Re: There's got to be an easier way .... ?

In article <1119905412.957200.91560@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, Eric wrote:
> Hello,
>
> I've recently gotten Dish installed, with a DVR. Now, with my Dolby
> sound system, the Sat itself, the TV, the DVD, a VCR, plus the
> PlayStation/2 ... the system is complex as hell to operate. I either
> can have like 5 remotes, or just the one sat remote. I have
> successfully set up the sat remote to program it to operate ALL the
> devices. This works fine, except even for me its awkward, not to
> mention my wife and kids eyes just glaze over when I try to explain to
> them how to work it all. I'm getting calls at work all day long from
> home when they try to switch from PS2 to TV, or watch a DVD, etc.

I'm in a similar situation: Dish 501, Dish 4900, 3 game consoles, DVD
Player, DVD recorder, SVHS recorder, PC, and FTA satellite receiver.
Sound via Yamaha A/V receiver.

I can make it all work but it can be a pain in the ass. Other people
in my house wouldn't have a clue unless I did a few things:

1. Prioritize. The most used equipment has to be the easiest to access.
The 4900, FTA, and PC are used less frequently, so they need extra
steps to access. The 501 is most used, so it's on the 1st input
of the receiver and what the remote defaults to when you hit "power".
The system always powers up to the 501. Common point of reference
when explaining things.

2. Universal remote with totally reprogrammable buttons, learning capability,
and macros(!). Touchscreen remotes are a plus because you can label the
virtual buttons for what they do for a given device. Fixed button remotes
offer tactile feedback, but invariably you have to assign functions to
buttons whose labels have absolutely nothing to do with them. Macros are
very important, especially if you have an AV receiver. The receiver and
the TV and the satellite box (or whatever) have to all be turned on and
the receiver set to the device you are watching and the sound controls
have to go to the receiver but the video controls have to go to the
source, so the remote has to end up in the correct mode. On mine (RS 2116,
formerly Philips Pronto before it met its untimely demise within the
hinge mechanism of a sofa-recliner) the Power button turns on the TV,
Yamaha, puts the Yamaha on input 1, and sets itself to operate an address 1
Dish box. Somebody wants to watch Dish, they just press power. Stuff comes
on, and they use up/down arrows/guide button to select channel. The volume
and Mute buttons map through to the Yamaha transparently, so they work as
advertised. All the other buttons do what they say unless explicitly noted
on a cheat-*** I made and left on the coffee table. 90% of the time this
is all the functionality needed so it works well. The receiver has 3 other
inputs and there are dedicated macro buttons on the remote to select those
devices and put the remote into that command set. The DVD player, SVHS and
DVD recorder are daisy-chained into the 2nd input. The remote operates the
DVD recorder only when input 2 is selected, but someone can put media into
any of the 3 devices and press Play on the front panel and see the output.
Input 3 is all the game boxes and the 4900 selected by a labeled switchbox
near them. The remote sets itself for an Address 3 Dish box. Input 4 is my
domain: the FTA or the computer, and whatever else I want to put on that
switchbox.

Make sure you get a remote than can learn. Code-based remotes invariably
leave out important functions. Being able to reassign buttons is better
yet. The Pronto is great for this and lets you set it all up on a
computer and upload it to the remote. The 2116 has this functionality up
to a point, but is quirky about some things (can only learn about 30 buttons.
Can't reprogram the Power button directly.) and requires a computer and
a JP1 interface to get things just right. The software also has a rather
steep learning curve (but it's free!). The price is right for the 2116
though: about $35. Prontos start at around $100.

3. Don't overcomplicate things by having inconsistent paths to certain devices.
If you have one TV, funnel all your devices down to that. Having multiple
inputs on the TV, VCR, DVD recorder, etc. makes it tempting to plug all
sorts of stuff into them, but creates a cpmplicated path to get to what
you want. The remote also has no way of knowing what state all that stuff
was left in the last time you used it. Pick one device to select inputs
and stick with it. If you have an A/V receiver, that's the best thing
to use. Otherwise the DVD recorder or VCR. If you have no analog-input
recording devices, then the TV itself. Remember: dedicate inputs to
the most used devices, and use secondary switchboxes to group similar
devices on remaining inputs.

4. Analog recording. Recording devices are a special problem. If you place
the recording device at the bottom of the funnel, right before the display
device (TV), you can record from any source in the system. The problem is
that while you're recording, your display can only see what's being recorded.
You may want to be able to watch something else (preferably by normal selection
means) while the recording is taking place. Recording devices are also playback
devices, so it makes sense for the recording device to be just another input
to the main selector. You then feed the inputs on the recorder with secondary
outputs directly from the devices you're likely to record (probably a dish PVR
and a VCR). You can then set timer recordings or dub from these devices without
affecting the operation of other sources in the system.

5. Common connection interface. Unless you have an AV receiver capable of converting
mixed input types (Component, composite, S-video) to a common output, you'll
need to standardize on one. S-video is typically the best compromise between
video quality and ubiquity. All of the game consoles have it (though you may
have to buy a 3rd party cable), all DVD players and nearly all satellite boxes
have it. If you have an HD system and you need component, then you probably
already have a receiver that can do the conversion. If you don't, then go get one.
Now. These things solve so many connectivity problems it's not even funny. Good
ones will even come with a (really good) learning, macro-ing remote!
The only potentially problem device is a non-SVHS vcr which will only have
composite outputs. But if you put this behind the DVD recorder on one of its
inputs, (and since it's something you'll probably want to record off of anyway)
the DVD recorder will make the conversion to S-video (or even component!) for you.
Leaving the DVD recorder on this input as default will enable the casual user
to easily play a tape on your system by simply selecting the DVD recorder as
source, and inserting a tape into the VCR and pressing play.

6. Leave input devices like the dish receiver, DVD recorder, VCR, etc. turned ON
and don't provide a mechanism on the universal remote to turn them off. These
things use negligibly more power when on than off and allowing them to be in
either state just brings in another needless variable.
Game boxes can be shut off when not in use, since you have to power those up
to load a game anyway.

All of this would be a whole lot easier if there was bidirectional communications
between the devices and their remotes. As it is, you have set things up so that
there is as little chance as possible of things getting into some bizarre state.
My housemates have gotten pretty comfortable with the system as it is now and they
understand the necessity of it given the number of input devices available for them
to enjoy. Of course now, anything that I want to change, I have to do at a level
where they won't notice it, or have it result in a system which is even more
intuitive. And when I do something that puts the system in an unusual state, I
try to put it back to some sense of normality before walking away.

Wow, I've blathered again. These are just some hopefully useful tips from my
experience with the problem.

....Sean.
.