I have looked around for this one on the site, honest!

Just got a Pronto RU940. I want to use it with my (elderly) Philips VCR. the Model is a VR703 and the Prnto talks to it ok as you might expect when I send simple tape transport etc commands.

BUT...I would like to create on the Pronto screen a facsimile of the LCD screen on the VCR's own remote. This latter allows me to build up all the data for programming a timed recording viz date, start and end times, channel, for review and, if needs be, correction on the remote display, before I squirt the complete set of instructions to the VCR.

I can't see how I can do that on the Pronto and the dealer I bought it from can't either. Can anyone help?

This might be "theoretically" possible IF there is a separte code for each item (e.g. each number in the time) AND you can determine what they are. This COULD then be accomplished using jumps and a matrix of nearly identical panels.

In reality, the number of panels required would be astronomical. Even if you restricted the time to only the hour and half hour there would be 96 different settings (48 each for start and stop). Add to this 7 days, and 3 speeds and the number of combinations/permutations is many thousands of panels. So I guess the short answer would have been no, it's not possible. :-)

Jim L

I have done something similar for both Sony and Panasonic VCR controls. What I have is a program that creates a set of Pronto panels for the next couple of days-worth of TV programmes (data-mined from the BBC and ITV web-sites) and on each program panel is a button to send the "set timer" for this program that will send the composite code to the VCR. This is still work-in-progress and I am adding VideoPlus capability that will make it more generally applicable (but this will be restricted to 6-digit codes - unless someone now has the full algorithm decyphered).

Ron

I think the main problem is the VCR requires a continuous, coherant stream, probably even with a checkbit... anything done with aliases on the Pronto will be too slow.

In reply to Jim's point, I think something like this could be done. My experience is that setting adjacent timer settings give seemless recording, so assuming 5 channels of TV, a fixed tape speed (I always use SP on VHS and Hi-8, and LP on DV), 30-min time slots and a 30/31 day timer, you would need 5 x 31 panels x (however many panels needed for 48 buttons). I would be comfortable with 2 or 3 panels for 48 buttons (and non-peak periods could be reduced to 60-min time slots) so this is an easily managed number of panels.

If anyone thinks this approach is worth exploring further, I'll cobble a prototype together (won't take very long as I have the code to generate the VCR IR codes for Sony and Panasonic), and make it available for comment.

Ron

OK, I have now have a working CCF - for one TV channel and using Panasonic VCR IR codes, it is about 600KB and for SONY VCRs it is just over 1MB! Works very well with my VCR, but until I get a ProntoPro rather than my 2MB Marantz not very useful unless I just watch BBC1. This was using one panel to select a day, which jumps to one of 31 individual panels with 60min time slots until 16:00 and then 30min time slots (so 8 lines with 4 start times per line).

However, the thought does occur that there MUST be a better way - more programmability in a future-Pronto would avoid the need for such a "brute-force" approach.

Ron

Dang Ron, we're going to have to start calling you the "panel king" around here. I was pretty sure it would work with at least some model VCR's but at 600K per channel - you're going to need more memory than a Pro. ;-)

Jim L

> However, the thought does occur that there MUST be a
> better way - more programmability in a future-Pronto
> would avoid the need for such a "brute-force"
> approach.

The forthcoming TSU-3000 will supposedly support 'conditional macros'. Depending on what Philips means by that, it could support variables. Once variable values can be set and tested, the original poster's requirements are fairly easy to meet.

-- Ron

These might just be yes/no variables. And they likely won't be out until some time AFTER the 3000 becomes available.

Conditional macros probably won't help in dynamically constructing the composite IR codes for timer setting - but perhaps there might be a better way of dynamically setting, enabling and disabling the (currently "brain-dead") timer facility.

Ron

This doesn't really answer your question, but all of this could be done with a Crestron (or AMX) touchscreen/controller.

Many times, I've been asked why someone would spend the money for a Crestron system, when they could just buy a Pronto (or Pronto Pro).

This is only one example...