New here. General question(s).

[radio1]

Hi guys,

I just picked up UFC8910 from BestBuy and a jp1 cable from issue-resolved. Are you really able to map any remote (fxns, etc...) to the 8910 using the jp1 interface?

Is this really a sweet spot vs. say one of the harmony remotes or the even more expensive PDA-type remote controls?

[johnsfine]

Not sure exactly what you're asking. But in the core purpose of a remote control (generating the IR signals you want for controlling your devices) JP1 typically has more flexibility than the expensive programmable remotes.

It is rare to even need expert help to make a JP1 remote generate any signal you could generate with an expensive programmable remote. With expert help (that is pretty easy to get here), it is almost impossible to find IR signals that you could generate with any other universal and can't do at least as well with JP1. The reverse is not true. Lots of IR signals can be generated by JP1 that aren't possible with expensive universals.

And programming via JP1 is typically as easy as programming the expensive ones.

The big drawback to JP1 remotes is usage learning curve and the baby sitter factor:

You can't reasonably relabel the buttons on your JP1 remote, so when it is heavily customized, the functions don't match the labels. That's a minor inconvenience when you start using it, but soon you should know where functions are by feel, and look at the TV, not the remote, so JP1 is easier to use than expensive remotes that you continue to need to look at.

But when you try to explain to a baby sitter how to use your TV and remote, a Pronto or similar remote has a big advantage over JP1. (Not enough that I was ever tempted to buy one, but for some people enough).

[The Robman]

There are also plenty of people who just feel better about buying an expensive remote over a cheaper one, especially if they've just shelled out alot of money on an expensive home theater system. It just doesn't feel right to some people to spend $20 on a remote when they've just spent $20,000 on their HT system, so for these folks a Harmony or Pronto is a much better choice.

But, like John said, most expensive remotes are touchscreens, which means you have to look at the remote everytime you use it. Personally, I have a Harmony, a Pronto and a couple of other touchscreens, but I actually use my JP1 remotes to work my system.

[johnsfine]

There are also plenty of people who just feel better about buying an expensive remote over a cheaper one, especially if they've just shelled out alot of money on an expensive home theater system.

A more significant factor is that people feel better about spending several hours figuring out how to program a remote that cost hundreds of dollars than they feel about spending the same number of hours figuring out how to program the much less expensive JP1 alternative.

It just feels wrong to use a $15 cable plus several hours of effort just to program a $20 remote. It doesn't matter to many people that the end result is better than you get from the same effort programming a Pronto. At the same actual total effort, people conclude that JP1 is hard to learn to program and Pronto is easy, because the Pronto effort is in expected proportion to the dollar cost.

[floyd1977]

I put off learning JP1 for quite a while because (1) I could do *almost* everything I needed to do without JP1, although I found out later there were cool things I could do with JP1/extenders that I didn't know about, and (2) I was intimidated by the instructions for creating upgrades, installing extenders, etc., but it turns out this stuff is often easier done than said.

I found JP1 was easier after I had downloaded and started actually using the IR and RM (and later KM) software. The interfaces for these programs are so nice that I don't even feel like I'm hacking anything. If UEI were to legitimize JP1, they would be hard-pressed to come with software that was more intuitive, easy to use, etc.

Of course, every JP1 user is bound to run into one or two problems, but I suppose that's what these forums are for!