Lowpro, My question is several-fold,
1. Why store DVD macros on a separate page? Why not on the covers themselves?
2. Assuming you have a very logical answer to question #1 that I haven't thought of, then, why only put 25 macros per page? Why not 100 or more, to save pages?
3. I understand the concept of the page that you use to place your DVD covers to get the spacing right,(DVD moves background) but I don't understand how to delete the underlying panels after placing the covers over them? Or, don't you? Do they "move to back"? Do you make them transparent?
Could you please explain the procedure you use to place the covers on a page and loose the green panels and purple background?

"Lowpro, My question is several-fold,
1. Why store DVD macros on a separate page? Why not on the covers themselves?"

The reason for this is the same as it is for having my learned IR codes permanently stored in a hidden device and only linked to throughout my .pcf file. It allows me the greatest flexibility if I want to change up my DVD Lobby device in anyway without losing any of the macros. If I remove a DVD title from my collection for instance and want to delete the DVD cover I am only losing the link to that macro when I delete the button, not the macro itself.

"2. Assuming you have a very logical answer to question #1 that I haven't thought of, then, why only put 25 macros per page? Why not 100 or more, to save pages?"

I found it easier to have larger buttons to deal with as I was creating the macros. It thought it might speed my work along a bit, perhaps not, but these are just pages with blank buttons on them, so they don't take up much room anyway.

"3. I understand the concept of the page that you use to place your DVD covers to get the spacing right,(DVD moves background) but I don't understand how to delete the underlying panels after placing the covers over them? Or, don't you? Do they "move to back"? Do you make them transparent?"

I copy and paste that DVD cover moves background image to however many pages I need to shuffle DVD cover images on. I move that page to the back which puts my regular background image on top. I then move this to the back as well. At this point the DVD moves background image is just under all the DVD cover images. When I am finished shuffling images down and adding new ones I simply select that temporary background image on each page and delete it.

My DVD moves background image is one solid image by the way. This includes both the pink and green areas. I am thinking you may think each green area for DVD cover image placement are seperate images. They are not. It's all one pic.

-Lowpro



This message was edited by Lowpro on 12/02/04 13:59 ET.

Sorry about the last reply...I'm new at this, but
I can't see where you save your regular background image on your PCF.

This message was edited by wizman44 on 12/02/04 14:25 ET.

My regular background image is already on each of those DVD cover image pages. It is very plain, but I think it looks better behind the covers than no background image at all, once downloaded to the remote.

-Lowpro

Hi Lowpro,

Very nice .pcf file!

I did take the covers and ran them through an optimization program and was able to drop the file size by 50%. They still look just as good as the original but a lot smaller size. Should be able to run better and take up a lot less room on your Pronto.

If you like I can upload them if you like.

Griffin

What you are seeing there is a result of the editor and how it saves the .pcf file. All the small DVD cover images for instance in my .pcf file were imported as 5k images. The larger full page pics were 77k in size as imported. If you look inside the saved .pcf file you'll notice they appear much larger, the size they were as 24 bit images before I converted them to 256 color and imported them into PPENG. You are still getting the space savings in the remote however, even though the file sizes of these bitmaps appear much larger inside the .pcf file.

I would take a look at the free memory left in the remote again with your optimized version of my file. I doubt any additional free space is being aquired in the remote as a result. The size of the .pcf file may be dramatically smaller, I have done this myself, but the free space left in the remote still remains the same.

-Lowpro

This message was edited by Lowpro on 12/03/04 05:37 ET.

Sorry for taking so long to post the other version of my file. I have been out of the loop for the past few months. I zipped the .pcf file by the way as some in the past have had problems downloading the .pcf file directly.

(To download hit up the link in my signature area below.)

This is the latest version of my pcf file which uses 9 DVD cover images per page instead of 16 per page. The small DVD jacket covers are much easier to see as a result. There are many more DVD submenu pages included now as well as the latest firmware supports all 32 megs in the remote. I am currently up to 1084 DVD covers, not including the DVD submenu pages. With the latest firmware installed I still have 33% memory free. Enjoy!

-Lowpro

It looks great Lowpro.Some new things and new ideas that are a result of gaining memory on the last Pronto update.
I also like your buttons and graphical layout. What program do you use for designing? Do you have plans of making them in color?

"I also like your buttons and graphical layout. What program do you use for designing? Do you have plans of making them in color?"

Buttons and graphical layout courtesy of Daniel Tonks TSU3000 pcf file. :-)

I've got some exciting updates for anyone interested. Recently I gave my .pcf file a total overhaul. In doing so I have reworked all 1200 DVD slot loading macros. They are now part of each primary DVD changer device. As a result, each DVD changer device is now self-contained! Each device can stand on its own without having to keep any other part of my .pcf file in tact. This will make merging these devices to your own .pcf file a breeze. Each device includes the main navigation pages (not particularly needed), the specific IR codes required for each slot loading macro, and the slot loading macro's themselves.

If you already have a Sony 400-disc DVD changer you'll pretty much be set to go out the gate. Just merge any one or all of the DVD changer devices into your .pcf file and learn the appropriate IR codes to the buttons in the IR Codes column specific to your own receiver and A/V switch if you have one. The final step of course would be to simply link the appropriate slot loading macros to your cover image buttons.

I am much happier with this setup. I have reworked a few other areas of my .pcf file as well. These include the following:

1) Revamped my power/activity/gallery device for better functionality.
2) Added loading screens for the system on and off macros.
3) Added a "conditional" power off page when the system off macro runs. This is to account for the fact my InFocus X1 projector does not have discrete power codes.
3) Added Daniel Tonks awesome Galaxy NG game which is accessible via the activites page by tapping on the image of the pronto remote in the center of the screen.
4) Added a PC device. Xbox device is now gone. Running my computer out to the projector for some 1080i gaming. :-P

All this and I still have 25% free space left in the remote! That 32 meg upgrade end of last year came just in time. :-) I will have plenty of memory left now to fill the last 79 slots in my 3rd changer and then some.

I plan to submit my .pcf file to the files section soon for anyone interested in downloading it there. I had a stripped down version of my .pcf file posted here, but have taken down the link. I will be replying to this thread again later this evening. In said reply I will be making a new version of my stripped down .pcf file available. It is much improved and will incorporate some new functionality as well which I am pretty excited about.

-Lowpro

Lowpro,
I love your pronto design, it has helped me tremendously. With the help of your previous threads I have been able to make my own dvd jackets. I really love your 240 by 320 full page covers (American wedding, bug's life) but I can't figure out how you made them. I would greatly appreciate any help so I can try to create my own. Thanks

Is your file up yet? Is it going to be in the complete colored file area?

Below I've revised the partial walk-through given of my TSU7000 DVD Juke PCF. Prior to this revision much of what was here was outdated. It's a much better read now. I've also included updated screenshots. In the process I've been able to free up quite a bit of web space which is always good.

1) The "Home" page.



The home page displays a modified version of Daniel Tonks' License Agreement as seen in his TSU3000/7000 PCF files. When downloading my PCF to the remote this page is always displayed first as it is the home page. Though they are not labeled, the hard button assignments while on this page mirror that of my X10 IR543 device. Once tapping the "Agree & Continue" button you are taken to my activities page. The activities page then takes over as the home page for the rest of my PCF.

2) The "Actvities" page.



This is the starting point for every new session with the remote. From here you can turn my entire system on or off, immediately engage in an activity, or view my device gallery.

There are also buttons just off the corners of the activities page as seen in the pic above giving you quick access my audio (receiver) device, video (projector) device, the settings pages, and IR code pages. The center Pronto icon is intended to take you to Daniel Tonks' Galaxy NG game. Unfortuantely, I no longer have enough memory to include the game. Once I upgrade to the TSU7500 I'll add the game back in. When accessing my IR code pages you'll need to use the directional pad's up and down buttons to navigate across each of the IR code devices. The OK button will take you to the tools menu, and the home button returns you to the activites page. I make the IR code pages of my PCF available in the remote for testing and demo purposes.

3) The "DVD Juke" device.



