Harmony Remotes - Programming

[Huckey]

Hi,

  just got my Harmony One - I am very positively surprised with it.

  There is though one thing I can not get it to work with. In my Watch TV activity I have three devices to power: TV, SAT-PVR and an amplituner. As both my TV and PVR have long power-on delays but the PVR has a longer one I would like to power it first before powering TV since the PVR only has to be powered but the TV has to also get the input switched after powering on. I have proper delays set but the whole startup procedure now takes ages.

  Now my Harmony One always starts with the TV no matter how I try configuring it. Is this a "known issue" or a typical mistake done by newbies? If so, can you explain how to work around it? 

  Alternatively, is it possible to tell Harmony One to first power on the TV, then power on the PVR and only then go back to the TV and change its input?

  Thanks!

Best regards

Huckey

[rhachey]

The Harmony will normally power on the device first that has the longest power on delay, normally the TV.  You can set the order the devices power on by, selecting your Activity, click on Settings, select Review the order in which devices are powered on,  then use the Arrows to move the devices to the order you want them.  Usually this make little difference as the Power ON command is sent quickly to each device in the order in which they are set, but this is all effected by the Power on delays for each device and the Inter-device delay for each device.

Message Edited by rhachey on 07-31-2009 02:29 PM

[hhatkin]

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Huckey wrote:
As both my TV and PVR have long power-on delays but the PVR has a longer one I would like to power it first before powering TV since the PVR only has to be powered

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Hi and welcome to the forum.

If the PVR only has to be powered, why does it need any Power-On Delay at all?

That delay is the time from the power command being sent, to the device being able to receive and act upon another command, typically to set an input.

If it really needs no more than powering, no input setting or other command, the Power-On Delay is not relevant and could be zero.

What are the values of the "proper delays" that you currently have?

As rhachey says the Power-On Order rarely makes any difference, but the setting is there if you want it.

Good to know you like the Harmony - let us know as further questions arise.

Message Edited by hhatkin on 07-31-2009 02:54 PM

[Huckey]

Hi again,

  thanks for both replies.

  I see now I was perhaps a bit vague in my description. My TV needs some 12 seconds after PowerOn before the input can be changed to HDMI. My SAT-PVR takes some 20 seconds before it starts transmitting picture and sound.

  From the Harmony One setup perspective it is correct that the PVR does not have to have any PowerOn Delay set since no other actions have to be performed except for powering it on.

  Now the problem is that no matter what device order I set Harmony One always starts with the TV (which would be according to what was written above that is starts always from the device with the longest delay and ignores the device order - what is the device order then for in the setup program?). I do not mind it starting with the TV but I mind that it waits with powering on other devices until after the TV PowerOn delay is gone and it can switch the input to HDMI. What Harmony One does is:

1. Power on TV

2. Wait 12 seconds (PowerOn Delay)

3. Switch input to HDMI

4. Power on the PVR

5. Power on the Amplituner.

Now what I would like to have is:

1. Power on the PVR.

2. Power on the Amplituner.

3. Power on the TV.

4. Wait 12 seconds (PowerOn Delay)

5. Switch input to HDMI.

On top of the above I have now discovered another problem with a similar background. I have a second source of TV programs which goes via my DVD-recorder which then forwards the signal with a normal antenna cable to the TV. The DVD is however at the same time connected to the TV via an RGB cable for watching DVDs. So from the TV perspective I need to use the TV input but I need to also have the DVD and aplituner on. What happens now is:

1. Power on the TV

2. Wait 12 seconds (PowerOn Delay)

3. Switch input to TV.

4. Power on the DVD.

5. Switch input/output on the DVD.

6. Power on the Amplituner.

The problem is that as soon as the TV discovers that there is some input on the RGB cable (the DVD seems to both transmit the signal on the RGB and the antenna cable) it switches itself to the RGB. What would solve the problem would be again to power on the TV AFTER the DVD - the input would then be correctly switched to the TV.

So my both problems burn down to how to make Harmony One to really follow the device order and power on TV AFTER a selected device. Is this possible?

Thanks!

Best regards

Huckey

[towboy123 Logi Legend]

All of the power commands are sent in rapid succession only seperated by the inter device delays. the the remote waits the power delay. it should not be waiting for the power delay for the next device only the interdevice delay.

[hhatkin]

That's right Huckey.

If you specified the order of Devices powering on then the second scenario IS the one that the Harmony should carry out.

There is only one exception to this, which involves the use of Scart connectors.

As you mention the RGB input forcing a change this might be the explanation in your case.

If you let us know we can continue towards finding the solution.

"I mind that it waits with powering on other devices until after the TV PowerOn delay is gone"

You can't send any commands from the Harmony during the 12 seconds Power-On Delay, so why would you mind that?

[Huckey]

Hi again,

  yes, I am using a SCART cable for the RGB connection (DVD to TV) - is this making Harmony One act differently?

  For the time being it seems that Harmony One does not send any other commands between powering on the TV and switching its input to HDMI. How can I change it? I mean these 12 seconds of the delay could be utilized for sending other commands in the meantime. Alternatively the TV should be powered on last.

  Thanks!

Best regards

Huckey

[hhatkin]

A fully wired Scart connection uses pin 8 to force an input setting.

This clashes with the Harmony's automatic setting. You have the choice of disabling one or the other.

The best solution would be to change to a different, better, form of connection.

Second, the Scart could be replaced by a version that is not fully wired, or a combination of Scart adapters and three-core audio/video cable.

To disable the Harmony's setting you would set the Input commands to "none".

As most of the 12 seconds consists of the TV's Power-On Delay the Harmony can send during that time only the automatic Input or Additional Commands that are set for any of the other devices.

Let us know what other commands you'd like to send automatically during that time so that we can check whether they're possible.

Message Edited by hhatkin on 08-01-2009 10:52 AM

[Huckey]

Hi,

  at least until I buy a new TV I can not give up using the SCART cable since my TV has only one HDMI input (Component is to be put through this input too) and my wife would not accept yet another box in the living room being the HDMI-switch.

  As I wrote previously, the most straightforward and obvious solution for me would be to make Harmony One simply follow the device order in the given Activity which I set in the setup - why is that not possible? What is the purpose of device order in the Activity setup?

  Thanks!

Best regards

Huckey

[hhatkin · Accepted solution]

OK Huckey - that's understood!

I should have explained that if you specify when setting up a device that it uses Scarts, then it is forced into being the first device to be powered on in an Activity, and the Power-On commands for the other devices are delayed until the completion of its Power-On Delay.

This over-rides the normal setting of Power-On order for the devices.

The normal setting of that order actually has very little effect - the Power-On Commands are sent in rapid succession, separated only by the brief Inter-Device Delays. 

You would probably find that removing the specification from the TV Device setup, that you use Scarts, would not affect their use, but it would allow your specified Power-On order to apply correctly.

For the other Scart issue you have the other two options that I suggested. Partially wired Scarts are easy to obtain, and they remove the forced input settings.

Message Edited by hhatkin on 08-01-2009 02:48 PM