I've had to learn most of the commands for most of my equipment (while the remote is superior to Logitech's offerings, it's software and especially control code list leaves much to be desired).

I'm having some trouble getting some commands to behave. I have a few (such as Fast Forward for the TiVo and Menu Up for the VCR) that seem to act different every time I press them. At the top right of the remote is the red signal image that lights up when the remote is sending a signal.

Sometimes when I press one of these problematic buttons, it just lights up for a split second. Other times it lights up for about a second or so. And ALL the time, if I try to press the button many times in succession, it will only register every other or every third press. It's extremely annoying when I'm trying to Fast Forward on the TiVo (I'm much better and more accurate with FF than with the hit-or-miss 30 sec advance).

I get the feeling that these problems are due to my technique for learning commands from one remote to another. Should I be pressing and holding the buttons? Should I hold them for one second? Should I just tap them? Does it make a difference what kind of button I'm learning, or how I want it to behave on the new remote?

I had the same issue on a command the pushing and holding worked for me.

Typically, if it's a button that you want to repeat when held down, then holding down the button on the remote you're learning from will give you that result. Otherwise, a single push and release should be sufficient.

That being said, you should be able to use the database codes for any Tivo, as they have all of the IDs in there.

Mike

Well like I said I've been pretty disappointed with URCs code database. My TiVo is a Hughes SD-80. The database had codes for the SD-40 and SD-120 (or something like that). I chose one of them but only some of the buttons (like the numbers) worked. I had the same problem with all the previous devices I had added, and didn't feel like doing a bunch of trial and error foolishness with other codes. Especially since it is extremely difficult to do trial and error since you can only choose codes from the database when creating a new device and it might initially look like it works, but you find out later that many of the buttons do not. And it becomes very inconvenient later to try and change this because you don't want to delete the device. So I just learned all the commands instead.

Anyway, I've solved the problem. My solution was in the form of my old MX-850 setup file. For that remote, the TiVo device had preprogrammed IR-codes, so I just copied them from one file to another.

Bottom line, URC's claim that they don't need to have an entry for every single device because many are so similar sounds good, but in practice it falls short. Just because one device has the model number TW32K90 and another is a TW32K80 doesn't mean they have the same or even similar remotes. And while it's true that often a manufacturer will have several devices with very similar remotes, that similarity is not necessarily represented by similar model numbers. So when the software says they don't have the exact model number but suggests trying codes for a similar model number, it's about as logical as inserting your key into any old car in the parking lot just because it's made by the same company and is the same color. Yes, you might actually pick the right car, but there's a good chance you won't, as was the case for nearly every piece of equipment I have.