DVD/Blu-ray Player Recommendations?

I had considered direct codes, but where do you get them from? The Harmony 300 has a learning function, so it would be possible to inject a code up it (from a suitable source).

From the Harmony software on your PC, if they exist.

Do you get any messages about an updated device?
 
Am I supposed to? By email? I don't routinely log into My Harmony. I can have a look at the list of configurable commands for the Samsung later, I had not thought to see if there is a "Select HDMI1" command.
 
Am I supposed to? By email? I don't routinely log into My Harmony. I can have a look at the list of configurable commands for the Samsung later, I had not thought to see if there is a "Select HDMI1" command.

There are two ways to configure the remotes, a downloadable program or web interface. Not sure which yours uses.

If you are lucky, there will be a direct command for each input: InputHDMI1, etc. You may find though that you are asked to download an updated device. That is what happens in the downloaded program, anyway, when you start the troubleshooter for a device. The software first asks if you wish to update the device (codes) to a later version, which means you have to set up the activities again.

Not sure about the Web interface, as my Harmony 700 and 900 didn't use that, and I only had the Touch a few days before it went dead!
 
My experience with Harmony 200 and Harmony 300 is that one downloads a USB driver, and then the configuration app runs as a web page on My Harmony. All the setup for several remotes is (apparently) stored at the server end, you configure it the way you want and then sync it to the actual remote. The remote can also send stuff back to the server - teaching it a missing command involves beaming the command at the Harmony, and I'm not sure but maybe it gets added to the server library.
 
Mine came from the Harmony database after setting up my model of TV in the Harmony Remote software on my computer.
 
Standalone, yes.

The 700 and 900 use the standalone aplication but the Touch will only work with the web interface. They use an entirely different database. Hence the delay in getting the 6 Humax modes onto the Touch that I am experiencing. 11th January from Logitech:

"What we will do is use the information from your 900 account and match the languages in the settings of your Touch. However since there are two databases, the languages have different ID numbers, so we will have to analyze them manually, which can take a few days since a specialized technician will handle the case. "
 
Good news (phew)!

There are indeed direct input commands in the library for the Samsung, so I was able to program the Harmony 300 "Watch TV" button to power up the TV and the Humax, and then force the TV to HDMI2 (I switched the inputs while playing). It also powers down both if pressed again.

I was not using that button because I was worried what would happen if one device picked up the command but not the other, but this is the lesser of the two evils. It is most likely to be a problem when the batteries are fading. Now all I need to do is write detailed instructions what to do when the Watch TV button doesn't achieve the desired effect.

There were no HDMI sync problems while I was playing, that might have been a red herring.
 
Good news (phew)!

There are indeed direct input commands in the library for the Samsung, so I was able to program the Harmony 300 "Watch TV" button to power up the TV and the Humax, and then force the TV to HDMI2 (I switched the inputs while playing). It also powers down both if pressed again.

I was not using that button because I was worried what would happen if one device picked up the command but not the other, but this is the lesser of the two evils. It is most likely to be a problem when the batteries are fading. Now all I need to do is write detailed instructions what to do when the Watch TV button doesn't achieve the desired effect.

There were no HDMI sync problems while I was playing, that might have been a red herring.

Fantastic! Does that remote have a Help button? If so, that guides a user through what to do after trying to fix any problems.
 
...I was able to program the Harmony 300 "Watch TV" button to power up the TV and the Humax, and then force the TV to HDMI2 (I switched the inputs while playing). It also powers down both if pressed again.

Unlike its bigger brothers, the 300 does not remember the power state of the devices it controls, nor does it seem to use discrete power on/off codes. If the devices get out of sync so that the Humax is always off when the TV is on and vice versa then you just need to select either the TV or PVR mode button and press the small power button to the right to fix that.

Still it's a nice enough remote and does the job for me.
 
Unlike its bigger brothers, the 300 does not remember the power state of the devices it controls

That sounds alarm bells with me. If the remote remembers the power state, but the device is not actually in that state, what then?

As far as "bigger brothers" are concerned, I've already made my feelings known about expensive remotes!

If the devices get out of sync so that the Humax is always off when the TV is on and vice versa then you just need to select either the TV or PVR mode button and press the small power button to the right to fix that.

Actually, what I will do is suggest the user gets to the state where the TV is on, then "press the button on the front of the Humax". Much more apparent what is going on.
 
That sounds alarm bells with me. If the remote remembers the power state, but the device is not actually in that state, what then?

You press the Help button and it sends discrete codes where possible to put everything into the right state then asks you if it's ok now. If not, it steps through the devices and modes asking you to confirm the state (e.g. Is the TV on?)
 
I picked up a Harmony 650 for a relative this Christmas that wasn't too much. The problem there is that while he's using the 650, his wife still uses the separate Humax and TV remotes, so the 650 is always getting out of sync, and he has trouble reading the remote screen for the help.
The 650 was a good deal at the time but seems to be £15 more on Amazon now than I paid!
 
You press the Help button
I have only just found out how useful this button is on my 555. My AV set up often gets out of sync due to my using a secondary remote (the Humax Foxsat HDR one) to tweak the TV or AV amp setting so I can watch the picture from one source to the sound of another (eg watch the news while listening to the cricket).
 
I was looking around B&M today, and they had a £5 four device remote (yeah big deal), which had a button marked "HELP". I wonder what the heck that does!
 
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