# HR21 Universal Remote



## the_dudeman (Jun 19, 2008)

Hello all,

I was trying to get my R64 remote to work with my Onkyo TX-SR876 receiver, just to control volume, but none of the codes I found worked. Well one came close in the sense that it would turn off/on the Onkyo, but not control volume.

But, since I was playing around with this last night, my selector switch broke. Luckily, I had it switched to dtv and can still use it. but now the switch just falls back and forth in the slot. But I don't really care because the Onkyo codes didn't work anyway.


But here is a question: What universal remotes work well with my HR21? I'm thinking of getting a Harmony or other remote of that type. What experiences have you guys had with these types of remotes?

I don't want to do anything other than control volume on the Onkyo because it's own remote has about a million buttons and I would'nt want to try and remap all those to another remote, plus I would never remember the dual or triple functions of buttons. I really only want the guide, the DVR controls, channel up/down, page up/down and menu buttons for HR21. And just the simplest controls for my panny BD30 Blu-ray like disc menu, play/pause/stop/power. I don't do anything complex with it, just mainly play movies. And for my Samsung 46", just turn it on/off.

So this universal remote need not have complex capabilities and simpler is better for me.

Thanks for any help.

dudeman


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## harsh (Jun 15, 2003)

Most programmable remotes support DIRECTV receivers out of the box and can be programmed for the unique keys. For me it comes down to which ones have the transport controls in a comfortable arrangement. The colored buttons are a plus.


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## the_dudeman (Jun 19, 2008)

harsh said:


> Most programmable remotes support DIRECTV receivers out of the box and can be programmed for the unique keys. For me it comes down to which ones have the transport controls in a comfortable arrangement. The colored buttons are a plus.


Sorry...transport controls? And do you use a universal, and of so which one?

Thanks,

dudeman


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## harsh (Jun 15, 2003)

the_dudeman said:


> Sorry...transport controls?


Transport controls are those buttons that you control playback functions with. The Harmony One has them laid out nicely while others arrange them in a way that doesn't make any sense at all. The biggest omission/confusion is usually the skip buttons that I use a lot.

I do not use a universal remote. I use multiple remotes and have my DVR remote set to control the TV volume. I rarely adjust the volume (I have the A/V receiver set to default to 30) and pause what I'm watching to mute the audio either way. This works out pretty well as _everything_ I watch is recorded.

The one disadvantage to my model is that I set the TV default volume for those that don't use the A/V receiver and I have to turn it down every time I turn the TV on.


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## the_dudeman (Jun 19, 2008)

harsh said:


> Transport controls are those buttons that you control playback functions with. The Harmony One has them laid out nicely while others arrange them in a way that doesn't make any sense at all. The biggest omission/confusion is usually the skip buttons that I use a lot.
> 
> I do not use a universal remote. I use multiple remotes and have my DVR remote set to control the TV volume. I rarely adjust the volume (I have the A/V receiver set to default to 30) and pause what I'm watching to mute the audio either way. This works out pretty well as _everything_ I watch is recorded.
> 
> The one disadvantage to my model is that I set the TV default volume for those that don't use the A/V receiver and I have to turn it down every time I turn the TV on.


Well I guess we are opposite in a couple of regards. I only use my receiver for all volumes since everything goes through it. My TV is muted and I don't even have an audio cable from the TV to my reciever. The HR21 is connected via HDMI to reciever, as are all other components. So again volume for watching television shows is handled by reciever.

My main gripe is having to hold, or have lying close dtv remote to change channels, and holding reciver remote to control volume. This is why I would desperately like to get a remote that will control the volume on my Onkyo while controlling HR21. I rarely do anything with my Onkyo remote as it is totaly dialed in for audio from all sources. The only thing other than volume I do is switch sources, which I'm sure could be handled by a universal.