This is my DVD management interface. My goal here was to create a DVD management interface that allowed for browsing ones collection by DVD cover image A-Z via any number of genre/categories. Most importantly, the interface had to be fun and easy to use. Working within the limitations of the editor I feel I have accomplished all of these things. I especially like the new loading pages which are displayed while I'm waiting for my system and proper disc slot to be queued up. Thanks again Daniel for the wonderful "Please Wait..." graphic.

Below I give a breakdown of each section in my PCF making up the DVD management interface. For point of reference refer to the following screenshot.

DVD Juke (Menu): This section contains all the devices required to simulate cursor navigation of the genre/category menu.

DVD Juke (Index): The devices in this section each contain an Index (A-Z) page for jumping directly to a letter, and their DVD cover image pages.

In addition to the pages mentioned every DVD Juke based device contains a HBA (Hard Button Assignments) page, and DCA (Direct Changer Access) page as seen here.

DVD Juke (Submenus): This section contains the devices you are taken to when a given DVD title has more than one disc to choose from.

The first of these devices is the "Single Page (A-Z)" device. When only one page is used to display all available discs for a given title those pages are located under this device. Among these are my 2-disc template pages, and custom single page submenus. The rest of the devices in this section display all available discs for a given DVD title over multiple pages. Below are some examples of this.

Band of Brothers
From the Earth to the Moon
Lost (Season 1)
X-Files (Season 1)
X-Files (Season 2)
X-Files (Season 3)
X-Files (Season 4)
X-Files (Season 5)
X-Files (Season 6)
X-Files (Season 7)
X-Files (Season 8)
X-Files (Season 9)

There are a few exceptions to rule regarding my DVD Juke (Submenu) devices. Several of these devices display all discs for a given title on one page, but can't be included in the "Single Page (A-Z)" device as they include a description page as well. Screenshots of these submenu pages can be seen below, including my submenu pages for the Star Wars films.




Though not in the screenshot each season of 24 does include a description page. The DVD Juke (Submenu) devices for 24 are also setup a little bit differently than the others. The initial page that comes up is a menu page. From there you are required to pick a season, tap the description page for that season, then select the disc you want to watch. The directional pad is used to return to the 24 (Seasons 1-4) menu. You can also just use the Browse Backward (Firm 1) button to step back to the menu page.

The DVD Juke (Submenu) devices actually make up half of the DVD Juke based devices in my PCF. This is due to the fact that for a given title there needs to be one DVD Juke (Submenu) device per genre/category said title falls under. If this was not done there would be no way via the Menu (OK) button, or Index (Home) button to return the user to the proper page based on what genre/category they were browsing under. As mentioned earlier, each DVD Juke based device also has its own HBA (Hare Button Assignments) page. This comes in especially handy here as the HBA page for each DVD Juke (Submenu) device can reference any changes in hard button assignments made over the default DVD Juke hard button assignments. In this example notice that the HBA page shows the specific DVD cover image page the user will be taken back to when hitting the Index (Home) button, including the change in hard button assignments to the directional pad. Better yet, any hard button assignments which are not active at the time are greyed out. This is the case for all HBA pages in my PCF. Take note of the Page Up (Firm 2), and Page Down (Firm 3) labels in the last screenshot. Other examples showing inactive hard button assignments can be seen here.

I wanted to also comment on the many 16x9 submenu pages as seen in my PCF. I've done nearly all submenu pages for box sets this way. When viewing these pages you want to hold the remote as seen in the example pic above obviously working the hard buttons with your left hand, and tapping the screen with your right to make your selection. I'd also note that full page descriptions are included for every DVD Juke (Submenu) device, except for the "Single Page (A-Z)" device. When available the full page description will be the first thing that comes up after selecting the small DVD cover image. Tapping anywhere on the description page will then take you to the first of the submenu pages for that title. You can also just hit the page down (Firm 3) button to start browsing the submenu pages. Once you've started browsing submenu pages hitting any of the directional pad buttons will take you back to the description page.

DVD Juke (DLM):
This is the last, but most important section of my PCF making up the DVD management interface. The devices found here are responsible for automating disc selection of my changers. Within each are also the disc confirmation pages.

-The "Setup" page.
The setup page contains the buttons each of the 400 disc loading macros link to for a given changer. This makes keeping the applicable buttons on the setup page in tact crucial. If said buttons were deleted from the setup page the action lists for each and every disc loading macro would be gone. Below I describe how each of the disc loading macros are built via the setup page. The screenshot linked to in the first sentence below can be used for reference.

Each disc loading macro links to three items on the setup page under the same device, the pre-macro, numbers which make up the slot number, and the post-macro. The pre and post macros in turn link to the buttons in the "IR Codes" and "Page Jumps" columns following the exact order as seen on the page. From there the buttons in the "IR codes" column link to the learned IR code buttons in my PCF via the links made under my Pronto Signals (Bridge) device. Lastly, the buttons under the "Page Jumps" column link to the loading pages found under my "Device Activities (Please Wait...)" device. While this may sound complicated to some just starting out it's really a very straightforward process. Having this structure in place is very important as it allows for editing the macro sequence which runs prior to the slot number being entered, and afterward without ever having to edit the action lists for each of the 400 disc loading macros.

When I first created my PCF I did not have things setup this way. Any change I wanted to make had to be made to each of the 400 disc loading macros for my 3 changers. Talk about starting off on the wrong foot. Having to edit 1,200 action lists just to make one change was a real drag let me tell you. This is one of the main reasons I've made my current PCF available for download. Hopefully it has served to ensure others start out on the right foot with their Sony changers and Pronto remotes. I would not wish having to edit 1,200 macros on anyone. The dynamic setup I have in place also makes for incorporating these DVD Juke (DLM) devices into ones own PCF a very easy task. All one has to do is copy one these devices to their own PCF, then establish all the needed links under the buttons in the IR codes and Page Jumps columns of the setup page. Talk about an easy setup process! Once that step is completed it's just a matter of linking DVD cover image buttons to the proper disc loading macros. One can also choose to link their DVD cover image buttons to the corresponding disc confirmation links buttons instead. This will cause a disc confirmation page to come up first giving you the opportunity to confirm your selection prior to having the disc load. More on this is covered below.

-Disc confirmation pages.
Disc confirmation pages have been part of my PCF for a while now. Originally I had no disc confirmation pages at all. For anyone other than myself this did not work out well as one would never know if selecting a small DVD cover image would load the disc, or take you to a submenu page or series of submenu pages instead. Later I added generic disc confirmation pages. That was a good first step, but I wanted more detail on each confirmation page. Very recently here I updated each disc confirmation page to include the selected DVD cover image, in addition to calling out the specific disc selected if there was more than one disc to choose from for a given title. This latest update to the disc confirmation pages has finally put the finishing touches on my DVD management interface. Short of updating some of the graphics used there is not much more I feel I could do to improve upon the interface. I'm very happy with it. Looking back over the past couple years my PCF as a whole has evolved quite dramatically. It certainly has come a long way since this anyway. :-P

---

For those that don't own a Pronto NG remote I'd highly suggest downloading the lastest version of ProntoProEdit NG (PPENG) and my PCF file. Once installing the editor you will be able to open my PCF and run the emulator. Reading about my DVD management interface is one thing. Experiencing it first hand is another. To download my PCF just hit up the link in my signature area below. There you'll also find details on the updates made to my PCF each time I've made a new file available.

(To see a listing of the items which make up my home theater, including pictures of my actual setup check out my user profile.)

LP's TSU7500 DVD Juke PCF Download (Updated on 01/01/2007) :
lp_7500_01012007_1477_dvdjuke.zip

IMPORTANT NOTES!!!
1) The latest editor and firmware need to be used in conjunction with this PCF.
2) All IR code devices in this PCF are set to RF with multiple channels in use.
3) Formally a TSU7000 file, this PCF is now a TSU7500 file and will load in PPENG as such. If you intend to download this PCF to a TSU7000 in order to get a feel for it in the remote make sure to first resave the file as a TSU7000 PCF, then hacking the size of the file down until it loads successfully in the Simulator. Once the file loads successfully in the Simulator it will also download successfully to your TSU7000.

(For a partial walkthough of my PCF check out the reply above this one.)

