Remotes (1 Viewer)

[Mike Frezon]

Anyone interested in a Harmony 659 may want to check out woot.com today only.

Henry Gale has posted over in Coupons & Bargains that woot is offering up refurbished 659s for $49.99 + $5 S&H!

 

[MarkHastings]

Explain again what you are trying to do.

The LCD screen is always customizable, but there are two different areas in which to customize the LCD screen...

In the Activities area, it's easy, just click the "Settings" button, then choose the "Change the behavior of buttons" radio button.

• From there, when the "Standard Buttons" button is selected, you can control the physical buttons on the remote. Just choose the device you want to control, then choose the command it sends to that device.
• If you want to change the LCD screen, click the "Additional Buttons" button. From there you can choose the name of the button, which device that button controls and what command is sent out.

In the Devices area, just click the "Settings" button, then choose the "Customize Buttons" radio button.

• From there, it's the same thing, as activities...You have the physical remote buttons under "Standard Buttons" and the LCD buttons under "Additional Buttons".
• If there are any commands that are on your original remote, but either don't work or don't show up, you can choose the "Learn infrared commands" radio button and have the Harmony remote learn the IR signal from your original remote (Just point it at the Harmony and press the button you want the Harmony to learn).

Hopefully all of this make sense and helps.

 

[Mike Frezon]

Mark Hastings: Our newest Harmony Remote expert!

 

[MarkHastings]

LOL

 

[Mike Frezon]

Really...it's cool.

To me, it means you are really getting to know the damn thing and probably liking it pretty well. Takes the pressure off me for recommending you get one! And honestly, it sounds like you are more in tune with setting yours up than I am about mine. But once I got mine set up, I haven't been back to the website in a long time.

 

[MarkHastings]

I really do like the remote and the flexibility, but I'm still having issue with some of the buttons. I really hate where the play/pause buttons are. They're too far down the bottom of the remote...You can't hold onto the remote, like you normally would, (i.e. with your hand underneath the remote) and press those buttons (with your thumb) without having the remote fall out of your hand.

You either need two hands or you have to reposition your hand so that you can push the button and still have a grasp on the remote (i.e. grasp the remote with your hand over the remote instead of underneath and use your index finger to hit the buttons).

It really isn't extremely annoying, but it's the one thing that I don't think I'll ever get used to. I am just used to using the old remote where I could easily jump around the remote without having to reposition my hand. I can't do that anymore with the Harmony.

I know I can swap the buttons, but I'm too anal about that. I like the play button to be on the play button.

But again, everything else is cool. I do love the fact that I have control over the remote. I've always loved anything that allows for such flexibility because I hate when you don't feel 'in control' of your technology.

It obeys ME!! and not the other way around!


EDIT: I should note that I use the remote with my right hand. I see that if I use my left hand, it's a little easier to hit the play/pause buttons, but the way I watch TV, I always grab the remote with my right hand. Maybe I'll try my left and see if that improves things.

Damn, did that sound dirty or what?

 

[Mike Frezon]

Being ambidextrous can be so....handy!

EDIT** Swapping buttons can be tricky, too. When I tried that...because the Watch Cable activity is located on my third screen (I wanted to move that function to one of my "hard" buttons), EVERYTHING got screwed up. I couldn't fix it and ended up creating a second account at the site and re-entering all my gear and just setting things up using their button configs.

 

[Jim_C]

My 670 arrived today. Initial reaction is positive. It feels nice in my hands and most of the buttons are located the way I would want them on a remote.

I've got the Harmony software I downloaded from the site installed (I assume that's more up to date than the disc that came with the remote) but I haven't had a chance to program the remote. Hopefully I'll get to that tomorrow night.

 

[Jim_C]

Can you guys answer a programming question or two for me? I want to know if it's possible to set up an activity to do the following:

Watch a movie - widescreen

turn on tv
set tv to "DVD" input
set tv aspect to "wide"
turn on receiver
set receiver to DVD/LD
set receiver effect mode to "Digital SciFi"
turn on DVD player


The basic setup takes care of most of these commands but doesn't automatically change the picture mode from normal to wide on my set (4:3 with anamorphic squeeze mode) or switch the effects mode on my Yamaha receiver. The way to add these commands to the activities doesn't jump out at me.


I don't know if there's a limit on the number of activities but I'd like to set up the following activities:

Watch a movie - HT "4:3" (full home theater mode)
Watch a movie - HT "wide"
Watch a movie - TV "4:3" (uses the tv for sound)
Watch a movie - TV "wide"
Watch TV
Watch TV - with receiver for sound
Listen to music - CD
Listen to music - Radio


A few of those are basic setups and already done but to do the others I'd need to add commands to a basic activity set, which leads back to the question at the top.


I haven't spent enough time with the software yet to pass judgement but so far I find it a little less intuitive than I hoped for. Most of it is pretty clear, though. Once I get the activities worked out I plan on figuring out the individual keys setup.



Edit: BTW, I'm not looking for anyone to post line by line instructions. I'm just looking to see if what's posted above is possible and to get pointed in the right direction.

 

[Mike Frezon]

Jim: I'm a little fuzzy on the distinctions between some of what exactly it is you are trying to accomplish with the different ARs, etc.

