Remote dilemma...help!

[97tbird]

I'm auditioning a Music Hall amplifier at home these days, as part of an upgrade to my 2.1 ch audio set up.

however, in the course of auditioning the MH, i came to notice that its remote can do random operations on my Toshiba CRT TV !!! and the Toshiba TV's remote can control the MH amp!
There's no logic to most of the buttons: for e.g.: the MH's vol up button does turn the vol up of the Tosh, but the vol down of the MH remote changes the channel on the Tosh, etc...same story the other way around. I think channel up button of tosh mutes the MH!

so if i want to turn the vol of the MH amp up while watching a dvd, the TV changes channel/input...this can get really maddening. (i don't want to turn the tv off everytime i have to push a button on the MH's remote and vice versa)

would a universal remote solve this? i don't see how, as they're the same codes, esp if i do the "learn" thing for the Harmony 659 remote I have...but if i use the normal codes (meaning programming the harmony with the online database) perhaps it will work? I guess I have to try it and see, huh?

In the mean time, does anyone have any other ideas?
Thanks a lot.

 

[oily boyd]

Only 3 solutions:

- cover TV IR reciever window while watching DVD's.

- move amp close so you can operate volume by hand

- tell Roy Hall to take his khrap back... I met him at a HiFi show once. He'd appreciate hearing that!

Seriously, I hope you find a solution. The MH stuff looks pretty decent.

 

[oilyriser]

I would replace the LEDs in the Toshiba remote with far red LEDs, and put a narrow optical filter on the TV's "eye" that only lets through the output of those LED's. The other machine uses infrared. But it depends on how nerdish you want to be.

 

[97tbird]

Thanks guys.

I'm gonna go with the oily boyd suggestion.

I never do anything with the TV during DVD watching after turning it on (This is the only activity where i have both amp and TV on; general TV watching is just per TV, I don't use amp audio for that)...

so: I guess I can just cover the Tosh remote eye (in some elegant manner) while watching a dvd, huh? I only operate the amp and dvdc while watching dvds...
yep, that's it. gonna find a nice plastic flap that I can affix with tape near the remote eye of the Tosh.

(and in a few months, when i get the new LCD Tosh, hopefully those codes are different!)

(I LOVE the MH amp, btw; gonna take Roy's advise and replace the stock power cord, too):

 

[Tosh]

That's why my ears are burning...

Manfs were supposed to agree on a system so remote controllers wouldn't have this problem. Guess they think they're small enough that it doesn't apply to them? What does MH say?

 

[Cogito]

You can get a programmable universal remote that will work properly if you set it up right.

 

[97tbird]

Tosh: sorry man,

well. got a harmony 659: does the same thing.
Harmony, MH, Toshiba CS: "not much one can do".
(same compnay makes Tosh and MH codes/receivers).

I just cover the tosh "eye" with a business card now (during dvd watching, where I hardly operate the TV after starting the movie). and that works fine. MH amp is in just for a 30 day audition, so I may end up with a different amp anyway.
but if I do keep the MH, then hopefully when i get the new LCD (also Tosh!) codes are different.

 

[Steve S]

Intuitive and foolproof are the two things that seperate the good engineers/designers from the educated idiots.