Hi everybody,

I have been a RU940 users for years and have had no problems with it. Recently though I bought a new Blu-Ray player and due not being able to connect the COM port via my "modern" PC, I decided to get a RU990.

It all hooks up to XP Pro 32bit fine but when I try and learn codes via Pronto Pro Edit NG (2.1.8.0) it crashes.

I read somewhere that people reckon it's not a good idea to do it this way cos of these problems. So I decided to send my config to the Pronto and then learn the codes one at a time.

After reading that I need to do things in the dark etc to aid learning, the pronto now learns the codes. But as soon as I try and use a button with the newly learnt code, it locks up the pronto and needs resetting.

I then uploaded the config back into Pronto Pro Edit NG to have a look at the IR code that was learnt (in case it looked like garbage) but when I double-click to open up the IR Code window it just hangs Pronto Pro Edit NG and I have to kill it.

I can copy and paste the IR Hex code from the original ProntoEdit and put it into the remote and then that works fine.

So what is it about learning via the RU990 that is causing these issues?

Here is some info about the set up in case it's relevant:

- Windows XP SP3 32bit
- Pronto Pro Edit NG v2.1.8.9
- RU990 firmware (App v3.8.17, DB v3.42 EA, Boot loader v4.31)

Any help would be appreciated as it's a lovely remote but absolutely useless at the moment because I can't learn the Blu-Ray IR Codes

You did not mention the Blu Ray type and whether you had searched for similar models. That might help someone provide you either a set of codes or a better answer.

Thanks,
Lyndel

Hi there Lyndel,

The Blu-Ray player is a Pioneer BDP-LX55 - it's a UK model in case it's different from other regions.

I also found that trying to learn codes from my existing pronto RU940 (which were also learnt) would claimed it learnt OK but when trying to transmit them causes the RU990 to lock up.

I'm also wondering if there is such a thing as a IR receiver device I could hook up to my PC (maybe via USB) which could be used to receive the IR codes and them put them into the config as an alternative.

[Edit] I have just read the unoffical FAQ and realised that I might not have been learning the codes correctly. I didn't realise that the button on the remote being transmitted has to be held down until the Pronto beeps to indicated that it has learnt the code - I will give that a try and hopefully that will work.

Thanks,

Chris

Well I just purchased a TSU9600 and tested the learning capabilities of that. It worked flawlessly so I can only conclude there is something wrong with my RU990. No worries as I can copy and paste the IR Hex code into Pronto Edit instead.

Classic Pronto - Great Learning Remote.
NG Remotes - Not So Great Learning Remotes.
Newer Pro Series - Excellent learning remotes but I recommend fast-learning to the database.

Yeah I agree that the original Prontos were superb. Never had a single issue - the whole concept of "failing to learn an IR code" never occurred to me until I used the newer versions.

I'm even find that the TSU9600 struggles to learn some of the BDP-LX55 remote codes in particular the Power Toggle and Open/Close codes. It either ends up with a short code (in both cases the same thing) or something which the editor flags in Blue or Red (which I assume means something is wrong)

Are newer remotes that come with AV gear using a more complex IR code transmission or something (I don't really understand the way it fully works other than transmitting pulses)?

I might try again to hook up my original Pronto to see if I can get it to learn codes - I just bought a PCI COM Port board to see if that works better than the USB to COM port thing I bought.

Failing that, what about an external IR Learner. I was reading up on the Global Cache IR Learner (although even that some people have stated it doesn't learn all the codes)

The part about Learn All The Codes means that GlobalCache is not capable of looking at an IR stream and figuring out that it is one with toggle bits (RC5/6 - See Classic Pronto FAQ). GC will learn the codes but will only replay what it learned. Philips looks at the stream and sees there's a toggle bit and hence can setup a 5000 or 6000 series code (see classic pronto faq) for playback.

Another update...

I managed to get access to a PC which has a COM port so was able to connect my original Pronto RU940 it. And hey presto, it learnt every code off the BDP-LX55 remote absolutely fine and all the codes work too.

So as Lyndel mentioned, the original Prontos seem to be brilliant for learning codes where as the others (from my experience) don't seem to be much good.

And as an added bonus I found that my broken Pronto RU890 (they aren't compatible with beer apparently!!) still is able to learn codes straight into ProntoEdit so I have that as a learning backup.

I got stuck with a rebuilt TS1000 about ten years ago and it was the best thing that ever happened to my programming abilities. It learns everything!

As for holding the button down until the remote beeps, yeah, I read that a long time ago, too. I don't do that and I have hardly any problems. I set up a bunch of empty buttons on a page, download to the remote, then get into a rhythm of pushing the Pront's button, the factory remote button, the next Pronto button, etc.

I describe it as a button push. Not a tap, not fast, also not holding it down. I apply pressure for maybe a half second. Batteries in good condition are necessary, and the TS1000 is so good that it was several years before it occurred to me that I needed to control the lighting!