Layout #1 - devices named on main page, factory default.

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Layout #2

WATCH TV
WATCH DVD
WATCH VCR
HEAR CD
HEAR IPOD

Press an activity button on the left side to activate the macro; press the device button on the right side to go to that device; no macros executed. Five macros available.

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Layout #3

WATCH HEAR

TV IPOD
DVD CD
VCR FM

(text lines up better on the remote!)

Activities are arranged beneath the WATCH and HEAR headings. Each will activate a macro. Eight macros available.

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Associated question: In layout 3, access to device is by holding MAIN and pressing the device button. In practice, do clients need to (or remember how to) do the two-button press to get to a device?

Vote 1, 2 or 3. Question can be answered if you wish.

I use layout #2 most often, but I duplicate the macro on both sides with most customers. Otherwise, many of them will push the wrong side button, expecting the macro to fire and it doesn't. It depends on the level of technical sophistication of the customer.

Mike
www.SurfRemoteControl.com

I just programmed an MX-650 for my dad (who really abuses my access to new remotes) and went with Number 2. They seem to work it without any trouble. Thank goodness for punchthrough or he'd never get it right :-)

I'm new to programming, with a little experience.

>>Layout #2

WATCH TV
WATCH DVD
WATCH VCR
HEAR CD
HEAR IPOD

Press an activity button on the left side to activate the macro; press the device button on the right side to go to that device; no macros executed. Five macros available.<<

With this setup The client can choose the first activity by pressing the left side. When they're finished with that particular function, without turning anything off, they press the right side. Is that correct?
If they want to go from an audio feature to a video feature or visa-versa ,how do they do it without shutting everthing down?
I appolgize if this is 101 Question, I'm trying to understand as much as possible.
Thank you,
Louie

P.S. - What if they have 6 or 8 devices to program?

I have been using #1 - macros on Main - Page 1, named TV (for watching TV, Sat if the customer has Sat and Cable, DVD, etc.) and Main - Page 2 contained the devices themselves.

My reason for this is becase the "watch", "listen", "play" labels take up space that I often need for other macros. Most of the time, I need more than 5 macros, so #2 is not always possible.

I do like #2 though. If there was more space, I would probably use it.



Thank you,
Damon DG
= = = = =
http://www.ProRemotes.com - Authorized Dealer & Remote Programming

I agree with Damon. #2 is good for simple systems but if you need more activities I just don't use the watch/ hear and list the activity. A common system would be like this.

TV Radio
DVD CD
VCR MUSIC
GAME
AUX

Music is for cable/sat music without having the display on. Many customers like this.
Aux is a Composite, L/R port we add in case someone wants to use their digital camera, camcorder, etc. for it.

I try to keep the Video sources on one side and the Audio on the other. Sometimes there are just too many video sources to do that.

Bob

No, because the last step of the macro is a page jump to (usually) page 1 of that device. No need to press right side unless you just want to go to it without sending any commands.

Couple ways; go back to MAIN first. Some use OFF on this screen before initiating a new macro, but I hate to turn off equipment and back on again. Just press the new activity. I try to have discrete power on commands in each video activity (fine for everything except projectors and certain DLPs etc) so if you started in audio, the display would come on.

If starting in video and switching to audio, you may want the display to stay on if you are using satellite or cable music thru your system (or a music server) where menus and valuable information are displayed. If not, it's easy to put a TVOFF shortcut on the CABLE or SAT device for the client to shut it off.

The only bad question is the one you don't ask.

Then you may have to go to #3 or even a modified #1 like Bob and Damon prefer.

My method takes up some extra device spaces but most of my clients rarely need them. If I do need the space the client is more tech savy so I dont worry about not having the "MAIN MENU" and "CNTRL MENU". I always use the rename function for the 2 main pages so the VERY top line of the remote will read something to the effect of "LIVRM". This makes it that much easier to differentiate between page one and two.

Page 1

(These are just punch-throughs from page 2 combined with shortcuts-layouts only include everyday functions for simplicity). No commands on these pages that will create service calls.

LIVRM

MAIN MENU
CABLE DVD
CD VCR
RADIO GAME
MP3

Page 2

(These are usually the devices right out of the database). Names look much different to avoid confusion with activity based macros.

Example-Integra DVD, Comcast, Sony VCR, etc.

LIVRM

CNTRL MENU

INDVD INTCD
PLSMA RECVR
COMCA SOVCR

I use (A modified) #1 on my system at home, but for most clients, I tend to use #2. I have been known to create seperate Watch and Listen screens for larger systems.

Do you have a button on the WATCH screen that takes them to the LISTEN screen and vice versa? I do things like that when there is more than one page to a device - clients don't seem to relate to the page button that well, and they don't understand like we do that some devices have more than one page and some only have one.

I never use favorites, but I might have a page of them on page 2 in the cable device. One button will have a

Numero Dos

but we do the macros on both sides. No need for clients to got into certain devices.

I'm just in the process of programming my very first MX-850. Layout #2 seems the most user friendly for technophobic wives and visitors, so that's what I'm trying to implement.

One thing I need some guidance on is the best way to handle power on/off. I have discrete codes for most of my kit or acceptable workarounds that achieve the same result. At present, the hard button on Main page 1 for power on is coded to turn on my TV and SKY+ satellite box (as these are the most commonly used items). The WATCH DVD macro will turn on the DVD. The WATCH VCR macro will turn on the VCR, and so on. The hard button on Main Page 1 for power off is coded to turn off everything.

The hard buttons on the device pages for power on/off just handle the relevant individual device.

The end result of this approach is that pressing WATCH xxxxx will automatically take you to Page 1 for device xxxxx, which is fine, but when you want to turn everything off you have to go back to MAIN before pressing the hard button for power off. I could change things so that the hard button for power off will always turn everything off, no matter what page you are on, but then how should I handle selective power off requirements?

I have also noticed that my WATCH SKY+ macro takes me to a different SKY+ device page than the SKY+ button I have on Main Page 2. Is it not possible to have more than one Main button for the same device page?

I actually never have put a Listen on the Watch page, but it's a good idea. I've made a Switch page for certain instances where you switch from DVD to SAT or something of that nature.

I use favorites for the devices page often, since most people don't use the favorites, and the amount of time they want macro-free access to the individual devices is slim, it's just a good place to put it without hiding to many pages.

I've been tiptoeing around this a little. The best way is to do as you have with MAIN OFF to shut everyone down, then shortcut that to the hard off button on all device pages.

Advantage: Client is watching cable and on that screen hits power off, it will shut everybody off, not just the cable box. My cable boxes are toggle and I leave them on all the time, so if customer turns cable box off, WATCH TV doesn't work next time. I don't want cable OFF to power it down. (I do leave the ON for cable power.)

Disadvantage: On units with discrete off on the device hard off button, you will have to get that transferred to the LCD as a P-OFF or lose it. Some devices have P-ON and P-OFF on the LCD, others on the hard buttons. You'll have to check your devices.

Put a page jump to the page that you want as the last step of each macro.

Thanks for that solution, but I still have a related issue. If I have two MAIN buttons with the same name (SKY+ was my example) then I can't find any way to avoid having two sets of device pages, both called SKY+. This then forces me to maintain two devices instead of one. Can this be avoided?