Philips Remote Controller--help

[Jason Johnson]

I just purchased a new Toshiba DVD Video Player/video cassette recorder.
Model #SD-V394.
I also purchased a Toshiba Television.
I also purchased a Philips Univeral Replacement Remote Control.

The Philips Remote Controller had about a dozen code numbers
for Toshiba products. One of the codes worked related to
the television. However, none of the codes for Toshiba
worked related the DVD and the VCR. Does anyone know the
correct code for the newest Toshiba combo DVD/VCR units?

Thanks in advance,
Jason

 

[Michael]

I just purchased a new Toshiba DVD Video Player/video cassette recorder.
Model #SD-V394.
I also purchased a Toshiba Television.
I also purchased a Philips Univeral Replacement Remote Control.

The Philips Remote Controller had about a dozen code numbers
for Toshiba products. One of the codes worked related to
the television. However, none of the codes for Toshiba
worked related the DVD and the VCR. Does anyone know the
correct code for the newest Toshiba combo DVD/VCR units?

Thanks in advance,
Jason

I have the same problem as you (as well as some other problems), except my setup
is an old TV and a brand new DVD/VCR combo. I HATE the combo's remote because
it has too many bottons and they are too small. I picked up a little GE
universal remote - supports CBL/AUX, VCR/DVD, and TV - at Big Lots, just to try
because it was *cheap* (about $4) and small and has reasonable buttons. It does
channel up/down, mute, and the most basic VCR functions OK but lacks some of the
more mfgr/model-specific commands. You could give this remote a try if there's
a Big Lots near you. I know you said you already purchased a universal remote,
but since it doesn't meet your needs ....

What I'd untimately like is a two-sided remote, buttons for TV on one side and
buttons for VCR/DVD on the other. I'm in the middle of a project to build one.
Lacking a logic analyzer to capture and characterize the various codes I want, I
am designing an IR grabber specifically for the task.

 

[Jason Johnson]

I just purchased a new Toshiba DVD Video Player/video cassette recorder.
Model #SD-V394.
I also purchased a Toshiba Television.
I also purchased a Philips Univeral Replacement Remote Control.

The Philips Remote Controller had about a dozen code numbers
for Toshiba products. One of the codes worked related to
the television. However, none of the codes for Toshiba
worked related the DVD and the VCR. Does anyone know the
correct code for the newest Toshiba combo DVD/VCR units?

Thanks in advance,
Jason[/QUOTE]

I have the same problem as you (as well as some other problems), except
my setup
is an old TV and a brand new DVD/VCR combo. I HATE the combo's remote because
it has too many bottons and they are too small. I picked up a little GE
universal remote - supports CBL/AUX, VCR/DVD, and TV - at Big Lots, just to try
because it was *cheap* (about $4) and small and has reasonable buttons.
It does
channel up/down, mute, and the most basic VCR functions OK but lacks some
of the
more mfgr/model-specific commands. You could give this remote a try if there's
a Big Lots near you. I know you said you already purchased a universal remote,
but since it doesn't meet your needs ....

What I'd untimately like is a two-sided remote, buttons for TV on one side and
buttons for VCR/DVD on the other. I'm in the middle of a project to
build one.
Lacking a logic analyzer to capture and characterize the various codes I
want, I
am designing an IR grabber specifically for the task.

It would be difficult to build such an item since the television and VCR
don't transmit signals--they merely receive the signal. It would probably
be easier to design a device that would allow you to push a button and the
device would start with 0000 and end with 9999. It may take at least an
half an hour to find the codes related to the television, VCR and DVD.
Hackers have software that does this same thing to find secret URLs. The
software automatically checks thousands of URL,
Jason

 

[Michael]

It would be difficult to build such an item since the television and VCR
don't transmit signals--they merely receive the signal. It would probably
be easier to design a device that would allow you to push a button and the
device would start with 0000 and end with 9999. It may take at least an
half an hour to find the codes related to the television, VCR and DVD.
Hackers have software that does this same thing to find secret URLs. The
software automatically checks thousands of URL,
Jason

???????? N-n-no, you misunderstand. I don't expect the TV or VCR to
transmit. The genuine, came-with-the-VCR/DVD remote control will transmit; the
"analyzer" I'm building will receive the datastream, timestamp each hi->low and
low->high transition, and upload to PC for analysis.