New additions with the latest version of my pcf file include the following:

*Update on 01/01/2007*
Motorola DCT-6412 device updated.
When accessing the DVR page Firm Keys 2 and 3 are now assigned to "30 second Skip" and "Swap", two functions not previously available in my PCF.



*Update on 11/20/2006*
Various jumps/links corrected. DVD covers added.
In the process of working up my TSU9600 XCF I found various jumps/links which needed correcting in my PCF. This update incorporates those corrections. Additional DVD covers have been added as well, including a full page spread for "Battlestar Galactica: Season 2" as shown below.



*Update on 10/07/2006*
Cable TV (Motorola DCT6412) activity updated.
When choosing Firm Key 2 labeled "DVR" from the primary device you are taken to the "DVR" page as before, but under a duplicate device instead. This allows for having different Firm Key assignments while on the "DVR" page. Firm Key 2 under this duplicate device is still labeled "DVR", but will take you to the "My DVR" menu of the cable box instead. Firm Key 3 has changed also to the "Stop" function. So with the addition of this duplicate device all common functions of the DVR can now be accessed via hard buttons without using the LCD screen or the cable boxes GUI. (For those that don't know... so long as the GUI of the cable box is not showing on screen the directional pad doubles for these functions, "UP=Play/Pause", "Down=Live TV", "Left=Rewind", and "Right=Fast Forward".)

Loading pages updated.
The wording and headers on some of the loading pages have been updated. Additional DVD covers have been added as well.

*Update on 09/05/2006*
Device Gallery pages added.
Several gallery pages have been added back into my PCF now that I have the additional memory. I've also updated the gallery page for my RF extenders in light of my recent upgrade to the RFX6500 units.

Device Activities (Macros) device updated.
Naming convention for step 3 of each activity based macro updated.

*Update on 08/29/2006*
Activity based macros updated.
Not only does my InFocus SP4805 projector not have discrete power codes, but the unit also turns itself on anytime I send an IR code for one of its video inputs. Due to this I had to make some adjustments with my activity based macros to ensure that the projector does not turn when I'm quicky switching between activities, have the projector off, and want it to stay off. This time next year I will have hopefully moved on to a projector which offers discrete power codes and doesn't turn itself on when sending its source select codes. Until that time the conditional pages I have setup prior to my macros running work well enough.

*Update on 08/23/2006*
Move over TSU7000. Make way for the TSU7500!
My TSU7000 has been at 0% free memory off an on for most of this year. Somehow I've continued to find ways to shave down the size of my PCF. Well last week I finally said enough is enough and purchased a TSU7500. LP's DVD Juke PCF is officially back in business with a full 30% memory free in the remote! I've also upgraded my two RF extenders to the 6500 units. I'll hopefully be receiving the new RF extenders by weeks end. I'm really looking forward to seeing how the 6500 units perform over the 6000's I've been using. In preparation for my TSU7500 I spend this past weekend updating my PCF file, both adding stuff back in, and adding new content. Below I've detailed what's new with my latest PCF.

Hard button assignments updated.
As the "OK" button shows the word "OK" on it now versus the check mark symbol (my preference) I decided to try using the "OK" button for my OK/select/enter functions. Each device in my PCF has been configured accordingly. I'm not sure if I like it this way, but I'm going to give it a try for a couple weeks and see how it goes.

IR code device navigation updated.
Via my "Activities" page one can access each of the hidden IR code devices in my PCF. This access allows for the testing/learning of IR codes when needed from the remote, and for demo purposes. With this latest PCF I have changed things up a little bit. The up and down buttons are no longer used to cycle through each of my IR code devices. Firm keys 2 and 3 and now used instead.

Open/Close function added for my DVD changers.
When updating the hard button configurations for each of my DVD changer devices I took the opportunity to remove the "format" function previously found on firm key 2. This function was for changing the aspect ratio of my InFocus X1 projector. This came in quite handy as the X1 is a 4:3 projector. For any DVD's which were not in anamorphic widescreen, placing the projector in 4:3 mode with my DVD changers 16:9 format set to full allowed for the full 16:9 area of my fixed projector screen to be used. With the projector I have now this is not possible as it is a 16:9 projector with no vertical stretch options. As such, I've replaced the format function under each DVD changer device with the "open/close" function instead. I've never felt the need to include this function in the remote, but now that it's part of my PCF I'm sure I will use it versus hitting the open/close button on my changers manually.

"Taken" DVD submenu pics updated.
I've never been happy with the DVD submenus I was using for the DVD box set, "Taken". They were screen captures of the DVD menus, and very out of focus. These have been replaced with a better set of pics. The example pic I've linked to only shows the first six episodes. Included are full screen pics for all 10 episodes. The original images found in my PCF are of slightly better quality.

"24: Season 5" submenu pics added.
Needless to say I'm exicited about the release of "24: Season 5" this fall. Knowing for almost certain the make-up of this box set I went ahead and did up my DVD submenu page for it. The menu page for this TV series also needed to be updated as a result. For now I've gone with a simple look for the menu page. I did not really see the need to label what season each DVD cover image was for.

"Lost: Season 2" submenu pics added.
This is another DVD release I'm really looking forward to. At least this one has a confirmed street date already. As with "24: Season 5" I decided to also add DVD submenu pics for this DVD release ahead of time. In the process I also created a one pager for "Lost: Season 1" as you can see from the pic. It will come in quite handy down the road at some point when I start playing the memory conservation game again.

"The 4400: Season 1" submenu pics added back in.
I had a lot of fun creating these submenu pics which have been added back to my PCF. Unfortunately the official website has changed it's layout, so I was not able to work up Season 2 as I did here for Season 1. :-(

Daniel Tonks Galaxy NG game added back in.
Looks like the Galaxy NG game is here to stay for some time now. I always hate when I have to hack this game out of my PCF. It's nice once again to finally have room for it. As always, this game can be accessed on my "Activities" page via the Pronto icon in the center of the screen.

*Update on 07/24/2006*
Device Activities (Macros) device updated.
An "Activity Macro (Bridge)" page has been added to this device. Prior to this update all activity based buttons throughout my PCF were set with a jump to the pages under this device. Each of these buttons now link to the buttons on the new "Activity Macro (Bridge)" page instead. In turn, the buttons on this page contain the jumps to each of the activity based macro pages. This allows for making global changes to any of the activity based buttons throughout my PCF from one page, the "Activity Macro (Bridge)" page. This was not possible before.

*Update on 07/17/2006*
InFocus SP4805 Front Projector added.
For several months I've been without a projector. My X1 went belly up after over 4000 plus hours on the bulb. Both the bulb and the color wheel went up on the darn thing! The projector is no longer under warranty either. It's been a real drag not having a projector to say the least. Recently I acquired an InFocus SP4805 however. It's working out well so far. My PCF has been updated accordingly. My DVD disc count has also increased slightly with this lastest PCF. I'm now at 1,398 DVD discs with 202 slots left in my 4th changer. :-P

*Update on 05/25/2006*
The 4400: Season Two box set added.
I really enjoyed season one of this show. Looking forward to seeing how season two shapes out. With little to no memory left in the remote now this about does it for adding any box sets to my PCF. Guess I'll have to break down and purchase a TSU7500 here soon. It will be nice to have the additional 16 megs. Can't wait. I need the breathing room big time!

Improper jump actions corrected.
The question mark button on the "DCA" pages under all DVD submenu devices was mapped incorrectly. Each is now mapped to the proper "HBA" page.

*Update on 05/24/2006*
Additional frame overlay pic available.
A member of the forums here, oldgolfguy did up this great 4 DVD cover per page frame overlay pic for those who would like to go with larger DVD cover images for their DVD Juke devices. Just right click on the below image and choose the "Save Picture As..." option if you'd like to use this frame overlay pic with your DVD Juke based PCF. It's not included in my PCF download.



Using this frame overlay pic the DVD cover images will need to be sized at 113x153. If you have the available memory in the remote and want to go with larger DVD covers 113x153 will definitely get the job done. Again, great job on the pic oldgolfguy!

