I plan to leave my cable box turned on all of the time and the only functionality I will need from my TV is ON and OFF. Therefore, I would like to set up my MX-900 so that it operates my cable box DVR (no problem there) but for the on and off buttons on the 900 to turn on my TV from the Cable menu. Is this difficult and am I making a mistake by doing it this way?

Second question, I have my cable box / DVR programmed and it works great. Either one of the ON or OFF buttons will turn my TV both ON and OFF. THerfore, really don't need both buttons to accomplish this simple task and would like to use the OFF button as the LIST button for the DVR if possible. Again, is this difficult and is there any good reason that I shouldn't do this?

THank you all for your support!

Hey Golfer, you seem like you're just one step ahead of me. I just got the MX900, downloaded the software (chose "Save" not "Run") and now I'm trying to figure how to get started. Is there a tutorial or something you found? It's not showing me any way to get started.

Help me get started, and maybe I'll be able to answer your questions soon. In fact, I want to set my system up like yours sounds to be.

By the way, I'm golfer of the year.

Eric

Yes, you could do that, but I'd think you'd want to make the discrete "ON" and "OFF" assigned to the respective buttons and the "LIST" button as an LCD button.

As for programming assistance, try reading the programming manual. It's under the "Files" section here, or see the link I put in the other thread you made, NewGuyATL.

Wow. This is feeling like I got tricked into buying something. In your estimation, OTAHD, would you think a first time user would be able to start reading through this and figure it out? I consider myself fairly smart, but without even a tutorial, some explanation of the "thinking" that goes into programming, or some more detailed root instructions.................this is like learning to write Visual Basic, starting in the middle of the book.

Hmm...I guess I would have been in that situation once too.

The MX-900 is a much more powerful remote than something like a Harmony. It was never intended to have a wizard-like setup. But if you give yourself a bit of time to toy around with it, I think you'll get it. The first step for you is to read the manual while trying it in the program. The manual will get more complex than you probably want to go at first, so keep it within reason.

The steps to programming are under the "Program" menu in the software. Use them in order.

Try just using the software as it was intended to be used. There is a program tab on top. Simply start at #1, then use #2, and finally use #3. After that is simply tweaking the remote to do punch through and other stuff.

BNC

Right, that's the best way to do it. I believe "Punch through" is actually a step in the tab.

Okay, I actually made some ground setting the IR Database. But I was only able to get the TV, DVD Player, and Cable box to "test" successfully for Power Off. My Harmon Kardon 445 is not listed in the IR Database, and none of the "Inclusive" code sets works for it. Any suggestions?

Have you tried codes for similar models, such as AVR-430, AVR-435, etc. Try model numbers that look similar. You could also learn the codes.

At your suggestion, OTAHD, I just tried all of them. Starting with the "like" models. None of them works. Does that mean I'm stuck with the Learning Method? The guy I bought this from strongly suggested using the databases. I guess that's not an option from Universal at this point.

The reason he would have reccomended using the database is because of discrete codes, which are codes not present on the original remote, such as ON and OFF instead of just POWER, and a seperate code for each input instead of a toggle, etc. I believe that the remote that came with that reciever has all of the discretes right on the remote. So you should be able to learn the codes.

Of course, there's always problems with learning codes. If you cannot get a code to work, learn it again, until it works. So don't get frustrated if it doesn't work the first time. Also, you may want to read Tips and Tricks to Learning IR Codes if there's a persistent one that won't learn. But chances are you won't even encounter one.

If I find another codeset for it I'll let you know.

Thanks, OATHD. I've been reading all the Learn Tips, but still struggling to understand the "philosophy" behind how it should be set up. For example: If I'm going to watch a DVD, should the Receiver be listed in the "Watch" Page? There are only two things for me to watch (DVD or Cable) and you can't really "watch" a Receiver. BUT, the receiver will be used at all times for watching DVD's, Cable, or listening to music.

I was hoping I would find some files specific to the Harman Kardon AVR 445, but no such luck....unless I wasn't in the right place.

You can put the receiver under either the "Listen" or "Watch" pages. If you don't want it on the first page because it's not really an activity. Just put it on another page under either category.

I'm surprised about your receiver. I just had a customer with an AVR 645 and the 745 codes worked just fine. If you've been using the "Test" feature, try downloading to the remote to try the commands. Also, make sure the RF assignment is on IR.

Mike
www.SurfRemoteControl.com

Yes, Mike is correct. Sometimes downloading will work when tests don't. Don't know why, but sometimes it'll work.

As for the Listen/Watch thingy, I'm not huge on those buttons. Usually I treat them as if they had different labels, such as on a Harmony, "Activities" and "Devices". I program all of the macros under the "Listen" page and all of the device selections under "Watch". If you found that you could fit everything on one page, you could make the two duplicates of each other. Or you could use one and not the other.

I'm not a huge fan of the "Listen" and "Watch" buttons either. I'd much rather them be labeled "Devices" and "Activities" as will be the case with the R70. I'd also like the ability to program these buttons per device.


I programmed a MX-950 this week for a very small setup. The user only wanted activites for watching cable tv and dvd's. In this case I was able to fit everything on one page, including jumps to his receiver and projector device along with a device to toggle the power states of his equipment if needed as illustrated below.

Cable
DVD
Audio
Video
Power

I set this up under the "Watch" device, then just copied that page over to Page 1 of the "Listen" device this way the user doesn't have to worry about which activity button to hit up.