To over-simplify, I want to suck the codes corresponding to specific, often-used
keys out of each of the two genuine remote controls (VCR/DVD player and TV) and
program those into a custom, two-sided remote control.

I've never seen a double-sided remote - keys on both "top" and "bottom" - but
it's a good way, I think, to get all the keys one needs, in one remote, and
without making the remote 10" long and/or each key as small as a SMT capacitor!

 

[Jason Johnson]

It would be difficult to build such an item since the television and VCR
don't transmit signals--they merely receive the signal. It would probably
be easier to design a device that would allow you to push a button and the
device would start with 0000 and end with 9999. It may take at least an
half an hour to find the codes related to the television, VCR and DVD.
Hackers have software that does this same thing to find secret URLs. The
software automatically checks thousands of URL,
Jason[/QUOTE]


???????? N-n-no, you misunderstand. I don't expect the TV or VCR to
transmit. The genuine, came-with-the-VCR/DVD remote control will transmit; the
"analyzer" I'm building will receive the datastream, timestamp each hi->low and
low->high transition, and upload to PC for analysis.

To over-simplify, I want to suck the codes corresponding to specific,
often-used
keys out of each of the two genuine remote controls (VCR/DVD player and TV) and
program those into a custom, two-sided remote control.

I've never seen a double-sided remote - keys on both "top" and "bottom" - but
it's a good way, I think, to get all the keys one needs, in one remote, and
without making the remote 10" long and/or each key as small as a SMT capacitor!

Now I understand. That's a unique idea. I hope that you are able to make
it work. My idea might also work and you are free to try it since I don't
have the skills needed to make it work. Develop a remote control that
works this way. The person that buys the remote control would be able to
hit the tv button and control button located on the remote control and lay
it down so that it is facing the television. It would start with 0000 and
work up to 9999. When it found the correct code, a green light would come
on. The TV code number would be displayed. The owner would write down the
code.
The owner of the remote control would hit the VCR button and the control
button again and when the correct code was found, the green light would
come on again and the owner would write down the VCR code. After the owner
was done, he could use the codes that were written down to program the
remote control. An option would be to design the remote control so that
the owner would not even have to program the codes into the remote
control--it would happen automatically. Do you understand what I wrote and
do you have questions--if so, ask the questions. Do you think that you
could design it? It would also be able to find the DVD code.
Jason

 

[Michael]

Now I understand. That's a unique idea. I hope that you are able to make
it work. My idea might also work and you are free to try it since I don't
have the skills needed to make it work. Develop a remote control that
works this way. The person that buys the remote control would be able to
hit the tv button and control button located on the remote control and lay
it down so that it is facing the television. It would start with 0000 and
work up to 9999. When it found the correct code, a green light would come
on. The TV code number would be displayed. The owner would write down the
code.
The owner of the remote control would hit the VCR button and the control
button again and when the correct code was found, the green light would
come on again and the owner would write down the VCR code. After the owner
was done, he could use the codes that were written down to program the
remote control. An option would be to design the remote control so that
the owner would not even have to program the codes into the remote
control--it would happen automatically. Do you understand what I wrote and
do you have questions--if so, ask the questions. Do you think that you
could design it? It would also be able to find the DVD code.
Jason

I think you would have some important details to work out first.

"It would start with 0000 and work up to 9999." There's an infinite number of
protocols AND data-word lengths AND data-formats. Do you propose to try all of
them?

And ... like you yourself pointed out, a TV/VCR/DVD don't transmit. So what
sort of feedback would your automatic remote implement to know "when it found
the correct code"?

