In MX Editor with an 850 does a shortcut actually move the code to the new button or just point at the old button? The manual says it makes an exact copy but when I delete the original button, the new button appears to lose the data. This is a serious shortcoming of MX Editor if this is the case. Now I have to leave the data wherever HTM decided to put it on the LCD. I can't move it or delete it to make room for new data. It's wasting a button. How can I just get the data to just one button where I want it?

A shortcut is just that. As you noted, if you delete the button, the shortcut goes away. While you can move any LCD button command around within a device, you can't copy it to another device. You can either start with the database commands and wipe out or learn over any that you don't want or, if you have another learning remote, learn the few commands you want to it, then back to the MX-850. Learned commands can be copied and moved anywhere. Individual IR database commands can be used with the MX-3000 editor, so hopefully that will be added to the MXEditor for the 850 et al. as well.

Mike
www.SurfRemoteControl.com

Every day I waste with MX Editor I realize what a piece of crap this software is. The IR database is so restrictive. I can't move it to the hard button I want. I have to leave it on the LCD buttons and shortcut to it. If I by mistake delete it, it disappears from the IR database and the hard button loses its data. Then I have to reload the entire device to get access to the data. I'm at the mercy of HTM to put it on the right button. It's as bad as the bad old days with a hard button remote. The workaround is to use a learning remote and learn the buttons. Sounds just like a $79 MX-500.

I agree, the MX editor software really SUCKS!! They need to update that stuff bigtime. I sent them an Email with a bunch of suggestions a month ago and got a response from it syaign they would work on it.

One thing that really bothers me on the MX-850 (probably the same on all their remotes), is the light button. First, why is there even a light button in the first place? Why not just turn the light on when I hit any button. 99 out of 100 times I use the remote, I need the light on, so why not ALWAYS turn it on?? The best would be give us an option in the programming, wether any key will turn the light on or not. It would kindof "wake up" the remote with any key, the light would come on regardless of what key you hit, but nothign else would happen. The nthe next key you are back to normal...

But yea, the drop down list of available codes (hardbuttons, Learned...) is just retarded the way they have it. Why not give us a REAL list, with descriptions, nice big icon...

The light on the URC/MX remotes operates that way b/c they are trying to conserve battery life. The backlighting is the biggest drain on the batteries, and, at least in my case, I use the LCD keys so infrequently that the light is almost never used. I have memorized the location of all of the hard buttons and need only go to the LCDs for device changes.

You have to learn to deal with the idiocycrensies that you are having!

This is one of the BEST remote's you can buy!! Once you master it, it's the best remote available."Short-cuts" be dammed!

If you can't run your stuff with an 850, your doing something wrong!!

Ron, I know your smarter than that!! Macro's on the hard buttons do wonders!!

I don't have a problem with the 850. I have a problem with the MX Editor. After days of working with it, I decided by far the easiest way to program an 850 is to learn all the buttons to the spot where I want them. That way they are where I want them, fast, easy, reliable. No shortcuts that disappear when I delete the original button. No wondering whats on what button and wasting time trying to move everything into the right place. Easy to move the learned button by Control c, Control v. Totally skip the IR database unless there is a discrete I need. Then learn it to a separate device, then learn it to another remote, then learn it back to the 850. That way I have the discrete learned IR code on a button, not some stupid shortcut. Of course, if its not in the database, now its search for a .ccf file that is learned, not a database file, or a hex file and then learn MakeHex or ProntoEdit to get it into something MX Editor will accept. AARRRGGHH, it shouldn't be so hard.

You can still shortcut buttons to hidden pages. Put your LCD commands on pages that are hidden, and then shortcut to those with the hard button of choice. That's what I always do. However, if the hard button is already taken, then you have a problem.

I just got an MX-850 for christmas and am running into the same issues. I didn't realize that you could ONLY program the remotes from a computer and there was no in-remote programming whatsoever. I wasn't really happy about that, because the mx editor seems very limited.

I think I found a way to do everything I need. I have less than 10 components to control, so what I did was to load or learn each component seperately into device pages on the second main page. Then what I did was make up activities on the first main page (Movie, Game, Tivo, HDTV, etc) where I use shortcuts and punchthroughs to get the buttons from the different devices onto a single page with the buttons mapped where I want.

I'm not sure what I'll do when I get more components, but this works for now. The macros on any key are great, I finally have a remote that my g/f can use to fire up the projector and watch a movie when she wants. :)

- Mike

You can learn to the remote while not being connected to the computer if you want. Other than learning, I can't see what would be easier to do on the remote itself.