JP1 Remotes

I just got Verizon Fios with
DVR: Verizon Motorola QTP6416-2
non DVR set top box: Verizon Motorola QTP2500-3

They both use the same remote, whose signals are nearly identical to OneForAll setup code CBL/0476.

I haven't yet checked to see what investigation anyone else has done on the same device. First, I captured the signals with CaptureIR and I am pasting in the list of button names by OBC number below.

There are several things I haven't figured out yet (mainly buttons that don't seem to do anything, with documentation that is unclear on whether they should do anything). If any of you have similar enough devices and know how things work, please reply (see list of issues/questions after the list of OBC numbers).

00 -> 0
01 -> 1
02 -> 2
03 -> 3
04 -> 4
05 -> 5
06 -> 6
07 -> 7
08 -> 8
09 -> 9
10 -> power
11 -> channel up
12 -> channel down
17 -> OK
18 -> exit
19 -> last
20 -> A/V (input)
21 -> favorites
23 -> A
25 -> menu
26 -> on demand
27 -> play
28 -> stop
29 -> fast fwd
30 -> rewind
31 -> pause
34 -> pip
35 -> change
39 -> B
40 -> C
41 -> D
48 -> guide
49 -> record
51 -> info
52 -> up arrow
53 -> down arrow
54 -> left arrow
55 -> right arrow
60 -> skip back
61 -> dvr
62 -> fios tv
63 -> skip
64 -> # (aspect)
66 -> options
67 -> widgets
68 -> * (CC)

For all these:
20 A/V (input)
34 pip
35 change
64 # (aspect)
68 * (CC)
there is no effect that I have observed. The documentation seems to indicate the function is performed on the TV (as vol+, vol-, and mute are) but unlike v+, v-, and mute, these signals are sent with the protocol and device number of CBL/0476, rather than that of the TV.

40: C
41: D
Have no effect, but that is what the documentation says is correct (so unless you know some trick to make them useful, no real question).

62: fios tv: Sometimes it acts like the exit button. Sometimes not. Generally I haven't figured out its purpose.

63: skip: There is a setup choice to say whether it is 10 seconds or 30. But that choice seems to have no effect. In some programs it is 10. In others 30. In others, and in on-demand programming, skip doesn't work at all.

60: skip back: Even more confusing than skip. Generally doesn't work. Sometimes goes back several minutes (of ad's) to the beginning of the recorded time slot.

29: FF
30: Rewind
A very short press of FF is rather random whether it selects the documented 3x speed or goes on (as if you pressed it longer) to some faster speed. Rewind is even harder to get slow enough to find the end of an ad you overshot with FF. I need to investigate with CaptureIR how many frames it is sending and how fast. Maybe I need to program some fixed duration signals for those.

Also, I programmed a LOT of events up to the 12 day limit it seems to have for seeing the guide. I think it remembers all of them. When I go back to them in guide mode, they're usually marked as to be recorded. But there is a list in sequence of programs to be recorded that seems to have a rather small limit. In that mode I can't get to see more than the first several programs I have set up. I'd like to review them all in that form. Is there a "next page" operation or something like that?

The PIP keys are intended to control the PIP function on your TV. Keymove them in from your TV function and they will work great.
30 second skip is not implemented on a lot of provider's remotes. Code is 63.
Code 60 SHOULD give a consistent skip back, much like the replay function on a ReplayTV if you are familiar with that.
As an aside, I don't know which remote Verizon supplies, but an Atlas really works great with these PVR devices

speaker.guy wrote:The PIP keys are intended to control the PIP function on your TV.

I expected that, but wondered why they send signals in the device mode of CBL/0476 instead of in the TV device mode.

speaker.guy wrote: Keymove them in from your TV function and they will work great.

I don't think the Verizon remotes are OFA remotes (not certain yet). I don't think I can do KeyMoves on them. Likely, I'll reprogram my 15-2104's or some other JP1 remotes to use instead of the Verizon remotes. Anyway, I don't want help programming the remotes. I want help understanding which OBC numbers mean what to the DVR and set top box.

speaker.guy wrote:30 second skip is not implemented on a lot of provider's remotes. Code is 63.

Skip button with OBC 63 is implemented in the Verizon remote. The problem is in what skip means to the DVR (semi randomly, 10 seconds or 30 seconds or no op).

speaker.guy wrote:Code 60 SHOULD give a consistent skip back, much like the replay function on a ReplayTV if you are familiar with that.

I'm not familiar with any DVR, and I'm rapidly getting to hate this one. It's amazing how much harder it is to program and to operate than a VCR, when the underlying design should make it easier to program and operate.

But of course I understand what a consistent skip back would be, and at 10 seconds it would be very helpful. From anywhere within a few minutes of the start of a recording, it seems to skip back to the start. Elsewhere it seems to mainly do either 30 seconds on no op. It does 10 seconds on occasion, but not often enough to be useful.

Of course I was hoping someone would tell me it's like most VCRs that have problem FF and REW functions. Those usually turn out to have alternate OBCs for FF and REW that work better. Sounds like you're saying the OBC numbers for skip and skip back are standard and the (starting to seem hopeless) problem is in the software Verizon puts into this DVR.

speaker.guy wrote:As an aside, I don't know which remote Verizon supplies, but an Atlas really works great with these PVR devices

Once I know what signals I want to be able to send, I'm sure I'll figure out what remote to use to send them and how to program it.

I'm not an expert by ANY stretch, but I suspect that some (perhaps a lot?) of your challenges may stem from the OCAP functionality that is being brought it my vendors. I read how the various providers will be able to embed coding that will, for example, prohibit recording of programming with a certain level of copyright protection, or prohibit skipping commercials on certain channels or programs.

The symptoms you are seeing are disturbingly suggestive of such control over your ability to manage what you view.

As I have been impatiently awaiting introduction of FIOS in my neighborhood, I'll appreciate reading how your experience develops, since maybe I'll be forewarned by your difficulties.

THIS article is illustrative of what I write.

Thank you for the most disturbing read Capn... Comcast at least has not disabled skipping (time-shifting) in our DVR. I would object very loudly should they try and implement that! I suggest you guys do similarly.

Here's a link to a forum that has sub-forums for nearly every major and minor locale. Try and find yours and see what others are saying. It's HD-centric, but these folks tend to be very knowlegeble and vocal...

HDTV INFO AND RECEPTION

They are going to make TIVO folks out of all of us....

I've stayed with Tivo by leaving DirecTV for FIOS. I despise the house-branded DVRs THAT MUCH. So now I'm revisiting my JP1 programming to get all the new gear setup again.

Right now a single tuner Tivo works nicely off a basic FIOS settop box. I'll know next week how well the cablecards work in a TivoHD.