Does the new "Replacement TiVo DVR Remote" work with two Tivos?

[Puppy76]

Am I missing something? I just bought a:

"Replacement TiVo DVR Remote, black"

directly from Tivo:

http://www.tivo.com/products/tivo-accessories/tivo-remote/index.html

and was surprised to...not see a switch on it to switch back and forth between two Tivos. Is there some other way to do that (besides reprogramming it every time) am I just missing something?

[dwit]

Am I missing something? I just bought a:

"Replacement TiVo DVR Remote, black"

directly from Tivo:

http://www.tivo.com/products/tivo-accessories/tivo-remote/index.html

and was surprised to...not see a switch on it to switch back and forth between two Tivos. Is there some other way to do that (besides reprogramming it every time) am I just missing something?

To switch it among different Tivo units, press and hold the Tivo button at the same time as you hold and press the "Pause" button, until the little red light at the top end of the remote remains lit(about 5 seconds). Then press the number on the number keypad which corresponds to the "remote address" of the Tivo unit to control. The little red light will flash a few times and turn off to confirm the remote has switched addresses.

Sounds complicated, but it becomes very easy after a few tries. I just learned this yesterday. Even the regular Tivo peanut remotes(even the ones with switches) can do this. I am now controlling 4 different Tivo boxes in the same room with one remote.

Does give the Tivo button quite a workout though.

[Puppy76]

Darn...so you actually have to reprogram it like that every time? Like the older remotes had a switch, and you could program two separate codes in it, and just use the switch.

It's not really THAT bad, I guess, but I was surprised it doesn't seem to have a switch anymore.

[dwit]

Darn...so you actually have to reprogram it like that every time? Like the older remotes had a switch, and you could program two separate codes in it, and just use the switch.

It's not really THAT bad, I guess, but I was surprised it doesn't seem to have a switch anymore.

With the switch, you could only control 2 at a time though.

As I said though, I just learned of this myself though in the thread about the Glo remote at Best Buy.

Maybe there is a "simpler" method. You might think there would be, being a "deluxe" remote.

[Puppy76]

Two at a time yeah, but you reprogram it the same way too.

Well darn, that stinks :(

Oh well, I'm REALLY holding on to my old remotes now! :-O

[unitron]

Hate to tell you, but you could have been disappointed more cheaply...

http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?t=470847&highlight=bestbuy.com+remote


But, yeah, it's really stupid that the remote for the Premiere lacks a feature that Series 2 remotes have.

[IJustLikeTivo]

To switch it among different Tivo units, press and hold the Tivo button at the same time as you hold and press the "Pause" button, until the little red light at the top end of the remote remains lit(about 5 seconds). Then press the number on the number keypad which corresponds to the "remote address" of the Tivo unit to control. The little red light will flash a few times and turn off to confirm the remote has switched addresses.

Sounds complicated, but it becomes very easy after a few tries. I just learned this yesterday. Even the regular Tivo peanut remotes(even the ones with switches) can do this. I am now controlling 4 different Tivo boxes in the same room with one remote.

Does give the Tivo button quite a workout though.

How do you set that up. I read the other thread and see nothing. Oddly, Tivo says you can't do this without the remote with the remote with the switch.

[orangeboy]

How do you set that up. I read the other thread and see nothing. Oddly, Tivo says you can't do this without the remote with the remote with the switch.

I edited out TiVo's instructions relating to the "switch":

1. Prepare the DVRs. Cover the area around the shiny, dark plastic window on the front of one DVR (either one—call this one #2). You can use a dark piece of cloth or a magazine—something thick and opaque. This prevents DVR #2 from receiving signals. Point the remote control at DVR #1, and go to TiVo Central by pressing the TiVo button. Go to the System Information screen. Press the DOWN arrow until you see the item Remote Address.

2. Prepare the remote control. Press and hold the PAUSE and TiVo buttons simultaneously until the red light at the end of the remote control comes on, remains steady, and then stays on when you release the buttons.

3. Point the remote control at DVR#1. Use the number buttons on the remote control to enter a number 1. Press the RIGHT arrow. On the screen, the Remote Address changes from 0 to 1. Press the TiVo button.

4. Prepare the DVRs again. Change the input source on your TV so that it displays DVR #2. Do this by pressing the input, source, or TV/Video button on your TV. Then remove the cover from the plastic window of DVR#2 and cover the plastic window of DVR#1. Finally, go to the System Information screen of DVR #2, and press DOWN arrow until you see Remote Address displayed.

5. Repeat Step 2, above. Then use the number buttons on the remote to enter a 2, and press RIGHT arrow. Finally, press the TiVo button.

I use a piece of aluminum foil to cover the fronts of my DVRs. I have 3 in the same room, and used the above (modified) instructions to program my DVR addresses.

[dwit]

How do you set that up. I read the other thread and see nothing. Oddly, Tivo says you can't do this without the remote with the remote with the switch.

I think how to do it is pretty much described in your post and quote there. Now if you are asking how to set Tivo units up to respond to a specific remote address, I don't think I can do better than the manual(or web site).

I'll give it another shot.

A. To control Tivo set up with Remote Address 1:

Press and hold the Tivo button at the same time as you hold and press the "Pause" button, until the little red light at the top end of the remote remains lit(about 5 seconds). Then press the number 1 on the number keypad. The remote will now control the Tivo set up with Remote Address 1.

