that you might be missing is that "advanced code" and EFC (Extended Function Code) are synonyms for each other.

Gotcha.

For non-JP1 users, if they discover that the setup code that they're using to control their TV (or whatever) is missing a few functions, they can come to that list of advanced codes that I pointed you to and find the code that they need.

So far, so good.

...That still leaves the problem with the MENU button. If you look up TV/0156 on my web site, you'll find the correct EFC (aka "advanced code") which you can then use to re-program the MENU button.

Makes perfect sense! Wakarimasu, as the French say.

Here's the key: None of that is conveyed on the Advanced Codes web pages! It's easy to lose perspective on its readability and ease-of-use when one is so familiar with how all of this works. For laymen such as myself (and I'm not a technical idiot by any stretch), the Advanced Codes web pages are not easy to absorb.

To find that you would need to either (a) go to my advanced code list and look it up, or (b) try testing all the un-accounted for EFCs to try and find it yourself.

But, what if I'm creating an upgrade file from scratch, or just trying to find a function code, and there is no known 4-digit device code? Would advanced codes help in this situation?

Post by **The Robman** » Fri Sep 10, 2004 5:41 pm

garypen wrote:Here's the key: None of that is conveyed on the Advanced Codes web pages! It's easy to lose perspective on its readability and ease-of-use when one is so familiar with how all of this works. For laymen such as myself (and I'm not a technical idiot by any stretch), the Advanced Codes web pages are not easy to absorb.

Well, it sure sounds like you're the perfect person to re-write them, eh? If you write it, I'll post it!

garypen wrote:But, what if I'm creating an upgrade file from scratch, or just trying to find a function code, and there is no known 4-digit device code? Would advanced codes help in this situation?

First off, the 4-digit codes you refer to are setup codes, not device codes. In the JP1 world there are alot of "codes" so it's a good idea to try and get the terminology straight.

Anyway, in the situation you describe, you would learn all the buttons from the original remote and see how they decode in IR.exe. Assuming that the remote uses a known protocol, you should be able to determine ...

a) the protocol being used
b) the device codes being used, and ...
c) the advanced codes for each button.

Once you have created an upgrade for this device, you could load it up into your remote and then you could try all the missing advanced codes to see if the device supports any additional functions not supported by the OEM remote.

Hopefully, you're starting to see that you need advanced codes or OBCs at almost every step of the way. Though, judging by your question, I still think you are reading more (or less) into the term "advanced codes" than is really there. Once again, "advanced codes" are EFCs, and EFCs are "advanced codes". As I'm sure you found, you needed EFCs (or OBCs) for every function that you entered into KM when you created this upgrade.

garypen · Post by **garypen** » Fri Sep 10, 2004 6:12 pm

The Robman wrote: Well, it sure sounds like you're the perfect person to re-write them, eh? If you write it, I'll post it!

I'd like to give it a shot. I is a good writer.

First off, the 4-digit codes you refer to are setup codes, not device codes. In the JP1 world there are alot of "codes" so it's a good idea to try and get the terminology straight.

Oops.

Though, judging by your question, I still think you are reading more (or less) into the term "advanced codes" than is really there.

I think so.

garypen · Post by **garypen** » Fri Sep 10, 2004 7:50 pm

HOO HAH!!! The changes made to protocol.ini (as discussed in more detail in another thread) fixed the NEC 2DEV Combo protocol in RM. Everything appears to work, except for the "record" function. It appears to be acting as "eject" in VCR mode, and "lock" in DVD mode.

I will double-check the correct record function codes, as it may have been corrupted in the conversion from the KM txt file.

garypen · Post by **garypen** » Fri Sep 10, 2004 10:04 pm

Actually, it is perfect. The codes match. The record button function was working normally. The tape's record safety tab was removed. That is why it ejected when I hit record.

