Multiple uses for device key - I'm so confused (and new)

[AndyInNYC]

OK, I have my 6131 controlling my TV, DVD, CD, VCR, receiver and S2 DTivo. All is well in the world.

What I would like, however is to be able to push the DVD button and have the receiver go to the right input, the TV to go on, etc. I know that I can either use and extender (don't know how) or perhaps a macro (if this were some other remote).

The big issue is that I want to be able to hit the DVD key again and power button and turn off JUST the DVD - when I finish a movie, for example, I often will jump to the Tivo.

Is this possible? Clearly it is beyond my ability, so do I need to study or just be happy that I have consolidated remotes?

Andy

[gfb107]

You use a macro when you want a single keypress to behave as though you pressed a number of keys in succession.

Is your URC-6131 modified for JP1?

If so, you can create macros as it is, although not to the device buttons. You can use the shifted device buttons, though.

In order to assign macros to the device buttons, you must install the extender. This is NOT difficult, and can always be reversed by simply uploading your current IR file to your remote.

The only thing to worry about is that the extender uses a different format for keymoves than the unextended remote. The 6131 uses a new 2-byte format for keymoves, but the extender restores that to the single byte format we are used to from other remotes. So, you may have to edit existing keymoves to get them to work correctly.

Here's how to install the extender:

Download 6131ex1.zip and unzip it to a directory od your choice (e.g. C:\6131ex1)

Make sure that extinstall.exe, which is distributed in the IR .zip file, is in the same directory as the RDFs.

Now, in IR, open the .txt file that contains your remote configuration. It has the same name as the .IR file.

Select File -> Convert file for extender

This will prompt you first for the .hex file to use. It is 6131ex1.hex in the directory where you unzipped 6131ex1.zip (e.g. C:\6131ex1)

Next you will be prompted to saved the converted file. I would just add -ex1 to the end of the file name.

Now upload to the remote. You'll get a warning about the signatures not matching, but go ahead and upload anyway.

There you go, the extender has been installed.

[The Robman]

There isn't a way to do exactly what you ask for and even if there were, the chances of your remote and system getting out of sync with each other are high enough that you probably wouldn't want to do it anyway.

With that out of the way, the only way to re-program the device buttons at all on the 6131 is to use the extender. That would allow you to use the LKP (long key press) feature to better accomplish what you want to do.

You would program the remote so that when you press and hold a device button, it sends the long macro that turns everything on, and when you use a short press it simply selects the right input and puts the remote into the correct mode.

Another option that's available even without an extender is to program the macro to a shifted device button. Therefore, to fire up the system you should press SET followed by the relevant device button.

[gfb107]

If your macro left your remote in DVD mode (which it should, so that the navigation, and transport keys worked), simple pressing the Power button when done would turn off the DVD player. You don't have to press the DVD button again. You don't have 2 different uses of the DVD button in this case.

Then you would press another macro that would switch all your components to the TiVo inputs (after turning them on if they have discrete power commands).