What is RS 232 and is it a necessary component of a new Home theater system?

RS-232 is a type of computer protocol...and No, it is not essential to a home theater system. Stick with the remote that comes with the receiver.

are you for real?

Hmmm... I know that rs-232 is not essential for an average home theater, but ' stick with the remote that came with my reciever'? I don't think so.

LOL....no.

Hopefully, not laughing at you, but with you! Thats the way I would like to think of it.

RS232 is more reliable, faster and offers more options. For example- there are a lot of displays out there that do not have separate (discrete) on and off codes, which are very important in modern theater systems. However a lot of these “toads” or “toggle only devices” have RS232 serial ports on them, with RS232 we can now discreetly turn the device on and off, further there a bevy of other things that often can be discreetly controlled like aspect ratios and user defined picture presets. The list is nearly endless. Most of the remotes that come with home theater components have only two purposes. 1 for the initial setup and 2 to make sure that there isn’t any room left in the end table drawer.

RT Installer
Thank you for you feedback. I am looking at a Macintosh system to go with a very complex 3 TV, 3 HD10-250’s, 1 cable and 1 DVD system, all in the same room. I like to work with and set-up the system myself, but am afraid I may be out of my league when it comes to RS-232 integration into my system. Programming the MX-800 was complex enough! It looked and seemed harmless enough, but actually getting it to work took time and help from this site.
Again Thanks for the input!!!!!

If you had a hard time with th MX-800, you will probably have dificulties with a 232 set-up. Remember, its a learning experience the first time, but the gratification of a great program that works is worth the headaches. And the things you learn are worth every moment spent 'trying to figure it out'! Time well spent. Thats why there are people so willing to help. They've been there,too!
If it becomes to overwhelming, you could always hire a pro to 'help'!

That kind of setup deserves a nice AMX or Crestron control system. Not exactly easy to set up for a do-it-yourseler, but the end results can be awesome with the right program...

AMX and Crestron are becoming old school really fast in lue of the new wave of control systems now emerging. The new RTI stuff that is coming out for example, is low cost by comparison, very powerful and user friendly. I can now provide my customers with a system that can do just about everything that AMX can do for a fraction of the cost.

I agree with Impaqt, this setup NEEDS a control system, Crestron or AMX.

RTI Installer,

Although the new RTI stuff is nice it is no where nearly as powerful or flexible as a true control system. That is why its a fraction of the cost. Yes the RTI stuff can handle RS232 but it cant handle RS422 or RS485 or TCP/IP? No. Is it possible to check and see the status of your home's subsystems from the Internet with RTI? No. Is it possible for the RTI gear to give status feedback of each unit in the system to the handheld unit? No. Is is possible for the RTI stuff to go 'fetch' a 15 day forcast from a website and display it on the screen of the handheld unit for your customer? No. These are just a few of the benfits of a control system, a very few. The RTI stuff has its place as a top of the line universal remote but compared to the other control systems on the market it is very lacking in features. Since more and more we are seeing ethernet ports on gear, for control, I would have to say that its the RTI stuff that is 'becoming old school really fast'.

Frank,

It is a more expensive solution for control but it is a COMPLETE solution. The control system can grow with you and your system. Yes, it takes a skilled programmer to really make the system shine and since you have had some difficulty in programming lower level universal remotes, it is most certain that you will need to hire an installer/programmer. A few of the great things about a control system are that it can grow with your system, (for a fee) you can change how the system operates as often as you like (there is no 'fixed' way of operation like there is with even the best universal's) and (again, for a fee) how the touchpanel looks. On top of the flexibility benefits you also get a solution that will allow you to expand your control to more than just the audio/video system but to the rest of your home as well. I program Crestron systems for a living now and believe that every customer who purchases audio/video equipment as an entertainment solution should also purchase a control system to operate it. I have owned various uni's from various manufacturers over the years. I once made the statement that I could make a Pronto do anything a Crestron system could do; that was before I really knew the true power of a dedicated control system. I was wrong. The new Ford GT may be a great car but it will never be a Ferrari.

Oops, well then I guess the RTI K4 is just a figment of my imagination
[Link: rticorp.com]

Its not that I don’t think that AMX is all that cool, its just that only 1 in 15 customers I run into are really even interested in spending that kind of money on the larger systems. Further I am voicing an insiders opinion of what I know is coming down the road real soon, Bi directional, IP addressable and all.

The new stuff is getting powerful really fast from an integrators standpoint. Franks needs for example could easily be handled with just a T2+ and an RP-6, no sweat for less than $1500.00 in parts. Does he need bi-directional communication??? I think he just wants to watch his HD Tivo without any hassles. If he wants something more elaborate he could wait a couple of months and get a K4. So lets talk reality---how much would it cost Frank to get into an AMX system? If frank can afford it and wants to go that direction, then hey you will be happy and I am sure Frank will be happy. But if frank cannot afford such a setup what is he left with, which way should he go. I think Frank already answered this question when he said, “I like to work with and set-up the system myself”.

This unit isnt available yet to my knowledge AND it isnt a handheld unit either. We install RTI equipment as well, when Crestron isnt warranted. However, I would never consider RTI for anything more than the most basic of systems. This is just how we do business which may not be how you do business. That isnt to say anything negative about you or your business, it is just a difference of opinion.


I would agree that most customers dont really want to spend the kind of money that is needed to get total control of thier gear. However, I still see it as a need for those customers.


I think he does need the bi-directional feedback, even if its 'faked'. We have many customers that we have given this feedback to and they LOVE it. Why? Well, in a multiple monitor/multiple source setup like what Frank has, we can provide logic based programming that tracks itself and 'reports' to the touchpanel, at a glance for the end user, which source is displayed on which display. This is great if he has had a few to many drinks during his favorite sporting event and cant remember what source is where. A virtual matrix switcher if you will. All of that can be done with logic. That isnt something that RTI is doing now and since I dont have insider information I cant speak about the future.

As far as pricing goes, you have given a parts only price for the RTI gear of @ $1500.00. I believe that with the RF antenna module the RTI gear ends up at a @ retail of about $1700.00. Well, parts only, Frank could get into Crestron with a decent one-way handheld RF unit and processor with built in RF gateway for @ $2100.00. That really isnt a great difference in price but there is a significant difference in programmability. We could argue this for weeks on end and never come to an agreement as to which is the better choice for Frank. My point was that RTI makes good stuff but the price difference is so little that he should consider Crestron. You are correct in that he stated that he does like to work with and setup the system himself but the reason for the post was to gain some understanding as to what RS232 is and how to implement it. By his own admission it may be over his head technically. In a situation like this, he most likely would hire a professional installer to guide him in the installation and programming of the system. No offense to Frank but if he has had some difficulty with a MX800 then the RTI would probably be a bit daunting as well and Crestron/AMX is way out there.

To give you an idea of 'fake' feedback, you can go here (IP Addy removed due to installed gear) this is a work in progress for a customer and is by no means finished but is an example of 'fake' feedback since there is NO gear other than the processor on the system.

This message was edited by avgenius1 on 12/01/04 15:21 ET.

Fair enough then :)

The thing that bugs me is that when I am watching a movie, I want a control that I can hold in my hand, Versus a box that sits in my lap, or next to me on a table, its just not comfortable. I have installed T2 remotes for some customers (who already have the bigger systems) for this very reason, they did not care about all of the bells and whistles, they (mostly the wives) just want something that is light, simple and familiar.