Your Universal Remote Control Center
RemoteCentral.com
URC's Consumer Remotes Forum - View Post
Previous section Next section Up level
Up level
The following page was printed from RemoteCentral.com:

Login:
Pass:
 
 

Topic:
MX-1000 Question for Daniel T.
This thread has 12 replies. Displaying all posts.
Post 1 made on Sunday September 24, 2000 at 09:40
tlight
Historic Forum Post
Daniel,
I read your review of the MX-1000. Thank you very much. Your reviews are always more indepth than any on the subject of RC's.

Can you tell me if it is possible to set up a screen, or screens, in the MX-1000 for stuff like "Watch TV thru TiVo". The screen would need buttons to control the TV, TiVo, and possibly the A/V receiver. An added bonus would be if one of the Device Macros would fire off to power up and configure all 3 components. It sounded like the "Favorite Channel" functionality might accomplish at least the first portion of this but I can't tell for sure.
OP | Post 2 made on Sunday September 24, 2000 at 12:01
bdub
Historic Forum Post
I think the device buttons on the main screen could accomplish this for you. In addition to executing a macro, a device button on the main screen will take you to the first page of the specified device. In the case of your example, the device macro would set up the system to watch TV through your TiVo and then take you to page one of the TiVo device.

The only trouble I can see is that you can't select a device from the main screen without executing its associated macro like you can with, say, the Marantz RC2000MkII.

One solution to this might be, as you suggest, to use the Favorite Channel macro capability as a device initialization button on the first page of each device. Then, if you don't assign any macro functions to the device buttons on the main page, the setup macro will execute only if you press the macro setup button after going to that device. It's not "fully automated," but it gets the job done.

But let's go beyond that for a bit: After playing with ProntoEdit for several months (and, no, I never did get a Pronto), I generally plagiarized Daniel's method of paging/tabbing to gain control of things like lights, drapes, and screen setup -- things that have little or nothing to do with the device I'm currently watching/controlling. I see the MX-1000 as friendly to that kind of setup. For each device, I'd set up page one as the controls I would use most often, page two as a numeric key pad for that device, page three as the screen setup (widescreen mode, full, 4x3, PIP, etc), and page four as lights and drapes. Pages three and four would be identical for all devices on the remote. This would suite me very well.

So my question is this: Can the hard buttons on the MX-1000 have different functionality for each page of each device, or is the number of hard button configurations limited to the number of devices on the remote?
OP | Post 3 made on Monday September 25, 2000 at 13:16
TJ
Historic Forum Post
If I have a 200-disc CD changer, how many CD track title can I store on the MX-1000, assume each track title takes one line. Each button (line) would be a macro, of course.

Thanks,

TJ
OP | Post 4 made on Monday September 25, 2000 at 14:47
bdub
Historic Forum Post
If I understand the review, you're limited to 60 macros, in addition to the device macros on the main page. If you could accomplish your task without a macro, then you have 576 buttons (48 buttons per device * 12 devices) to play with, using the 4x3 button layout page scheme. If you require an entire line for each button (for long CD titles), then you will be limited to 16 buttons per device (4 per page * four pages per device), or 192 full-line buttons, again, not counting the device buttons on the main page. Of course, you'll need to reserve some of these pages and buttons to store the primitives for macro building.

While the MX-1000 seems ideal for TiVo and DBS control, I'm of the opinion that the Pronto is still the most appropriate controller for CD and DVD juke boxes.
OP | Post 5 made on Monday September 25, 2000 at 17:35
Daniel Tonks
Historic Forum Post
And from what I hear, the PC software will not yet allow you to break out of that format (60 macros, 12 devices, etc).
OP | Post 6 made on Monday September 25, 2000 at 19:20
bdub
Historic Forum Post
So what the heck are they doing with all that 4 Megabytes of memory? Do you think the software will ever begin to take advantage of this thing's remarkable potential?

BTW - Great review, Daniel. The one section under the heading "‘The Twelve Components’... and other fascinating numbers." easily contains half of everything I wanted to know about this remote.
OP | Post 7 made on Tuesday September 26, 2000 at 00:45
Daniel Tonks
Historic Forum Post
Well, when I see that much space I just itch to make better use of it. Wonder if they'd be willing to provide open source code? I'm sure there's a lot of folks out there that could do WONDERS with it!
OP | Post 8 made on Tuesday September 26, 2000 at 14:43
Eric S
Historic Forum Post
I'm not sure anyone else would want to use the results, but I'd be estatic being able to write C or assembly to replace the firmware on the MX-1000. I can promise they'd make one sale immediately by giving us this much info. (I don't even ask that they write the tools :-)

Hardware-wise, I definitely prefer what I've heard about the MX-1000 to the Pronto, and if the software eventually gives as much functionality as the Marantz version of the Pronto software, I'll get one.
OP | Post 9 made on Tuesday September 26, 2000 at 15:25
bdub
Historic Forum Post
I’m with you, Eric. If I could get my hands on the hardware spec and upload protocol, I’d write my own development tools.

Man, what a remote that would be!
OP | Post 10 made on Tuesday September 26, 2000 at 16:43
Peter
Historic Forum Post
Oh, what the heck, I'll chime in too. Releasing the source code to their PC software would be a REALLY good idea. Who knows -- it might even mitigate some of the irritation most of us are feeling.
OP | Post 11 made on Tuesday September 26, 2000 at 20:06
Chipster
Historic Forum Post
That would be a fantastic marketing ploy on their part; their value and expertise is in the hardware, not the software. In one action they could change a significant weakness into a substantial competitive advantage, and at no cost to themselves to boot! They'd have all these clever people working for free to improve and share the software, and get themselves plastered all over the media for doing it. HTM, are you listening...?
OP | Post 12 made on Tuesday September 26, 2000 at 22:47
GregoriusM
Historic Forum Post
Sorry, folks........ but it ain't gonna happen. While I'm sure you are all great programmers, the chance of buggy software circulating for this or any other remote would drive the manufacturer nuts. I'm sure their own buggy software drives them nuts as it is.

I like the idea, though. But, it just ain't gonna happen!

The only way it will happen is if they release a programmer's interface to the software, like OmniRemote is doing. Then they can protect their own code, but let the user add unlimited functionality. Now that is something that HTM, Pronto, etc. should do!

But, as always, that's just.....

.....my 2-bits!!! - Greg :-)
OP | Post 13 made on Wednesday September 27, 2000 at 10:22
bdub
Historic Forum Post
Yeah, I know, Greg. You're right, of course.

Still, we can dream...


Jump to


Protected Feature Before you can reply to a message...
You must first register for a Remote Central user account - it's fast and free! Or, if you already have an account, please login now.

Please read the following: Unsolicited commercial advertisements are absolutely not permitted on this forum. Other private buy & sell messages should be posted to our Marketplace. For information on how to advertise your service or product click here. Remote Central reserves the right to remove or modify any post that is deemed inappropriate.

Hosting Services by ipHouse