*Update on 05/07/2006*
DVD cover image pages updated.
When browsing the DVD cover image pages under a given genre I was using grey buttons on the last page of each letter to fill in the blank spots. As I'm trying to cut down on space where possible I decided to replace the buttons on each of these pages with a 240x320 background panel instead using grey as the background color. This accomplishes the same thing while reducing the size of my xml file quite a bit. I gained just enough memory in the remote to keep me going for a while longer. Least I hope so anyway. :-P

*Update on 04/22/2006*
"Computer" device updated.
I'm trying out a new media center front end just for kicks, so I've updated this device. The app in question is called TVedia. It doesn't do as much as many of the other front ends I've tried, but then again, I don't require much. Just using it to serve up mp3's and pictures to my projector with the occasional WMV file. One of the cool things about TVedia4 is that it can be run in full screen on a secondary monitor. For people like myself without a dedicated HTPC this is most excellent. TVedia also has direct support for my USB-UIRT, so Girder is not needed.

*Update on 04/20/2006*
Activity icons in the top interface area updated.
When selecting a given activity icon said icon now appears highlighted in comparison to the others after the activity has loaded. This is meant to indicate of course which activity is currently selected. I've also replaced the pressed states of these icons. Each now shows a version of the familiar star burst please wait graphic when pressed.

*Update on 04/16/2006*
DVD Juke pages updated.
The font used for the genre listings on my DVD Juke (Menu) pages was different from the font used for the headings on these pages. The genre listings now use the same font. My DVD Juke (DCA) pages have also been updated. Each were displaying the words "Sony DVD" in the heading area. I've replaced this with the same "DVD Juke" heading as seen on the other DVD Juke pages.

*Update on 04/11/2006*
Onkyo TX-SR800 and InFocus X1 devices updated.
The activity icons from my system area are no longer accessible while under these devices. Banners are now in place instead at the top of each page as these devices are only intended to be accessed from a given activity based device to make any needed adjustments to the audio and video properties.

Microsoft XBOX 360 device added.
My last available input set was used for this component. :-( Looks like I'll need to add another Zektor switch at some point. :-P Click here to check out my XBOX 360 device.

Activites page updated.
I had no room left on the activites page to add my XBOX 360 activity, so I decided to remove the icons for my receiver, and projector. These devices are still accessible from this page however, via the buttons in the lower corners labeled, "Audio", and "Video". In the upper corners of the page are the buttons, "Settings" and "IR Codes". These take you to the settings pages for the remote, and my hidden IR code pages. The hidden buttons previously located off each corner of the activites page have been removed. Back in the center of the page you'll once again find the Pronto icon. Once I've upgraded to the TSU7500 this icon will take me to Daniel Tonks' Galaxy NG game.

*Update on 04/07/2006*
Conditional pages for all activity based macros updated.
Due to the lack of variable support conditional pages prompting for user input is the only way to feasibly monitor the power states of ones equipment. The conditional pages in my PCF prior to this update served to ensure my equipment was powered on for a given activity, but that's about it. This included a seperate question asking if my projector needed powered on as I sometimes choose to keep my projector off for certain activities. The one thing I had not accounted for was if my projector was already powered on for the current activity, and I wanted it to be powered off when going to the next activity. Well yesterday when replying to a thread regarding conditional macros of all things I got to thinking about how I would do this. The solution I came up with worked so well that I decided to implement it for every activity based macro in my PCF. :-) Click here to see a screenshot of the end result.

As seen in the screenshot the first page which comes up when choosing an activity asks if I want to ensure the equipment is powered on for the activity. If the needed equipment is already powered on I simply choose no. The remote then queues up the proper source selects and takes me to the primary page for the activity. If I choose yes I'm prompted with a second question, "Is the projector currently powered on?" Answering this question establishes what power state the projector is in, so that I can then be asked one last question. (Refer to the pages from my example pic highlighted in blue.) If I confirm that the projector is on I'm asked, "Keep projector on for this activity?" If I confirm the projector is off I'm asked, "Keep projector off for this activity?". As a result of this update the number of page navigations when choosing an activity has increased by one. This is well worth the trade off however, as I am now able to have my projector powered on for any given activity, as well as powered off.

Motorola DCT6412 and IR543 devices updated.
Companion devices have been created for both my Motorola DCT6412 and IR543 devices. This was done in order to improve the navigation structure of each device.

- Motorola DCT6412: The "User Settings" button on the keypad page of my Motorola device now jumps to a companion device where only the directional pad is functional. After making any needed adjustments the "Exit Settings" button will take you back to the first of the channel icon pages under the main device. I've also added a banner to the top part of the interface. This is meant to restrict ones ability to jump to another activity prior to selecting the "Exit Settings" button.

-IR543 IR Command Center: I've reworked my IR543 device as well. Firm key 4 is now used to toggle you between the main IR543 device and the companion device showing the full screen version of the IR543. I've also added a custom header to each of the interface pages.

*Update on 04/06/2006*
Disc loading macro and disc confirmation links pages updated.
The 200 buttons on each of these pages now use a black background instead of grey and are spread out across the width of the page. I've also placed a header at the top of each page.

Further file optimizations.
The background images I was using on my IR code device pages have been removed. I've kept the same look for each of these pages, but am using blank panels instead sized accordingly with the proper background colors selected. I've also changed out the DVD cover images overlay pic I was using. I recently changed this pic to a 240x320 PNG using the PNG transparency option. Using the PNG transparency option takes up more memory in the remote however, especially considering how many pages in my PCF this graphic is on. By reverting back to my 241x320 pic (aligned at coordinates -1, 0) which uses the "Use the color in the upper left corner as transparency color" option I gained enough savings that my remote now reports an additional 1 percent of free memory. Now I'm quite sure I did not gain a whole percent, but I clearly gained more free space in the remote. I will take whatever I can get at this point.

More device tree changes.
The "DVD JUKE (MENU)" and "DVD JUKE (INDEX)" sections of my PCF have been swapped so that the "DVD JUKE (DLM)" and "DVD JUKE (INDEX)" sections are together. These are the sections I work with on a weekly basis when adding new DVD cover images to my PCF. Made better sense to have them together. As a result, the DVD Juke sections of my PCF are now in alphabetical order as well. Can't say that I mind that. :-)

System and Activity Macro timings shortened.
The delay actions in each macro between the second and last loading pages has been cut in half to .5 seconds each. Each macro runs a bit more crisply now as a result.

*Update on 04/02/2006*
Device tree now better organized.
The section in my device tree previously called, "DEVICES" is now called "COMPONENTS". This is more fitting as the devices in this section are in fact for my components. I've also moved the first two devices for each DVD changer to this section. The DVD Changer (DLM) devices remain under the "DVD CHANGERS" section which is now called "DVD Juke (DLM)". Having the Disc Loading Macro devices grouped together makes them easier for me to browse to when linking a given DVD cover image button to its disc confirmation page. I need all the help I can get I guess. :-P

*Update on 03/31/2006*
DSS device updated.
My Samsung SIR-TS160 HD DIRECTV Receiver is no longer being used to watch DIRECTV programming. I'm only using it as an ATSC tuner to pull in my Washington, D.C. area digital broadcasts. Comcast only provides me with the Baltimore area stations. In light of this components limited use I've changed up the device label on each page to read "DSS (OTA)". I've also removed the DIRECTV channel icons leaving only the network stations. Each network icon on this page is actually two buttons side by side to appear as one button. The left side of each is set to the main channel. The right side of each set to the sub-channel. Pressed states for these half buttons are included as well. Below the channel icons I've also worked up something cool highlighting the indoor antenna I am using, the Zenith Silver Sensor. There was all this empty space below the channel icons, so I had to fill it with something. :-P The Zenith Silver Sensor is an awesome indoor antenna! I have mine sitting in my equipment closet. It manages to pull in every Washington, D.C. area digitial broadcast without the need to ever adjust placement in order to keep a station locked in. Now that's what I call performance!

Activity macro prompt updated.
I decided to once again change the wording used on my activity page prompts. The wording on the first of these prompts had read, "Power on equipment for this activity?" This implies that the equipment for said activity is powered off which could be true, but was not what I meant to convey. It took me a while, but I finally got the wording right. Guess three times is a charm. :-P The question now reads, "Ensure equipment is powered on for activity?"

