Logitech Harmony 785 - a few newbie questions

[Andrathion]

I'm sorry if this is pretty basic - just got the Harmony 785 today, and couldn't find an answer to this:

1. How do I operate a single device (say, a TV) without switching activities on or off?

My main reason for asking is that I'd like to be able to switch a device (say, a TV) on or off without disrupting the current activity (say, listening to a CD). I thought the simple answer to this was to hit the "Devices" button on the remote and take it from there, but I'm not sure what to do next. If I'm listening to a CD, hit "Devices" and then "TV", nothing happens. If I press the on/off button, the amp/dvd-player shuts down.

2. How do I set up the same activities, but using different devices? I'd like two "Watch DVD" activities, for example, since I have two set-ups, each with its own TV, amp and DVD player.

Again, my apologies if this is very basic, but, well, the lack of a manual seems to have me stumped...

[saintalan]

Hi, welcome to the wonderful world of Harmony Remotes.

All models work basically the same and they are IMHO great BUT you do need to accept that ACTIVITIES are the Harmony Way!

A key thing to remember is that ACTIVITIES remember STATE i.e. what Inputs & Power commands were last sent and if you upset these then you get out of sync. Not a problem per se but still best avoided. Also this can happen when a device does not receive a command as somebody walked between them at the crucial point!!

Now, you CAN operate things in Device Mode BUT these are normally just for set up or occasional use as they can (& will) upset the STATE.

Most users should not need to leave activities in normal use as they can make any commands not available on the hard keys available on the display keys WITHIN the activity. (You can also remap the Hard keys if you wish).

So to do what you want in ACTIVITIES it would be best to have another activity e.g. Watch&Listen in which you use the TV & CD. Then switching between activities will remember state!

For your 2nd question, again, just set up another activity to use the different gear, however, you will need to look at your POWER options carefully, to decide what happens to non used devices when you are in an Activity. Look in ACTIVITIES>SETTINGS>Change OPTIONS

REMEMBER the POWER button is an JUST AN OFF button and POWER ON is taken care of through the ACTIVITY.

Have a play around and come back and ask more, it is always difficult to know where you're at so I am in danger of writing a thesis here

Alan

[snellfish]

another question...

with regards to the 'One-touch activity buttons' if i set up a play dvd botton as in : turn on tv >switch to hdmi input >turn on dvd player> open dvd tray.
what would happen if the tv is already turned on? would the activity switch the tv off, or does it somehow already know the tv is on?

also is this compatable with windows vista?

[saintalan]

Originally Posted by snellfish

another question...

with regards to the 'One-touch activity buttons' if i set up a play dvd botton as in : turn on tv >switch to hdmi input >turn on dvd player> open dvd tray.
what would happen if the tv is already turned on? would the activity switch the tv off, or does it somehow already know the tv is on?

also is this compatable with windows vista?

In the Vista compatable software in Devices tab, set the TV Power Option to 'I want to turn this off when not in use' (or something like that) which means it will stay on when switching to anything that uses it.

If you find it is switching off, go back to Devices>CustomiseButtons>Additional Buttons and check to see if your TV has Discrete Power On & Off (your OEM RC may just have a power toggle) if they are there reset the Power Options to use the Discrete ones.

Another point to Remember: in the Activities tab, check in Change Options, as it has some other self explanatory power settings.

[logiciel]

Originally Posted by snellfish

what would happen if the tv is already turned on? would the activity switch the tv off, or does it somehow already know the tv is on?
also is this compatable with windows vista?

If the TV is already turned on at the set, or by using another remote, and if the power switch is an on/off then yes it would.
Harmonys are clever, but only clever enough to remember what they have done, not what something else has done.
Yes the software works in all Windows.
Do as saintalan says and you can't go wrong!

[Andrathion]

Originally Posted by saintalan

Have a play around and come back and ask more, it is always difficult to know where you're at so I am in danger of writing a thesis here

Alan

Hi Alan! Sorry for the very late response, but I just wanted to say thanks!

Unfortunately, I am at the moment devising devious ways of making my brand new Harmony 785 suffer in the most excruciating ways imaginable. It does nothing the way i want it to...

I clearly have no understanding - let alone appreciation - whatsoever of the wonders of Activities and am thinking mostly of vinegar and ammonia concoctions to subdue this dreadful little beast.

