What do you use Macro's for? (1 Viewer)

[Tommy_N]

Hey all,

I'm about to get a MX-500. I've been checking out remote central.

But I still have a couple of qustions.

What exactly do you have programmed in for your Macros? The main reason I'm getting the remote is for convience, it will be great to get rid of all my other remotes.

I'm tyring to think about how useful the macro feature will be. Sure it will be great to only have to press one button but I'm not sure if it is worth the extra hassle of having to get another remote to teach it discrete codes. The process seems rather complicated.

Any advice would be apprciated.

Is the Macro feature that useful? and How hard is it to program the remote with discrete codes.

Thanks
Tom

Tom

 

[Carl Johnson]

My universal remote can do macros but I don't have a use for them. The receivers and CD player stay on all of the time. A macro everything on/off wouldn't even be useful when it came time to go on vacation, that would just just put the receivers in stand by. If it's worth powering down I'll just get off of my lazy butt and press the off button.

 

[PaulT]

Tommy, you can use Macros on the MX500 without programming discrete codes into it. You can learn the functions from your other remotes and program the Macros with those.

Basically you remove the multiple button presses by using Macros. For example, I have DVD>ON programmed as a Macro and it replaces the following button presses:
Main, RCVR, DVD, Main, DVD, Power, Open, Main.
I hold the button programmed for the Macro and it turns on the receiver, changes the input to DVD, turns on the DVD player and opens the transport drawer.

You can come up with many many Macros that are button press savers, plus if someone comes to your house and wants to use the system, how difficult is it to tell them 'hold the DVD>ON button down for 2 seconds'.....

 

[Ken Custodio]

I am not familiar with the MX500 but with my Pronto remote, I make macros to watch DVD's, HDTV, VCR etc. Say I want to watch a DVD, I push the "Watch DVD" macro button and it switches the TV to Component input #1, switches the stretch mode to Full, selects the DVD input on the Receiver, turns on the DVD player and opens the DVD disc tray. Makes it a bit easier to do all that in one button push. With the pronto, once you program your component into the remote you can steal buttons from it and use them in your macros so you don't have to learn all the button presses again. Maybe the MX500 has the same ability. Just my $0.02

 

[Chuck Kent]

Where does your imagination take you on what you want to automate?

One button pushes to turn multiple things on or off? Do you want to integrate some type of auto lighting control into a one button push? (Of course you'd have to buy some remote controlable lighting.) Switch TV inputs for progressive DVD material without going into all of the TV menus one-at-a-time? (Older Sony's that can process progressive input signals need this "help".)

In my setups, I use fairly simple macros. I turn on (or off) a component or two and set the remote as ready to control the DVD or VCR (or whatever.) But macros can also execute many multiple commands if you need them to. Most of the time, the limits will be your choices in what to automate, not the remote...

 

[Tommy_N]

Thanks for the responses. I ordered a MX-500. I'll keep everyone updated. I figure let me get the basics programmed in first and then the advanced stuff.

Tom

 

[MikeSRC]

If you need any help, just post here or at Remote Central.

 

[Doug_B]

Having discrete codes for certain functions will often enhance the ability to create useful macros. Take some of the aforementioned functions in this thread as examples. If you do not have a discrete "Power On" function for a given unit, then it becomes less useful to use the generic "Power" function in a macro, since the state of the power to that unit may not always be off when invoking the macro (or it limits when the macro can be fired, requiring the user to know this). Can't change a display to "Component In" as part of a macro unless there is a discrete command for it or another command puts the display in a known input state from which you can consistently get to the Component In state.

With that said, macros can still be useful without having all the discrete code available. But some, such as power on/off, device switching, etc., are very nice to have. There may be discrete codes out there to use, even if the units' remotes do not have them. Unfortunately, one would need a discrete-friendly remote to teach the MX-500; if you're willing to spend an extra $30 or so (at most), they can be had.

Doug

 

[steven pm]

I picked up an MX500 last week and am thrilled. First time where I could actually put away the original remotes for good, instead of keeping them nearby for 'extra' rarely-used functions. With lots of buttons plus 2 pages of 10 *labeled* buttons per device, it really handles everything from the originals!

OK, as for macros. I am using them to make operation of my HT as simple as possible, so my SO can also use it and not get 'lost.' I have audio signals going direct to the receiver, video to the tv. One button turns on the basics (cable, receiver, tv) with discretes, and sets the sound mode, tv input (in case it was on another input klast time), and switches the remote to cable box operation. If anything doesn't come up properly, a 2nd press on the power on button will fix it. The DVD device macro changes the receiver and tv inputs, sets the sound mode, and goes into DVD operation mode. Again, a 2nd push will fix everything if the first didn't. (That hasn't been a problem at all, btw, just more of a safety net for novice users. Simple toggle commands could get out of synch, turning one device on and one off, or switching to the wrong input, etc.) VCR and CD player macros work the same way.

Also, I use one page on the devices to select the audio mode onmy receiver, in case I want to switch it without going back and forth to the receiver device. The other device pages are used for the advanced remote functions that don't match up easily with the lower hard buttons.

Also, for the 'foolproof' reasons above, I'd highly recommend a code-capable remote (such as a one-for-all) to get discrete codes. They're pretty cheap and can be used by themselves as a backup too.

 

[Ted Lee]

everyone already nailed the macro question, but i'll tell you this:

you are gonna love your new toy!