If a client really needs a set of written instructions then the whole point of the remote was missed in the first place.

Either the programming was a bit too complex or the customer instruction was flawed.

Some basic rules are paramount.
1. Discrete codes are your friend.
2. Inputs and sound modes should run every time even if it "shouldn't" have changed.
3. There's no place like home. (I actually get my clients to say it out loud just like Dorothy so they don't forget the homepage)
4. Less is more. (Leave off as many buttons as you can) They really don't need that A-B repeat button from the DVD player.
5. It's ok to run the power on or off commands multiple times just in case.
6. Hardwire everything you can because emitters "jump" off of components
7. For the love of god change the default frequency
8. Remote extenders, Wifi access points, Panasonic cell stations do NOT live in the same neighborhood!
9. Just because you "can" doesn't mean you should.
10. Leave working remote firmware alone!
11. Don't over promise (using a MX-880 to control 3 independant zones of audio and 6 sources is not the right decision)

I'm sure there are more but that's a good start.

I agree with most of you guys and program my URC remotes the same way.  Source selection buttons will turn on equipment, change to proper inputs, sound modes, etc. and jump to source.  I copy my cable/sat macro and paste it on the Main page Power On button.  Off shuts down the entire system and jumps back to the main page no matter where you are in the remote this way they're always starting from the same spot.  

I use the Power On button inside my source pages as a Power On button for the source you are in, as a backup.  Once in awhile, depending on the source, and if i don't have the screen real estate i'll make the Power On button (inside the source page) a TV On/Off command if it's a music source where they may want to find what they want to listen to using the TV and then turn it off.

I typically do not leave a manual unless a client really needs/asks for one for  whatever reason, but thats probably less than 5% of the time.  I'll stay with them for as long as needed teaching them the system while they're playing with the remote.  Really don't have many issues at all, and I typically use URC MX 980's, 880's and just started using 780's.  And I have about 200 MX 850's out in the field from years and years ago.  Damn things won't die and people love them.

My advice is to try the 1 button solution and copy the cab/sat macro to Main page Power on.  I mean, thats kinda the entire point of using a programmable remote, no need for more then 1 button push.  Good luck, hope it all works out for you!

This is basically how I program my remotes with the exception of programming anything on the ON button within the sources. If I want to program a TV on/off button, I will add it on the LCD screen. My reasoning behind this is that I do not want the customer to be confused when using the same button between the Main page and within a source. Training them of course should fix this, but have just become accustomed to adding the buttons on the LCD. Otherwise we basically program the same way.

I also rarely give customers written instructions because they don't need them for my remotes. Yes, I'm that good. I used to didn't think my work was sabove average of a competent programmer, but then I ws lucky enough to see some examples of remotes programmed by some of our competition. At that point I realized I am a freaking rock star.

It did take me some time to refine my work. If I go back to see some of my early work I cringe. All of my remotes are programmed around one simple rule that I read here years ago when I first joined this site. I believe it was something Ernie said, but can't remember for sure. Anyone, including the 80y/o grandmother should be able to pick up the remote and at least watch tv without instructions. And being that most of our customers are vacation homes that regularly have lots of guests of all ages. This is also why I prefer remotes that have separate on and off hard buttons instead of a "power" button.

On my own personal remote, my rule of thumb is simple:
Upon completion of the programming, I hand the remote to my Wife. If she has to ask me one single question about how to operate anything in the system, I haven't done my job correctly.

That is the way all mine and my parent's remotes are set up. When I set up an MX-880 for my parents, I specifically told them to Press the button beside DirecTV to turn everything on. Well, leave it up to people in the 80's and 90's to not listen and they started using the ON button for this. Glad I had programmed it that way. :)

But I take the OFF macro one step further. Since watching TV is the most common activity, the shutdown macro resets all inputs to Watch TV before shutting down the system. This gives the system 2 chances to be right on power up.

The ON button isn't necessary but it exists on many remotes so everyone tries to come up with something to do with it. Others will make it turn on the most common source like cable or satellite TV. Others will have the ON button turn the projector and AVR on. I make it do nothing to train people to ignore it.

The OFF button is usable but also not necessary. If you are in a single room it can be your OFF macro and page flip to home. In a multi-zone system you have to make it page flip to a "off menu" where you can choose room or all off.

