I just got mine. Setting up my devices was easy and worked well. I am new to Macros, however and I am a bit lost. I want to make a macro that turns on all the correct items for what ever let's say TV watching. I think that I need to either A) use the TV icon as the macro button, put in a pause so that you have to press and hold it, and then step through what I want to turn on. B) create a fake device and assign it the macro. What about turning every thing off though? The remote has a discrete on and off button. Would I need to create an "turn off everything" macro?

Thanks for any help
JimC

I agree, background photos for wallpapers would not be a great idea.

However, it would really look nice to be able to choose different solid colors in the background as wallpapers instead of just white.

One could possibly use a different colored background wallpaper for each device.

That together with the option of having different colored icon backgrounds for devices would really improve the looks of the R50/MX-450.

Right now the R50/MX-450 remotes do not look much better than my URC-300. I can also say, with few exceptions, that my URC-300 is as powerful as the two remotes.

To turn everything off you will need to have discrete on and off frequencies (buttons) for every device in your system. You can assign that macro to the off button on the main screen.

The off button on a device, such as your DVD for example, can be assigned a macro that can turn off that device but leave other devices such as your TV and your receiver on.

On the main screen every device listed can be assigned two functions. Pressing the device can bring you to that device page or pages. You can also assign a delayed macro to the device on the main screen that will turn on everything that you put into the macro by holding the device on the main page.

Creating macros can be very frustrating at first but with a little practice you will be surprised of how good you will become.

I am glad you agree with me.

A thought on overriding preprogrammed hard and soft buttons with learned commands...

You can also override them with one-step macros. Using this method you can effectively copy any button to any other button, all without having to learn a single command. Very useful if you don't have the original remote, or if you want to rearrange preprogrammed buttons that don't exist on your original remote.

An advanced addition to this method is to add a second copy of a given device, but put that copy on a hidden Main menu page. The benefit of this is that you can copy and rearrange every button on that device, by macro-copying them from the hidden device to the visible copy of that device. With this method you can override every single button on a device, without any learning. Yes, its complicated, but this gives you the fullest flexibility possible to your button layouts, and leverages the preprogrammed database.

I like your method. Doing it your way does not require another remote to copy back codes to the desired location on the R50/MX-450.

I prefer starting with preprogrammed codes since it usually gives me the correct hard keys. However, if a learned command refuses to override a preprogrammed command on a soft key, which these remotes will do at times, then your method has an advantage.

When I began reading Daniel’s review of the R50, I was enthusiastic. By the end of the review, I added the R50 to my list of URC failures.

I hope perhaps the reason URC currently has about 22 remotes, and UEI has only two, is because URC is still trying to get it right!

Me too. My Sony STR-DGR-820 receiver is not in the database and what's worse, I can get it to learn any of the commands from the original remote (which works fine.). I have had the same problem with a Harmony 880. There seems to be something weird about this receiver.

Funny, my cheapo cable tv remote, which is probably made by URC, works fine with it.

Another trip to the store!

UEI only 2? That work?

Yea Joe, you're right! I should have said UEI's Nevo remotes. They're the only ones worth mentioning.

UEI, URC- they all are work in progress!

I just got the URC R-50. All the programming and macro went well except that it does not turn on my Optoma HD80 projector. It can turn it off and do other functions. I tried learn the power buttons and it didnot work either. It controls other equipment (Denon receiver, Dish Network reiver etc) just fine. Any idea how to fix it?

I would like to have a copy of your R50 Excel planner. I did not see it in the files section...Thanks in advance...

You know, this is quite funny. Someone in another thread was asking if I ever came up with an R50 planner. I commented that I had for older URC remotes, but not the R50.

And then you go and quote me here... and I'm scratching my head... did I actually make one?

I looked, and it turns out I did - I just completely forgot about it!

I've just finished uploading it here [Link: files.remotecentral.com]

Thanks Daniel...I just downloaded your R50 Excel planner and it looks like it will save me some time.

I've been using your MX-500 spreadsheet for years (through several equipment upgrades) and it has proved invaluable. I just recently added a Sony BDP-S570 Blu-ray player to my system and having the spreadsheet, along with a good wiring list for my system, made the upgrade very straightforward.

I don't have the R50 yet, but based on your review, it looks like an obvious upgrade path from the MX-500. I was wondering, do you know if any of the issues you raised in your review have been addressed by URC in subsequent R50 production firmware? For example, being able to use the 8 colored (FAV) backgrounds for device functions would be great, especially for emulating the yellow, blue, red and green buttons on my new Blu-ray remote. I have been writing code for microprocessors for a very long time (longer than Bill Gates), so I know this would be a minor change.

By the way, there is one great MX-500 feature that is apparently missing from the R50, which is the CLONE feature. I have gone through several MX-500 units over the years and the ability to copy all my customization from one remote to another with a few button clicks has saved me a lot of time (and wear and tear on my fingers). Is it true the R50 doesn't do Cloning?