*Update on 03/29/2006*
Disc loading macro setup page updated.
I just realized last night that I had never included a button in the IR codes column of my setup page for the input of ones display. I've never needed this myself as my Zektor A/V switch inputs are tied to the proper projector inputs in my PCF. I like to do everything by the book however, so I've updated the setup page found under each of my DVD Changer (DLM) devices accordingly. Each now includes a "Display - Input" button in the IR codes column. I've also added a "Dim Lights" button to the IR codes column. Before I was just making a direct link to my IR543 IR code device in the post macro. Might as well keep things consistent. Of course, the pre and post macros have been updated in light of the new buttons. In addition, I've also reduced the number of loading pages used by one since my new loading pages show only six states, not seven. (I've made this same page reduction to the other sets of loading pages in my PCF as well.) Lastly, the physical layout of the buttons on the setup page have been tweaked to mirror the exact action lists of the pre and post macros. Talk about visual aids! :-P

*Update on 03/28/2006*
Disc confirmation pages updated!
All disc confirmation pages now call out the specific disc selected if there is more than one disc to choose from for a given title. I've done this by changing the question on the confirmation page when needed with custom labels. I've also removed the Galaxy NG game from my PCF once again as I ran out of memory when implementing this updated. At least I've got some free memory now. :-) Where is a TSU7500 when you need one. :-P

Cable box device updated.
Well it still looks like a**, but I've updated my Comcast Sportsnet logo. Least it's an improvement over what I was using before, but that's not saying much. I've also added a channel icon for Universal HD. For now I'm just using my old BravoHD icon for this. I've also reworded the text label for this device.

*Update on 03/22/2006*
Home page replaced.
The home page now displays a modified version of Daniel Tonks' License Agreement as seen in his TSU3000 and TSU7000 PCF files.



To date the DVD management interface for my PCF has consumed countless hours of work on my part. A large amount of this time was taken to ensure the DVD management interface could be easily retrofitted for other peoples pcf files and equipment with very few adjustments short of inserting DVD cover images and linking said buttons to slot numbers. I've also spent quite a bit of time recently improving the whole activity based functionality of my PCF. In any event, I am quite pleased with how things turned out. That being said, I felt it appropriate to include Daniel Tonks' License Agreement modified to include my email address as well after first outlining the items I take credit for.

Small device text labels updated.
I've increased the font size of the small text labels used to call out what device you are currently under. Each text label has also been given a generic name versus the equipment specific names I was using.

Samsung SIR-TS160 HD DIRECTV Receiver device added.
It's nice to once again have this device back in my PCF. I no longer subscribe to DIRECTV service, so this device has been out of my PCF for a while now. I put it back in recently as the OTA tuner is still functional irrespective of whether you have DIRECTV service of not. I use the tuner to pull in digital broadcasts from the Washington, D.C. area as Comcast only provides me with the Baltimore area stations.

Activity page updated.
The activity page now incorporates the functionality of my prior home page, namely the system on and off macros via firm key 2 and 3. On said page there are also buttons just off each corner allowing for quick access to my audio (receiver) device, video (projector) device, settings pages for the remote, and my IR code pages. The Pronto icon in the center of the page jumps to Daniel Tonks' Galaxy NG game. You might also notice once downloading my PCF that the Device Power page has been removed. I never used that page anyway. This change allowed for the assigning of system on to firm key 2, system off to firm key 3, and a Gallery/Activity device toggle to firm key 4. My device gallery has seen some hard button changes as well. Firm key 2 and 3 under my Device Gallery are now assigned to page up and page down as they are for my DVD Juke devices. Prior your only option was to use the fixed page up and page down buttons to view the gallery items. This new setup is great! I'll miss my old home page, but having Daniel's License Agreement in place is more important. After all, I am using his graphics thoughout.

More activity section updates.
The headers for my loading pages have been updated. For the system on and off macros the header states, "System Macro". For all activity based macros the header states, "Activity Macro".

*Update on 03/18/2006*
DVD Juke hard button assignments changed.
I've never been completely satisfied with the hard button assignments for my DVD Juke devices, specifically with regards to my page up (NavMode), page down (SmartSurf), and HBA page (Firm key 3) assignments. The page up and page down assignments did not allow for comfortable one hand operation of the remote. They also had to be swapped when accessing any of the 16x9 DVD submenu pages to account for the reorientation made with the remote. My HBA page assignment was never as prominent as I wanted it to be, and then there was the browse forwards assignment to Firm key 2. I never use browse forwards, so that hard button assignment was just being wasted. The new hard button configuration I've gone with resolves all these issues. It took forever and a day to implement, but I'm finally satisfied. Very satisfied in fact! Taking the idea from Gary Hamilton's PCF (thanks Gary) I've gone with Firm key 2 for page up, and Firm key 3 for page down. Having page up and page down assigned to Firm key 2 and 3 allows for very comfortable operation of the remote with one hand. These assignments also work for my 16x9 DVD submenu pages which is an added bonus! My HBA page assignment has been moved down to the NavMode button which I am much happier with, and the SmartSurf button is now assigned to the special action, "Backlight".

DVD Juke device structure updated.
In prior PCF files the DVD Juke menu, A-Z page, and DVD cover image pages were all under the same device. What I've done is split each DVD Juke device into two seperate devices, the first of which contains the menu page. The second contains the A-Z page (now referred to as the Index page), and the DVD cover image pages. This change (take note of the device tree to the left) was made so that the hard button assignments for the directional pad would not bump you back out to a given DVD Juke menu page while on an index page or while browsing DVD cover image pages. I've made this same change in the past, but have always gone back to one DVD Juke device per genre. This time I'm keeping it this way. Honest. :-P

DVD Juke labels on firm keys and HBA pages updated.
Depending on how many levels deep you are while under my DVD Juke devices certain hard button assignments are disabled. In prior PCF files there was no visual indicator of which hard button assignments were active and which were not. To remedy this any inactive hard button now shows as greyed out on the Firm Key labels and HBA (Hard Button Assignments) pages.

DVD Juke menu, index, and HBA page graphics updated.
I almost forgot to mention this one. I've replaced the headings on my DVD Juke menu, index, and HBA pages. The "Sony DVD" wording at the top of each page is now gone replaced by the heading, "DVD Juke". The graphics below that on each page have been replaced with a larger font.

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CONTINUED from prior post...

*Update on 03/14/2006*
Consolidated all loading pages.
Since posting this update early this morning I have gone back and consolidated all of the loading pages in my PCF. All loading pages are now located in one device called, "Loading Pages" for lack of a better word. Going this route has allowed me to use the same loading pages for multuiple devices when possible versus duplicating said pages over and over again under various devices. To ensure smooth navigation I have set all hard button assignments for the new loading page device to browse forwards. In the event you browse backwards from an activity based device to the last loading page hitting any button will send you forward one page.

2-Disc DVD submenu pages updated.
The latest round of updates has really opened up the flood gates to even more updates. Will it ever stop? :-P I do think I'll check myself into that 12-step program for Pronto addicts. Just as soon as I do a few more things to my PCF that is. :-) Now on to my latest updates. This first update is to my new 2-Disc DVD submenu pages. When first introducing these pages I was using a full page graphic for everything but the text below the header. I've redone these pages so that the header is a seperate graphic. This allows for including custom headers when needed. An example of this can be seen in this updated screenshot. All of my new loading pages have been updated in this same manner.

Activity structure updated.
This is the larger of the two updates this go round and revolves around the activity structure of my PCF. In prior PCF's I forced the pressed states of buttons on the Activities page to display while an activity based macro was running. This was done to give the user an indication that something was happening. The macros ran too quickly to bother with loading pages. Adding an intial page jump showing the pressed state of said button worked well enough. Well after creating those new loading pages the other day I got to thinking. The activity buttons on the activities page have never included power on codes. Only the system on macro served this purpose. I figured it was about time to update my PCF in this regard.

