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Topic:
A Harmony without "smart" features?
This thread has 3 replies. Displaying all posts.
Post 1 made on Saturday August 15, 2015 at 03:31
goodterling
Lurking Member
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August 2015
6
I have elderly parents struggling with remotes. All I want is a remote that with one button press will switch the TV inputs from Cable to Roku, and change the mode of the remote so the buttons are properly remapped for those receivers.

Sounds simple, but Logitech remotes like the harmony 650 have been frustrating. The "Smart" features inevitably get out of sync, and getting them back in sync is beyond my parents' abilities.

I've looked at other brands, but either their mode change keys cannot be programmed with macros, or their macro keys cannot change the mode of the remote! So I'm stuck with either multiple key presses, or senior-unfriendly "smart" features I'm constantly fighting.

So basically a "dumb" Harmony 300, but with macro abilities on the mode changing keys is all I'm looking for. Can anyone recommend one?
Post 2 made on Saturday August 15, 2015 at 09:58
mdavej
Active Member
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December 2002
627
It's not a Harmony, but the OARUSB04G works as you described, as do many other JP1 remotes. Bonus is that they're very inexpensive.
OP | Post 3 made on Sunday August 16, 2015 at 02:45
goodterling
Lurking Member
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August 2015
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Can you confirm macros can be assigned to main mode switching buttons labeled "TV", "DVD" etc? They always say they can do macros, then specifically omit them from those mode switching buttons.
Post 4 made on Sunday August 16, 2015 at 15:47
mdavej
Active Member
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December 2002
627
Yep. Works that way out of the box. The device buttons on this remote are called combi buttons and function differently than the device buttons on traditional cheap universals. They do device selection, key group mapping and activity macros.

But I highly recommend you program it via Remote Master instead of the SimpleSet website.

Here's some info about an "extender" many of us run that triples the number of devices to 12 and available buttons (primary, shifted and double shifted) as well as gives you infinite length macros (within available memory).

[Link: hifi-remote.com]

Being a JP1 remote, it's far more powerful than most any other similarly priced remote. In addition to the 12 devices and 130+ physical buttons, you can load any device from the vast UEI or JP1 library, import pronto hex, program from PC/Mac/Linux, create your own custom devices and protocols, Long and Double Keypress (LKP, DKP), ToadTog (state tracking and conditional branching), Device Multiplexer (unlimited devices), Pause (variable delays between macro steps) and DSMs (device specific macros). Even the most expensive Harmony can't do some of those things.

Last edited by mdavej on August 16, 2015 16:12.


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