Hi,

I've got 3 URC-R50 remotes in my house. They're all programmed similarly, but just a little different based upon the room. All of my equipment is in a central closet and I have IR repeaters going back to the closet for distribution to the appropriate equipment (Blu Ray, DirecTV HDR receivers, Octava 4/4 HD Matrix Switch).

The problem I'm having is the signal sent from the remote is often not making the equipment perform its function. For example, if I try to fast forward a recorded show on my DirecTV HDR, I may have to press the fast forward button 6 or 7 times to get it to work, and the push the play button the same amount of times to get it to stop fast forwarding. The same is true when I try to get the Octava to change devices. The OEM remotes work perfectly. For some reason, the URCs don't.

Does anybody know a simple fix other than changing remotes? If I do change remotes, what do you recommend? Programming these was a bit of a pain as it's all done via the remote (no PC programming) and each remote must be programmed separately. Even though each remote is a bit different, it would be great to be able to copy the programming via PC from one remote to another and just make the simple changes necessary for each one from there.

Any help or suggestions is greatly appreciated!

Thanks in advance,
Gary

first thoughts...need new batteries in the R50, second thought, if that is not it, learn the codes into the R50, unless it is the new Xfinity gear, then it is likely game over...thirdly you could get an RF kit if you can get it separately not sure...that is a consumer series remote, not a professional series remote...or get an IR extender kit (ex xantech DL95K) ....or just get rid of the consumer gear and buy pro gear and get it set up or hire a pro....I can only ASSume you are DIY and not pro, but I could be wrong....hope that helps

The above suggestion about learning in all the codes you need, would be my 1st move.
Sounds like it is an issue with the database codes 'if' the OEM remotes all work fine thru the same IR repeater.

A URC MX450 is a good step up from the R50. It has a USB port to copy & backup your programming. It also can work RF with some of URC's base stations (MRF260, MRF350).
But for a few bucks more is the MX780. PC programmable... BUT! You have to get a copy of the software from somewhere (CCP). Not easy to do.
And you then would have to learn the software. Not easy either.

Brad and mr2channel,

Thanks for your replies.  The batteries are new, so that's not the issue.  I'll try teaching the IR commands, although that seems like a lot of work for a common DirecTV remote.  Hopefully it will fix the problem.  If not, I'll likely get professional help.

Thanks,
Gary

Just tried programming the buttons via learning directly from the DirecTV remote.  It's now worse. I'm at a loss....

Gary

Do not change a thing. You have not gathered enough information. Before you make any changes, WRITE DOWN exactly what everything does. I once had a brainkiller problem in a retail speaker display room, but once we wrote down what happened when every speaker was chosen, we saw a pattern that revealed the problem: one bit in all digital addresses was stuck ON.

What IR equipment (details, please) is in between the remote controls and the IR emitters in the equipment room?

Do all three R50s fail in exactly the same way with each DirecTV receiver when controlled from the rooms? If you take a remote into the wrong room, does it affect its room exactly the same from there?

Here's one that'll kill ya: does any of this vary depending on time of day, and does daylight come into any of the rooms where the IR sensors are? Light skipping off the Pacific Ocean killed all IR in one of my systems for three hours every day, but you might have something less obvious.

Is there any source of IR in any of the rooms? An IR source in one room will affect control of all systems. (Light flashing off the Pacific is an example of that.)

Ernie has a point about environment. Besides the time of day and sunlight issues, are there any CCFL lights in ANY of the rooms the IR sensors are located. Just 1 florescent light shining on an IR sensor that is not designed for it, could cause problems in the whole system. Although usually it would affect the OEM remotes too - but still possible.
To that point, the TV's = How old are they? If they are LCD and CCFL backlit, there is a huge source of florescent light right there. Any of the TV's plasma? - major problem light source for most IR systems.

Also what brand of IR receivers you are using can help as well. Big difference between using a Xantech DL95 and some generic POS off of amazon.com. Some of the cheaper (well most of the cheaper) IR systems are known to have problems.

Adding: How you tried to learn the codes in matters as well. If you did it standing in front of a plasma TV or LCD w/CCFL back light, that is guaranteed to corrupt the IR learning. Also near any CCFL lights will do it.
You should always try and shield the IR window of the learning remote, from any light source when learning codes. Also play with the distance and method of pushing the buttons (feathering, push & hold, tap, etc...).