The solution I came up with works very well. When choosing an activity based device, whether it is from the activities page or the top part of the interface there is now a page which comes up giving you the option to run a power on macro specific to the selected activity. Said macro ensures everything is powered up that needs to be in addition to queuing up the proper source selects. Better yet, when choosing yes to run the macro you are first taken to a page asking whether or not you need the projector powered on just as you are with my system on macro. Loading pages are then displayed while you wait of course, the last of which informing you of the activity based page you are about to be taken to. On the other hand, if you choose to not run the power on macro the proper source selects are immediately queued up and you are taken to the main page for that activity. In the end it's one extra click over the way I had it before if you don't need to power anything up. Having the option makes that one extra click well worth it. To top things off I've also included this functionality for my 4 DVD changers accessible from any DCA (Direct Changer Access) page. Every DVD Juke and DVD changer device includes a DCA page via firm key 4. Last but not least I've included some eye candy for your viewing pleasure. Gotta love them visuals!

*Update on 03/12/2006*
Disc Loading Macro devices updated.
With the recent addition of my 2-Disc DVD submenu pages I found the need to bring some uniformity to my PCF. The disc confirmation page which comes up after selecting a disc just didn't work for me anymore. As such, I created a new disc confirmation page matching the look and feel of my 2-Disc DVD submenu page. Better yet, each disc confirmation page now includes a picture of the selected DVD cover! This was an absolute monster to implement, but has turned out to be one of the best improvements I've made to my DVD Juke interface yet. :-) Once at a given disc confirmation page you can either tap the DVD cover or choose yes to load the disc. Choosing no will take you back to the previous page. To take things a step further I even updated the loading screens. Now that's uniformity! To see a screenshot of the new disc confirmation page and loading pages click here.

Power On/Off macro pages updated.
To continue with the theme I updated the conditional pages and loading pages for my power on/off macros. Turned out pretty sweet. Click here to see for yourself. :-P

("Please wait..." graphic courtesy of Daniel Tonks' TSU7000 PCF.)

*Update on 03/09/2006*
Pronto Signals section updated.
I've standardized the layout used for all of my IR code pages. The new layout is more user-friendly as a result. This is something I've been putting off for some time now. It feels good to finally have this particular update crossed off my list.

For review purposes ...
The "Pronto Signals" section (IR layer) of my PCF contains all the learned IR codes for my equipment. Under said section there is one device for each peice of gear containing all the needed learned IR code buttons. The buttons under the "Pronto Signals (Bridge)" device then link to those IR code buttons. The Pronto Signals (Bridge) device acts as a bridge between the rest of my PCF file and the individual IR code devices. This extra layer makes it easier down the road to swap out equipment for instance as one can delete an individual IR code device entirely only losing the links under the Pronto Signals (Bridge) device. This also prevents lost links throughout ones PCF file if an IR code button is deleted by accident. Only the link made to that button under the Pronto Signals (Bridge) device is lost. The links in the rest of the PCF file are kept in tact.

*Update on 03/01/2006*
Action list correction made for DVD loading pages.
The loading pages which run while a given DVD changer is loading a disc are actually buttons set to jump to the DVD transport controls page. This is in place as a safety measure in case you happen to get stuck on a loading page by browsing backwards after a disc loading macro is complete from the DVD transport controls page. Well yesterday I noticed that each set of loading pages for my four changers were set to jump to the transport controls page for my first changer. Each set should have been set to jump to their respective changers transport controls page instead. This has now been corrected. I use this same approach with my system on and system off loading pages by the way.

*Update on 02/27/2006*
PCF file size optimized to save on memory.

-Bitmaps converted to PNG's.
I don't see myself upgrading to the TSU7500 for some time unfortunately which means the TSU7000 is going to have to hold me over for awhile. The file I released a couple days ago showed only 2% free memory in the remote and that was without Daniel Tonks Galaxy NG game which takes up 2-3%. Adding the slightest bit to the PCF brought my 2% free down to 1% free however. Not exactly a full 2% there. More like 1%. Well I had been using 8-bit bitmaps throughout my PCF, with the exception of some PNG files. By using an optimized file format in Photoshop (PNG-8 with various color counts) I was able to convert all of my bitmaps to PNG's without a noticable loss in picture quality. As a result, I gained an additional 2% free memory! This now gives me a full 3% free in the remote versus the 1% I had before. To test I reduced the file size of my PCF by a very small amount to see what the remote reported. Sure enough it showed 4% memory free, so I am fairly confident that I have the full 3% free with this latest file. Talk about squeezing water out of a rock. :-P

-Full page DVD description pages reworked.
Part of my file optimization process included reworking the full page descriptions used for all of my DVD box sets. Prior each were 8-bit bitmaps at 77kb a pop. In addition to converting them to PNG files I also removed the picture of the DVD cover from each leaving a 72x100 area instead where the DVD cover used to be. This allowed me to save each of these full page descriptions using a color count of 8 versus 128 without any loss in picture quality. Once in PPENG I simply copied over the 72x100 DVD cover images from my A-Z pages for each description page using the red area I placed on each for perfect placement. :-) In the end I was able to reduce the file size of each full page description by 73kb. Each are now only 4kb!

-Daniel Tonks Galaxy NG game included once again.
With 3% free memory I've once again included Daniel Tonks Galaxy NG game in my PCF. Prior to these file optimizations it would not fit as it takes up 2-3%. I only had 1% available.

*Update on 02/24/2006*
DVD Lobby device name change.
I was previously calling the DVD management part of my PCF, "DVD Lobby". I had borrowed this name from the HTPC software of the same name. To avoid any confusion between the two I decided to change the wording used in my PCF to "DVD Juke" which just happens to be the label on the icons I'm already using for this activity.

2-Disc DVD submenu page added.
I currently have 78 titles in my collection which contain 2 discs. Most are discs where the movie is on the first disc and special features are on the second. I also have a good number where the movie spans two discs. For just a hand full of these titles I had created custom submenu pages with themed graphics. For the others I was just repeating the small DVD cover image on the A-Z pages a second time. I've never been too happy with this solution, but with memory limitations what is one to do. The answer was very simple, a generic 2-disc submenu page! If only I had thought of this a year ago. Better late than never I guess. The 2-disc submenu page I created is very simple, but gets the job done nicely I think. It took several hours to add to my PCF, but was well worth it in the end as all 78 2-disc titles in my collection now have their own submenu page. How sweet it is! The text on these pages as seen in the screenshot are custom labels by the way, except for the text in the header. This allows me to customize each page without having to waste memory on additional full page graphics.

Single page DVD submenu device added.
In the process of integrating this submenu page I did something to save me time later on. In prior PCF's all single page submenus were placed just after the A-Z page containing the DVD cover. This had to be duplicated for the other genre devices as well. If you look closely at this screenshot however, you'll notice that I now have all single page submenus grouped together under one device instead. The benefits to this are two fold. On the programming end this means one submenu page for each title, irrespective of how many genres it falls under. Each DVD cover simply links to the one submenu page. The other beneift is for the end user as I've programmed all firm and cursor keys to browse backwards once on a single submenu page. For those that prefer to tap the screen I've got that base covered as well. Just tap any area of the screen other than the DVD covers themselves to browse backwards. Can't get more user-friendly than that.

DVD submenu pages updated.
After adding all the new 2-disc submenu pages I decided to go back and update many of the other submenu pages in my PCF. Click here to check out the remaining custom single page submenus in my PCF. You know if I had more web space I would post more pics. To see more you'll just have to download my PCF. If you do give my PCF a test drive make sure to check out the DVD submenu pages for "24", "NYPD Blue", "Star Wars: The Complete Saga", and "Twin Peaks: Season One" as each received either a complete facelift or noticable updates over my prior PCF.

"The 4400: Season One" submenu pages added.
I was out buying DVD's one day and saw this title. I had never even heard of the show before. Living life on the edge as I do :-P I purchased this title blind and watched it later that week. Absolutely loved it! Can't wait for Season Two to hit DVD. This title does not really need such elaborate submenu pages, but I was on a roll at the time and could not help myself. Hope you like them.

