Hi Gang:

I have a Panasonic DMR-EH50 DVD/Hard Drive recorder that I've got cable hooked into. The cable then runs over to the TV I'm using which is a small Emerson TV/VCR combination. I'm not really concerned about using the VCR deck that's built into the TV.

The DMR-EH50 provides instructions on configuring the DMR's remote to turn the tv on and off, change the tv input mode, and select the tv channel or volume. So, that's all I'm trying to get with the remote

According to the manual, the following are tv manufacturers and remote control code given in the DMR's manual.

Panasonic
National
QUASAR
01/02

PHILIPS (RC-5) 03
RCA 05
SAMSUNG 14/18/19
FISHER 10
SANYO 10
GE 05
SHARP 06/07
GOLDSTAR 15/16/17
SONY 08
HITACHI 12
SYLVANIA 03
JVC 11
THOMSON 05
LG 15/16/17
TOSHIBA 09
MAGNAVOX 03
ZENITH 04
MITSUBISHI 13

After this, there is an additional note that says:

If your television brand is not listed or if the code listed for
your television does not allow control of your television, this
remote control is not compatible with your television.

However, it seems to me that if I knew the correct Emerson code, I should just be able to put it in and it work. But I'm not sure how these remote control codes work. Is it likely that this will recorder remote will never be able to control the Emerson? Is there any way that I can successfully program it? Is there a universal remote that would be able to drive both devices?

I'm surprised that Panasonic would have made the device to only recognize some TVs. That doesn't seem like very good planning.

The real crippling part of this is that without the remote being able to drive the Emerson, I can't use the TV/Video button on the DMR's remote which allows you to record one channel while watching another on the Emerson TV.

Any help is appreciated.

Drew

First, the EH50 remote only uses two digits, so it is not a real chore to go through them one at a time to test them all until you find one that works. My television is a VIZIO, also not on the list, but I found a number that works. I would be really surprised if you didn't find a useable number. Second, the EH55 remote, available from many sources, has a four digit program code. It does not list Emerson, but it has newer information and is more likely to have a working code. The codes listed all begin with zero, and the highest number is 702. You can try a hundred numbers in less than an hour easily, but ten thousand would be a chore. :eek: I would not want to do 700 either. I feel confident that you will find a working code with your existing remote.

I can't use the TV/Video button on the DMR's remote which allows you to record one channel while watching another on the Emerson TV. The TV/Video botton on DMR's remote will still work fine. In one position it will send the DMR channel to the TV and in the other position it will allow the TV to be the tuner.

DrewFromNC,

In recent years Emerson products have been made by Funai. Funai also markets products under the Sylvania and Magnavox brands, among several others. Since these are all very common products the correct remote control signal is most likely to be found in your Panasonic remote.

Product manufacturers, such as Funai, devise remote control signals to operate their own products.

When another manufacturer, say Philips, Panasonic or RCA, make a remote control that may control other brand products such as Emerson, they emulate the control signals of that brand. Philips, Panasonic and RCA make up their own "code numbers" that activate these control signals on their remote so that they may control the other brand's product. The code number Panasonic assigns for an Emerson TV/VCR may be different than the code number Philips assigns for an Emerson TV/VCR, and both may be different than the code number RCA assigns for an Emerson TV/VCR. For instance, on a Philips remote the code number to control a Panasonic DVD is 0340; on a RCA remote the code numbers to control a Panasonic DVD may be one or more of these: 3355, 3394, 3395, 3406, 3407, 3437, 3438, or 3443.

So, there isn't exactly an Emerson "code number" that may be used in common between other brand remotes.

I pulled out the manual for my EZ47, albeit a newer model than the eh50 by a couple of years and here are the Emerson tv codes for the 47's remote.

0019
0038
0039
0154
0158
0171
0177
0178
0180
0181, 82, 83, 85
0236
0270
0280
0463
0623

Try one and see if they'll work...

Thanks Church:

It sounds like you are advising me to look at the manual for the DMR EH55 and try codes from it on my DMR EH50. Is that right? I'm not sure what you are meaning by the EH55 remote that is available from many sources. Are you referring to a manual?

I took a look at the DMR EH55 manual, and it only has a small number of 4 digit codes as well. But my unit just does two digits if I'm understanding right. It doesn't sound like these 4 digit codes for the EH55 would do any good with my EH50?