If you're using the white directv remotes to teach, with its adding extra signals to each command, do the following to turn off this extra signal, and get cleaner learns:

1. dtv
2. press and hold MUTE & SELECT for two blinks, release
3. enter 9 6 3
4. press CH DOWN

edmund,
Please, what is that extra signal? Let me back up a step and tell about something you told me quite a while ago.

There are two distinctly different ways that DirecTV receivers respond to the DirecTV remotes when you're trying to program the remotes to operate equipment other than the DirecTV receivers. The remotes come out of the bag set for one or the other of these programming methods and you can choose which one you want to use. It's one of these two ways:

963 channel down gives you the setup procedure where all the different possible codes appear on screen for you to try. I find this always works, even if you have to try ten different settings.

963 channel up sets the "what model number do you have" method. I've seen this fail again and again and I never use it.

Now I hear that setting to the 963 channel down method gets rid of an extra signal. What is that signal about/for?

The extra signal is key signature, it tells receiver different things on different keys. Yes, on the x-series of remotes the extra signal on menu key puts up different menu item depending on if the signal is on via- 963 + Ch UP, or OFF via- 963 + CH Down. This same signal is what initiates the message at the bottom of receiver screen if there isn't a tv code programmed to the tv device. Telling to program the tv device. It can also tell the receiver what brand of components are program to each device. This was way before receiver actually programmed the remote for you, back then in the menu there was a simple list of brands on each device. The user didn't tell the receiver what codes it used, the receiver recognized them by this extra signal.

This extra signal can also interfere with the actual IR commands making them unrecognizable to the components they were trying to control. Especially volume commands. It was more trouble , than useful. So turning off the signal, at least gives you sharper directv command, for learning remotes to learn.

First, determine if is an IR issue. Take the remote to the equipment you are controlling, does it work without issue? If it does, thats half your battle. Work on your IR distribution. Or even better, pull it all out, throw it away and use RF.

I'm not against this (switching to RF).  But I'm not sure how to do it.  Here's my equipment in the central closet:

* DirecTV HD DVR for master bedroom & office
* DirecTV HD DVR for living room & kitchen
* Sony blu ray player
* Octava 4x4 HD Matrix Switch
* Zantech ZC21

NOTE:  Some have questioned which IR repeater I'm using.  It's the Zantech 48085.

Anyway, the Zantech ZC21 allows the signals sent from the bedroom and office to be split to the appropriate equipment, and the same for the living room & kitchen.  Since some equipment is shared, this is easy.  How would I do this with an RF setup?  Which equipment would do it?

Thanks!
Gary

To everyhone else, sorry, but I'm pursuing something different here with edmund, probably not of interest to you.


That message is just irritating, but maybe just because I know I've got things programmed. I have two TVs running off the same HR24 and one of the remotes makes that message come up. Now I know to turn it off.


Are you saying that the new receivers send signals of some kind to the remotes? It always seemed like that must be how that system didn't work (it didn't work in most of the cases when I've tried it)!


I don't see how the system recognized anything about, say, an old Sony receiver versus a new one with different codes when a)the model number was not on the list and b)no commands were sent from the Sony's remote!


I now see zero reason to ever leave them on. It's 963 channel down on every remote for me!

...Except maybe the RC7x remotes. Do they have this "feature"?

I'm not against this (switching to RF).  But I'm not sure how to do it.  Here's my equipment in the central closet:

* DirecTV HD DVR for master bedroom & office
* DirecTV HD DVR for living room & kitchen
* Sony blu ray player
* Octava 4x4 HD Matrix Switch
* Zantech ZC21

NOTE:  Some have questioned which IR repeater I'm using.  It's the Zantech 48085.

Anyway, the Zantech ZC21 allows the signals sent from the bedroom and office to be split to the appropriate equipment, and the same for the living room & kitchen.  Since some equipment is shared, this is easy.  How would I do this with an RF setup?  Which equipment would do it?

Thanks!
Gary

Two rf base stations if gear is in two different places...at this point based on my perception of you knowledge and grasp of what is needed to make this transition work you may want to reach out to a local AV shop that is skilled in basic control systems....just my .02, and I do wish you best of success.