Hi,
I posted this over on the Sony Support forum too. I'm not sure which forum was the proper location for this so please pardon my duplication.


I'm trying to program a macro that will turn on my receiver and set it to DVD, turn on my DVD, and turn on my TV and set it to the color stream input (TV is a Toshiba 55"). I am programming the macro to the DVD component button. I can get almost everything to run after holding down the DVD component button for more than 2 seconds except for the TV won't power up set to the color stream input. During the TV part of the programming I push the TV/Video button the 4 times it would require to get it to that input, but somehow it doesn't seem to go there after the macro runs. The TV/Video button on the VL900 does work if I use it in TV mode by itself, it just won't work inside the macro. I've even tried programming the the TV in seperate steps in the macro. In 1 step I'd turn on the TV by pushing the TV component button and power, then go on to another step like turning on the DVD and then come back to the TV and switch it to the input I needed. Still wouldn't run in the macro. Any help would be appreciated.
BTW, I programmed the remote last night and it was very easy to use. I bought the remote as an open boxed item from Best Buy. Unfortunately I didn't notice it was missing the english instructions. Thanks to this website I was able to program it using your review.

Thanks,
KenV

p.s. Oh yeah, 1 more thing. Is it possible to reprogram the system commands to turn off all devices even if they're not all Sony products, or do those power up/power off macro system buttons only work on Sony products? I realize I can reprogramm them I just wasn't sure if they could still do that same task for non-Sony products.

If the device has discreet power on/off codes, then these can be learned by the VL900. However, you need a means to teach the VL900, such as by using another remote like some One-For-Alls into which you can enter discrete codes.

Here's a couple of things you should try:

In the manual, you can set a delay between the commands of a macro. You may have the TV/Video commands too close to each other.

Also, do you have the TV/videos right after the other? You might want to space them out. For example: TV on, receiver on, tv ch +, dvd on, tv/video, receiver to DVD, tv/video, etc...

I've tried seperating the commands by turning on the TV first then doing the commands I need on other devices and then going back to the input selection commands on the TV and it still doesn't change to the input I need to watch DVDs. I'm prepeared to settle with having to do that last step manually. It's still a good remote though [sigh].

KEN,

PERHAPS THIS IS A DELAY ISSUE. I UNDERSTAND THAT YOU HAVE ADDED A DELAY(S) WITHIN YOUR MACRO, BUT MAY I SUGGEST SOME "NONSENSE" FEATHERED IN TO LENGHTEN THE DELAY. FOR EXAMPLE, POWER ON THE TV - ADD A DELAY - POWER ON WHICHEVER COMPONENT YOU WANT - SET A DELAY - POWER ON ANOTHER COMPONENT - SET A DELAY - MAKE SOME SORT OF ADJUSTMENT ON THAT SECOND COMPONENT - SET A DELAY - POWER OFF THE SECOND COMPONENT - SET A DELAY... THIS PROCEDURE IS NOT ALL THAT ELEGANT, BUT MAY PROVIDE YOU WITH ENOUGH TIME TO GET THE TV WARMED UP ENOUGH TO ACCEPT THE NEXT COMMAND. THE ONLY PROBLEM I CAN FORESEE WITH THIS METHOD IS THE TOTAL NUMBER OF STEPS ALLOWED PER MACRO. I PERSONALLY HAVEN'T TESTED THIS METHOD, BUT IT SHOULD BE A STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. GOOD LUCK.