On April 11, 2019 at 20:32, Richie Rich said...
Umm, actually that is exactly what is going on here.
Guy has a bunch of individual rooms with cable boxes and TV onboard streaming media as the only sources. Each one has its own crestron processor, gateway and remote (I did not design nor install this system).
This is too much for him and especially too much for his (sometimes elderly) guests.
I am also seriously considering asking my programmer if he can just set up remote access and the client can text me, I will turn on the offending cable boxes as needed (for a monthly fee).
I would just ask your programmer to provide a "Room ON" power sequence and "track" cable box power based on whether the room is ON/OFF. Would be pretty easy to tack using an Interlock and a couple buffers. Interlock sets whether room is ON/OFF, buffers determine what stepper to initiate (separate stepper when room is OFF to when home owner wants to switch sources).
Another way to do this would be to have your installer place a subpage on the cable box screen of the remote (assuming there is a screen) with the question whether there is picture on the TV or not. If No then it issues a Power command to the cable box and clears the subpage for 10 seconds (or however long it takes from cable box off to display something. After that time the screen re-appears to ensure that the cable box is ON. Once Yes is selected on that screen it clears the sub page and allows the customer full control
Still not a fool proof way, however with cable boxes now, there really isn't a fool proof way to achieve certainty that they are On (displays always show time, never fully go to sleep, don't disable audio/video outputs when asleep, no switched outlets, etc.). Then providers push firmware to unit which may or may not alter the settings that you had previously set. Providing the customer with remote interaction that forces them to select an option provides a type of fail safe when the box randomly turns off.
