Hello,
I have the TSU3000 and a HR10-250 Directv TIVO receiver in my system. I have downloaded some pcf files here to upload for the HR10-250 to see how other people have set up there Pronto. When working with what others have done I find it cumbersome for me. I see that the satellite receiver/dvr is really two devices in one. Before I start doing too much work in Pronto Edit I wanted to ask this question of the people here that have more experience than I do. Has anyone set up their Satellite receiver/dvr as two devices in Pronto Edit? More specifically has anyone done it for the HR10-250?

Please feel free to make any comments as well. If you have any questions to clarify please make them.

Thank you

I don't really see what you would gain by having them as separate devices. You could easily do this by breaking it up into Sat Receiver and DVR. But, I don't see the benefit.

Why do you find it cumbersome?

Dave

I had the hr10-250, but now have two hr20s.
I have always had the boxes set up as one device.
To be honest, I can't think of a reason to treat them as separate pieces of equipment.

Good luck,
Rick

Hi,
There is one reason why and that is the hard buttons. If it is under one device then you only have the hard buttons set up one way. To give you an idea, if you are watching a recorded program why do you need the channel up and down buttons. They just do you no good at all. If you have it setup as two devices like “receiver” and “DVR” then you can setup the up and down buttons to anything else such as skip 30 seconds or fast forward and rewind. I just like using the hard buttons for as many things as I can and setting it up as two devices opens up more possibilities.

I was thinking of the navi buttons on the Pronto. In receiver mode these buttons can be used as up, down, left, and right. Where as in DVR mode they can be used as fast forward, rewind, play and slow.

The four buttons on the bottom of the screen in receiver mode can be used as live tv, guide, thumb up, thumb down and ratio. Where as in DVR mode they can be used as Directv, list, ratio, exit or anything else. One of the buttons to the right of the navi button can be used as a toggle to jump between the two devices so they can be used together easily.

Well what do you think? I am hoping to open up some discussion so that I don’t waste my time here. I could see splitting it up into three devices such as receiver, recorder, and player.

Thanks for your help

Set up one hidden device with all the codes. Then set up as many devices as you want to correspond to the ways you use it. Each device can have its own hard buttons and soft buttons linked to the codes in the hidden device.

Thanks for the tip Peter, I am doing this now.

Have you tried setting up a SAT/DVR reciever as two devices?

Never

I have a cable box (not satellite) with DVR capability. Most of the functions of channel selection, guide, etc., are in one device, and the transport functions are in another device, for precisely the reason you mentioned: to take advantage of the hard buttons (in this case the navigation buttons) for FF, REW, Play, and Pause. Doing so obviates the need to activate the screen for these functions -- useful when relying on fast response to skip past commercials.

When not accessing the GUI on my Motorola DCT-6412 Dual-tuner DVR (Comcast) the directional pad automatically works the transport controls. It's a nice feature of the DCT-6412. Up is for Play/Pause, Down for Live TV, Left for Rewind, and Right for Fast Forward. If I need to access any of the other DVR related functions I do jump to a second device containing just my DVR page, but I only do this so that I can change up the hard button assignments for Firm Keys 2 and 3 while on the DVR page. Under the main device Firm Key 2 is used to jump to the DVR page while Firm Key 3 is used for the Guide function. Once jumping to the DVR page under the secondary device Firm Keys 2 and 3 change to Skip and Swap.

Thanks 411avatar and Lowpro,
Thank you for your encouraging words as I work away on this. Do either of you have your pcf files uploaded here. I would like to take a look at how you arranged it. I am sitting here arguing with myself as to what function I should put with each hard button for each device. I am looking at my TIVO remote and seeing how they did it and wondering if there is a better way to lay it out.

My TSU7500 PCF can be downloaded via the link in my signature area below. Enjoy!

Wow! Excellent work Lowpro. I am still looking it over.

Anyone else have a pcf file with examples?

I sent a file to the address in your profile.

Hi 411avatar,
I got your pcf file and I am studying it now. This is excellent and it is what I have been looking for. It is very smart for using the hard keys. You might consider using the channel+ and channel- hard keys in your cable transport for something else other than channel up and channel down. That’s what I did

I use the navimode hard button to jump back and forth between my watching and transport mode. That way I have made use of another hard button.

I have also setup a soft button to “select and jump to transport mode” this way I can select from the recorded list and auto jump to transport mode without having to toggle it by use of a button. It seems that the more I use what I have setup on my pronto the more I know how to customize to make it easier to use.

Pronto Guy:

Sounds like you're hooked, like the rest of us.

Why don't you send me your pcf so I can take a look at it.

Regards,
Art