JP1 Remotes

Rob, do you currently have anything with 8K installed?

What do you think of the 6012w and the 6131?

Do remotes work reliably when upgraded to 8k of memory? somewhere i think i recall reading about how at least one of them needed a workaround if upgraded beyond 8k.

Rob, you thinking about selling high-end memory enhanced remotes? I'd love to get my hands on a really nice JP1-able remote with more memory!

I wonder why the sites that sell JP1 cables never thought to do this

Out of curiosity, which components are you folks controlling where you
need 8k? It just seems with an extender and careful device creation
most configs can fit in 2k.

I admit prior to JP1 where I used lots of keymoves and learning, 8k
would have been nice, but I've never really felt that way since using
JP1 and an extender.

My most challenging remote is controlling:
1) Panasonic tv/vcr using custom (2-byte) device/protocol
2) Onkyo HTR-500 receiver using custom (2-byte) device/protocol
3) Samsung SIR-T150 HDTV using custom device
4) Motorola DCT-5100 using builtin device
5) 2 x ReplayTV using discrete custom (1-byte) device/protocol
6) Realmagic Xcard PC-based DVD using custom device
7) xbox DVD using builtin device
8 ) Hunter Douglas remote blinds using custom (1-byte) device/protocol
9) WebTV keyboard using custom (2-byte) device/protocol

This fits in 2k using extender2 on 15-2117 with about .5 K of keymove
memory left. I don't necessarily have the most complex setup, but I do
have lots of devices using custom device and protocols so I'm just curious
what complex setups people are using.

I think that when you try to make the remote "activity-based" -- as opposed to "device-based" -- you start to gobble up keymove memory.

I don't know how well the protocol combiners deal with this, but it's a particular problem on the 1994 because there's no HT capability. The only built-in punch through is for volume, which thankfully is much more flexible through JP1 than with manual programming. And even then, as I pointed out, my mute button commands a different physical device than my volume rocker, requiring additional mapping.

I have one URC-6012 with a 4k chip installed. I have installed 8k chips into remotes that I've sold to people, but the demand has been very low, I've probably sold 3 or 4 remotes with large memory. I do still have more 8k chips if there are people that need the extra memory and I can install them for you. I don't think I have any un-modified URC-6012s left, but I can get more if there's a need. I can also replace the memory in a URC-8811 if that's desired, but removing the existing chip is tricky (if you don't want to tear up the traces) so it'll cost a bit extra.

Personally, I'm of the opinion that unless you are using just about every special protocol ever written, a careful programmer can accomplish everything they need within the 2k limit, especially with an extender. I have a file in the User Config folder that shows how I have programmed my 15-1994 to control 13 devices WITHOUT an extender, just to show you what's possible.

Back in the day, Microsoft could fit an entire operating system into about 20MB, whereas now that there's much more HD space available, they use up more than that just for the silly animated help guy graphics that keep popping up.

I have a Dish PVR.

My MX-500 combines transport functions with the menu/guide/info/exit buttons. I can deal with it (in fact, I love the MX!), but the wife cannot.

I have a VL1000 that has half a chance of working, but it's an unstable POS.

I think the 6131's the one w/ separate transport/menu/navigation buttons designed for Tivo. My Dish unit's not a Tivo, but it seems like I could make it work if it's all JP1 capable. Naturally, I'd want to combine several devices at a time into one main "watch TV" device.

The 6012 seemed to have quite a few keys, as well.

Thoughts, Rob?

cpurick wrote:I think that when you try to make the remote "activity-based" -- as opposed to "device-based" -- you start to gobble up keymove memory.

I don't know how well the protocol combiners deal with this, but it's a particular problem on the 1994 because there's no HT capability. The only built-in punch through is for volume, which thankfully is much more flexible through JP1 than with manual programming. And even then, as I pointed out, my mute button commands a different physical device than my volume rocker, requiring additional mapping.

My experience is with the 15-2117 ext2 so I'm not sure if it also applies to
15-1994, though I'm under the impression the extenders work somewhat
similar.

Once I installed 15-2117 ext2 it essentially made *any* key potentially an
HT key. For each button you've chosen to control an "activity/device" you
create a macro which defines "sets" of keys to get from particular devices
The sets recognized are:

Trans = Rew, Play, FFwd, Rec, Stop, Pause
Vol = Vol+, Vol-, Mute
Chan = Ch+, CH-, digits, Enter, Last, Sleep, Info, TV/Video
Menu = Menu, Guide, Up, Down, Left, Right, Select, Exit
PIP = Pip, Freeze, Swap, Move, +100
Other = P{Setup}, {Light}, Power, Fav/Scan, device keys, phantoms

If you just want it to act like a regular "device" key, in your macro, you
just select one device and SET_ all the keys. For example:

DEV_TV, SET_TRANS_KEYS, SET_VOL_KEYS, SET_CHAN_KEYS,
SET_MENU_KEYS, SET_PIP_KEYS, SET_OTHER_KEYS, SET_LCD

If you wanted the TV button to control the satellite for channels,
receiver for volume, and DVD for transport:
DEV_SAT, SET_CHAN_KEYS, DEV_AUD, SET_VOL_KEYS, DEV_DVD,
SET_TRANS_KEYS, DEV_TV, SET_MENU_KEYS, SET_PIP_KEYS,
SET_OTHER_KEYS, SET_LCD

This whole macro takes 13 bytes, whereas if done by keymove would
have taken 5 bytes per move and there would have been tons of
keymoves necessary to achieve this setup.

So, can anybody say which 1994 extenders can do this?
FWIW, I don't think I need any learning space, though I haven't identified the KM protocol associated with my Dish 501's discretes -- I don't think they're the same protocol as the other commands on that device.

cpurick wrote:So, can anybody say which 1994 extenders can do this?

I never tried extender 5 for the 15-1994, but its readme says it does that (dynamic HT stuff).

I wrote extender 3. It doesn't do dynamic HT, but it has lots of KeyMove memory. Most of what you want to do with the dynamic HT features can be done more flexibly with a lot of KeyMoves. I find the dynamic HT approach more intuitive and there are a few things (usually involving multiple transport devices) it can do that keymoves can't, but for most uses either way will get the job done.

I think extender 3 is best if you want the lots_of_keymoves approach. I think extender 5 is the ony choice for the dynamic HT approach. Choose whichever approach makes more sense to you.