In walks the power button on the RTI T2-C. I really hated this button for a very long time. I am still not so sure i love it but i have finally found a use for it by making it the "off menu" page flip. Pressing that button takes you to the off menu where you have "all off" "room off" or "cancel go back (page return)". I would gladly trade it for a Prev/Last button.

Back on topic... point of the rambling above is that sometimes you need to leave a cheat sheet. Its not always possible to make the system 100% logical for everyone especially in situations where you have multiple users/guests using the system. Its usually as easy as a 1 page document that has a screenshot of the remote and an explanation of the layout.

This is something i created in 5 minutes when leaving a job one day. Client missed the meeting and i had to leave so i couldn't demo the system for him. I had a hard power button to deal with so i made it my System Off page flip. I had this "HOME" button to deal with so i made it page flip home. I had a "KEYPAD" button to deal with so i made it page flip to the keypad pages of each device.

Normally i want my OFF/HOME buttons as part of the touchscreen. I also would never have a keypad button. I would have used the soft keys as arrow left or right. But since these buttons are there i had to figure out how to use them to avoid "what does this do" questions. This layout explanation was all the client needed. Maybe make it prettier with a header and footer with your logo and contact information. Maybe go nuts and include the remote make/model/serial number and battery model. This might make life easy for the client or you down the road.

I disagree with you on the on button. The on button is great because it's an obvious starting point for guests, like the 80 y/o grandmother, that normally assume a remote is for watching tv.

I agree that most people will look for the ON button but i don't think that makes it a good reason to provide them with one. Our system changes the way they do things and we shouldn't be bashful about showing them the proper (according to us, the pro) way to control their complex system.

Obviously these are issues that can be explained (sometimes over and over) to clients but i think it makes more sense to avoid them completely. Source or device selection, device inputs (tvs avrs) and ON/OFF Macros for AV sources should not be hard buttons IMO. This is where we get to tailor the experience to each client.

I think teaching the client to press "Cable" when they want to watch "TV" is much easier than teaching them that "ON turns cable on and Cable turns cable on but if you want Blu-ray you have to press Blu-ray or you can press ON then Blu-ray.

I disagree. I think a good programmer makes everything work well but tries to make the client think the way the programmer thinks. I think a great programmer makes everything work well but does so by making it make sense to the client. This can be different for each client. I have watched clients struggle with something that was logical to me, then I change it to how it made sense to them, and that be the point where they fall in love with everything.



I do agree. That is why when teaching a client how to use their system, I go straight to the source/activity buttons and ignore the ON button. But the ON button is still there making it possible for any of their guests to be able to watch TV without asking the client "how do you use this thing".

Our programmer uses the ON button for cable or directv also. I don't like it but the problem isnt with what we do with the ON button but the fact that the on button is on the remote in the first place. Its like you have to create this weird work around for something that shouldn't be there like the Keypad button on the Crestron remote.


Our problem is that our client has a dozen people using the system. They have multiple homes in other states and sometimes they have savant in florida and amx in california and crestron in chicago. Its impossible to teach everyone the system. This is why i am a big fan of touchpanels with no hard buttons. I can totally tailor the system. They suck for channel surfing though.

To me the on button prevents problems. But now that Elan has the HR2, which only has a power button, I am fine with the lack of an on button. But that is because if the system is off, I can have the remote wake up on the correct page, no matter what. I'm sure crestron and amx can also do this, but we previously had to use URC or RTI, which couldn't do this. By having this capability it makes the system almost foolproof for anyone to be able to watch tv without a lesson.

Most of our customers have other homes too. Some have different, complex systems in those homes. But many actually are still using ir repeaters that we're installed back when they were the shit. And after years, they still haven't gotten used to how the system functions, and hate that visitors can't watch tv without a list of instructions

We had a multi-zone audio video system from back before discrete commands or PC programmable remotes existed. IR receivers in the wall next to the volume controls. What a nightmare. I hated servicing that place because i couldn't even figure out how to operate the system to test it.

I usually make the ON button do the same as the cable or direcTV macro.

Once in a great while it comes in handy if the client has a toad avr or TV - it can be the first time on button.