Other than those considerations, your idea sounds like the early, programmable,
universal remotes that captured the data stream of the "master" remote when a
button on the master was pressed.

 

[Tim Auton]

I've never seen a double-sided remote - keys on both "top" and "bottom" - but
it's a good way, I think, to get all the keys one needs, in one remote, and
without making the remote 10" long and/or each key as small as a SMT capacitor!

Sony made (make?) remotes like that. One side was a few big, friendly
buttons and the other lots of tiny buttons. The remote fitted into a
sleeve of sorts, so the reverse side was covered up to avoid
accidentally pressing the buttons you weren't using at the time. I saw
this in the early '90s and I'm afraid I have no idea of the specific
model number.


Tim

 

[Jason Johnson]

Now I understand. That's a unique idea. I hope that you are able to make
it work. My idea might also work and you are free to try it since I don't
have the skills needed to make it work. Develop a remote control that
works this way. The person that buys the remote control would be able to
hit the tv button and control button located on the remote control and lay
it down so that it is facing the television. It would start with 0000 and
work up to 9999. When it found the correct code, a green light would come
on. The TV code number would be displayed. The owner would write down the
code.
The owner of the remote control would hit the VCR button and the control
button again and when the correct code was found, the green light would
come on again and the owner would write down the VCR code. After the owner
was done, he could use the codes that were written down to program the
remote control. An option would be to design the remote control so that
the owner would not even have to program the codes into the remote
control--it would happen automatically. Do you understand what I wrote and
do you have questions--if so, ask the questions. Do you think that you
could design it? It would also be able to find the DVD code.
Jason[/QUOTE]


I think you would have some important details to work out first.

"It would start with 0000 and work up to 9999." There's an infinite number of
protocols AND data-word lengths AND data-formats. Do you propose to try
all of
them?

And ... like you yourself pointed out, a TV/VCR/DVD don't transmit. So what
sort of feedback would your automatic remote implement to know "when it found
the correct code"?

Other than those considerations, your idea sounds like the early, programmable,
universal remotes that captured the data stream of the "master" remote when a
button on the master was pressed.

I made one mistake in my post. I rechecked the list of over a thousand
codes that came with the Phillips Universal Remote Control and they are
all three digit numbers (eg 251, 894). You need to buy the Phillips
Universal Remote Controller and read the section in the manual entitled
"Programming With
Code Search" and "Code Search by Brand". In conducting the code search by
brand, I had to do a manual search of every code number that has ever been
used by Toshiba. When that did not work, I had to do a manual search of
every code from OOO to 999. I gave up after about 30 minutes.
It involves programming one code and hitting the channel button to see if
the television would change the channel. If the channel did not change--I
would try another code.
The Phillips Remote Control makes the job easier but it still takes a lot
of time to press the button over a thousand times hoping for the
television to change channels when the correct code was programmed. I was
merely suggesting a way to make it automatic. Most people would not waste
their time spending an hour trying to find the correct code. If you
invented a new remote that made it automatic-you could get rich.
Jason

 

[Jason Johnson]

I've never seen a double-sided remote - keys on both "top" and "bottom" - but
it's a good way, I think, to get all the keys one needs, in one remote, and
without making the remote 10" long and/or each key as small as a SMT

capacitor!

Sony made (make?) remotes like that. One side was a few big, friendly
buttons and the other lots of tiny buttons. The remote fitted into a
sleeve of sorts, so the reverse side was covered up to avoid
accidentally pressing the buttons you weren't using at the time. I saw
this in the early '90s and I'm afraid I have no idea of the specific
model number.


