RC71 Remote Keeps Losing Communication

[Hutch1814]

Am I missing something here? The RC71 will NOT control the C31 in RF, it has to be a C41. Almost all the time people report the DD problem you mention, it turns out to be a TV/A-V receiver issue. If you have CEC activated, and sometimes just dependent on the TV settings, the TV will force the A/V receiver to stereo only, because the TV does not have a DD decoder and so tells the A/V receiver to drop to stereo. It took me a couple of weeks to sort out this issue on my own system. I should also point out that you need to set the A/V receiver to NOT pass through audio to the TV otherwise you will often have this problem

The 71 will only work a 41/44 in RF. Everything else needs the 65/66 remotes for the RF to be used

 

[Broe67]

It will control the C31, but the software for it (the remote and C31), have issues, that still need to be ironed out. This is still new, that Pace has to use the end user as a Beta tester, to figure out what all of the problems are.

As for the DD issue, it is direct from the HR44 to my Denon AVR-1612 via HDMI, then out of the Denon to the tv through HDMI. This is a software issue with the HR44, not with the Denon. Had no problems with the Cisco DVR from ATT for their U-Verse service, nor have had any problems with my Sony Blu-Ray. This is a Software issue that Pace needs to fix. The earlier Cisco boxes for IPTV saw the same issue, but was ironed out.

Pace needs to quit using the end users as Beta Testers.

 

[Hutch1814]

DD, I am finding that if you have the DVR or client on, and swap to say a Surround Sound system, you either get no audio output or get Stereo sound. Only way to get DD back, is by switching inputs on the Surround sound receiver/processor from something else and back to the DVR, or shut off the DVR or client and back on, to get the DD to feed through. This of course happens if the DVR or client is on, and you "hot" change from the tv or a soundbar as audio output, to the AVRS. All equipment is connected via hdmi, and never had this issue with my previous provider, just this equipment. Found out my brother who also has the HR44 Genie and C31 equipment, with a different Surround Sound receiver, gets the same problem. I have come across others on other forums, having issues with the HR44 & C31 equipment also having DD issues with Surround Sound not working. As for the RC71, yes it is a cute remote, smaller than the RC6x series, great for the bedroom, but still an infant, that it has its issues with the software still being new, that they are using with it, for RF control. I use a Harmony 650 for the Living room, and use the RC-71 in our bedroom in IR mode, since it was having issues in RF mode in there. As for the shielding suggestion, I think that if the C31 is placed on the back of the flatscreen and it has a heavy RF shielding cover, such as what they are using with Plasma TV sets now, I could see it as causing a problem with not letting the RF signal from the RC71 to the C31 communicate. It would be like trying to shoot it from one side of a Faraday cage to the other, is what I was trying to suggest on this possibility. Really would need more people to set their C31 units up all the same way, have the RC-71 setup in RF mode, and also use them at the same distance, in the same manner, to see what happens. You of course cannot also rule out any type of outside interference around the premise, that could be causing problems also with comm. between the remote & box.

Your 71 doesn't work a 31 in RF. Maybe a 41 but not a 31.

 

[texasbrit]

It will control the C31, but the software for it (the remote and C31), have issues, that still need to be ironed out. This is still new, that Pace has to use the end user as a Beta tester, to figure out what all of the problems are.

As for the DD issue, it is direct from the HR44 to my Denon AVR-1612 via HDMI, then out of the Denon to the tv through HDMI. This is a software issue with the HR44, not with the Denon. Had no problems with the Cisco DVR from ATT for their U-Verse service, nor have had any problems with my Sony Blu-Ray. This is a Software issue that Pace needs to fix. The earlier Cisco boxes for IPTV saw the same issue, but was ironed out.

Pace needs to quit using the end users as Beta Testers.

You need to think before you post, you just spent a big piece of your post explaining why the RC71 is unreliable controlling the C31 in RF.

The RC71 will NOT control the C31 AT ALL in RF, only in IR.

The Denon/HDMI issue you are describing is not a software problem with the HR44. There is nothing that can prevent the HR44 from outputting DD 5.1 if it is set that way. It is the A/V receiver that is getting set so regardless of what the HR44 sends it it will only output stereo.
There are many people running the HR44 with the AVR-1612 without any problems. There was a poster in another forum with exactly the issue you are describing. He did the following:
Switched off CEC on his TV
Set the Denon so it did not pass thru audio to the TV (so the TV didn't set the AV receiver to stereo)
Set the HR44 to native off, and just checkmarked 1080p/1080i, so the handshaking with the Denon was reduced to a minimum.

I should point out by the way that Denon A/V receivers have more HDMI issues, with all sorts of boxes, than any others. My HR44 works fine through my Sony A/V receiver, once I eliminated CEC and audio passthru.

 

[dalyew]

Broe67 I do have my C41 behind a plasma so I'll make some placement adjustment and see if that helps.

I do use an android app to control that box when I'm using it but have 2 problems with that, (1) the apps I have cannot power on the box so I still use the remote for that and (2) my wife uses that box way more than me & she's not inclined to use these apps & prefer to use the remote.

I think I could turn off the power saving feature on the box & leave it on but would rather not do that, so I'll see if the repositioning helps.

With regards to the Dolby Digital problem, I use my Yamaha AVR everyday with my HR44 & never any dd signal drop.

