Has Crestron? EASY use a light sensor. I do URC Total Control and they work great! I’d assume Crestron has a similar solution of the dont they should.

We usually add power toggle buttons on the remotes and pages and explain the client, and many times when possible we grab a composite video out or even USB power in some boxes and via a pair of cat-5 wire back to the rack in the IO ports of the processor and monitor the voltage as a feedback.

Why not just create a "system On/Off" scenario? No matter what the customer chooses to watch the Cable box turns ON, and when he turns the system Off the cable box turns OFF?

With Crestron you can track the state of the system via logic (buffers, interlocks, etc.) or device feedback (from TV, Receiver, DM Route) and ensure that you are only issuing the Power command when the room needs to be ON/OFF and not during source switching.

If you are getting feedback from a device this would be easy within programming
TV Power feedback = ON - One Shot cable box power
TV Power feedback = OFF - One Shot cable box power

Logic wise, there are many ways to achieve this. I would probably use an analog initialize and analog equate with a one-shot, but you could do this with interlock and buffers too, and I am sure there are other ways to do this that may be better than the above two options. Depending on the Crestron Program if you are using crosspoints this would track source selection for the room and you could base the cable box power on the source selected.

All this is assuming that the cable box is specific to the room and audio output is not being used for multi-room music or shared with multiple TVs.

No this doesn't solve the problem if someone were to physically press the power button on the cable box, but it sounds like this isn't happening now so probably won't be happening in the future either.

Uh, not everyone uses Crestron and your first comment ignores the original problem- the control system doesn't know the state of a device that doesn't have discrete power commands, so other systems won't be able to use this workaround.


Do you really think a person with a cable box and a TV will pay for this level of automation?

Indeed.

I realize this, I was answering the question to the OP who informed the following:



The system doesn't know the state of the CABLE BOX. There is nowhere that he mentions knowing/not knowing the power state of the TV or informs of other devices within the system that he MAY know the power state of. If he doesn't know the power state of another device he can create logic to mimic the power state in multiple different ways.


I am not proficient with all other control systems. The question may be requesting a work around but also informs there is a Crestron system installed so I can now base my answer with the Crestron system in mind. If someone were to ask the same question and inform they had a C4 or other control system, I would hope someone who is proficient with programming that system would answer the question with a work around for that control system.


No, but this system has that level of automation, and he doesn't inform if there is more than just a cable box and TV.

Everyone here is always requesting more information, but then when it comes to answering the question with the information provided they look for a generic solution and not a solution for the specific question. If Richie didn't inform that there was a Crestron system installed, one of the first responses would have asked what control system is being used.

Why does the control system matter if everyone is providing a generic solution to work for every system? I answered Richie's question knowing that a Crestron System was installed and provided him specific examples for THIS system.

Highfigh and Ernie, maybe you should re-read the OP prior to bashing my response that was specific to this installation.

FYI, "inform" is a transitive verb, meaning one has to
inform someone that...,
not just
inform that...

Of course just call Dish Network.

for rti i use the old video sensors. on boxes without the vid out i use niles light sensor. works great.

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).

There are "cable power" buttons on the remotes as well as clear labels on the boxes themselves instructing how to power and/or reset the boxes as needed.

This is too much for him and especially too much for his (sometimes elderly) guests.

I saw the power save settings in the box were set to off. I did not see a power on timer (I have used this trick before as well).

The cable box power situation is something that my few cable clients understand and are willing to live with. I typically steer people towards Directv mostly for this reason so I don't have to contend with this all that often.

Honestly it has been so long since I have dealt with this, my question was if the old school solutions (light and video sensors) were still viable, especially with OLED displays and newer cable boxes. My biggest error was that I didn't get the model number of the cable boxes while I was on site (I was kinda rushed).

FWIW, satellite is not an option due to the way the building is configured. That and I have had issues with Directv boxes and vacation homes, they tend to get stuck on stupid when they sit for several months without use. Luckily most of the houses I have out there like that I have remote power management in place.

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 have a box of RTI VSSes floating around here, I wonder if they can be used in a Crestron I/O port.

As much as I want to see TiVo burn to the ground, maybe it would be a good option for you? As long as there isn’t more then 3 auxiliary TVs.

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.

That is the truth of the situation. It is not the answer. There is no answer. If the original post is accurate, what he wants to do cannot be done.


You propose having a screen with a question like

This is suggested despite this from Post 1:

We also have:

Solution is simple. Hire a person to push the button when needed.

Yes, that's a smartass answer, but it puts in strong relief how ridiculous it is if the client insists on not having to push a button from time to time.

Client could also buy the cable company and make the changes we all complained about in this thread. Budget is not an issue.

The last one: I wouldn't put it past him.

Just amazes me that in this day and age we are STILL dealing with this as a problem. Even more amazing is that every time we find a semi reliable workaround they change things to make it even harder. Two codes, ON and Off. That is all we are asking for.