What is the soccp on IR codes

[hucker]

We are one of the families with no TV... at least only a TV for videos. Well for xmas we (I) broke down and got a Wii so now I'm trying to get it all easy to run with our Harmony 880 remote. Everything would work great IF I could select the output from our VCR. Problem is the only IR code is 'Next Input' which does me no good since I need to be able to say Line1 or Line2.

The TV we have, 32 inch Samsung, has great control over the input sources but only has one input for the old Yellow/Red/White RCA's.

Remote central has tons of info but none of in a form that I can make sense of.

There seem to be a few ways I can get this to work cleanly:

1) Get a new VCR that has direct control over Line1/Line2/VCR via IR
2) Use a receiver to change sources.
3) Get some sort of a box that converts the old RCA video into component to feed the big screen.

I'm open to option 1 but how can I determine if a VCR/Reciever has a particular IR code before I buy it?

 

[Chas821]

Hucker,

What you are trying to find is a VCR that has "Discreet" codes. Discreets codes allow you to select each input individually versus "toggle" IR codes that only send the same command each time the button is pressed. To my knowledge there are no VCRs ever made that have discreet codes.

What you need to do is set a "home" setting for the VCR then send the correct number of key presses to get to the correct input. Set the VCR to either input 1 or 2. Then send a channel input (like 02). If the VCR changes from the auxilliary input to the channel, then send 2 "input" key presses to set the input to 2.

If all this works, then program the 880 so that it sends "Channel, Input, Input" for Input 2 and "Channel, Input" for input 1.

I'm not familiar with the 880 but I have a 510 that can do this so you may be in business.

Good Luck,
Chuck

 

[ASIHome]

Just something to look at/try...I have a Symphonic (I believe) VCR that does not have an input button, you have to press 00 to get to the inputs and then press 1 for Line 1 or 2 for Line 2.

 

[sic0048]

Does your TV have component inputs (the green, blue, red color inputs)? If so, you can get a component output cable for the Wii and use that instead of the composite (yellow) output cable that came with the Wii. Then use the TV to change inputs between the VCR and Wii.

You also get the benefit of a clearer picture using the component cable.

PS - I use this exact cable with our Wii and it works great. Another great monoprice item that works as well/better as the more expensive alternatives.

 

[Steve]

I may be missing something obvious here, but why don't you just connect the Wii directly to the TV via Component cables?

Edit: Started reply while Brian was typing, I guess we both have the same question.

 

[hucker]

Does your TV have component inputs (the green, blue, red color inputs)? If so, you can get a component output cable for the Wii and use that instead of the composite (yellow) output cable that came with the TV. Then use the TV to change inputs between the VCR and Wii.

You also get the benefit of a clearer picture using the component cable.

Thanks sic! Had no idea that cable existed, that is exactly what I was looking for but I just didn't know it! That cleans things up a lot.

 

[hucker]

I may be missing something obvious here, but why don't you just connect the Wii directly to the TV via Component cables?

Edit: Started reply while Brian was typing, I guess we both have the same question.

My TV has only one composite input and that is hooked up to the VCR. The TV has 7 inputs but only one is a composite input.

 

[Steve]

I may be missing something obvious here, but why don't you just connect the Wii directly to the TV via Component cables?

Edit: Started reply while Brian was typing, I guess we both have the same question.

My TV has only one composite input and that is hooked up to the VCR. The TV has 7 inputs but only one is a composite input.

Right. That is why I suggested the Component input, the same that Brian did. He just described it a lot better than I did! I always like to put things directly to the TV and let it switch inputs. Composite, like Brian described is the oldest and worst quality input. The next step up is S-Video and has the round 4 pin plug. Your TV probably supports that too and there is a Wii cable for it. The Component as described is the best of the 3. Component is usually the way to go if you don't use HDMI. With either the Composite, S-Video or Component you still use separate red/white(left/right) audio cable. With HDMI both the video and audio are on the same cable. With the Wii, it only supports 480p on Component which is only marginally better. I have mine hooked up that way now but I think I actually liked S-Video better on my TV, which admittedly is odd.

 

[sic0048]

.....With the Wii, it only supports 480p on Component which is only marginally better. I have mine hooked up that way now but I think I actually liked S-Video better on my TV, which admittedly is odd.

I also found that 480p with the Wii looked worse IMHO. So I turned it back to 480i and it looks great. Using the component cable at 480i is much better then using the original composite cable at 480i however. I would suggest that you see what resolution the Wii is set for and try 480i again if it is set to 480p.

I have a Sharp 46D64U LCD TV which is only about a year old. I was surprised that the 480p looked so much worse than the 480i. Perhaps my TV does a better job of upscaling the image than the Wii does (it takes all resolutions and scales them to 1080i which is my TVs native resolution). All I know is that the 480i picture looks twice as good as the 480p picture in my case. YMMV.