 

[Broe67]

To do the Power up on the box and tv, along with sound control on the tv and AVR, what about using something like a Remote unit with the IR senders that attach to the devices, such as the Logitech Harmony Ultimate Hub http://www.myharmony.com/products/detail/ultimate-hub It is a Bluetooth capable unit that uses your smartphone or tablet for control, and will control up to 11 devices. You can also use the Harmony Touch with it.

I may go that route, once our Harmony 650 is worn out, since we are always using our phones for stuff, so why have a physical remote for the living room, when we have our iPhones & iPad in there.

 

[Broe67]

You need to think before you post, you just spent a big piece of your post explaining why the RC71 is unreliable controlling the C31 in RF.

The RC71 will NOT control the C31 AT ALL in RF, only in IR.

The Denon/HDMI issue you are describing is not a software problem with the HR44. There is nothing that can prevent the HR44 from outputting DD 5.1 if it is set that way. It is the A/V receiver that is getting set so regardless of what the HR44 sends it it will only output stereo.
There are many people running the HR44 with the AVR-1612 without any problems. There was a poster in another forum with exactly the issue you are describing. He did the following:
Switched off CEC on his TV
Set the Denon so it did not pass thru audio to the TV (so the TV didn't set the AV receiver to stereo)
Set the HR44 to native off, and just checkmarked 1080p/1080i, so the handshaking with the Denon was reduced to a minimum.

I should point out by the way that Denon A/V receivers have more HDMI issues, with all sorts of boxes, than any others. My HR44 works fine through my Sony A/V receiver, once I eliminated CEC and audio passthru.

Do not remind me. I know that I threw a lot of thoughts out in that post. Tends to happen, when my mind has a lot that it wants to put out in words, so bear with me when I may get ahead of myself. Plus living having to take narcotics for Bone Degenerative Disease does not help, when it causes me to go on a tangent.

I only chose the AVR-1612, because it was stable, a tried and true unit, a price that I could not pass up, and I really did not want another Internet connected device, with what I already had on my Blu-Ray player. I never had the issue with the DD problems with the Pace/Cisco boxes that we had with ATT UVerse. We had the latest DVR (black cased unit), and the Wireless STB's, but wired through Ethernet, and always had all three on Surround Sound, never had a glitch, where you would swap from Sound bar to AVRS on the DVR, and lose the Surround sound, or same with the STB's and the two bedroom flatscreens. You could turn on the boxes and the tv's, not have an issue with DD.

That is where it is leading me to that it is a software issue with the 44 & 31, since it is not just one person that I have come across that is also having this issue, with completely different equipment. Of course tech support's suggestion is either use a Toslink cable, or not use HDMI at all, which of course the AVR-1612 is only HDMI capable, with the option of Toslink for audio for one device. So I basically deal with it, and just swap devices on the AVRS, and back to the DVR and it works.

 

[dalyew]

Broe, sorry to hear about your condition. Don't know much about that disease but I hope what you're taking helps.

I too have the Harmony 650 remote for my living room and if it wasn't for th rf need in my bedroom, would use one in there as well. I'll look into your suggestions if the physical shifting of the C41 doesn't help.

Thanks again for the suggestions and keep strong.

 

[Broe67]

I changed in the HDMI settings, to have the AVR Power Off Control set for "All", to see if that helps. As for Bone Degenerative Disease, it is more painful, due to the type of Arthritis it is, along with inflammation of the joints. All I do is sit at home, watch movies or the Military Channel for the most of it.

My normal day job is Data Entry, after work is Network design and troubleshooting, for both hardware & software of it. When I got my DirecTV install done, my installer had this wow look when he saw my network setup, along with that I have all incoming communication lines grounded to the Earthing Ground rod, which ties into the Meter Pan, vs. a strap on the side of the meter.

I like the Harmony 650, but have found when swapping from the Soundbar as audio, to the AVRS for Audio, you get the Red flashing light, but since I made the change to the P. Off Control, that went away. Now if I can only get the DD to work without having to swap inputs on the AVRS and back to the HR44, for that to work correctly.

 

[dalyew]

I changed in the HDMI settings, to have the AVR Power Off Control set for "All", to see if that helps. As for Bone Degenerative Disease, it is more painful, due to the type of Arthritis it is, along with inflammation of the joints. All I do is sit at home, watch movies or the Military Channel for the most of it.

My normal day job is Data Entry, after work is Network design and troubleshooting, for both hardware & software of it. When I got my DirecTV install done, my installer had this wow look when he saw my network setup, along with that I have all incoming communication lines grounded to the Earthing Ground rod, which ties into the Meter Pan, vs. a strap on the side of the meter.

I like the Harmony 650, but have found when swapping from the Soundbar as audio, to the AVRS for Audio, you get the Red flashing light, but since I made the change to the P. Off Control, that went away. Now if I can only get the DD to work without having to swap inputs on the AVRS and back to the HR44, for that to work correctly.

Broe67, sorry for not replying here but repositioning the C41 helped. I still have the occasional drop signal from the remote while watching tv but hardly ever when it's off, meaning, I can now confidently power the C41 on when before it was hit or miss. Still not a perfect solution but now a much better situation. Hope you're doing better health wise. Any progress on that side?

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