Control of F2A, hifi and TV

[g24568]

I am looking for a remote that will enable to do a one button macro.

I have read some good reviews of the URC7556. I want to do the following as part of a one key macro. Will the URC be able to handle it? If not what is the cheapest remote that will do all this:

Macro 1 ie press one key
Turn on Panasonic TV from standby
press button 1
press TV/AV button
Mute TV
Switch on Tangent AMP 50 from standby
Switch tangent to Aux 1 ie so F2A sound comes through Hifi
Control sound level via the Tangent AMP50 not the TV. TV to remain muted.

Macro 2
I also want to do a similar thing with the DVD player that is connected to the Hifi. So that when I play a film the sound comes through the hifi which is controlle by the remote, but the picture goes to the TV.

Robin

[logiciel]

Those are the sort of things that Harmonys do routinely.

[g24568]

Thank you for your advice. Based on a review I thought I would go for the Harmony 680.
Ebay has a few coming from the far east. Has anyone had experience of these
suppliers, they have a sizeable number of favourable reports.. I have written to them asking for confirmation they are
not fakes. They only accept paypal.

[logiciel]

The 680 is an old and rather uncommon model - I'd go for something more recent.
You can compare them all at http://www.inet.karoo.net/harmony.htm

[g24568]

Thank you for your comment.

Would you mind helping me a bit more?

I went towards the 680 because of the review at this url:

My Logitech Harmony 880 / 885 Review comparison Harmony 680

Looking at the comparison list you referred me to the 680 didn't seem odd.

I find this all very muddling. There is so much to choose. Could you please suggest a more appropriate device for me please do so. I would be most grateful.

Here is the page with my current options:

eBay Store – BOX-THEM: Search results for.

I only have 4 devices: hifi, TV, F2A, DVD

Robin

[logiciel]

That's perfectly OK.
The comparison review does confirm that the 680 is an older model than the 880, and the 880 is over four years old now as my link shows.
To check on which models are current take a look at Logitech's own page http://www.logitech.com/index.cfm/re...otes/&cl=us,EN
The price for that 680 is remarkable though - it's $120 at amazon.com.
My actual recommendation would be the 510 which came out late last year and is ideal for a system like yours with up to five devices - from $30 on E-Bay.

[g24568]

Thank you very much for spending the extra time with my question. I appreciate your help.

Robin

[logiciel]

That's OK Robin. Whatever you go for, if there any questions about it, just let us know in the forum. Logi

[g24568]

Probably due to ignorance, I am thinking of going for the 680. It controls more devices, my source is cheap, and it was given such a good review. I am assuming that they all work in the same underlying way and that the 510 offers nothing new? I am not looking for a touch screen.

One important question for me is the capability to put in a delay in the list of instructions attached to a macro key. Upon switching on my TV from standby it takes some 5 seconds before further key presses will have any effect. Do you know if this can be done with the 680?

Also do you know how many macros keys can be set up?
Is there a limit to the number of steps that can be attached to a macro key?

One further question. What is the procedure to update the list of internal codes. I know it is done through a usb cable but is there a registration process? My seller says it is not a replica but in case it is I would not be happy to find I can not update the list of codes. I suppose I could always ask him to update the codes himself.

[logiciel]

OK - I hadn't even heard of the 680 until you mentioned it - as far as I've been able to gather they were made specially for specific outlets in the US. Whether they're still maintained by Logitech I wouldn't be at all sure.
Harmonys don't use codes. You connect to the Internet using their standard software, and download all the commands for each of your devices. Then, still with the software, you combine the devices into Activities. You then connect the Harmony by USB and upload to it the full configuration you've created.
The Activities automatically make all the changes to power and input settings of the devices as you select and change between Activities. Any delays that are required, such as those for your Power-On, are also provided automatically. There is no limit to the number of settings that each Activity can make, and none to the number of Activities you can setup. This seems to be what you are looking for as "macros".
You can also set up Sequences of up to five commands to be sent at the touch of one button. On other remotes these might be called "macros".

[g24568]

Thank you for making the position so clear. I was not aware how the set up was done.

I have just downloaded the software, but could not tell if the 680 is supported because they required me to connect the USB cable and of course I do not have the remote.

[logiciel]

That's OK. Harmonys are rather different from your average universal remotes so it's good to know those details helped to explain them.
Any Harmony will work, once you have it, with the same software. By "maintained" I was thinking of service or warranty.