Has anyone sent this information to someone at Philips to see if they have any ideas?

Sorry for the wave of posts, I'm off sick today and the arrival of my Pronto coinsided with me finding out this news and being phoned by telewest to see if I want to upgrade to a digital box.

I emailed Vik at Pace with a few thoughts, he was kind enough to send me the following reply (with his permission to pass it on):

As I stated in my reply we have to supply what the
customer asks for . Pace do not design a box and then try and sell it , we
work closely with the customer to arrive at a technically and economically
possible solution . In this case the Two Way TV system was chosen because
the normal system could not support multi handset use and also no doubt
influenced by the fact that the customer also owned Two Way TV .
However all is not lost . The box has an IR blaster feature
which enables it to transmit high power IR commands to other pieces of
equipment in the room , hence the box could with the appropriate software
make the multi - function handset redundant . This hardware feature is
designed to be a carrier based system and will be activated in the future by
down loading new software to the box via the cable . The initial use will be
to adjust the volume of the TV set but no doubt other features will follow .
We are in the very early days of digital cable interactive networks , we
are all learning what is possible . We have designed the box in such a
manner that the complete operating system within the box can be changed /
updated from the head end to include new features which have sufficient
demand from the subscribers . Times are a-changing ----- and the rate of
change is accelerating . We are living in very exciting times , we have to
design boxes that will use chips that have not yet been built - we are
waiting for prototype samples , that's how fast things have become .
Any way , thanks for your feedback - all comments are noted .

END of VIKS EMAIL

I think he is saying that the PACE box may (in their view) make our Puny universal remotes redundant! I guess Pace have never seen a Pronto then!!!

I emailed Vic at Pace asking him if it was possible to design an accessory to use the 'IR Remote In' connector that would control the set top box using more conventional IR codes. I also explained to him in some detail the capabilities of the Pronto. This is his reply:

Hi Teresa ,
Thanks for you very enlightening mail . I do not
have any personal experience of a Pronto handset but it appears very
powerful and I can appreciate how frustrating it must be to have to go back
to multi handset use .
The connectors at the rear of the box are intended for a remote IR
receiver and IR blaster to be used in installations where the box is in a
totally enclosed cabinet . Unfortunately the remote input is also programmed
to be IRDA compatible . However it could be reprogrammed to receive standard
IR signals.
The procedure for including features in a box is normally customer
driven . In this case CWC would approach us with a requirement , we would
respond giving a time scale and cost . Discussions would then follow as to
how to implement the changes , e.g. On which page of the set up menu should
we use , how many options will be available , in which software relies will
it be included , has the help desk been trained / informed . We cannot just
implement changes on our own . The only thing that Pace can do in this
situation is to feedback all of your comments and concerns at the next
meeting with CWC . On a more constructive note I feel that anyone who feels
strongly about the problem , and I guess you all do , should write to CWC
directly . In this way they will be being hit from both sides .
From a practical point things will not happen quickly and it might
be quicker to ask TWO WAY TV to design and provide a box that would do the
necessary conversion . I will forward a copy of your mail and my reply to
our contacts in TWO WAY TV .

Best regards

Vic


So it seems that there might be some hope. I suggest that as many of us as possible write to Telewest or Cable and Wireless directly requesting this feature and hopefully something will get done.

I think that it is important that we impress upon them just how powerful the Pronto is and how complex our requirements are as they may not realise how complicated home cinema systems can be to use.

All I have to do now is to find out who to write to at Telewest.

Teresa

I will write to Cable & Wireless..

It is not just Pronto owners who are suffering - it is all the single remote users...

The TWO WAY TV company seems a good bet as well..

What about Phillips doing something - if this is the way the boxes are going then what are they going to do...??

A reply from an email that I sent to TWO WAY TV about the new handsets for the Pace Box..

Onto Phillips now then...!

Hi,

Thanks for your email! Sadly our handsets are just not compatible with
learning/ universal handsets.
This is because our handsets are designed to be used by multiple players in
the same room we have used a higher frequency than standard remotes. Also
our handsets are capable of sending much more detail information than the
normal TV type remotes, which only send 1 or 2 bytes/ codes at a time.

The issue has been approach and there are some solutions in the pipeline.
However, please don't hesitate to contact Philips (the manufacturers) as
feedback from customers is very important. We too have also pointed this out
to Philips.

Yours
Kevan Thurstans
Hardware Dept.
Two Way TV Ltd.

This design would also pose a problem when using that cable box with a TiVo wouldn't it? Or does the TiVo know how to send the proper signals to the Pace box? If not this might get an additional group of people asking for some solution.

This is another email from TWO WAY TV...