Post by **The Robman** » Sat Sep 11, 2004 8:07 pm

Hey Gary,
Are you still planning to go searching for secret functionality with this device? If so, remember that you will want to create two upgrades using the "raw ingredients" of your combo upgrade, that is, one using the NEC1 protocol and device codes, and another using the NECx1 protocol and device codes. You wouldn't want to use the Combo protocol for this purpose.

garypen · Post by **garypen** » Sun Sep 12, 2004 2:22 pm

Actually, I have everything I need. I have function codes for every function on the original remote. I don't need to find any hidden functions. The original remote has more than I need, actually.

I've created an RM upgrade file with all the function codes, and a nice button mapping for 2116/2117, which I will upload the the yahoo group files area soon. (If KM worked correctly with this NEC 2DEV Combo protocol, I'd make a KM file, as well. Has anyone looked into that yet?)

Mark Pierson · Post by **Mark Pierson** » Sun Sep 12, 2004 2:38 pm

garypen wrote:If KM worked correctly with this NEC 2DEV Combo protocol, I'd make a KM file, as well. Has anyone looked into that yet?

The NEC 2DEV Combo protocol in KM has been changed to (hopefully) match the details Jon posted. The new version isn't quite ready to be released though... it'll probably be a couple of days.

gfb107 · Post by **gfb107** » Sun Sep 12, 2004 2:53 pm

Just to make sure, is the protocols.ini entry in this post the one I should use for the next release of RM?

jon_armstrong · Post by **jon_armstrong** » Sun Sep 12, 2004 3:41 pm

It is now. I just fixed the command index.

Post by **The Robman** » Sun Sep 12, 2004 6:40 pm

garypen wrote:Actually, I have everything I need. I have function codes for every function on the original remote. I don't need to find any hidden functions. The original remote has more than I need, actually.

If I recall correctly, you started to discover that some functions where the learned signals indicated that you needed the NEC1 signals actually worked when you set them up using the NECx1 signals (or vice versa).

You had volunteered to test how many more of them worked this way, thus avoiding the need for a combined code in the first place.

I thought you were also going to see what else you might find, such as discrete on / off codes, etc.

Just because you have all you need doesn't mean you should stop there, if we all did that, there would never be any secrets discovered. We kind of assume that there's a "give and take" relationship here, we've already given you the help you needed, now it's your turn.

garypen · Post by **garypen** » Sun Sep 12, 2004 6:51 pm

Actually, I found NECx1, 45, 45 codes for LG and Zenith DVD players that worked in place of 6 of the 11 NEC1, 110 codes that my factory remote emitted. I got those codes from LG/Zenith device upgrade files on the Yahoo group.

They weren't new or hidden. They were standard functions included on the GoVideo factory remote. I'll search the same LG/Zenith files for discrete on/off codes, test them, and add them if they work.

Post by **The Robman** » Sun Sep 12, 2004 8:24 pm

garypen wrote:Actually, I found NECx1, 45, 45 codes for LG and Zenith DVD players that worked in place of 6 of the 11 NEC1, 110 codes that my factory remote emitted. I got those codes from LG/Zenith device upgrade files on the Yahoo group. They weren't new or hidden. They were standard functions included on the GoVideo factory remote.

But you did discover something here. YOUR remote used NEC1/110 for those particular buttons, yet you discovered that you could use NECx1/45 signals to re-create the same functions, thus you discovered some secret functionality.

garypen wrote: I'll search the same LG/Zenith files for discrete on/off codes, test them, and add them if they work.

I'm not asking you to go looking through existing files, though you could do that also if you wish. What I'm asking you to do is try all the unaccounted for EFCs in each device code (ie, NEC1/110 and NECx1/45) to see what else is supported. You might find that there are NECx1/45 codes that you can use to replace ALL of the NEC1/110 functions. You might also find some discrete on/off codes and various other functions.

The spirit of the JP1 world is discovery. These remotes and the tools we provide give you the ability to make these discoveries.