Anthony,

Heh... yeah, I'm cool with that. I was just referring to how many days it could store ;)

Here's another question :
Any idea why EZ doesn't have the standard 'default code' database that most other remotes have? While the ability of users to 'fill in the gaps' is cool, a lot of users are gonna be turned off at the almost automatic assumption of having to encode their stuff.

Jason: according to their site
[Link: easyzapper.com]
"At least two weeks of TV listings."
But I guess it will also depend on the rest of the configuration and the number of channels you have.


there is no such standard, I guess they could have bought one (like Philips did with the Pronto TSU2000+) but then a again (looking at the Pronto file section is a good example) you can amass a larger and better (more complete) database through the users. I don't have a harmony (I got used to my touchscreen, and I have no immediate plans for a new remote) but learning buttons (I did it on my Pronto) is not that difficult or time consuming. The other problem with databases is that they end up being out of date. It might make some take a second look (like you said) but I don't think it is a very important reason not to get a particular remote.



This message was edited by Anthony on 12/14/01 16:10.27.

Good day,

I am curious to know exactly how detailed this remote can get about knowing ones equipment unique capabilities, beyond turning on/off & volume up/down, etc.

For exampple, I have 2 Denon AV receivers, one has direct/discreet codes for switching between the various audio modes, the other only allows you to cycle through them (via the original remotes, of course). Can Easy Zapper refer to a database that knows about these differences in same make/dif. models or does one have to "teach it" all these nuances?

If the latter true, do the wizards walk you though that process or does one have to become proficient in XML coding?

If Easy Zapper is capable of capturing any of these miriad of component specific control issues are they all access through the menus?

Or am I expecting far too much of this remote and just use if to do the basics and resign myself to always keeping the originals handy.

I do wish their site was more detailed about this stuff. BTW: It does seems way cool.

Thanks in advance for any insights you shed on these questions.

Claude H.

The harmony can record any IR signal you can show it. I am trying to get them to be able to accept any pronto code too. The website can do you discrete codes without delving into XML. The harmony can even do input cycling properly if taught. it remebers what you were using and how many cycle commnds it needs to get to the input it needs.

I am slowly phazing out my original remotes, but every once in a while I find there is a command that does not work, work properly, or is not there. I add it to my harmony web site and with the next update it works.

I have delved into the XML, and I feel that it's really necessary to do some of the more cutting edge stuff ( see discrete programming example ) but the website could have done it just it too, just not quite as clean as my method.

The last magor update that I did was my navigation commands for left and right were backwards for my DVD, I poped into the the language learner and fixed those two buttons. All without touching the XML.

Cheers

Thansk for the info Eric.

I am still not clear on a couple of things:

Clearly every remote, for each piece of equipment, has many more buttons on it than Harmony's.

So how does one access all those additional commands in the Harmony?

How about wanting to jump to channel 10 instead of cycling through all the channels using the up/down arrows? I don't see a numeric keypad. If it appears on the LCD, is it useful or too small for stubby fingers?

I get the sense that they are building a database of all the different pieces of equipment remotes out there,is this correct?

Does this mean I will have to always keep the original remote around for those not so often used commands or can Harmony's remote take over every command?

DO I have to become a coding Guru in order to acheive the latter?

I am a Pronto user and do love it's flexibility, and am looking for a second one and appreciate the feedback given herein.

Claude H.

Claude: all commands are learned to the existing buttons, and to a Menu of commands accessible on the LCD screen 9which is not a touchscreen). You cycle through the commands, and a variety of command main menus, using the thumbwheel. Say for example you want to control your Receiver's surround outputs: you enter the "Listen to Music" Activity, and are shown a menu. One of the menu items is "Surround" or "Speakers" or whatever you have chosen to call it when you set the remote up. It may also have a name provided automatically by the command structure of the Device itself. That menu then allows you to use the Navigation hard buttons to control your Receiver's menu.

You are limited in the number of ways you can change settings on the Receiver only by the number of ways the Receivers makes them available to you. In other words, everything can be duplicated. Since this is still the early stages of Device-gathering for EasyZapper, you will probabably have to spend a bit of time with the online Wizards to properly set up all your requirements. But believe me, even if you had to tweak a setting or two in the XML scripts, you don't need any programming or coding knowledge at all.

Cycling through channels usually involves spinning through the LCD onscreen TV Guide listings, or the listing of named channels, or your Favorites listings, or any one of several other special lists you can set up. The LCD screen scrolls entire pages a time, to save wear and tear on your thumb. A second option is to select the "Direct" function from the TV menu: this displays a channel button panel on the LCD, and you use the Nav buttons to select the channel you want. Not my favorite way of doing it, mind.

And you are correct: they hope to build a complete and universal command database, based on Brand and Model, not on individual codes. The neat thing is, though, is that while the Code libraries of many other remotes are limited to specific commands, and often on the wrong keys, the EasyZapper IR methodology actually interprets the signal types, and determines all the codes that may be used from that recognition. Creates the IR library for your Device on the fly, so to speak. And any codes it doesn't come up are easily taught, and need only be taught once, from your original remotes. So you can put the rest of 'em away.

The Harmony is a different way of looking at remotes. You don't program in lengthy Macros, step by tedious step. You tell it what each of your Devices is capable of doing, and then it sets up all the Activities you might want to do, automatically. If you remove or add a Device, just tell it, and it reorganizes all its settings so you don't have to redo anything. ,,,, Mike

Mike,

Thank you so much. If it weren't for that 15% restocking fee, I would order mine today.

I hope Daniel does a review in short order. Has anyine gotten a hint as to when The Man might be posting this review?

Claude H.