Harmony One, Denon AVR-1909 & Samsung LE40A656 Help needed

robertsm

Standard Member
Joined
May 12, 2008
Messages
14
Reaction score
0
Points
4
Hope someone can help as this is driving me nuts!

I have:
Samsung LE40A656
Denon AVR-1909 (Connected to TV via HDMI 3)
Sky+HD (Connected to receiver HDMI 'Ipod' input)
Harmony One remote


I've set most of it up but have issues with my 'Watch TV' Activity. For some reason it turns the 1909 and TV on fine but then after a couple of seconds the receiver switches to the TV/CBL input. I still get audio and the TV is still on HDMI3. To get around it, I can maually press the ipod input channel button on my standard remote. I've tried a few things and as you'll see from the listing below, even a long winded method of automating my manual button press doesn't work:

DeviceStatus / ActionsB
SkyB Sky /BSkyB Sky is on
Samsung TV /Samsung TV is on
Denon AV Receiver-Lounge /Denon AV Receiver-Lounge is on
Other/All other devices are off
BSkyB /SkyBSkyB Sky is set to "TV"
Samsung TV/Samsung TV is set to "Hdmi3"
Denon AV Receiver-Lounge/Denon AV Receiver-Lounge is set to "VCR"
Samsung TV/The remote pauses for 5000 milliseconds
Samsung TV/Samsung TV is set to "Hdmi3"
Denon AV Receiver-Lounge/The remote pauses for 10000 milliseconds
Denon AV Receiver-Lounge/"InputiPod" command is sent to the Denon AV Receiver-Lounge


Anyone have any thoughts as I'm running out of steam and you'll notice from the time delays and other nasties above - I'm getting no where fast :mad:

Cheers
 
To begin with it's questions rather than thoughts:
Why do you set the receiver to VCR?
Why do you set the TV twice to HDMI3?
 
I agree that the way you've got your kit connected seems a bit strange.

Is this ALL the equipment you've got? If so, I'd just connect the Sky HDMI directly to the TV, the Sky optical to the amp, and the TV optical out to the amp. If you want to see the amp's OSD on the TV, connect a suitable video output to the TV.

Get everything working properly and simply (minimum number of button presses) using the original remotes before setting up the Harmony.

Delete the activities already set up.
Now create 2 activities - "watch TV" and "watch Sky", making sure that you answer all the questions. Don't rely on the software to create the activities for you - choose the "manual" setup option. If you are using the amp's OSD, create a third activity "setup amp". You won't really need to use this, as you can automate all the settings using the Harmony, once you've got the basics working.
 
Thanks for your comments.:smashin:

I only want to run one HDMI cable to the TV due to wire routing constraints, so in turn take everything into the Amp and then run the one cable to HDMI3 of the TV.

The HDMI inputs on the receiver are connected as follows:
Xbox 360 to Receiver HDMI1 input (labelled DVD)
SkyHD to Receiver HDMI3 input (labelled Ipod/VCR)

If I maunually carry out the following with the original remotes it works fine:
Turn on TV (HDMI 3 is already on)
Turn on receiver
Turn receiver onto Ipod/VCR Channel

Trying to replicate this with the Harmony isn't so easy. Is there anyway to delete items in the activity. I want to see what effect removing the following has:
BSkyB /SkyBSkyB Sky is set to "TV"

In my original post, the HDMI3 was selected twice to try and force it to work. Without this it still doesn't work. The other guff such as the delays are also attemps to workaround :(

I now have the following and it still doesn't work:
BSkyB Sky/BSkyB Sky is on
Samsung TV/Samsung TV is on
Denon AV Receiver-Lounge/Denon AV Receiver-Lounge is on
OtherAll other devices are off
BSkyB Sky/BSkyB Sky is set to "TV"
Samsung TV/Samsung TV is set to "Hdmi3"
Denon AV Receiver-Lounge/Denon AV Receiver-Lounge is set to "VCR"
 
Thanks for the information, and now it's time for some thoughts.
It's odd that the receiver's HDMI3 input is labelled VCR - I've never come across a VCR that provided a HDMI output.
The description "BSkyB Sky/BSkyB" suggests the receiver isn't set up properly - did you enter it by make and model number?
The "set to TV" for it does have to be set, but it makes no sense, and it has no effect, so there's no need to remove it.
To add to clockworks' advice, remove the Additional Commands when Activity Starts.
 
Ok, so you've got 2 devices (360 and Sky) connected to the amp using HDMI? Presumably you've also got an optical cable from each device to the amp?
Your "watch TV" activity is actually a "watch Sky" activity?

Everything works when you just use the original remotes, but the amp goes to the TV/CBL input when you use the Harmony? Is that the only problem?

If all the above are correct, then the only possibility is that the Harmony is sending an "input TV" command to the amp. Strange thing is that you can't see that command in the activity summary. Did you, by any chance, let the Harmony automatically set up a "watch TV" activity, then alter it manually to include the Sky box?

I'd delete the "watch TV" activity, then create a new "watch Sky" activity, ensuring that you add the devices manually and answer the questions correctly. I can see no reason why this activity shouldn't work perfectly. You shouldn't need to add any extra commands, maybe just tweak the "power on" delays for the amp and TV.
 
Yes, I'd start afresh on the Activity, and also on the Sky receiver as a Device.
Depending on the type of receiver the Activity is either WatchTV> WatchTV(Digital....) or WatchTV> WatchTV(DVR or PVR....).
 
OK, so I deleted the activitiy and started again and the same happens (Instead of using the geenric Sky box I now explicitly set it as the exact Amstrad model used)

I then swapped the TVs HDMI3 input to HDMI1, reflected the change within the activity and the same happens.

Next I went into HDMI 2 on the reciever (labelled HDP), made changes so that it looks like:
Amstrad PVR/Amstrad PVR is on
Samsung TV/Samsung TV is on
Denon AV Receiver-Lounge/Denon AV Receiver-Lounge is on
OtherAll other devices are off
Amstrad PVR/Amstrad PVR is set to "Sky"
Samsung TV/Samsung TV is set to "Hdmi1"
Denon AV Receiver-Lounge/Denon AV Receiver-Lounge is set to "HDP"

In this case the TV doesn't actually turn on but I do get full, uninterupted sound from the sky box and the reciever stays on the HDP channel. Not sure why the TV doesn't come on though?! Do you think this points to the TV causing some sort of switching which caused the initial problem.

Hope you guys don't get bored... your wisdom is definitely helping.:smashin:
 
That's OK and thanks for the further details.
You might have a point about the automatic switching - if is there some Samsung system that might be having the effect.
Then, does the TV power on correctly if you simply send the Power command from Devices on the One?
And, is it one power toggle command, or are there separate On and Off commands?
 
Not yet, but I have put off looking into it further until I've finished other DIY jobs aroudn the house. It does mean that I now have an extra remote and defeating my original goal. I'll post back soon with an update on where it's at but I think I need to look at the receiver settings first.


Cheers
 
OK, I have worked around the problem. I still can't figure out why it would always revert back to the TV/CBL channel on the receiver and I have played around with all settings and it makes no difference.

I have since changed my cabling so that I actually use the TV/CBL channel for the Sky HD and it all seems happy now.

Thanks for the pearls of wisdom.:smashin:
 

The latest video from AVForums

TV Buying Guide - Which TV Is Best For You?
Subscribe to our YouTube channel
Back
Top Bottom