Dang, I'll miss it...LOL

Well, it is always interesting when you upgrade older systems.

The AV receiver quit, so I had to put in a Denon, in place of a not ever available Integra.

Since the television dates back to 2004, and it’s a Mitsubishi, I had to run an HDMI cable across the floor since this one only had component video feeding it through the wall. Done.

Then, there were RTI touch panels in the wall to make zone 2 feed the rest of the house.

The much heralded RTI database goes back to 2018, so there were no inputs for the media player and such. So I had to get out my RTI IR learner and learn the codes in.

It was a throwback Saturday.

Sorry about the mega list, I haven’t been sent codes in a long time. We haven’t been using rti as much lately so it’s been a bit stagnant as far as me learning codes and updating it.

If anyone has codes and wants to send me some please do
Glack @ Glackowitz dot tech

Funny how RTI’s own list is going on 4 years old…

Bruce, you have led the way and deserve an award.

But maybe a major manufacturer shouldn’t rely on us to do their job. Just a thought.

I understand the frustration, I'm also frustrated from time to time, but keeping up to date is almost impossible, given that hundreds of models might be introduced or updated by manufacturers in a month. One would need to check the entire universe of codes at least on a monthly basis. It would help if manufactures would maintain a database of codes, indicate if a model had been updated, and which models share the same codes.

An annoyance for anyone maintaining a code database is the notion that a code set for an obscure model may never be used in a control system.

In many cases learning the codes is not good enough because the remote will have a power toggle while a database somewhere might have discrete power codes.

When I sold RTI, they had the most beautiful color remotes on the market. It was also boasted that their database was second to none. But the secret was, guys like Bruce and other end-users, kept the database updated for RTI. Then the remote began failing at unprecedented rates.

meanwhile, URC somehow seems to keep up a reasonably strong database. Without our having to maintain it ourselves in the field.

Draw your own conclusions.

URC/RTI/CRESTRON etc should create a dealer incentive for generating drivers etc. $points for product purchase for every device file you create and submit.

Well, I have an unusual new client. They called me because they saw what I did at their friends house. “I want our TVs to look just like theirs!”

Translated, that means they want a Roku on every single television, so they can have the fish tank screen saver come up on all of their televisions.

AT&T internet, for most clients, is sad at best and a ripoff at worst.

A very few of my clients have the fiber service which is amazing, 1000/1000 up and down.  But for the rest of them…

Comcast or secondary providers here routinely offer 300 minimum up to gig service or more.  When I Speedtest an AT&T house, I hope I will get 20 down and once in a blue moon get close to 40.

Yesterday I was trying to get a Roku to work in a bedroom not terribly far from the gateway. It could not connect. I did a Speedtest and I got between 2.5 and 4 maximum. I went back to the family room where the gateway was located and the results were the same. Told the client to call AT&T, get some newer hardware out here and at least get something usable.

She texted me later and said she had called AT&T, and they said between 3 and 5 is all they can supply in that area! LOL

When her husband worked from home, he got better performance using a hotspot than house Wi-Fi. No wonder.

And at $60-80/month it’s the same price as a real internet provider.

Drove 3 hours to a client's house that has fiber internet. Often after a power outage, the ONT would not connect to the local router, ONT not near the rack so not on a UPS. After multiple trips to diagnose this issue and banging my head against the wall with low-level tech support, I met an ISP tech at the house to swap the ONT and he told me this is a known issue with some ONTs. The ONT would turn on but not recognize that there was anything plugged into the network port. Often you would need to reboot the ONT multiple times to remedy this issue. Probably close to 20 hours of driving back and forth to figure this out and get the IPS to replace it.

Why are you servicing a customer that is 3 hours away?
If it is a matter of a customer insisting you do the work? Then 'they' HAVE to pay for the extra mileage & time - no if, and, or buts. So I don't see an issue, get paid.
If it because you are taking on work outside of your area as normal customers, then that's on you bud. Make smarter business decisions.

After the 1st time you diagnosed it as a problem with the ISP equipment, should have been no more trips. Customer should continue to call ISP until they fix the problem.
Not to many customers will be happy about paying a $600+ service call every time. They NEED to call the damn ISP!

Side note: Remote monitoring and remote reboots would solve a lot of this. Depending on the level of service, also make some RMR.

Put the house up for sale, and had the first "Open House" today. Was told we had good traffic and good comments.

[Link: realtor.com]

Pulled out the HDMI Matrix, AVR, and all the other electronics. What they see is what they get, a Smart TV, 2 42's with Firesticks (the Tivo and Roku go with us).

Nice!
Since I am late to this party; where are you going?

Back to the Greensboro area, Brent.

Bride wants to be near her mom who is 92.

Besides, we are both tired of the island life, and the crazy costs associated with living here on an island, and with the crowds of snowbirds/tourists.

The only time it's nice here is in the winter months when only the normal people are here.

Understand, I lived for a short period (summer) in Stuart/Port St. Lucie area, when I returned (late fall) to finish a Crestron job I was overwhelmed by the difference in Traffic. What had taken 15 mins became 45, glad I got out early.