Unless I'm not thinking this through clearly, this is harder than it originally seemed. I want to be able to control my volume EITHER with the TV speakers OR with a home theater system. I have a Sony KV16 Wega TV (27”) which has discreet codes to toggle the audio to the TV speakers or out a set of RCA plugs. I have a Sony 333ES receiver, with the ‘audio out’ of the TV run to a TV/Sat audio input. The system is set up fine and working on the Pronto such that selecting a device (like my ReplayTV) turns on the power, and sets the proper video inputs on the TV. If I tap a button having the discreet Sony audio toggle code, the audio toggles correctly and goes alternately to the TV and receiver. The volume controls, however, always control the TV speaker volume. I can change this easily with Pronto Edit such that the volume buttons always control the HTS system, but it is of course a ‘hard-coded’ fix.

My goal is to be able to either use the TV speakers or the HTS system, and make them switch-able. As mentioned, I can toggle the TV audio on/off using Sony’s discreet code, but I then have no way to toggle the volume used by the hard buttons (or do I and don’t know about it?).

The solution I am trying to avoid is duplicating all of my devices, and programming the hard buttons for each device either to control the TV volume or the receiver volume. I could then put a question on the home screen like “Do you want good sound?” and have an affirmative answer take one down the home theater path. This seems like it would be an untidy bit of programming in the end, as the device panel would always have duplicates of each ‘non-digital’ video devices like VCR, ReplayTV, cableTV, etc.

What I really need is a way to detect what mode I want (TV sound or Receiver sound) and then set the IR codes on the volume and mute buttons to be correct for that mode every time I activate a device. This would be easy to do with a global variable and an if .. then .. else statement, which I assume even the Pronto doesn't have.

Any suggestions? (other than the obvious 'only use good sound' - my wife insists she wants to be able to switch back and forth)

Hmmm, I have a related situation. I have the Pronto set to control a Sony TV and ReplayTV units. I want to be able to take it into another room to control a JVC TV and the same ReplayTv units. All my device panels default to using the Home volume hard buttons (set for Sony). I figured I would just add a delay and the JVC volume codes to the hard button actions (already containing the Sony codes). Then whereever I was located, the Pronto would always send out both Sony and JVC volume commands.

It works but the buttons don't repeat. I have to press and release and repeat to force the volume down more than one step at a time. This is a low priority problem for me so I haven't sat down to troubleshoot it yet. Actually I wanted to experiment a bit more before posting a question here but your post prompted me to action. (I was going to throw a beep into the command list to help troubleshoot.)


Bottom line- try putting both TV and receiver codes on your hard buttons and see if the action repeats properly. Whatever setup you have to do to configure for TV or receiver sound would be taken care of on another macro somewhere, presumabably. Good luck!

If the device page you are on is not the same as the one you want to control...you can't do it.
To switch back and forth, you must tell the pronto which device is supposed to be controled by the hard buttons...a bit of a pain if you forget and go hunting through your pages and a loud passage of music comes up and you can't find the mute or volumn down button.
Scott

Duplicating devices is the only way. It's not that big a deal. Why are you avoiding it?

Domtesta: A macro cannot repeat.
eswayze: on the switch button put a jump to an exact copy of your device, except for the volume button

OK, I give up - I'll duplicate all the devices. I was (still am, actually) trying to make my setup as simple as possible so my entire family could use it.

I tried the dual code suggestion of DomTesta, but got the observed result that the macros don't repeat. Another problem with this in my system is that my Sony TV announces in nice green letters that 'The TV volume is Fixed' when attempting to change my receiver volume while watching a DVD - this proves to be quite annoying over the course of a movie.

Anthony, I'm not convinced the jump connected to the switch (I assume you mean my 'switch audio' toggle button) will work, as the 'switch audio' for the Sony is a discreet code which only serves to toggle the speakers on and off. Thus, I wouldn't ever know which screen to jump to. I was unable to find discreet codes for 'TV speakers on' and 'TV speakers off'. If those exist, it would definitely provide some added flexibility.

My initial thoughts on duplicating devices were to use the macro panel for all 'home theater sound' devices, and the normal device panel for all 'TV sound' devices. That way, I could keep the duplicated devices separate. Anyone know a reason why this will or won't work?

This should be an easy question for all you pros. I am a newbie but i've read the manual, the FAQ's and a lot of the threads but I am not sure I am still clear on how to do this. I actually haven't used the ProntoEdit yet as I just got my device.

My question is this, I have all devices in my home theatre (DVD, CD, TV, Cable box, Computer as MP3 Jukebox) plugged into my Receiver operating as a preamp under the tuner device control. Prior to getting my pronto I had set up all my equipment such that all sound in any and every device is always through my receiver and all inputs have balanced volume so that switching doesn't blast my ears. So I simply want the hard volume keys to ALWAYS (in all device controls) control the Recievers volume. That way when I am watching a DVD and in the DVD device menu the volume still works for the reciever without switching device menus. Same for the rest, including my TV. I read that when the hard keys have specific device setting that that will override a Global setting. So do I need to set the hard key volume for reciever volume for each and every device? Do I need to do this in ProntoEdit (I am a newbie)?

(note: I tried setting the reciever volume as a global command to the hard key volume but I kept getting the FAIL message when learning it. Will try to hold further apart like 2 feet as one thread suggested.)

Thanks for any insight you might be able to provide.

I don't know aboute the Pronto, but in PE you will go under home, if in each device there is nothing for vol+/- then you should be OK

Thanks,

So I guess I was right in trying to globally set the hard key volume control to my reciever. So if only the TV has volume hard key set to TV volume for instance then I just need to change that one in addition to the global setting?

yes

JoshK:
1) learning is always better directly on the remote
2) PE is worth using, it gives you full power over the Pronto
3) If you use PE then all you need to do is get rid of the Vol commands (delete) under the TV device (or any other device).