#6587 - 11/21/06 12:06 PM
Re: MX700 Download Problem
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Desperado
Registered: 03/21/01
Posts: 14054
Loc: Memphis, TN USA
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Well, I finally took a little time to jot down some thoughts on writing macros. - Keep the existing status of devices in mind. This means that a power on/off command for a common device such as TV or receiver should not be used as part of the mode changing macros for each source device, as it will only put the device in the correct state (on) half of the time - the other times, it will turn the device off because it was already on from a previous macro. This is also true of input toggle commands such as those often used to control TV inputs. If you know where the device started out ("INPUT 1" as an example), you can send that toggle command multiple times to get to where you want to be ("INPUT 4" after three toggle commands for this example), but if you can't predict where the device will start out then you can't do this.
- Corollary: discrete codes are cool. While you can't use toggles for power and input without some care, you can use discrete codes ("power on" or "input3") quite freely. Source selection macros can send a "power on" command to the source to make sure it's on (and if it already is, it'll just ignore it), a specific input command to the TV (to make sure it's on "video3" for example), and set the receiver or processor to the correct input. A global "off" macro can tell every device you have to power off, and you won't have to worry about stuff that's already off getting turned on needlessly.
- Simple is best. The fewer steps that you include, the less time you'll need to keep the IR emitter aimed in the right direction and the less likely that casual users will be to assume that the remote is finished and set it down or that something is wrong and start messing with it.
- Some devices need time to think about the commands sent to them. When sending more than one command to a specific device in a macro, test it to make sure that all of the commands are received by that device. Consider locating the commands at opposite ends of the macro (turn the TV on, then turn the cable box and receiver on before telling the TV what input to switch to). If that doesn't work, add a delay before the second command and adjust it up and down until it is just enough to give the device time to recover from the previous command before getting the second one.
- Be creative. The MX-700 will allow macros on almost any button, which can create some unique opportunities. Here's an example from my own setup. The Model 990's AM/FM tuner allows direct access to presets by typing the two-digit preset number into the remote. Remembering what preset each station is set to can be a pain, so I created a page under the TUNER device with nine or ten macro buttons. Each button was labeled with the station (92.9, 102.7, 99.7, 98.1, and so on), and each button had a macro that sent the corresponding two-digit preset number to the 990.
For the specific case of the Model 950, the device input commands (DVD, Video1, CD, and so forth) are all discrete "power on" commands as well, so it's really easy to put a command to set the 950 to the right input on the button for that source - even if that's the only command you have there. Likewise, the "Power" button on the 950 is (as you already know) purely a power off discrete code, which can be handy in "power off" macros. My MX-700 file is based on a 990, but the two behave pretty similarly - you can see the macros that I've created on my "power on" and "power off" buttons (top left and right buttons on the remote, able to hold different commands or macros for each device plus the main page). In my case, the main page "ON" button turns on the TV, turns on the cable box, sets the 990 to the cable box input (turning the 990 on in the process), and sets the TV to the component2 input with a little extra delay in there to give the TV time to turn on. The "OFF" button for each device will turn off the TV (using a discrete off code that I found recently), the cable box (since the cable box is assumed to always be on if the system is on), the 990, the Roku SoundBridge (using a discrete off code, even though the SoundBridge is only on sometimes), and if we're on a device not already listed (like the DVD-R, which doesn't have discrete power codes) it'll turn that off too.
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#6588 - 11/23/06 02:40 PM
Re: MX700 Download Problem
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Gunslinger
Registered: 09/13/03
Posts: 31
Loc: Carson City, NV U.S.A.
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Gonk - I appreciate how much you try to help everyone on this site, but I need to apologize because clearly I was unable to convey to you how ignorant I am.
I still have no idea what to do to set-up a macro. Here's what I know - I have my Satellite/TIVO Box on 24-7, so I never need to turn it on or off.
Other than watching TV (either DirecTV, Charter or TIVO recordings), what I use my system for the most is to watch DVD's. So here's my problem:
If I want to watch a movie, I want the following devices turned on: TV, OPPO, 950. I hope the way to accomplish is to go to the MX700's main page and select the OPPO button, then press the On button (and hold it down as long as needed).
To try and make that happen, in MX Editor I select OPPO, then select the macro button. That's as far as I get because I have no clue what to do next.
I'll keep studying the manual and maybe something will make sense to me, but as you can see I struggle with all of these commands. Anyway, whether you can help me through this or not, I appreciate your efforts.
_________________________
Outlaw 950 / 770 OPPO OPDV971H Sony PS 3 Sharp Aquos - LC46E77UN DirecTV - HD DVR Mains - Paradigm Studio 80's Surround - Paradigm ADP-470v-3's Sub - Paradigm Seismic 12 Center - Paradigm CC-470 Outdoor - Paradigm Style 470's
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#6590 - 11/23/06 09:36 PM
Re: MX700 Download Problem
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Desperado
Registered: 03/21/01
Posts: 14054
Loc: Memphis, TN USA
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So you need a macro that will have the TV, DVD player, and 950 on with the 950 on the DVD input - and that macro will be your "default" start-up task. Watching TV is a secondary task, however, and the DirecTV receiver and TIVO are probably turned on all the time anyway. Here's my thought for some useful macros. FIRST MACRO: Main Page, ON button 1. TV on 2. OPPO on 3. 950 DVD input 4. page change to OPPO device, page 1 SECOND MACRO: OPPO Page 1, OFF button 1. TV off 2. OPPO off 3. 950 off 4. page change to main page THIRD MACRO: DTV and TIVO Page 1, OFF button 1. TV off 2. OPPO off 3. 950 off 4. page change to main page FOURTH MACRO: Charter Cable Page 1, OFF button 1. TV OFF 2. OPPO off 3. Cable off 4. 950 off 5. page change to main page In addition to these four macros, I'd use the shortcut feature to assign each device button on the main page to the corresponding 950 input command (DVD, Video1, Video2, Video3). To create a macro, you select the button that you want to have the macro assigned to and click on the RECORD button in the "Macro & Favorite" window (if it's not visible, click on the button near the far right end of the toolbar that has an "M" and a green dot in it). You can then simply navigate through the pages on the left and click on each button that you want to include. To add a command to go to a specific page (handy for putting you somewhere different when the macro's done), click on the "Go To Page" button on the Macro & Favorite toolbar (to the right of the delay button that looks like a clock). Below are a series of screen shots describing this process. To create a shortcut on a button, just select the button, go to the "Edit and Label Buttons" box, pick the device that contains the command you want (such as the 950), and then pick the command from the IR Code pull down menu. This will allow you to assign a single command from one device to any other device without having to learn it again. If you put a shortcut on an LCD button, it initially duplicates the original button's label, but you can edit it once the shortcut is assigned and it won't change the original button. I use this for things like putting surround mode commands and TV power and input commands on DVD or cable box devices. The screen shot below is of a shortcut being assigned to a device button on the main page. All the screen shots were taken with a hacked-up copy of my MX700 file - I removed a few devices and renamed others.
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