Harmony Remotes - Programming

[hhatkin]

The best thing to do would be to ask Logitech support to combine the four commands of your sequence into one new command.

All input settings are made by the Activities so you don't need the sequence on a button in the device area.

Set the relevant Activity to InputVideo3, then add as Additional Commands When Activity Starts the InputNext, DirectionDown, and Select commands.

If the Inter-Key device is at the correct value that should set the activity to HDMI1.

[chrisss]

I'd noticed the Additional Commands option before but hadn't realised it could be used to setup a sequence of commands. (It's also not the most obvious setup to get to.)

Anyway, I've set up a sequence with 500mSec gaps between them.

It (randomly) misses some of the commands. I've tried changing the timers/repeats without success.

What I have noticed is that the mute button works every time on the "Play TV" Activity, but on the "Play DVD" Activity (muting the TV) it fails very regularly. This doesn't make sense (to me). Surely they should both be equally reliable?.

Edit: I've just tried the same mute tests on the same tv with my (not my mother's) Harmony One and it is 100% reliable. (same DVD but a different tv device!). I'm beginning to lose the plot.

[hhatkin]

The Additional Commands should not need delays between them.
The automatic Inter-Key Delay should allow for that aspect.

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chrisss wrote:
on the same tv
a different tv device

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How do those two notes square with each other?
It IS odd that a command works differently in different activities.

[chrisss]

Sorry - i know this is getting very confusing.

I've tried the mute test again this morning without any changes, and both activities now look ok

I need to go back and check everything from scratch. Shame there isn't a summary feature for the non-button options.

[chrisss]

Well, I've had another quick try with a sequence of commands at the start of an activity....

TV set to input AV3.

delay 500mS ; inputnext ; directiondown ; select

It goes to AV4 probably 3 times out of 5.

The other 2 times? I see AV3 and then smart at the bottom of the screen becomes smart!1 and then the external input menu pops up.

In other words the direction down gets thru' before inputnext.

The 500mS delay gets me to 3 out of 5 rather than 1 out of 5.

[hhatkin]

Take a look back at my post #10!

[chrisss]

I thought that was what I was doing.

Are you saying that adding three consecutive commands when you "enter" an Activity will not work and that I have to select AV4 manually using buttons or additional commands?

Edit: I've spent hours trying every combination of delays and repeats and the best I ever achieve is "works sometimes".

I've tried commands when "entering" an Activity and the same sequence mapped onto a button.

The tv simply misses commands at random.

One possible clue is that a sequence using another (manufacturers) remote goes thru' fine (and fast) everytime.

Is the IR signal weak when the battery runs low, or can it be increased?

I notice you've referred in another thread to "Hasn't Troubleshooting helped by offering you a range of power settings?"

I can't find anything similar.

[chrisss]

Update:

Still not working as I would have hoped.

I've set up two tv devices (the same kdl-26S3000), one used by the watch tv activity and the other by the DVD activity.

Watch tv works fine, using all defaults. This includes the commands used to switch to hdmi1 on entry to the DVD activity.

The DVD activity TV device has been set up with long delays just to see if it will work at all.

Switching to the DVD activity and then back to watch tv works fine about 5 times. It then starts to fail, missing commands and even obeying them in the wrong order. Eventually it starts working again for 4 or 5 times.

Is simply switching between Activities without any other button presses causing these problems?

[rhachey]

Why do you have the same TV listed twice in you profile, your activities sholud work correctly with just the one TV.  You probably just need to set your delays correctly.  What is the problem that you are having with just the TV added once?

[hhatkin]

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chrisss wrote:

Are you saying that adding three consecutive commands when you "enter" an Activity will not work

One possible clue is that a sequence using another (manufacturers) remote goes thru' fine (and fast) everytime.

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They should work that way, as Additional Commands When Activity Starts, and it should not be necessary to include the 500ms delays between them. It would be better to rely on the Inter-Key Delay to get their timing right.
Could you explain that about the other remote? Do you mean another universal remote that does sequences like the Harmony?