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User Guide
21
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)
Customizing Your RC5000i