Harmony Remotes

[drew081886]

I have a Harmony 650 that I'm using with my Directv HD receiver. Is there any way to program different commands to the same button? For example, the red button on my remote is used to activate certain features whenever I'm prompted on screen (like the score guide for sports). But when I go to my DVR, for example, the red button's function changes to delete my recordings. Is there any way to program context-sensitive commands like this?

[rhachey]

In an Activity, you can only program one command to a button.  In a different Activity, you can program the same button to a different command, same holds true for Devices.  The commands for the Red button for Directv DVR depends on what menu you are in, in Guide it goes back 12 hours, in List, it deletes the highlighted recording

[drew081886]

The problem is that when I initially programmed the remote, the red button (and a few other buttons) weren't programmed at all and the correct commands weren't in the database. I used the teach function to teach the red button to go back 12 hours within the menu, but the red button won't do the other context specific commands that way, like deleting from the DVR or bringing up the score guide when prompted. Is there any way to teach the remote these commands that only work under certain circumstances?

[triad]

The only way a harmony remote knows context is from you telling it when you select an activity. So different functions can be assigned to the red button in different activities. To make it function the way you want, you'll have to make activities for each context. That's very impractical.

What I would do is make duplicate functions on the LCD screen which you know to use only in certain contexts. For example, if the red function is +12hr in the guide but Delete in the list, then make a +12hr button and a Delete button on the LCD, and assign them both to the red function. Does that make sense? Otherwise you just need to remember what the red button does in each context and leave it as is, which is the way the DirecTV remote works.

There are other remotes, like JP1 remotes that can be made context sensitive. In your case, when Guide is presses, you set a bit in the remote that controls which of several functions some other button can have. This requires some programming skill but it can be done very cheaply. Typical JP1 remotes like the RCA RCRP05B are $15 and available most anywhere. You build a programming interface cable for $5 and the programming software and support community are free.

I've used DirecTV and the red button in different contexts. There are typically cues on the screen that tell you the function of each colored button on the DVR itself. If you rely on those cues rather than memory or complex programming, you shouldn't have any problems.

[drew081886]

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triad wrote:

What I would do is make duplicate functions on the LCD screen which you know to use only in certain contexts. For example, if the red function is +12hr in the guide but Delete in the list, then make a +12hr button and a Delete button on the LCD, and assign them both to the red function. Does that make sense? Otherwise you just need to remember what the red button does in each context and leave it as is, which is the way the DirecTV remote works.

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I see what you're saying. But the commands I need to put on the LCD screen aren't in the database. How would I teach the remote those commands if they are context sensitive?

[triad]

I'm sorry. I thought I understood your issue but apparently I don't.

Consider the DirecTV remote. No matter when you press the red button it always sends the same signal. Harmony behaves the same way. When you change the context (a different screen or menu on the DVR), a different function is carried out. But the signal coming from the remote hasn't changed. It is impossible to make the DVR respond differently to a given IR signal than it was designed to do.

[drew081886]

I think we're both confused for different reasons. I apologize. It's more my inexperience with Harmony remotes than you misunderstanding me. Let me try to explain it better. When I originally programmed the remote, several of the buttons that are on the original Directv remote were not programmed into the Harmony remote. When I tried to teach the Harmony the functions that are tied to the red button on the Direct remote, I could only teach it the "jump back 12 hours" function. None of the other functions on the red button work (score guide, delete for DVR).

In contrast, the channel +/- buttons change the channels, but they also move the guide up and down an entire page when the guide is opened. Those functions were programmed into the remote automatically. But since the red button was not programmed at all originally, I can only program one of the several functions it serves on the original Direct remote. Does that make sense?

I really appreciate you trying to help and I apologize again for the confusion.

[rhachey]

The Red command in the database is the same command but depending on what context or menu you are are in as to how the DirecTV DVR or receiver responds, when you are in the Guide, pressing the red button goes back 12 hours in the Guide, when in the DVR list, pressing the Red button deletes the highlighted recording, this is not a different command from the remote it is the same command it is the Directv receiver as to how it responds to the Red command

[triad · Accepted solution]

I think there are a couple of things going on here. 

First we can stipulate that the red button sends the same signal in all contexts from the original remote and should work on harmony in all contexts as well. Only one red signal exists, so no matter what the context, you've already learned the proper one.

Recent software updates to DirecTV DVRs have made them less responsive. So when you enter a certain app, like scoreguide and press the red button, nothing may happen like it used to simply due to the buggy DVR software at the moment.

There is also the possibility of a bad or marginal learn on your part (too long, too short, incomplete, too many repeats, too few repeats, etc.), hence the red command may be missed due to the poor signal, especially if you did a raw learn.

In any case, you shouldn't have had to learn any commands, since the full set is already in the harmony database. I recommend, no matter what DVR model you have, that you add the HR20-700. That one is known to have a full set of good commands. All DirecTV DVRs share the same commands, so those will work fine on all of them. Hopefully that will solve your problem and red will work as it should in all cases. If it doesn't, then the problem lies in the DVR and there is nothing you can do but wait for an update from DirecTV.

[drew081886]

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triad wrote:

 I recommend, no matter what DVR model you have, that you add the HR20-700. That one is known to have a full set of good commands.

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That worked. Everything is now functioning just like it does on the original Directv remote. Thanks again for the help.