If I just had even a 3 device remote (Onkyo volume/source, HR21 DVR/guide/menu, TV on/off and Blu-ray play/pause/stop/power) all would be good. Many of the remotes I've looked at have WAY more functions than I would ever use.

dudeman


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## Edmund (Apr 17, 2003)

If the remote weren't broken, yes you could have the onkyo volume punched through to the directv device on the remote. Now that its stuck in the Directv device, no. 

You can try fixing the remote by taking it apart, in addition to the two screws in the battery compartment, there are 4 more under the grey bezel surrounding the transport & cursor keys on thwe front side of the remote. Once the screws are removed, working at the bottom of the remote, pry apart the halves just enough to get a corner of a old credit card in, then slide it along popping the catches. Now if you can get the side switch back on track. Once its fixed come back.


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## mdavej (Jan 31, 2007)

Try 31298. If the RC64 doesn't have that code, cheaper simpler alternatives to harmony are the radio shack 15-133 and 134 which do have that code. They work very well with the HR21 (code 01377). If that code doesn't work, you can easily learn the onkyo vol keys on those remotes.


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## the_dudeman (Jun 19, 2008)

Edmund said:


> If the remote weren't broken, yes you could have the onkyo volume punched through to the directv device on the remote. Now that its stuck in the Directv device, no.
> 
> You can try fixing the remote by taking it apart, in addition to the two screws in the battery compartment, there are 4 more under the grey bezel surrounding the transport & cursor keys on thwe front side of the remote. Once the screws are removed, working at the bottom of the remote, pry apart the halves just enough to get a corner of a old credit card in, then slide it along popping the catches. Now if you can get the side switch back on track. Once its fixed come back.


Yeah I may try to fix it, but none of the remote codes I've found or were suggested to me worked. Harsh gave me one thatwas close in the sense of it worked for power off/on on the Onkyo, but sadly not volume.

Yes I was hoping for the punch through, but again havent found a code.

dudeman


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## the_dudeman (Jun 19, 2008)

mdavej said:


> Try 31298. If the RC64 doesn't have that code, cheaper simpler alternatives to harmony are the radio shack 15-133 and 134 which do have that code. They work very well with the HR21 (code 01377). If that code doesn't work, you can easily learn the onkyo vol keys on those remotes.


Thanks, I will look into those remotes. And if I fix my dtv remote, I'll try the code you give.

dudeman


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## Edmund (Apr 17, 2003)

the_dudeman said:


> Yeah I may try to fix it, but none of the remote codes I've found or were suggested to me worked. Harsh gave me one thatwas close in the sense of it worked for power off/on on the Onkyo, but sadly not volume.
> 
> Yes I was hoping for the punch through, but again havent found a code.
> 
> dudeman


The volume keys NEVER work initially with ANY audio code, reason is the volume keys won't work at all without a tv code programmed to the tv device. Once done the tv volume is now in the way, to remdy that:

1. av1 or av2
2. press and hold MUTE & SELECT for two blinks 
3. enter 9 9 3
4. press SELECT


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## tgater (Jul 24, 2007)

If you have the protect plan, D* will replace the remote without asking for the old one back. The CSR's can also look up other codes that are not listed in the receiver.


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## the_dudeman (Jun 19, 2008)

Edmund said:


> The volume keys NEVER work initially with ANY audio code, reason is the volume keys won't work at all without a tv code programmed to the tv device. Once done the tv volume is now in the way, to remdy that:
> 
> 1. av1 or av2
> 2. press and hold MUTE & SELECT for two blinks
> ...


Sorry.....what? Don't understand you. Are you saying to switch the mode to tv and then program a tv code? And then go to av1 and program the punch through with the 993 code???

Does anyone know what he is saying here????

Sorry

dudeman


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## the_dudeman (Jun 19, 2008)

mdavej said:


> Try 31298. If the RC64 doesn't have that code, cheaper simpler alternatives to harmony are the radio shack 15-133 and 134 which do have that code. They work very well with the HR21 (code 01377). If that code doesn't work, you can easily learn the onkyo vol keys on those remotes.


