Additional information on this problem can be found on a thread regarding Motorola DCT 5000 that I posted on Jan 4, 2004.

I am now running 3 Tivo's(1 Sony T60, 1 RCA SD Tivo, and 1 RCA Hidef Tivo) and a Parasound C1, DLP Mitz, DVD, and Rotator on my Mx 500.

I have set up Device keys for each Tivo so that I can run either using the C1 and its Amp and Monitor Audio Speakers. I also have it set up so that all audio goes directly into the Mitz Monitor so that my wife can just listen to the internal speakers if she wishes not to deal with the C1.

All works perfectly(I have used Macro's and a special fix from Mitz so that I can go directly to any input) except for one problem. I need to use all 10 device keys, but one of them(VCR 2, third down on rite side now renamed to HDMTZ--for HD Tivo using Mitz's internal speakers) will not allow me to learn to each and every key. I have aux 155 this port. All the upper keys on various pages work fine. All the lower keys 1 thru 0, display and enter work fine. The round joystick works fine. Prev Ch. works fine. Volume and Channel, I punch thru to and they work fine. What I cannot learn to is the 8 keys surrouding the joystick. I have tried erasing them, I have aux 155'd, I have tried several times to learn to them. All other Device keys and their associated keys work just fine.

I had been using it for my Channel Master Rotator where it worked ok, as I did not need these keys that are causing a problem. However now I need this slot for my HD Tivo(internal MItz monitor speaker) and Tivo needs these keys. I am using another method for my rotator(basically page 2 on my HD Tivo devices(where is the only place that I need OTA support).

The January 5th thread discusses this particular device key in more detail. I had tried to use it for my Motorola DCT 5000 and finally had placed it in the lower rite position where it worked fine.

Anyone have any ideas as to why this remote and also the one that I clone to as a backup(it is the older Excellent button model) will not allow these 8 keys to be taught anything?

try this:

1. main and ent
2. punch
3. play
4. HDMITZ
5. HDMITZ
6. main
7. main

It sounds like it may be a punch through issue. Try deleting all your punch throughs and relearning all the commands directly to the buttons that you want them to be on.

That fixed it. I did not even have to relearn commands to failing keys. What did we just do? What was behind the failure only on this Device Key. I do not even know what punch for Play is for. As I noted in my thread, this drove me nuts earlier this year when I tried to use this device key for my Comcast HD receiver and finally used another key for it.

All is well. Thanks to both of you.

Roger
Silicon Valley, Ca

You have a choice of punching through VOl, CH, or PLAY. Play is not just the PLAY key, it's all transport keys. And a punch-through supersedes learned commands. To disable a punch-through, we punch it to itself.