B. To control another Tivo set up with Remote Address 2:

Press and hold the Tivo button at the same time as you hold and press the "Pause" button, until the little red light at the top end of the remote remains lit(about 5 seconds). Then press the number 2 on the number keypad. The remote will now control the Tivo set up with Remote Address 2.

C. To control another Tivo set up with Remote Address 3:

Press and hold the Tivo button at the same time as you hold and press the "Pause" button, until the little red light at the top end of the remote remains lit(about 5 seconds). Then press the number 3 on the number keypad. The remote will now control the Tivo set up with Remote Address 3.

D. .....Remote Address 4...etc, etc.

I am controlling 4 Tivos right now. Apparently, you can control up to 9(I read that somewhere here).

I have a universal remote that can control many Tivos, but when/if it gets misplaced, I can still control all the units when needed.

Hope that helps.

[unitron]

...

I am controlling 4 Tivos right now. Apparently, you can control up to 9(I read that somewhere here).

I have a universal remote that can control many Tivos, but when/if it gets misplaced, I can still control all the units when needed.

Hope that helps.

You can set what TiVo calls the remote channel for anything between 0 and 9.

If you want more than one TiVo in the room, you use your choice of 1 through 9 for one of them and pick from the remaining 8 for the second one, from the remaining 7 for the third one, and so on.

What you have to watch out for is remote channel 0. As far as I know, TiVos and their remotes come defaulted to remote channel 0.

A remote set to channel 0 will operate every TiVo in the room (exceptions are Sony TiVos, and maybe some of the other non-Philips brand DVD combo units), whether you want it to or not, no matter what remote channel you previously had them set for (and I think it switches them all back to channel 0), and I think that a TiVo set to remote channel 0 will be operated by a remote set to any channel (though I don't know if it gets reset to the channel on which the remote is set).

Also, any TiVo where you've navigated to the system information page (where you can page down to see on what remote channel it's set) will have its remote channel changed to whatever channel a remote is set for if you push any button on that remote while the TiVo is on the sysinfo page.




The above applies to Philips S1 units, and, as far as I know, everything else that uses a peanut remote.

The S1 (and I suppose S2) Sonys use a different remote code or database or library or whatever they call it, so they won't control a non-Sony TiVo and the peanuts remotes won't control them (unless you load Sony S1 software on an S1 Philips or S1 Philips software on an S1 Sony, which I really don't recommend).

However, if you have more than one Sony TiVo in the same room, you can set the remote channel on the Sony remote and the Sony TiVos as well by the same procedure, but with the Sonys, there is no remote channel 0. Remote channel 1 is the default that will override everything, and at least remote channels 2 and 3 are available to hand out individually.


My experience so far is that universal remotes that control TiVos do so as remote channel 0 units (or remote channel 1 units when operating Sony TiVos), which makes them dangerous in a multi-TiVo room, and if there are any that can be changed to not be remote channel 0 units I'd love to know about it.

[orangeboy]

My experience so far is that universal remotes that control TiVos do so as remote channel 0 units (or remote channel 1 units when operating Sony TiVos), which makes them dangerous in a multi-TiVo room, and if there are any that can be changed to not be remote channel 0 units I'd love to know about it.

Both my Harmony remotes (h625, and the Harmony One that replaced it) controlled between 3-4 TiVo DVRs using addresses 1-9.

[unitron]

Both my Harmony remotes (h625, and the Harmony One that replaced it) controlled between 3-4 TiVo DVRs using addresses 1-9.

If I were looking at them in a store, what "buzz words" would I look for to guarantee that they have that feature?

[orangeboy]

If I were looking at them in a store, what "buzz words" would I look for to guarantee that they have that feature?

I would say "Learning" remote. By default, I believe the Harmony's use the 0 address, but then asks something along the lines of: "Is the configuration correct?", at which point you say no, and go through a little wizard where you press 3-4 keys on the TiVo remote so the Harmony "learns" those codes. After that, no problems.

[ggieseke]

A remote set to channel 0 will operate every TiVo in the room (exceptions are Sony TiVos, and maybe some of the other non-Philips brand DVD combo units), whether you want it to or not, no matter what remote channel you previously had them set for (and I think it switches them all back to channel 0), and I think that a TiVo set to remote channel 0 will be operated by a remote set to any channel (though I don't know if it gets reset to the channel on which the remote is set).

In my experience neither scenario changes the setting on the TiVo unless you're in the System Information screen. I set up my universal remote to control 4 TiVos on channels 1-4, but I use channel 0 in some cases like my System On and System off macros. A single Standby command on channel 0 puts all 4 units to sleep and a single Live TV command wakes them all up.

[orangeboy]

In my experience neither scenario changes the setting on the TiVo unless you're in the System Information screen. I set up my universal remote to control 4 TiVos on channels 1-4, but I use channel 0 in some cases like my System On and System off macros. A single Standby command on channel 0 puts all 4 units to sleep and a single Live TV command wakes them all up.

That sounds exactly right. All TiVo DVRs will respond to a remote with address 0, but the DVR's address remains the same, with the exception you noted concerning being in the System Info screen.