31298 doesn't work except to power down. I thought that code looked familiar. It's one of the codes I get when I program remote in the HR21 guide along with 4 other codes all of which don't work except for power off on 2 of the codes and no function at all on the others.

Those RS remotes look interesting especially the gamer one since one guy says it works for his PC. I have an HTPC (typing on it now) and it has an IR receiver built into the display. Never had a remote for it because they chose not to offer one with the case, but Media Center remote will work with it, but never bought one. I use keyboard exclusively for it, but remote with power on function would be nice. Of course I can just get off my lazy butt and walk over and turn it on.

BTW, fixed the mode switch on the R64.

dudeman


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## the_dudeman (Jun 19, 2008)

Edmund said:


> If the remote weren't broken, yes you could have the onkyo volume punched through to the directv device on the remote. Now that its stuck in the Directv device, no.
> 
> You can try fixing the remote by taking it apart, in addition to the two screws in the battery compartment, there are 4 more under the grey bezel surrounding the transport & cursor keys on thwe front side of the remote. Once the screws are removed, working at the bottom of the remote, pry apart the halves just enough to get a corner of a old credit card in, then slide it along popping the catches. Now if you can get the side switch back on track. Once its fixed come back.


Remote fixed, thanks for the how-to guide.

dudeman


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## the_dudeman (Jun 19, 2008)

harsh said:


> Transport controls are those buttons that you control playback functions with. The Harmony One has them laid out nicely while others arrange them in a way that doesn't make any sense at all. The biggest omission/confusion is usually the skip buttons that I use a lot.
> 
> I do not use a universal remote. I use multiple remotes and have my DVR remote set to control the TV volume. I rarely adjust the volume (I have the A/V receiver set to default to 30) and pause what I'm watching to mute the audio either way. This works out pretty well as _everything_ I watch is recorded.
> 
> The one disadvantage to my model is that I set the TV default volume for those that don't use the A/V receiver and I have to turn it down every time I turn the TV on.


harsh...thanks, don't know if I thanked you before.



the_dudeman said:


> Sorry.....what? Don't understand you. Are you saying to switch the mode to tv and then program a tv code? And then go to av1 and program the punch through with the 993 code???
> 
> Does anyone know what he is saying here????
> 
> ...


OK, ok, ok....figured out what you were saying...sort of.

But check this out:

OK, so taking what you said I used harsh's 31805 code to setup av1 mode then thinking about what you said, I set tv mode and used the first code for my Samsung TV.....but wait.....when I tried the code vol up/down....it changed the volume on my Onkyo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So then it says you have the option to set TV Input by entering 960....which I did and now the punch through worked....not on avi but for TV...which really worked for the Onkyo.

Sorry, not making sense probably, but basically what I did was follow the steps exactly for setting up the remote to work in tv mode...except that the first code for Samsung just happened to work to control the volume for my Onkyo, not Samsung TV. After entering the code and then 960 for TV Input, I have punch through for Onkyo volume when remote is set on dtv mode.

Someone should write a better how to than I did here for anyone else who may have had this issue or similar.

Thanks again to everyone and notably harsh and Edmund. @harsh: even though I found quite by accident this workaround, I could still use your code to power off by switching to av1, although I have a macro setup on my Onkyo remote to power down everything, but thanks none the less.

I'm so jazzed, now I can trol volume with dtv remote. No more 2 remotes sitting on my lap or the sofa!!!!

Dudeman


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## Edmund (Apr 17, 2003)

993 + Select punches through the volume to ALL devices including the tv device. Once you do the 993 + select, it doesn't matter what tv code you try the volume keys will always control the onkyo. To restore the tv volume in just the tv device, do the following:

1. tv
2. press and hold MUTE & SELECT for two blinks
3. enter 9 9 3
4. press VOL DOWN


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## dcmidnight (Jul 6, 2007)

I have the Logitech Harmony 670 and it works great with both the DTV DVR and my Onkyo TXSR604. Plug it into your PC, input all your components and boom - it works. I know it might be a little more expensive than the generic options but the thing flat works.


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