DVD submenu device structure updated.
Each set of DVD submenu pages (this includes any single submenu pages which also include a description page) has its own device. Firm 3 and firm 4 keys for these devices take you to the hard button assignments (HBA) page and direct changer access (DCA) page under the genre device you happened to be browsing. I did not like this setup as you are taken out of the DVD submenu device when viewing these pages. Since each DVD submenu device did not have its own HBA page I also did not want to take advantage of unused hard buttons as I had no way to show the end user what the assignments were. To solve these problems each DVD submenu device now has its own HBA and DCA pages. This keeps you under a given DVD submenu device at all times until you do one of three things, browse backwards enough times, hit the A-Z button (home key) to go back to the A-Z page you initially jumped from, or hit the DVD Juke button (OK key) to go back to the DVD Juke menu screen where you can choose a different genre to browse under. Taking a look at this screenshot you'll see how I've been able to show specific hard button assignments for a given DVD submenu device now. Much better setup. This was not possible before as I was pointing back to the HBA page under the related genre device.

Change in the way hard button assigments can be made.
This was a very long update to make, but one I'm finally glad that I did. I'd first like to tip my hat to Lyndel McGee. I got this idea from him. Lyndel has a page under every device in his PCF that contains a button for every hard button assignment that can be made. The hard button assignments on the device properties\hard buttons tab are then linked to the buttons on this page. This allows for making your hard button assignments on a page at that point versus having to access the hard buttons tab. This can be a huge time saver if you have to make certain changes in hard button assignments for devices across the board or even to only a few. After all, you can't drag and drop actions or jumps on the hard buttons tab. The one exception to all of this of course is special actions. Any hard buttons you want assigned to special actions must be assigned on the hard buttons tab directly as linking to buttons assigned to special actions will not work. You can do it, but the special action will not exceute. So in any event, each device in my PCF now has a page called, "Hard Buttons". It is also the first page within each device making them very quick to open across multiple devices using only the arrow keys and enter key. Now I went a little overboard on the actual design of my hard buttons page, especially considering how I am always trying to find new ways to not run out of memory. Thankfully I still have 2% free memory with this PCF. I got that image of the remote by taking a screenshot of the graphic shown on the device properties\hard buttons tab by the way. I then proceeded to create all the buttons, both released and pressed states, not that you'd ever have that page accessible while using the remote anyway.

*Update on 01/26/2006*
Full page movie descriptions added for all box sets.
The last couple box sets I've added to my DVD Lobby setup have included full page descriptions as I've been including for titles in my "Now Playing" section. It's really nice having the description of a given title to read prior to moving on to the submenu pages, especially for box sets. As such, I've added full page descriptions for every box set in my collection. In order to make room for this I had to hack the full page descriptions out of my "Now Playing" section, and remove my DIRECTV device. I recently changed over to Comcast, so I was not using my DIRECTV device anyway. :-P

*Update on 12/08/2005*
Motorola DCT6412 III HD DVR device added.
I recently signed up for tv service with Comcast adding this DVR to my setup. Being able to record HD programming is a real treat! The dual-tuner and larger hard drive were a pleasant surpise. Not something I was expecting. Today I finished the device for my TSU7000. For those that also have this DVR give it a whirl. You know you want to. :-P

Additional Zektor HDS4 HDTV A/V Switch added to setup.
I finally got around to adding another one of these switches to my setup.



The video run coming from my HTPC has been unplugged since adding my 4th DVD changer. It's nice to once again have the convienence of my HTPC. I primarily use my HTPC to play DVD rentals rather than having to load said rental up in my 4th changer. :-)

*Update on 11/30/2005*
DVD changer devices updated!
This was a rather lengthy update, but something I've wanted to do for a long time. With my prior .pcf files you never knew whether tapping on a DVD cover image button would load the movie, or take you to a movie description or series of DVD submenu pages. This is no longer the case after this update! There is now a screen prompt that comes up prior to any disc loading. This screen prompt asks if you would like to play the selected disc. (The screen prompt is optional so you know. You can still link DVD cover image buttons directly to the disc loading macros if you want to. I have chosen to link all DVD cover image buttons in my .pcf file to the screen prompt however.) If you choose to play the selected disc you are taken straight to the loading screens while the selected disc and home theater system are being queued up. If you choose not to play the selected disc you are taken back one page.

In the process of adding this functionality I restructured things quite a bit. Each DVD changer now has 3 devices associated with it. Below I outline the new structure using my first DVD changer as an example.

1) DVD01 - This is the primary changer device containing the transport control pages, direct changer access page, and help page.
2) DVD01 (X10) - This is the secondary changer device. It is identical to the first, but with lighting macros added. The lighting macros cause the lights to fade to black when pressing play, to brighten softly when pausing, and to brighten even more so when stopping. Tapping the DVD Juke icon in the top part of the interface will enable and disable lighting macros toggling you between device DVD01, and DVD01 (X10). A lense flare appears in the center of the DVD Juke icon when lighting macros are enabled.
3) DVD01 (DLM) - DLM stands for Disc Loading Macros. This is the device responsible for automating disc selection. Included are the setup page, disc loading macros, and disc confirmation pages (one for each disc).

Second RF extender added.
I had been running a mix of IR and RF control since adding my 4th changer. I prefer having everything on RF so I finally purchased a second RFX6000. As such, everything previously using IR is now using RF via my second RF extender set to CH(0), ID(1). My original RF extender is set to CH(0), ID(0). It was a bit tricky at first getting the stray IR under control bouncing around inside my equipment closet, but I finally came up with a solution. I ended up stapling a small cardboard box just a bit larger than the extenders onto the wall overtop my second extender. The IR emitter kissing my Hot Link Pro was also exposed. Stuck that deal inside a small matchbox and tapped it up. Cheap solutions and best of all, they work well. :-)

*Update on 11/28/2005*
Firm Key GUI elements updated.
Prior I had panels on each page across the bottom calling out what the firm keys were assigned to. I have replaced these panels with firm key 1-4 system item buttons copied from my System page. As a result, you can now either use the firm keys or LCD buttons. When pressing the firm keys the LCD buttons will show their pressed state as well! Currently the pressed state simply changes the text from white to black. :-)

*Update on 11/18/2005*
GUI and DIRECTV device updated.
I like Daniels new TSU7000 PCF file very much. I'm just so used to his TSU3000 PCF. As such, I've updated the interface pages bringing them more in line with his TSU7000 PCF file color wise. All screenshots in this thread have been updated to show the new interface, so check a few out if you like. I've also updated my DIRECTV device to include all the standard XM Music channels now available via DIRECTV.

*Update on 10/31/2005*
XM Radio and DIRECTV Logos updated!!
Last week I started creating color versions of all my XM Radio Logos using Daniel Tonk's blank TV button and the XM Radio channel line up PDF document. Finally finished them up this weekend. While I was at it I also updated all my DIRECTV Logos. They all have to match of course. :-P



Full Size Preview Pics Below:
XM Music Channels
XM News, Sports, & Talk Channels

I've submitted these to the files section as well, so anyone interested can hit up the download link there. You can also obtain them via my .pcf file, the download for which has been updated. Enjoy!

*Update on 10/22/2005*
Xitel Pro HiFi-Link added to device gallery.
I've been meaning to add an item to my device gallery for a while now. I use this usb audio device to send digital audio from my computer to my home theatre receiver. I've also updated my HDS4 and RF Extender pics. Each now fill the whole frame. Much improved over the prior pics I was using.

*Update on 10/21/2005*
DVD cover image pages updated!
I've wanted to enhance the look of the DVD cover image pages for a while now. What I came up with can be seen below.




The prior white background image I had on each of the DVD cover image pages is now gone. The frame overlay pic shown above simply lays on top of the DVD cover image buttons aligned one pixel row off the page to the left (-1, 0) with the "Use the color in the upper left corner as transparency color" option selected. With the transparency option selected the pink areas become transparent revealing the DVD covers image buttons behind the pic. Click on the picture above to see the end result. The improvement is quite dramatic as you can see. More than just the look of my DVD cover image pages has improved however. The frame overlay pic is also used to maintain accurate image placement as you jog DVD cover images down to make room for a new DVD cover. By moving the image to the back which you have to do anyway to get to the DVD cover image buttons, you can then just start jogging DVD cover images down. Each DVD cover image if aligned correctly will not show the white border from my frame overlay pic. When you are done jogging DVD cover images down you just move the frame overlay pic back to the front. How sweet is that! It gets better though. :-) An added benefit is that the frame overlay pic crops each of the DVD cover image buttons two pixel rows in all the way around. DVD cover scans can often show bending or reflections along the left edge as well as other imperfections. I had many DVD cover image pics like this in my PCF. With my new frame overlay pic in place however, these imperfections can no longer be seen in the remote.

