I know I can program a universal remote with the IR signal generated from a keypress, but can I map two discrete key presses from the non-universal to one discrete key press on the universal?

Here's the issue: I'm building a home theater PC that includes a video card for driving DVD, PVR, etc. The card has no remote, but runs from an on-screen remote control emulator. I'm building the system with an IR keyboard, and my thought is to program the universal with the keyboard keypresses necessary to run the PC remote control emulator.

Thoughts, anyone?
Thanks!
Kim

Are you just asking for a macro? That is, a sequence of button events triggered by the push of a single button? For example - Select TV, Power On TV, Select Channel 03, Select Receiver, Power On receiver, etc?
See any manual available at http://www.hifi-remote.com for macro programming instructions.

Depends on the remote. If it captures a long enough time period, and if you can send the two keypresses fast enough, it can be done. People have posted of doing this with the Radio Shack 15-1994.

I guess I'm just asking for a macro, but its not of the 'Power On TV' variety, but rather 'Alt-f, Alt-o,...' etc.

I'll check out the Radio Shack 15-1994 posts, thanks for the lead!

Kim: you need a remote with a lot more power then the 15-1994. Since you are talking non standard equipment (keyboard) you will need one with a lot of memory. If you can afford it I would go with the Pronto, it is a touchscreen remote, and a few people have used it as a keyboard. If you want a Button remote, then you will probably need the Sony VL-900 or the MX-500

On most keyboards, the ALT, SHIFT, CTRL keys just change the actual value of the IR, (So alt-f is really one key, only different from f).

but you could use a macro such as (ALT_F, down, down, enter) to pick the third thing on the menu opened by alt-f)

I don't know much about IR keyboards, but wired keyboards send Make codes when a key is depressed and Break codes when a key is released. I think there are Make and Break codes for ALT, SHIFT, and CTRL keys as well, and that the keyboard controller in the PC provides the state-awareness. [anyone please jump in and correct me if I'm wrong]
What this means is that to transmit an Alt-F keypress, you may have to send Make ALT, Make-F, Break-F, and Break-ALT.

You don't need a pronto to do what you want.

Let me see if I have this straight:

You have a HT computer and you want to be able to do stuff like "ALT-F" or "ALT-R" but can't because you can only learn "ALT" and "F" alone, correct?

The best way to handle this on a PC is to download a free program called "hotkeys" it will let you map combinations of keys to a single key, for example, it will let you map ALT+F to the Scroll lock key, then you teach your learning remote the Scroll lock key.

I controled my HT PC like this with a cheap-o Cinema 7 and it worked great.


You can get Hotkeys from here:

[Link: ccit.edu.tw]


-Mike

Hotkey can be hard to download.

I put it on my website to make it easier, get it here:

[Link: tweakfreaks.com]

-Mike

Mike: I did not say (or meant to imply) that the Pronto is the only way. I just said that a few people have built complete keyboards on a Pronto. If all that is needed is a few keys, then a cinema 7 or RS-1994 will do, but if a complete keyboard and alt-*, ctrl-* and cap-* then a remote with more memory is needed.

From the Prontos (since it is easy to see what was learnt), it has been demonstrated that alt-f is a simple IR command like power on a TV. So all the alt key will do is change the command sent by the remote when pressing f. (like when you need rec and play so that your VCR will record - the rec button does nothing but change the value of play, the remote does not transmit anything when you press rec).

Mike: did you ever try teaching your remote Alt-f directly? what you would need to do is press the alt key (and keep on pressing), and then teach the Cinema7 the f key like normal, and then stop pressing the alt.

Anthony: Thanks for the tip - I will try that as well.

The Hotkey software can still be useful since you can program it to load software (and even exit it if you program ALT-F4 into a key).

I wasn't aware of the fact that ALT-X (whatever that may be) was a unique IR code - that is helpful.

-Mike