Hello,

I have read several threads on programing the MX-450 and I have seen alot of good info, but I still have a few questions. Here is a list of my components:

TV: Vizio-VF551XVT
Reciever: Onkyo- TX-NR709
DVD: Samsung- BD-D5300/ZA
SAT: Dish Network

Currently on the last page of my display I have each device setup, but I'm not convinced I have the best codes for each device. TV:0386, DVD:0352, SAT: 0187, Audio:0781

Then on the first page I have 4 activities set up. Watch TV, Watch Movie, Listen Music, and All Off. I'm trying to get these to work right before I add anything else.

I understand the basic concept of creating macros and my current macros basicaly seem to fail b/c I don't have good discrete on/off buttons for me devices. For instance when I set up Watch TV I used the hard on and off keys for the macro but the off key turns the tv on and off and so does the on key. I have this issue on all my components except for the SAT. On the TV I have soft on and off buttons in the menu but they don't work or I think I would be bale to do this. DVD I don't have any discrete power buttons, and again I don't have any discrete power buttons for the Onkyo. Seems to me if someone could help me find the best codes for my devices that would help and then second if you could help me figure out how to add or aquire the discrete power buttons for my devices it would help me alot.

Thanks in advance for all the help.

The Onkyo on and off discretes are the hard on and off buttons, not on the LCD. Codeset 486 has worked forever, although newer codesets have more functions.

Samsung - no discretes ever for disc players. If you want, you can put DVD-Play as the first step on your power off macro, and have a 6 second delay then DVD-Power as the last step.

Don't know if the Vizio has discretes. Haven't had the pleasure of needing to know.

Worst case, when TV has no power discretes, you use the Main On button (green) to start the system, and it has a TV-Power command - finally taking you to Dish, your most common activity. Your LCD activities are the same without the TV-Power command.

BTW, I put the Master Off macro on the Main-Off (red) button, and then for Dish, DVD, whatever, those Off buttons are a single step macro to Main-Off.

Thanks for the info Tom. The part about uisng play and power for the DVD makes sense and seems to take care of my issues related to the DVD.

I think I can get it going as you described, but I think the Vizio I have has discreet codes. This post seems to indicate that they do, but I'm not sure how I can use this info on my remote.
[Link: remotecentral.com]
How do I get the discrete codes for my Vizio in the soft menu on the MX-450 w/out using a programbale URC remote to teach my MX-450 since I don't have another remote.

I made my All Off activity a soft button b/c until you brought it up I didn't realize I could run macros on the hard buttons. The way the menu describes it I thought they were only talking about the soft buttons. I'm going to reprogram this to the red off button. That makes more sense.

Thanks for your tips Tom.

Vizio discrete #601. Doesn't work for many Vizios though.
Onkyo 709 - #1337-1350. You'll have to test the ones you need, 1337 is the main one. I haven't done an Onkyo in a while don't they turn on when you select the device ie DVD, CBL.
Sansung 5399 #352 no discrete codes.
Dish #122.

There is no way for you to import hex codes into a 450 without the use of another pc programmable remote. If the codesets BobL suggested don't work, shoot me a PM and I should be able to help with getting the hex codes into your remote.

Great goldenzrule. I appreciate the offer. I will try the codesets that BobL suggests today and see how it works. I think I worked out the DVD w/ some tips from Tom above, and I seem to have complete control over the Dish reciever so I think I'm good there so its just my tv code and my reciever code I need to work on. I will let you know a little later today how it goes.

Thanks for the help everyone. I have been less then enthused w/ URC's customer service. I know this is technicaly a profesional remote, but they could at least respond on a regular basis:)

@BobL- Ok w/ the Onkyo I think I'm missing somethoing b/c someone else mentioned to me that I should use code 1335 I think but I couldn't find it. I updated the firmware on the remote and retried and I don't have an Onkyo code above 1299 ish. I went to search for all audio codes and they didn't go past 1315. What am I missing here?

Thanks

For the record I pluged the remote into my PC w/ the USB and then opened the MX-450 archiver software, selected help and live update and I get a pop up saying "this program was already updated". I'm assuming that I have the latest firmware then right?

@BobL- I just tried code 601 for the TV and its interesting b/c the it is half good. All of the soft buttons work pretty good and it includes discrete on and off buttons which is good, but many of the hard buttons don't work such as the arrow keys, menu keys etc. The code I was using for the TV 0386 had some goofy junk I didn't need in the soft keys but they all worked except for the discrete power keys. All of the hard keys worked good w/ that code though. Weird! I guess I can create both an audio1 and audio2 on a back page and then use the keys I want from each on my activities or I can learn the hard buttons I need to the 601 code. At any rate I think that will solve my problem on the TV b/c it gives me access to discrete on/off keys.

Thanks so now I just have to work out the issues above w/ the Onkyo codes and then i think I will have complete control of my devices. I think once I got that I should be able to get the macros straight for the most part.

Try the highest # onkyo codes and it is likely you'll have some that work. With many of the new receivers there are many codes for every function of the receiver so you have to try to find one of the main codesets.