Hi folks,

I'll be installing a system next week with two plasmas, a Denon 3803, Kenwood 5050M DVD-changer, two RF Prontos and a Zektor HDS4.

The client wants to share the DVD player between the master bedroom and the family room. Because both rooms share a common wall it's a pretty easy install. The only problem is the shared DVD player. I can easy switch the component output of the player between the home theater system and the bedroom TV via the Zektor, but power on/off is a bit more complicated.

I have discrete Pronto codes, but I don't want either room accidentally shutting down the DVD player on power down.

The clients are on the older side, and I'm not sure they'll understand or remember to shut down or power up the DVD player based on its use in the other room. I would rather not keep the DVD player on all the time.

Is there a product that can sense video activity on a device and work automatically? Any ideas would be appreciated.

Thanks,

Dawn

Supply two POWER OFF buttons: one "this room off" and one "entire system off" for them to choose from. Explain not that it must be done this way because it is a bit complicated, but that this is a benefit as it allows one room to be shut down while the other remains in use, and it allows both rooms to be shut off from either room, in case that is necessary.

Wait a minute! You are going to switch the component, not run component to one room and video to the other?
See if the Zektor has anything that will allow you to route an IR signal through it -- for instance, if it had a passive analog audio path. You could use that to choose IR started by the bedroom's Pronto panels or IR started by the family room. Or if it has an active audio path, perhaps the impedance of that path changes when it is selected, and you could build a circuit to detect that change and switch a relay, thus choosing which room the IR commands come from.

Niles Audio used to have a video-sensing product, and I believe that Xantech also has one. The question is, what would its output be, and how would you use this? I think they are intended to control IR routers that would allow or stop a power command, and I am not sure that could be easily integrated into a Pronto.

Maybe you should question your rationale for turning the DVD player off every time. The only thing that can actually wear out is the motor and associated mechanisms, and these usually stop right away when the disc is permanently stopped, i.e. STOP x 2.

Is it a matter of the customer feeling it is wrong to leave it on? The unit takes very little power at all, and the convenience and relative bulletproofness of your commands will improve a lot if it is left on. I had a TV once where the tuner went bad, and we used a VCR as a TV tuner. The VCR was on for seven years with no ill effect to the motor system. DVD players should be no worse. The only components that might suffer from this would be displays and 300-disc CD players, where the player might have to go through all 300 discs before stopping.

I would opt not to use the dvd power off command. The unit doesn't create heat and doesn't draw much power. A lot of dvd players will power off after a certain amount of time with no use and also power on with a play command as well as power on.
Just my .02

Mike

The Xantech Gatekeeper has power sensing thru a composite video probe. You could also detect the on off state of the plasmas with a current sensor. You would be using it in the opposite of the way it is intended. You would issue the off command only if it sees a power off state' It could work but the programming would be funky to say the least. You can get the programming/installation guide from Xantech on line. Look under products>Gatekeeper-IR

You could also distribute the component output to both plasmas and not have to worry about switching the video

You appear to reinventing the wheel. your clients are older and you are wasting a lot of your energy and their money to do something that isn't necessary. DVD players are a commodity, I doubt leaving it on is going to cause any problems. Whats the downside? A service call in 5 years maybe more to install a new one.

There are situations where simplicity and common sense make the most sense. As installers we are wired to solve problems and sometimes we create problems for ourselves.

Keep it simple and reduce callbacks at your expense.

Dawn, doesn't the receiver itself present the same problem as the player? Or am I misunderstanding the problem?

If it's what I think it is, I'd be willing to bet that you could use an activity-based Harmony remote (or two), to sort out the issue.

Larry
www.fineelectricco.com

In exchange for the labor time you will spend getting this to work to their satisfaction, they could have another player in the bedroom. A pretty nice one, too.

Doug @ HomeWorks

Your going thru a hell of alot of energy for what is probably a $150 dvd player. (2) players is a lot more 'straightforward' for an elderly couple than trying to share one. .02

What was that Kevin Costner flick about the golfer that took 12 shots on the 18th hole at the US Open? Tin Cup maybe? Anyway, sometimes you just gotta do it, cause well, you just gotta. If that's the case Dawn, go for it. I'd take the second DVD player route myself.

An AMX or Crestron system could track and monitor usage and power states quite easily.

Its interesting that your video switcher you have is substantially more expense that a basic DVD player that could of served the Bedroom just fine. Is the Master bedroom TV Never going to be on at the same time as the "Home Theaer"?

Banking DVD's seems like a good idea... But its not...... Unless you pop an Escient DVDM-100 on there to manage it, it just causes more problems.

Thanks for all the messages and advice.

The only reason I didn't use the dual DVD approach is because the Kenwood 5050M is a 400 disc changer and they wanted to keep all the media in one place.

I'll probably just keep the DVD player on all the time and hope that the thing doesn't generate the same amount of heat than the player I normally use (Denon DVD-2200) -- even in the off position.

Thanks again for the info.

Dawn

i agree with deb1919. Have you explained and been honest with this customer that this one request could be very exspensive and impractical. I wouldn't even attempt this if is just to avoid buying a new dvd player. Deb1919 is right they could actually buy several dvd players for what this is going to cost.

What are you using to power audio. If it's a two zone receiver, a yamaha for example, plug the dvd into the switched outlet on the back and let the receiver handle it. If one zone is on the outlet is on, when both zones are off the dvd will turn off.

Derek

Derek,

I would normally have done this, but I'm using component video (thus the HDS4), so that appraoch won't work -- at least not with the Denon.

Thanks,

Dawn

Cable Electronics AV400comp...Cheaper than the HDS4?