Jim, you did a lot of typing, but it was exactly the answer I was looking for. I guess it's time for me to take this hobby up a notch, and sign up for the JP-1 newsgroups.
I really appreciate it,
I'll integrate a JP-1 equiped OFA with my Ocelot automation controller and soon I'll not need to hold the mx-500 pointing at the entertainment center, waiting for multi-step macro's to finish.
I'm about as excited as I was when I bought the Ocelot.

Bent,
FWIW, many MX-500 owners also own an OFA or RS just because their MX-500 can be useless without a remote, whether original or "universal" to teach it the discrete commands than many want for their macros, etc. There are some outfits that sell an MX-500, 8811,and JP-1 cable as a package deal. The 8811 can do 15 step macros. I'n not sure whether an extender will increase that or not, I don't mess with macros, or things like favorite channels and the like. Maybe my meomory isn't so poor that I can't remember what those are. Personally, I can't see the draw for an MX-500; it's so "dumb" that it has to be "taught" every little thing. My 1994 will do everything I want it to and a lot more.
Let me know if you'd like to join our little beta group. the more evaluators, the better. You won't lose anything since with JP-1 you'll get what you personally want/need, but it may help others in a situation like you without JP-1 down the road. With a successful beta test, UEIC will have a working new device code that will hopefully work ANY panny tv, and all the others will become obsolete. This would become available for a lot of current remote models, and probably a standard feature for future models.
Jim

I'd love to join, problem is...
I don't have convenient web access for downloading at this time (Yes, I'm surfing at work).

If there is a work-around, count me in.
Or... if I get a working home computer in the next couple weeks, count me in.

Now I have to defend my MX-500 a bit, I really like it's ergonomics, the custome labled keys are great, and it has better WAF than any others I(we) tried.

the yahoo group also seems to be blocked from here.

Bent,

OK, the reason for my prejudice against the MX-500. Yeah, they give you provisions for custom labelled keys, etc, but no codes. Here's the way it typically works out:
Pay 100+ for an MX-500. their MFR gives NO customer support as to getting discrete codes. So the guy gets a 20-30.00 UEIC remote. The device mfr. doesn't provide for discrete on/off for the device, just a toggle code (if your lucky). UEIC can't Give them something that the mfr didn't provide for, so they can't "teach" that MX-500. Do they bash the MX-500 mfr? Or the actual device mfr? NO, they bash UEIC because their 20-30.00 remote can't give them discrete on or off. It's ok that the bozo's gave them NO codes for that 100+ remote. It's ok that Panny, or Sony, or Pioneer, or whomever didn't provide for discretes on that 500.00 piece of equipment. Why isn't who makes the MX-500 giving their owners anything more than a cute remote that can make custom labels? Why aren't they maintaining a huge database of codes? why isn't their remote modem upgradeable or JP-1 programmable? Does phillips provide ccf files for every IR device on the planet? Seems to me it's their customers who do that file making and sharing. I guess customer support just goes out the window when the price exceeds 70.00.
Jim

Please excuse my green-behind-the-ears ignorance, but am I correct in my understanding that the day is coming when I'll be able to upgrade my newly purchased 15-2104 to include:
TV_0637 Panasonic 128.4 (an upgrade for older remotes)
via a JP-1 interface,
which it, as of yet, won't recognise?

Ignorance excused, but that day arrived a while ago.
The JP1 group's KM program has been able to make Panasonic 128.4 ugrades all along, if you happened to have a ccf file or original remote that included the desired function (or you didn't mind searching 256 possibilities to find the EFC code).

Someone did that search and posted the results, so now any JP1 user can use it easily.

Bent,
John's right. Anyone with JP-1 can make a device upgrade and upload to their remote. You don't even have to "name" it TV_0637. All the 128.4 efc's are listed in that first post at the beginning of this thread. The 128.9 efcs are also. You could use KM's device combiner and make a new code combining TV_0250, and the 128.4 and 128.9 efc's.
I'm not sure yet if there really is a TV_0637 put out by ueic or it was just what a JP-1er called his version of 128.4. With JP-1 it's a moot point.
You apparantly have a troublesome Panny TV. If you'd like to take part in the beta test mentioned here, you'd be most welcome. I just got an email typing this reply from my source and I may have the beta version now, I have to check my email and see. You can email me if you'd like to participate.
BTW, we already knew the 0637 wasn't native to the remotes listed. Personally, I don't think it's in any. The UEIC upgrade we are discussing here would be available to be uploaded by ueic by whatever means your remote requires. Send-ins and modem upgrades obviously won't be available till after the beta testing concludes.
Jim

UPDATE:

I've just received the beta code. Also I have to retract what I said about TV_0637, it does exist, and I have a IR dump for an 8811 with it installed. TV_0650 Is the beta combo code. I've also got a complete list of everything in TV_0637, and it is quite a large list. The list is in HEX format, not EFC's. I know most of the volunteers for the beta project were planning on using 1994's, and at least one volunteer had an 8811. That 8811 will have a file ready to upload to remote, the rest may have to do some KM magic. Before I get hammered with requests,
Gimme a day or two to examine this, please.
Jim

*******I've got the entire list in efc's now also.****

This message was edited by jamesgammel on 10/05/02 02:12.06.

I tried to join the JP-1 group, joining was no problem, but I started getting bombarded by messages posted by the other members (what a huge group!), I can't sift through that many messages, so I un subscribed.
I was never able to access the url for the jp-1 group either, it seems like I don't get recognised, all I can see is that the number of messages has grown exponentially over the last while.

I guess my only re-course is to have my remote either sent in, or find someone local to me and pay him/her for this service (which I'd be willing to do).

I'm very close to Winnipeg, Manitoba - Canada, any takers out there?

All I need are discretes for component 2 aas well as aspect ratio settings.

bent,

If you had take the time to scroll down those emails, you'd have seen where you can "unsubscribe" from the email option. You don't have to receive every message posted in email form. If you unsubscribe from the email option, you can visit the site and choose to read whatever messages/threads, etc. that are posted. That's what I do.

If you don't have your browser set to accept cookies, you'll have to "sign in to yahoo" to access the site. I have yahoo messenger, and sign in to it, and thus all yahoo services just after I log on to my isp. That generally precludes having to sign in to my email, yahoo groups, etc. all day long.

I think it's at the top right where you can click on to sign in to the JP-1 group. after clicking on this, it MAY recognize who you are, but you'll still have to enter your registered password. I'm the only one who generally uses my machine so I have my windows set to automatically do all the username/passwords for me. Besides, why do I need to hide the fact that I belong to the group? Of course, while I have my machine set to enter user names automatically, I still have to manually do passwords at most sites, generally anyplace for access to credit cards, bank accounts, etc. But yahoo messenger? NAH!!!!.
I suppose you might be able to find someone who can do JP-1 locally for you, maybe at a price, maybe "gratis". You say all you need is ....., but what about three months from now when the wife gets you a new dvd player, or whatever for Christmas? Or next summer when you decide to get a remote controlled air conditioner? The vcr craps out on you and gets replaced? Then you'll be right back to square one.
I think you just got discouraged because of a little lack of internet savvy; but none of that is insurmountable. Wouldn't you really rather have total control over your remote?
Jim

someone needed this thread so I'm putting it back on top for a while