Anyone got an email address for Philips ??

TWO WAY TV...
We have a few solutions which I can't talk about yet. However since Philips
manufacture the handset, they know of the problems. They are also makers of
universal remotes, so they are the best option for what you need.

Kevan

It takes a while to find it, but here's Philips email address:

Customer Support E-mail: [email protected]. Please include the type number, serial number and software version of the product in question.

I'll email Philips as soon as I get hold of my Pronto details.

I don't think that Two Way TV's solution is going to do what we need, so we must keep trying to find another solution. I am trying to find out if there are any IR gadgets about that can read in a conventional IR code, convert it to an IRDA code and transmit it. There are loads of gadgets about for using standard remotes to control PC's which use IRDA. What we need is not a million miles away from that.

I am still determined to keep trying to find a solution, but it's starting to wear me down.

Teresa

Mike at Letsautomate.com gave me a contact name at Video Precision, (Andy Rivers, 01367 850111) who deals with IR devices.

What Andy told me is very interesting. He said that it is possible to use a One For All remote to teach a Pronto conventional IR codes that simulate IRDA codes. The problem is whether One For All support the cable set top box. Andy gave me the web site address for Universal Electronics (www.uei.com) who make the One For All, but the site is unavailable at the moment. I will keep trying.

If anyone knows someone with a One For All remote, could they ask them to try to download a set of codes for the set top box and see if the Pronto will learn the codes successfully.

Thanks

Teresa

I contacted Cable and Wireless over a week ago and haven't had a response from them yet. Does anyone have a real email address for technical support in C&W, rather than having to use their web form?

This is fairly typical of the poor customer service I am getting from C&W at the moment, this may cause me to move to a different provider.

Anyway, it looks like you're all making some progress on this matter, so perhaps hope is not lost.

On a more positive note, I know that the Palm V is able to send and receive IRDA signals, and I know that it is also able to transmit IR signals to control TVs and the like. I shall see if I can get my Palm to understand them. Not sure if it will do any good though.

Steve

Teresa,
That web site you refered to is now available. I've had a quick look and they claim to be able to have a code library for 80,000 codes.

I'll let you make contact, as you have the background information to hand. It would great if you could crack this.

It sounds like you are learning alot about IR in the process :-)

Steve

Well, I almost bought a one for all remote today, to see if it could indeed cope with IRDA commands.
The one I was looking at said that it was compatible with digital satelite and cable boxes, most of the other in the range didn't.

Teresa, you made any progress with this yet? Perhaps I should get that one for all? If I do could you provide me with any more info about what you have found regarding getting the one for all to teach the pronto?

Steve

Steve,

I'm afraid that I haven't made much more progress. I've emailed One For All and Universal Electronics and have not had a reply yet. I've also checked on their web sites to see if they list our Set Top Box and they do not list any Pace cable boxes.

If you want more info on the One For All and using it to simulate IRDA codes, especially if you're thinking of buying one, then your best bet is to talk to Andy Rivers at Video Precision (01367 850111). He told me that you can download codes into a One For All over the telephone. You can then use it to teach a Pronto. It appears that the One For All transmits conventional IR codes but can still control IRDA devices.

Sadly, I'm not sure that the database of 80,000 codes includes our set top box. I've emailed them asking this question and am awaiting a reply.

Our set top box is still quite new, so maybe it's just a question of time before they add it to their database. I've asked them about it, so maybe if a few more people ask them, they'll do something about it.

I'm getting more and more fed up with using two remotes. We've got to get this sorted.

Teresa

I to have telewest digital, and ordered a Pronto because my remote angel wouldnt work. (I also work for C&W but not on the catv side).

To say I was disapointed to read this thread is an understatement.

However a similar thread can be be found on the Prontoedit site, where the suggestion has been made to "lend a remote" to Phillips, which I should be quite happy to do.

Anything to help the community, and get my new toy working

MArcus

The saga continues...

I have emailed One for All and have tried in vain to reach their call centre (as I have a very basic One for All). I have called them before and they were very helpful. I think that they are too busy on the phones to answer emails..

It seems as though there could be a solution ahead...fingers crossed.

I also got a reply from Lets Automate...and seeing as Teresa has already called Andy I thought it best not to contact him again...!

REPLY FROM Lets Automate:

Yes I've been reading it.

Well the only idea I have is if you contact this company (see below). They
make high end satelite receivers and bundle a Pronto with it. They have
managed to manufacture an add-on RF transmitter for inside the Pronto and
may be able to do something for you:

I have had no reply from Phillips or from Cable & Wireless...

So if anyone that reads this can help...please let us know...

Thanks in advance