universal remote controls and Goodmans GDB2

[Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 29
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Anyone managed to control their GDB2 using a universal remote? I'd be delighted if you have.

I've found that the GDB2 remote's buttons each seem to alternate between one signal and another. What I mean is, say you press the Ch+, it sends out signal 'A'; press it again, it sends out 'B'. The box seems to expect this. Try this on yours: have the box on BBC1, press Ch+ (sending out signal 'A') - it will go to BBC2. Now stuff the IR LED end of the remote in a cushion or something and press Ch+ again (sending out 'B'). Bring it out and press Ch+ a third time (sending out 'A' again) - the box will ignore you! A fourth press ('B') will take you to ITV1.

Hmm..

OK, it seems that if the box receives any IR signal at all after it receives the first 'A' for Ch+, it will then respond to another 'A' and go to the next channel fine. Weird.

All of this guff makes it hard to get a universal, learning remote to work, because the remote will learn either 'A' or 'B' for that function. This makes it useless.

I have tried both the e-pilot thing off Maplin, and also OmniRemote (on my Palm PDA), and neither seem to be able to cope with remotes like this. I have tested a circumvention by making every button a macro of: (1) some guff IR off a remote for an old bit of kit; (2) the actual signal (say 'A'), and this works OK, but makes for slow going, both in programming the thing, and use.

Any thoughts or ideas, anyone? (other than 'get out more') ....

Comments

  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 131
    Forum Member
    Probably can't be supported with Universal Remotes off the shelf, but I know that OFA remotes, and I suspect the Pronto, can be modified/hacked to implement a Toggle (for example a bit of kit might have discrete ON and OFF buttons, but with the hack you can implement a toggle so that a single button can toggle between each command).

    It is complicated stuff, but take a look at the capabiities of JP1 at www.hifi-remote.com or http://groups.yahoo.com/group/jp1 for more info. JP1 also enables you to turn a OFA remote into a PC programmable one.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 1
    Forum Member
    Does anyone have the 'One For All' code for the GDB2?
  • Richard_TRichard_T Posts: 5,159
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    ive got my OFA remote working for the GDB2, although you need to do a telephone upgrade, call the helpline up, and they should be able to tke it from there.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 668
    Forum Member
    ✭✭
    Originally posted by andyholtmacc
    I've found that the GDB2 remote's buttons each seem to alternate between one signal and another. What I mean is, say you press the Ch+, it sends out signal 'A'; press it again, it sends out 'B'. The box seems to expect this. Try this on yours: have the box on BBC1, press Ch+ (sending out signal 'A') - it will go to BBC2. Now stuff the IR LED end of the remote in a cushion or something and press Ch+ again (sending out 'B'). Bring it out and press Ch+ a third time (sending out 'A' again) - the box will ignore you! A fourth press ('B') will take you to ITV1.
    I've found that I can duplicate this behaviour with my GDB2.

    My OFA4 universal remote wasn't able to control the GDB2 when I received it, so I had to send it to OFA for an upgrade. They added "device code 1284" to the OFA4.

    I then found that the widescreen function wasn't coded, so after a bit of experimenting, I added it manually. It's "button code 238". Now it all works fine. And the OFA4 ALSO has this signalA/signalB behaviour.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 668
    Forum Member
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    It occurs to me that this signalA/signalB thing is an easy way to let the STB know how many times the remote button has been pressed. So if you held down a button while waving your remote at the TV to try to get the IR beam past obstructing coffee tables etc., then the STB might pick up several interrupted bursts of IR. But it'd know that it was only one button press because it was just either signalA or signalB.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 2,086
    Forum Member
    ✭✭✭
    Hi

    If you need a replacement remote for the GDB2 you can ring their helpline (the number is listed in the GDB2 update campaign thread in the digital terrestrial catagory) but if you would like a universal remote to control the box, among other things, rather than buying one just to replace a broken GDB2 remote, then as far as I know, none of the universal remotes out there can control it! (It is the same scenario far GDB1 + 3 owners too, as far as I know.)

    I hope that was clear; I couldn't explain it very well!:)

    GDB2freeview:)
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 668
    Forum Member
    ✭✭
    The GDB2 uses the same remote control codes as the GBD1 (sic) and the GDB3. So they can all be controlled by an OFA remote, after you upgrade it with the library 1284.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 148
    Forum Member
    Originally posted by Farry
    I've found that I can duplicate this behaviour with my GDB2.

