Customizing Your RC5400

The problems don’t stop with powering up a system. Often, you will want to construct a macro to watch or listen to a specific source. This may require that both the Television and the Surround Receiver be set to new inputs. Some components have “discrete” commands to select sources (meaning the command will only have one effect on the components, like the CD input on most receivers). Other components have “toggle” commands (these are commands that require you to look at the component, evaluate its state and sometimes issue the command over and over again). An example of a “toggle” command is the Input or TV/VCR button found on many television remote controls. You have to look at the TV, decide that it is on the wrong input, then toggle or scroll through the inputs to select the one you want.

Evaluate each of the multiple step operations you would like to record as macros. If all of the commands in the process are “discrete,” the macro will work reliably. If even one command is a “toggle” command, you should program a help list for the operation instead of a macro.

Tip

Sometimes there is a reliable way to use toggle type commands in macros.

 

Unfortunately, it will not be written down in your component’s instruction

 

manual. You will have to find it through experimentation and imagination.

 

What you are looking for is an “anchor” command that will put your component

 

in a known state. Once it is in a known state, you can use toggle commands

 

in your macro.

 

An example for Powering Up DVD Players:

 

Most DVD players will turn on when off when they receive a Play command.

 

Thus a discrete On command is two steps,

 

1)

DVD Play

 

2)

DVD Stop

 

A discrete off command is constructed by:

 

1)

DVD Play

 

2)

DVD Power

 

An example for Selecting Source on a TV:

 

Many televisions will return to a particular input with either a channel up or

 

down command or by selecting a particular channel.

 

Thus, to construct a macro that selects the EXT1 input:

 

1)

Channel Up (selects the Antenna A input)

 

2)

Input (toggles to the Antenna B input)

 

3)

Input (toggles to the EXT 1 input)

User Guide

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