I'm looking to purchase a universal remote and was considering the VL710. My needs are pretty standard, first a systemwide power on/off ability, and second the ability to change the input on tv and amp to satellite, dvd, or vcr. Both these requirements are pretty basic, but I want to be certain the 710 can accomplish them before buying. My real concern is that my TV remote does not have the ability to press a single button to select the input. So, if I want DVD input I must toggle through all the inputs until I hit DVD. Thus, I don't know how I would program a universal remote to select DVD input for the TV, when it may require 2 "TV Input" presses if the current input is Satellite or 3 "TV Input" presses if the current input is VCR. I do not have this problem with the amplifier as there are separate remote buttons for the various inputs. Does this make sense? Can anyone tell me whether I can make the VL710 do what I want?

Thank you,
Kyle

Depending on your TV, you can most likely do it.

If your TV allows you to return to the TV input by pressing either the channel up or down button or any channel number button, you can use this to go directly to the TV input and then insert the required number of input commands to make your macro. You can use one of the system control A-D buttons for this.

The easiest way to do this is if you can borrow or use an RM-AV3000 or RM-AV3100, which has a TVTuner button on the second row of rectangular label buttons, and copy that you your 710. But with only a couple of extra TV inputs, the first macro procedure above will work just as well.

Thank you very much. That should work fine.

I do have two more questions, though, and, yes I have consulted the manual. :)

1. While most remotes have one power signal that tells the unit to toggle on/off, do any or many units support separate signals for power on and power off, even if the standard remote does not support that signal? Obviously, what I'd like to do is create a macro that turns necessary components on, but I can't know whether some of the units are already on. So, I would like to have a power on code that turns a unit on if it is off and does nothing if it is already on. Similar behavior for shutting down as well. Maybe these are "discrete" codes that I have seen references to but do not understand. I have a Sony VCR, Sony DVD, Sony TV, Onkyo amplifier, and Philips DirecTV Tivo satellite receiver (this never powers on/off). And I have the Sony RM-VL710 remote.

2. I believe my Philips DirecTV satellite receiver with built-in TIVO is a pretty popular and standard unit, however the only standard component code that might be applicable is 3204 for Philips Digital Satellite Receiver. This does not work, however. Is there really no standard component code for this very common satellite receiver? Must I really "learn" every one of the very many keys I use?

Thanks for the help!