But, I believe the rule of thumb is...if you can accomplish an act with the original remote of your device...you should be able to accomplish that act (in an activity) with a Harmony remote.

For example, I have one single digital video and audio input into my HT receiver...and yet have both a DVD player and an HD DVR. So, I installed an HD switch device that receives IR signals...and set the device to trigger to switch the DVD player with a simple press of a number on my receiver remote and to switch to the HD DVR with the press of a different number. I then included those two commands in their appropriate activities to "Watch DVD" and "Watch Cable/DVR".

So, yes, I think you should be able to accomplish any activity with particular remote commands that you might desire.

 

[Jim_C]

Let’s see if I can clarify. Basically, I’d like to have a bunch of variations on “Watch a Movie” depending on whether it’s an anamorphic DVD, 4:3 DVD, DVD with sound coming from the TV speakers instead of the receiver, and so on. The core commands would be the same for each variation but there would be an additional command or two added to a few activities in order to set the TV to the appropriate “Picture” mode.

Example:

When I want to watch an anamorphic DVD I need to put the TV into “wide” (anamorphic squeeze) mode. On the OEM remote I press the “Picture” button 3 times to get to “wide” mode. Right now the “Watch a Movie” activity does everything I need but set the TV to “wide”. I’d like to add that command to the activity. In addition, I’d like to have the activity include a command that puts the Yamaha DSP effect mode to “Digital SciFi” for me. Normally if I used the OEM remote I’d press Effect ON/OFF and then press the appropriate DSP button.

It’s the same basic idea for each of the different activities I want to add. I’d like a "Watch TV" activity for when I watch Battlestar Galactica on cable with the sound coming from the receiver instead of the TV.


I think you’ve answered my question that it’s possible to do what I want. I just need to figure out how to do it. I have yet to find where I can add custom commands to an activity.

 

[Mike Frezon]

Yup. You should be able to get it done.

It's been a while since I've ventured into the setup software...but you should be good-to-go.

 

[MarkHastings]

Jim, I have something similar with my amp vs. tv speakers...

I have one setup to watch my TV with the bulit-in speakers (i.e. without the receiver) and I also have a setting to watch my TV with my receiver. This way, I just choose the activity that I want...if I'm watching TV without the receiver, I just click the activity for the one with the receiver and it turns on the amp and changes it to the right input.

But as far as changing TV aspects, why not consolidate and add the aspect control into the LCD screen?

For example, I like to watch Mythbusters in zoom mode because it's shown non-anamorphic/letterboxed. I could set up a "Watch TV in zoom mode" activity, but instead I just put the aspect button into the LCD screen and switch viewing modes on the fly.

I just think it keeps the activities area a little cleaner and plus, this also allows me to swap modes on the fly. If I'm done with Mythbusters (on my DVR) and want to go back to watching regular TV, I don't have to use the activity to go back to normal viewing mode, I just hit the aspect button.What is your most common DVD viewing mode? 4x3 material or 16x9 material? If it's 16x9 (anamorphic) material, why not set up the default "DVD" activity to set the TV into anamorphic mode and then put the "Picture Mode" button in the LCD screen for when you want to watch 4x3 material?

Although, It's all really a matter of preference. That's the nice thing with these remotes. There's a lot of options. You don't have to do it just one way.

 

[BigJim]

Yeah, it was the comp. I loaded the SW on different machine, and it's a much more reasonable 2 minutes or so. Something funny about the laptop that it gets lost when starting the 'verify' process on the remote.

 

[BigJim]

nevermind

 

[MarkHastings]

Mine did the same thing. Everytime you update the remote, it must be pulling the time off the Harmony server (which must be behind).

I just manually change the time (after the update) from the LCD screen. You need to go into the "Options" (or whatever it is) on the LCD screen. It's the button with the wrench.

 

[BigJim]

Yeah, I hadn't noticed that before, and I was searching through the computer-setup screens, and couldn't find anything (other than setting my time zone) then I saw it after I posted. Thanks.

 

[Jim_C]

Thanks Mike.

Mark, your suggestion makes a lot of sense. I think I just got caught up in the 'Activity Everything' mentality. It's not a big deal to have a couple commands in the LCD. I'll try a few things and see what works best.

 

[Mike Frezon]

When I "watch a DVD", Jim, one of the buttons on my primary LCD screen adjusts the "aspect" mode of my TV. It allows me a quick adjustment from 16:9 to 4:3 and into the other modes offered up "panorama", "zoom", etc.

 

[MarkHastings]

I started off that way too. I guess it's the whole original coolness of how the remote does all of these things automatically, that you think that you need to have everything automated. The thought of having to manually change something, seems to go against why you spent the money on the remote...

But it's definitely best to have certain things (like aspect, picture modes, etc.) in the LCD so you can easily adjust on the fly, rather than having to choose another activity.

You will find this way much better when you watch a DVD that has various aspects (i.e. when the main feature is 16x9 anamorphic, but the bonus features are 4x3, and then the trailer is 16x9 letterboxed, etc.) - I find I have to adjust picture modes a lot when viewing a DVD.