RS-232 Port on Receiver (1 Viewer)

[Brad Gable]

Hi All,

I have a Yamaha RX-Z1 receiver and I am curious as to what the RS-232 port provides. The manual does not offer a good explanation. I have searched the forum and not found any info as to what it is for or how people are using them. Thanks help the help.

Brad

 

[Rob Rodier]

Sometimes they are used for service/diagnostic purposes. I.E. no use to end user. I am not sure about the Yamaha.

-rob

 

[terence]

It is also used for firmware upgrades that may come available in the future. Which beats buying a new reciever.

 

[Rick_Brown]

My understanding was that this port can be hooked up to a computer. The computer can then be used to "control" certain actions of the receiver.

 

[Paul Fa]

I have also been curious about the utility of this feature. It appears that it is for whatever the individual manufacturer wants it to be. Some may choose to enable it only for diagnostics etc. others may decide to allow field upgradability through it, but I remain skeptical. Unlike the PC arena where one company (Microsoft) doesn't own/sell the hardware (box) and the software, these manufacturers do, and they are primarily in the business of building/selling boxes - so to slow their revenue stream down by selling less boxes and letting you really upgrade your old box seems counterproductive. Even if they supplement that missing revenue by charging for the downloaded upgrade, they still can't afford to slow the pace of the assembly lines the've invested 100's of millions in. In the literature for the Denon 3803 that I'm considering, they only say that the RS232C is for connecting to certain accessories - they don't even mention diagnostics or upgradability - unless I missed a page. Also, why use the oldest and slowest technology available?

 

[Bill Lucas]

The RS232 port is for control by advanced systems like Crestron or AMX. The unit can be completely controlled from a remote location and the Crestron system can allow for integration of A/V, HVAC, lighting, curtains, et. al. It's very cool stuff but if you have to ask the price...

Regards.

 

[DanielSmi]

Paul you have to understand that these processors inside receiver aren't very fast. The fastest I've seen is like 166MHz. We now have commercial processor 10x and working on 20x faster then that. These DD and DTS signals don't tansfer very fast full rate DTS is about 189kb/s and full PCM audio is just under 200kb/s while DD is at about the speed of a 56k dial up modem. These receivers don't need superfast ports because then they will just bottleneck. I still don't understand how this new i.Link feature is going to us all 400mb/s of transfer speed it supplies. That's the entire contents of a cd in about 1.5 seconds. Receivers don't need that much processing power, so there's really not need to get rid of the rs-232 port plus every pc has one just like a floppy disk even though no programs are hardly sent on floppy anymore. Yes, I know there are exceptions but overall these aren't used anymore but they still put them on computers just in case.

Daniel Smith

 

[MikeRP]

I don't think firmware upgrades are in the mind of receiver manufactureres. They want to keep selling us new gadgets.

I know crestron is for the Pioneer.

What's the cost anyway?

Mike

 

[John_F]

Daniel,

. Dolby Digital is the format used for audio tracks on almost all DVDs.

Regards,
John Flegert

 

[Rob Rodier]

I know crestron is for the Pioneer.

They will work with just about any system. The 232 port is not neccessary. The remote interface sends rf signals to a receiver behind the scenes. The reciever converts the rf to infared and sends it the audio/video receiver, pre, etc via infared emitters.

That is how the Niles Intellicontrol works anyway. Theses systems usually start around 2g installed. The color Crestrons go for around $3500 if I remember correctly.


-rob

 

[Jeff Ery]

Yamaha has a program that allows for many set-up and control and preset functions to be uploaded off any easy to read windows based program(sorry mac guys) .It has all the variable features laid out nicely and can be stored in your computer as a back-up...very SWEEET and handy...see the local retailer where you bought your unit for a copy ...I am replacing mine off of a private dealers site of theirs soon, but my installers all have copies on their laptops...makes installation a breeze (time delays, parameter initializations, zone 2 prefs, radio station programming ,etc,etc,etc.......

 

[Brad Gable]

Thanks for all the responses.

Jeff do you know the name of the program from Yamaha that will allows for the setup you describe. I will contact my dealer I just want to know what to ask for.

Thanks
Brad