Tim

My new Phillips Remote does NOT have that feature.I had to press the
button over a hundred times in an attempt to locate the code. I gave up
after 30 minutes.
I use it only for the old living room television since that code was
listed in the manual. I wanted to use it on the new television, DVD
player, VCR located in the bedroom. It's my guess the codes are not in the
Phillips manual since they are new codes that have never been used prior
to 2006.
jason

 

[Jason Johnson]

It would be difficult to build such an item since the television and VCR
don't transmit signals--they merely receive the signal. It would probably
be easier to design a device that would allow you to push a button and the
device would start with 0000 and end with 9999. It may take at least an
half an hour to find the codes related to the television,

Testing one code per second that'd only do 1800 codes...

Hackers have software that does this same thing to find secret URLs. The
software automatically checks thousands of URL,
Jason

Those code numbers ar arbitrarily assigned, different brands or models
of "universal" preprogrammed remotes use the same numbers to mean
different settings.

You need some way to determine when you've got a code that works.
one thing you could try would be to install some sort of sensor on the
device you're trying to identify. eg a power sensor - most devices use
more electricity when they are turned on...

On the Philips remote controller, the way to determine if the new code
that I programmed was the correct one, I had to hit the power button. If
the television did NOT turn off--it meant the code was the wrong one so I
tried again with another code. I must have tried over 100 codes. None were
successful. If someone invented a device, the computer chip would have to
be programmed to change the channel or turn the power off after each
potential code was tried in order to determine if the code was or was not
the correct one. I did notice that the remote controller would not allow
me to make use certain codes that were not listed in the manual--I don't
know the reason why this happened. I also noticed that the codes listed in
the Radio Shack manual were 4 digit codes whereas the the codes listed in
the Philips manual were 3 digit codes. That did not make sense to me. Does
anyone know the reason?
jason

 

[Tim Auton]

I also noticed that the codes listed in
the Radio Shack manual were 4 digit codes whereas the the codes listed in
the Philips manual were 3 digit codes. That did not make sense to me. Does
anyone know the reason?

As Jasen Betts mentioned above, the codes you enter are entirely
arbitrary. They bear absolutely no relation whatsoever to the codes
the remote uses to talk to the TV. There are two sets of codes, one is
used to interface between the human and the remote (the 3 or 4 digits
you enter), and the other is used to interface between the remote and
the TV. The codes the remote uses to talk to the TV are far more
complex than can be represented by a 3- or 4-digit number. There is no
standard for the human-remote codes, which is why your Philips and
Radio Shack remotes are different. The code you enter just picks a set
of codes which is pre-programmed into the remote - it's set of codes
as you need a different one for volume up, volume down, channel up,
channel down etc. so the TV knows which button was pressed. If the
remote doesn't already know the codes it needs to talk to your TV no 3
or 4 digit code you enter is going to teach it. You need some kind of
programmable learning remote for that, and you need to individually
teach it volume up, volume down etc.

Think of it like human language. 001 tells the remote 'speak English',
002 is 'speak French', 003 is 'speak German'. If they are the only
languages it knows, typing in 004 isn't going to teach it Spanish. And
the next remote you use might have 01 as Dutch, 02 as Japanese and 03
as Portugese.


Tim

 

[Jason Johnson]

I also noticed that the codes listed in
the Radio Shack manual were 4 digit codes whereas the the codes listed in
the Philips manual were 3 digit codes. That did not make sense to me. Does
anyone know the reason?

As Jasen Betts mentioned above, the codes you enter are entirely
arbitrary. They bear absolutely no relation whatsoever to the codes
the remote uses to talk to the TV. There are two sets of codes, one is
used to interface between the human and the remote (the 3 or 4 digits
you enter), and the other is used to interface between the remote and
the TV. The codes the remote uses to talk to the TV are far more
complex than can be represented by a 3- or 4-digit number. There is no
standard for the human-remote codes, which is why your Philips and
Radio Shack remotes are different. The code you enter just picks a set
of codes which is pre-programmed into the remote - it's set of codes
as you need a different one for volume up, volume down, channel up,
channel down etc. so the TV knows which button was pressed. If the
remote doesn't already know the codes it needs to talk to your TV no 3
or 4 digit code you enter is going to teach it. You need some kind of
programmable learning remote for that, and you need to individually
teach it volume up, volume down etc.