*Update on 10/15/2005*
Better use of system page.
I have around 110 or so DVD Lobby devices in my .pcf file. These include the devices used for the many sets of DVD submenu pages. Most of the hard button assignments for these devices are the same. As such, I've cleared out those hard button assignments which are the same throughout and made them under the system device instead. This will save a ton of time later on if I decide once again to change the hard button assignments for these devices.

Lighting macro functionality improved for DVD play, pause, and stop functions.
Working within the limitations of the remote and editor I have improved the control one has to toggle between the basic play, pause, and stop functions, and the ones which include lighting macros.

When on the main transport controls page of a given DVD changer the DVD Juke icon still toggles lighting macros on and off as it did before. A couple big things have changed however. Prior, the only visual cue to show lighting macros were on was a light icon appearing on the play button, and only on that one page. Even worse, it was only that one page which included the lighting macros. Not the best functionality.

Now when enabling lighting macros you are jumped to a companion device dedicated for this purpose. The DVD Juke icon on all pages of this device includes a small lens flare. This is a clear visual cue that lighting macros are enabled. Better yet, the play, pause, and stop functions on all pages include the lighting macros. To disable lighting macros you simply tap the DVD Juke icon again from any page. If not on the main transport controls page you are first jumped back to that page. The DVD Juke icon from that main page is then the one which will take you back to the primary DVD changer device disable lighting macros.

Hard button assignments for DVD changer devices adjusted.
The DVD Lobby devices use Firm Key 4 for Direct Changer Access (DCA). To make things consistent each DVD changer device now uses this same hard button assignment for Direct Changer Access (DCA), Firm Key 4 rather than Firm Key 2.

*Update on 10/09/2005*
4th DVD changer added to setup.
Method of accessing the transport controls for a given DVD changer directly has now changed. In prior .pcf files I was using the Firm keys 2-4 for Direct Changer Access (DCA). As I was not willing to give up my Firm 1 key used for Browse Backwards I simply went with a selection menu for Direct Changer Access (DCA) via Firm key 4.

Help page cursor keys graphic updated.
The cursor keys graphic used on my help pages (taken from Daniel Tonks TSU7000 color .pcf file) has been changed from a panel to a button now assigned to the special action, "Backlight". :-)

Support for additional Zektor HDS4 HDTV A/V Switch added.
I was out of component video inputs prior to purchasing the 4th DVD changer. As such I'll be adding a second HDS4 to my setup. Support within my .pcf has already been added. Untill the new switch arrives I've got the 4th changer using the component video input previously used for my HTPC.

*Update on 09/25/2005*
New box sets added to collection.
With the addition of the 2 box sets below I now have 1,199 DVD discs. Only 1 slot left in my third changer. Yikes! Time to start thinking about that 4th changer. :-P

- From the Earth to the Moon: Signature Edition
To enhance my trip from the earth to the moon :-) I did up a full set of DVD submenu pages for this box set. Turned out right nice if I do say so myself.

-Lost: The Complete First Season
A good friend of mine insisted that I pick this one up. I have not seen any of the episodes on tv or even read about the show. To avoid any spoilers I went with the menu screens of each disc for my submenu pages. It works. Did not turn out too bad.

*Update on 09/17/2005*
Disc loading macro timing adjusted.
Prior my macro for loading a given disc would run and end well before the DVD changer had finished loading the disc. I've since added the proper delays and adjusted the loading screens accordingly. Now when cueuing up a disc the timing is perfect. Just as you leave the last loading screen and are jumped to the transport controls for a given changer the movie starts to play. I have my lights dim at this time as well. :-)

Daniel Tonks "Galaxy NG" game added.
I'm secretly addicted to this game. It has been missing from my .pcf for some time. It is now once again available via the new Pronto icon in the center of the activities page.

TiVo device removed.
There is a DIRECTV HD TiVO in my future. Stand alone Series 2 TiVo has been put to rest. :-P

*Update on 08/14/2005*
Activity page updated.
Forced the pressed states of buttons on the Activity page to display while a given macro is running using a workaround.

XRt12 device updated.
The music category menu is now only available by pressing the firm 1 key while already under the XRt12 (Music) device.

Help page "cursor keys" graphic updated.
Replaced the cursor keys graphic previously in greyscale with the color graphic found in Daniel Tonks TSU7000 color .pcf file.

*Update on 08/06/2005*
System On/Off macros and loading pages updated.
Tweaked the system on/off macros. Changed the wording used on the loading pages as well. Same graphics.

*Update on 07/28/2005*
System Page Integration!
As large as my .pcf file has become this was sorely needed. Prior if I wanted to make a change to the top part of the inteface that change had to be made on every page of my .pcf file. Any changes to the top part of the interface can now be done on the system page.

*Update on 07/23/2005*
Polk XRt12 XM Reference Tuner
I've had my eye on this tuner for a while now and finally took the plunge last week. I spent a good while this weekend working up the device for it. Quite pleased with the way it turned out. :-)

*Update on 07/23/2005*
Hidden IR codes devices restructured.
So that making adjustments is easier down the road I decided to restructure my hidden IR codes devices. Prior I had only two devices, one which was set to IR, and one which was set to RF. Each stored the appropriate IR code buttons based on whether I had a given peice of gear on my RF Extender, or whether it was using direct IR. That has changed as I now have separate devices for each set of IR codes. This gives me individual control of how I want each set of IR codes to be sent from the remote in the event for instance I add a second RF extender to the mix. Some devices can be set to IR, others to one extender or the other.

I've also taken things a step further by creating a device called Pronto Signals (Bridge). The purpose of this device is to bridge the rest of my .pcf file with the IR code buttons found under the individual IR codes devices. This adds an additional layer of protection in addition to making it easier down the road to swap out my gear if needed. Deleting an IR code device in this case will only remove the links found on the same page under my "Pronto Signals (Bridge)" device. The links throughout the rest of my PCF remain in tact. I then simply add the new IR code device to my PCF and link those IR code buttons to the buttons on the page still in place under my "Pronto Signals (Bridge)" device changing the button labels of course to match the functions of my new peice of gear.

One last thing I've done here is made each of the devices which store the IR codes available through my home page by tapping the logo at the top of the page. Once on the first of these devices you can use the up and down buttons of the directional pad to cycle through the other devices. The lower hard buttons on the right while under each device give you access to the tools menu and the home page. I gave access to these devices in the remote, so that one can easily delete and relearn any IR codes they want through the tools menu short of using the editor, this to get an immediate feel for my .pcf file using their own equipment. Through the tools menu you can also change whether a given device is to use IR or RF. Having access to these pages in the remote also allows for easily testing each of the IR codes in my PCF directly.

Beyond Media
This device is used to control the Beyond Media software running on my HTPC. I recently purchased a USB-UIRT and Girder in order to have this type of control with my TSU7000. It was a very small investment to make for this type of control and has really opened up some possibilities now.

Series 2 TiVo (80-hour)
I own one of these units, but don't use it. If it's not in HD I don't take the time to watch, except in the case of DVD's of course. Thought I might as well put the TiVo in my configuration file anyway.

IR543 IR Command Center (X10)
This device has been available in prior versions of my pcf file. I have updated this device in a couple ways however. For starters I cleaned up the graphic used for the device. It looks much better now. I also created pressed states for all of the buttons. They now light up when pressed. In addition I have added a 16x9 full screen version of the IR543. The buttons for the 16x9 version light up as well when pressed.

Lighting macro toggle added for DVD play, pause, and stop functions.
On the main DVD transport page for each DVD changer you can now toggle between the standard play, pause, and stop buttons, and versions of those buttons which integrate lighting macros. To toggle lighting macros on and off for these buttons simply tap the DVD Juke icon located in the top most part of the interface. When doing so a light icon will appear on the play button indicating that lighting macros are enabled. By pressing the DVD Juke icon again the lighting macos are turned off for these keys.