    My OFA4 universal remote wasn't able to control the GDB2 when I received it, so I had to send it to OFA for an upgrade. They added "device code 1284" to the OFA4.

    I then found that the widescreen function wasn't coded, so after a bit of experimenting, I added it manually. It's "button code 238". Now it all works fine. And the OFA4 ALSO has this signalA/signalB behaviour.

    I just got an OFA Kameleon 6 this morning and this really helped. Thanks.

    But....

    The Guide button, Menu button, Info button and arrow keys aren't programmed. I've tried to make it learn these functions but the following example occurs...

    Say I press red and go to interactive. If I try and scroll down, the cursor will move down once.
    Before it is able to move down again, I must press a different button first.

    When I made the remote learn the widescreen, I had the same problem as what happens with the arrow key. However that code 238 above has fixed this.

    Do you have any more codes like the 238 above?

    Cheers
    Frazer
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 668
    Forum Member
    ✭✭
    The changes I made to the OFA4's default behaviour for the GDB2 were as follows:

    1. Activate TV volume punch-through after adjusting the GDB2's volume until it exactly matched the volume of the analogue tuner. (And then just for the hell of it, program Vol+ and Vol- into magic-fastforward and magic-fast-reverse.)

    2. Program Setup-menu (339) into Magic-menu. (The Guide was already programmed into the menu button.)

    3. Program Wide (238) into 16:9 button.

    I don't know what the Guide button and arrow keys are because they were already programmed into the OFA4 with library 1284. You can either find them by going through all 256 magic codes, or you can ask One For All via the contact-us button on their website. They can take 10 days to reply.

    Do tell us in this thread, when you get them.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 148
    Forum Member
    I've been going through a lot of possible codes.

    I've foundquite a few that actually do something however I haven't taken a note of them.

    Perhaps after work...
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 148
    Forum Member
    Hmmmmmm....

    Seems my remote doesn't recognise the library code "1284" and I'm stuck with 0200 for now. I hope that the helpline is open tomorrow.

    The function codes seem to do the same though. Here's what I've got so far...
    FUNCTION CODE			FUNCTION
    
    238				4:3, 14:9, 16:9 CYCLE
    241				SUBTITLES ON/OFF
    300				POWER
    301				4
    303				OK/SELECT
    306				TEXT
    332				MUTE
    333				5
    339				MENU
    
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 148
    Forum Member
    Just off the phone to customer service there. Something tells me they aren't in the UK ;)

    Anyway, she said that because the code is so new that it had to be downloaded over the phone. Absolutely great :D
    All is done and I can now use code 1284

    Some more function codes...
    FUNCTION CODE			FUNCTION
    
    204				9
    205				1
    207				VOLUME DOWN
    208				BACK
    209				CHANNEL DOWN
    236				TV/DTV
    237				6
    
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 2
    Forum Member
    Does anybody know the codes for the NSE 22B-10
    universal remote control that will operated the GDB-2?

    Ta

    Carl
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 106
    Forum Member
    I'm looking to find the discrete pronto codes for my DTR2 too - does anyone know how to convert the universal library code to pronto format? Is there a database somewhere on-line?

    I've used remotecentral.com and found all my equipment apart from the poxy DTR2 or infact anything by Vestel.

    Big thanks

    Lea
  • nvingonvingo Posts: 8,619
    Forum Member
    Farry wrote:
    It occurs to me that this signalA/signalB thing is an easy way to let the STB know how many times the remote button has been pressed. So if you held down a button while waving your remote at the TV to try to get the IR beam past obstructing coffee tables etc., then the STB might pick up several interrupted bursts of IR. But it'd know that it was only one button press because it was just either signalA or signalB.
    It is to signal that the button has been pressed and released.
    With the adjustment (volume, brightness) buttons, when you hold the button each code it sends is the same and the function continues to adjust.
    However if you hold a number button slightly longer you don't get a repeat digit on the page number or channel selection, this wouldn't be useful. You have to press and release and press again. And 'toggle code' is how the receiver knows you have done so.

    As an aside, the cheap learning remotes that I have (£4.99 specials from Aldi and Lidl, electronically the same device) do correctly handle head-to-head copying of the original remotes' toggle codes.
    Whereas my expensive (15+years ago) Philips RC775 does NOT, despite Philips RC5 system itself incorporating (requiring) them.
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