Think of it like human language. 001 tells the remote 'speak English',
002 is 'speak French', 003 is 'speak German'. If they are the only
languages it knows, typing in 004 isn't going to teach it Spanish. And
the next remote you use might have 01 as Dutch, 02 as Japanese and 03
as Portugese.


Tim

Tim,
Thanks for your post. I learned some things that I did not know.
I now understand (as a direct result of your post) why some of the buttons
don't work on the universal remote.
Jason

 

[Michael]

Jason Johnson wrote:
(snip)

I made one mistake in my post. I rechecked the list of over a thousand
codes that came with the Phillips Universal Remote Control and they are
all three digit numbers (eg 251, 894). You need to buy the Phillips
Universal Remote Controller and read the section in the manual entitled
"Programming With
Code Search" and "Code Search by Brand".

Yup. Been there; done that. The cheap little GE remote I mentioned several
posts back uses the same programming method as you describe, and it came with a
huge list of mfgrs. and corresponding code-reference numbers (my term). I say
"code-reference" because those numbers, per se, are not what gets transmitted;
they are like one SUBSCRIPT of an array while the actual data that gets sent is
an ELEMENT of that array. Consider a telephone number: even if I tell you I
dialed 123-4567, you know only the phone I called, not the person who I talked
with.

Possibly (I don't know) the list of x-digit numbers you refer to are different
for every programmable universal remote. There's no reason why they couldn't be
different. Another way of putting it is that "031" programmed into the GE
remote might set it up to control a Sony TV and set up your Phillips remote to
operate a Sanyo TV.

My IR code grabber is coming along. Today I got PIC, IR sensor, and a 3-digit
hex display wired together and run through some hoops. Have yet to wire SRAM
and RS-232 conn. to PIC.

 

[Jason Johnson]

Jason Johnson wrote:
(snip)

I made one mistake in my post. I rechecked the list of over a thousand
codes that came with the Phillips Universal Remote Control and they are
all three digit numbers (eg 251, 894). You need to buy the Phillips
Universal Remote Controller and read the section in the manual entitled
"Programming With
Code Search" and "Code Search by Brand".

Yup. Been there; done that. The cheap little GE remote I mentioned several
posts back uses the same programming method as you describe, and it came with a
huge list of mfgrs. and corresponding code-reference numbers (my term). I say
"code-reference" because those numbers, per se, are not what gets transmitted;
they are like one SUBSCRIPT of an array while the actual data that gets sent is
an ELEMENT of that array. Consider a telephone number: even if I tell you I
dialed 123-4567, you know only the phone I called, not the person who I talked
with.

Possibly (I don't know) the list of x-digit numbers you refer to are different
for every programmable universal remote. There's no reason why they
couldn't be
different. Another way of putting it is that "031" programmed into the GE
remote might set it up to control a Sony TV and set up your Phillips remote to
operate a Sanyo TV.

My IR code grabber is coming along. Today I got PIC, IR sensor, and a 3-digit
hex display wired together and run through some hoops. Have yet to wire SRAM
and RS-232 conn. to PIC.

I hope that you get rich off of your invention. I was shocked that I was
not able to easily program the Philips Universal Remote to work with the
new television and combo VCR/DVD. I gave up after trying over 100 codes.
Jason

 

[nac]

I just want to know what is the code for philips contollers.
thnx

 

[Jason Johnson]

I just want to know what is the code for philips contollers.
thnx

When your buy a Philips universal remote control or any other
television/VCR/DVD remote controller--there is a list of codes
for various brands of televisions/VCRs/DVDs listed in the manual
that comes with the remote control. The problem in my case was
that none of the codes listed in the Philips manual would work
in relation to my new combo VCR/DVD. I did find a code in the manual
that would allow me to control an older television so I still have
it.
Jason