<<"Humor On - sort of">>
Well, the "eeeviiil" Sony 2-way remote for the TAE-9000ES pushed the limits of the MX-700 (and myself) :-) Or I should say it is a pain to program. Apparently Sony puts out 3 start messages (all the same), 3 more messages, and then the real command :-( This of course is very long. Something like 180 "steps" to complete (each step being a state). Unfortunatly, currently the MX-700 can only learn about 160 steps :-( Probably something they could change in a new release of software if enough folks complain. There is a solution though. Possily someone has one of the new remotes, or maybe the ccf files can be converted (which would be easier than my solution). What I did was... Learn the command with my Slink-E, massage the commands by hand to make them consistant, remove the first of the 3 initial start commands, learned the new command from the Slink-E with the MX-700. Works fine (though a little time consuming).
<<"Humor Off">>
Just needed to vent :-)

Tell me which CCF file you need converted, and I'll download it to my Pronto, teach the IR codes to my MX-700, and send you a device file.

... Greg :-)

Greg - Thanks for the offer. Any of the Sony TAE-9000ES files for version 2.1 or later would work fine :-) I have tried to get some of the conversion tools to work, but didn't get them to work. I only really care about the suround fields (one of the ccf files has an up/down that looks promising TA-E9000ES Upgrade by Ttriff). --- Just if you have time, I am currently busily hacking the codes... :-) Thanks

Joe: Just email me the CCF's you're interested in and I'll send you a device file that incorporates all of the specific IR codes from each of them.

I'm sure others will find the device file handy.

Eventually it will go into the MX-700 file area on this site, so I'm sure it will be put to good use, especially seeing as how so many people have problems with those dang 2-way Sony remotes.

G.

Joe, what's all that talk of slinky and massages about?

Arjen - for info on slinky, that's a toy :-) Sorry, I could not resist. Slink-E is a tool for automating CD collections with CD changers (see www.nirvis.com). It also has the capability of recording IR signals and saving them in human readable text files. The masaging I do to the file to hopefully get the IR signal back to spec (nothing is perfect), and if I do it right, the pre-amp will accept the command. For this case, I also have to remove the first "word" of data too so that the MX-700 will accept it. I hope that answers your question...

I'm back. I'm jet-lagged six hours worth (not to mention having to hang around Heathrow Airport half a day then wondering if I was about to become a flying architectural casualty :-), and I have a TA-E9000ES to program into my MX-700 ...

I'm currently using one of the generic Sony amp settings, which gives me volume control and some input selection. But I have to say that the IR output so far has disappointed me - it seem noticeably weaker than my T2 which it's supposed to replace, not to mention my old Pronto, the king of IR power.

Is it just mine? It seems I can only get my Sony Tivo to respond with some consistency by aiming somewhat off-axis - my T2 fares noticeably better. On the other hand, the volume to the TA-E9000ES seems to respond no matter where I aim ... weird.

Oh well, I'll have to try re-programming the Tivo and see if it improves. Now I guess it's time to RTFM :-).

DJ

The MX700's Audio file of Sony STR-DB1070 was a good start for me as I have all 9000ES products, also. It has many of the frequently used codes.

Jim

This message was edited by Jim Christian on 05/27/02 13:29.55.

Jim,

Thanks for the heads-up. That's actually the first one I tried. You do get most of the input switching and the volume control, but alas nothing to switch DSP modes.

Cheers,

DJ

I am learning all of the ta9000es commands from a Pronto CCF to my Pronto, then to the MX-700, and then sending it to a user on this site, who will label it properly, and then upload it to the MX-700 file section.

I'll be doing my part tonight.

So, if you want to wait for it on the site, it is coming.

... Greg :-)

Me??? Wait??? You're talking to a guy who plunged full retail (I did get a PC cord though) when leaving for a week and a half before he could do anything useful with it, with no real review about it :-).

I've actually done a fair amount of the TA-E9000ES, if not most, already. As I feared, the more esoteric (and desirable) commands appear to be a problem - basically they don't work. They appear to be learned but the preamp doesn't respond in any way.

That includes the discrete codes for specific DSP fields as well as the discrete values for the various levels (yes, that dammed two-way remote actually sent discrete value codes, e.g. surround level of +2.5DB, which I lovingly and excruciatingly recorded in my Pronto and dutifully transferred to my T2, but to no avail with the MX-700).

The more basic switching, menu-driven setup and relative level setting I've done. My initial concerns based on a rather dismal set of Sony Tivo codes have been dismissed, as I'm getting excellent response with my re-learned codes, and the Sony DVD codes seem to work well. I've learned specific codes for the Sony KW-34HD1 to supplement the library ones, and will be uploading stuff sometime tonight.

Although I'll miss many of the T2 niceties, and the command and button editing facilities of the software REALLY need to be expanded, as they are virtually non-existent (e.g., you can't copy a command from one button to another - you can only move the button around and then only within the one device, and that only if it's an LCD button). But all those hard buttons are great.

One thing that really puzzles me is the inflexibility of the Favorites device. Let's say I'm in DVD (or any other device than the DSS/TV) and I hit favorites by mistake - there's no easy way to navigate back to the device I was in! Nor is there any way of disabling it under the many scenarios where it makes no sense to use it, nor can I change it for different uses for each device. In all, I find it rather disconcerting.

I also found some things don't work right, e.g. creating a shortcut of an LCD button with a macro to a hard button only executes the first command of the macro, which was rather disappointing. Hopefully that will be fixed in 1.1 ...

Back to "work" now :-)

DJ

Hmm, Interesting. The surrounds are the only thing I have had time to do :-) Of course I only have the old remote, so none of the new 2.1 surrounds are included. Without some sort of editor like Slink-E you are going to have a hard time learning the long Sony commands (the only way I could do it was to edit them). If you want I could Email you the Surround modes, and you could add them to your setup, or you can wait until this weekend when I have time to work on the remote again (I worked on trying to find discretes for my DTV-1080 this weekend - which was a bust)...

This message was edited by Joe C5 on 05/28/02 21:11.45.

Joe,

If you can e-mail me the surrounds that would be great - I'll include them in my setup as well, and you cen get the other stuff from my device.

Also, I just found that if you hit Main from Favorites you go back to the previous device, not Main, which is great but also means I have to retract my exquisite rant above - oh well :-).

You can get my e-mail address from my profile.

Thanks!

DJ

Well, DJ. Since you're doing all the work on the 9000ES MXD, I'll leave it to you.

Please upload it as soon as you have it done!

Thanks!

... Greg :-)

Joe,
Did you find that the Sony DSP signals will work without the 3 header strings in the signal?

The problem with these signals is that the Sony remote repeats them, so it's very hard for a learning remote to know when to stop learning. If you can get the Sony remote to send a single iteration of the signal, the learning remote will probably be able to learn it.

I have written a protocol for UEIC remotes that will send just one iteration of the Sony DSP commands, so if you have a UEIC remote and a JP1 cable, you can use this to program your MX700.

If it still doesn't work because of the 3 header signals, I can make a version with the headers removed for you to try.

Rob.
http://www.hifi-remote.com