Simple Activities on the Entertainment Menu

Simple Activities are designed to make it easier for someone to use their remote control to setup their system to engage in an activity like watching cable TV with surround sound.  With a Simple Activity, after pressing the associated button the user will see a help list that will allow them to quickly turn on all the required devices and send any needed input changes, one press at a time.

Here's how to program them.  To begin, press the Setup a simple activity for a device button.  

1.  First choose the device that the activity is based on.  This is also the button that the user will press on the remote control.  Press Next when ready.

2.  Next you will choose which devices may need power on commands, and which devices may need to switch inputs in order for the activity to work.  For each device that must be powered on, select the box in the “Power” column.  For each device that may need to have its input switched, select the box under “Input”.

3.  Each selection will be added to the list on the right.  Review the list order and make sure that you like it.  This is the same order that the commands will appear on the remote control.  You can rearrange the order by dragging any item up or down using the gripper to the right of the item.  Press Next when you are satisfied with the selections and order.

4.  Now identify the Power On commands for the device by clicking on the arrow to pull down a list of all commands associated with the device.  Pressing the Test button when you have a command selected will send the command to the device through the base station so you can see if it works as you expect.  Press Next once you have the correct command.

5.  Now identify the Input commands that you need, just like you did for the power commands.  You may choose a command that cycles through all of the inputs, called a toggle or wraparound input command, or one that jumps directly to the correct input, called a discrete input command.  Test the commands.  Press Next once you have the correct command, then repeat this process of selecting Power and Input commands for all devices that you selected for this activity until you are finished.

Each device on the Entertainment Menu may have a Simple Activity dedicated to it.  You may program Simple Activities for as many of them as you like.