Ahum. Sorry. I'll admit to being all flustered & hating it! But I do appreciate everyone's posts, and it was high time I mentioned that!

Cheers, guys - and I'll get back to this once I've settled down and can be coherent again...

[logiciel]

Originally Posted by Andrathion

....the lack of a manual seems to have me stumped....

It's a bit late for this - there is a manual, in the software, weirdly, at Tip Centre> More Help.
The basics - do everything in Activities, for each of them select its type, specify which Devices it has to include and which of them does the basic things like setting channels or controlling volume, when they're all set up forget Devices, throw away the original remotes, only press Off when you've finished a viewing session.

[TheCat]

Originally Posted by hhatkin

It's a bit late for this - there is a manual, in the software, weirdly, at Tip Centre> More Help.
The basics - do everything in Activities, for each of them select its type, specify which Devices it has to include and which of them does the basic things like setting channels or controlling volume, when they're all set up forget Devices, throw away the original remotes, only press Off when you've finished a viewing session.

I bought a 785 recently and have a few queries.

It is impossible to do some things just using an activity so you need to go to devices to finish off.

For instance, I have a HDD DVD player so to watch a recorded program the HDD needs to boot up and this takes a minute or so. To look at your list of programs, you need to then hit another button so go to devices.

Once done, this means that the volume buttons are trying to change the HDD whereas I want them to work the amp at all times.

Is there a way to set the volume buttons to only work one device?

[logiciel]

I've never found anything, no matter how complicated, that can't be done in Activities.
This one isn't complicated - a Watch DVD Activity that includes TV and amplifier and DVD player will give control of the volume to the amplifier and will provide buttons for all the functions of the DVD, so that there will never be any need to go from an Activity into Devices.

[TheCat]

I think the answer is to add more commands so that you don't need to leave the activity.

I've been doing that this lunchtime and hopefully that will solve my problems.

[logiciel]

That's right - it's the way all Harmonys are meant to work.
For any Activity you're presented with the selection of commands that it thinks you need from each device,
but you can add, remove, or change them around, any way you like.

[Andrathion]

Alright, I'm back & calm enough to ask a question or two. Oh, and my 785 is still intact, surprisingly .

I've been fiddling for days now, but here's the thing: I can't get my TV to go to the correct input in my "Watch DVD" and "Play Game" activities.

I've listed my full setup below, but here are the basics. I have a Hitachi 42PD6600 TV. Unfortunately, it doesn't have dedicated input buttons on its remote: it has a single toggle button which you need to press repeatedly when switching from one input to the next.

To watch a DVD or play a game (PS3), I need both activities to switch the input from "TV" (the default when the TV is switched on) all the way up to "EXT 6" (my hdmi input from my Denon amp).

I can't get either activity to do that. I've obviously specified the correct input using the Harmony's software (which lists all the inputs correctly), but in practice, the TV will switch up to "EXT 5" and then stop.

Any ideas? I must admit I'm stumped. I've tinkered with everything I could think of, including the delay settings for the TV, but nothing seems to work.

_________________

Setup: Denon 3806 amp, Denon 3910 DVD player, Hitachi 42PD6600 TV, PS3, Digital cable box (a UPC "Mediabox").
Connections: 3910 to 3806: Denon Link & HDMI; 3806 to TV: HDMI; Cable box to TV: SCART

[saintalan]

Originally Posted by Andrathion

... I have a Hitachi 42PD6600 TV. Unfortunately, it doesn't have dedicated input buttons on its remote: it has a single toggle button which you need to press repeatedly when switching from one input to the next....

Welcome Back

The important thing is NOT what your Hitachi Remote has BUT what the Harmony (Database) has!

I used to have a PD5200 and it had most inputs.

On your Harmony Remote go in to DEVICE mode and scroll through the Display and see what DISCRETE INPUTS it has and try them on your TV to see what works. If it has the ones you need then in the Software use Inputs Option 2.

Cheers, just checked your Device looks like it has 22 input options!!

[Pincho Paxton]

Yes, even when your remote only has one button it has the separate commands for inputs as if your tv remote had lots more buttons on it.

[Andrathion]

Okay - thanks guys! I didn't know that!

I'm off to try it in a moment or so & will let you know...