Drew


First, the EH50 remote only uses two digits, so it is not a real chore to go through them one at a time to test them all until you find one that works. My television is a VIZIO, also not on the list, but I found a number that works. I would be really surprised if you didn't find a useable number. Second, the EH55 remote, available from many sources, has a four digit program code. It does not list Emerson, but it has newer information and is more likely to have a working code. The codes listed all begin with zero, and the highest number is 702. You can try a hundred numbers in less than an hour easily, but ten thousand would be a chore. :eek: I would not want to do 700 either. I feel confident that you will find a working code with your existing remote.

The TV/Video button is under the TV section on the remote control. The directions indicate that like the TV power, channel, and volume controls, it will not function unless the proper code to the given TV can be provided by entering it on the DMR remote.

My DMR-EH50 just has 2 digit numbers. I ran thru all of those and no luck. The directions in the manual do say that the remote will only work with TVs given in the explicit list that I posted. Not sure if that's true or not.... If not, seems like they wouldn't state that.

The TV/Video button is under the TV section on the remote control. The directions indicate that like the TV power, channel, and volume controls, it will not function unless the proper code to the given TV can be provided by entering it on the DMR remote.

My DMR-EH50 just has 2 digit numbers. I ran thru all of those and no luck. The directions in the manual do say that the remote will only work with TVs given in the explicit list that I posted. Not sure if that's true or not.... If not, seems like they wouldn't state that.

Perhaps your Emerson is not of Funai manufacture. Those brands use the "03" code as shown on page 19 of your DMR-EH50 Operating Instructions. Does the model number/serial number label on your Emerson identify the manufacturer? If not you should try all the codes up to 99. One of those codes may work.

I took a look at the DMR EH55 manual, and it only has a small number of 4 digit codes as well. But my unit just does two digits if I'm understanding right. It doesn't sound like these 4 digit codes for the EH55 would do any good with my EH50?

Drew
Correct. The 4 digit codes for newer Panny remotes will not work for older 2 digit remotes. What would work would be to get a newer Panny 4 digit remote if that 4 digit remote has your TV. The new remote will work on your older DVDR.
Old and new Panny remotes are compatible, it's just that the older remotes controlled less TVs for its universal remote part.
Note that newer remotes might have different buttons or functions than older remotes. Make sure the functions you want to control on your DVDR are available on any newer remote you're looking at.

Thanks Church:

It sounds like you are advising me to look at the manual for the DMR EH55 and try codes from it on my DMR EH50. Is that right? I'm not sure what you are meaning by the EH55 remote that is available from many sources. Are you referring to a manual?

I took a look at the DMR EH55 manual, and it only has a small number of 4 digit codes as well. But my unit just does two digits if I'm understanding right. It doesn't sound like these 4 digit codes for the EH55 would do any good with my EH50?

Drew
Actually, what I was suggesting was that you purchase the EH55 remote *IF* you went through all the remote television codes (00-99) in the EH50 remote and none of them worked. There would be no point in this if one of the EH50 remote codes worked, and trying all 100 of them should not take too long. I see from above that you have indeed done this, and had no success.

The EH55 remote will have no problem controlling your EH50 machine, and since the it has four digit codes (10,000 rather than 100) it presumably would have a greater chance of having the Emerson codes programmed in it.

As I think about it now, it seems to me that your best bet is to NOT buy an EH55 remote on the chance that it will work, but to find a universal remote that is guaranteed to do both.

I am surprised that the EH50 remote didn't have a working code. As I said, I am using a much older remote than the one that comes with the EH50, and it controls the functions of my VIZIO HDTV just fine. Strange.

Thanks All:

I'll run back thru all the 2 digit codes 00 to 99 again just to be sure but sounds like my best best might be either the EH55 remote or another universal remote that will drive both devices.

When trying the codes, I'm holding down the TV power button on the Panny remote and pressing the two digits (with TV power button, not DVR power button still held down.) and then releasing the button after hitting the second digit.

If I remember correctly, if the code has worked, the TV should then immediately power off after releasing the TV power button.

Maybe I need to run back thru 00 to 99 and try moving the volume or channel after releasing the TV power button....

Drew

DMR-EH50 Operating Instructions, page 19:

"You can configure the remote control TV operation buttons to turn
the television on/off, change the television input mode, select the
television channel and change the television volume.

1-Point the remote control at the television
While pressing [Í POWER TV] enter
the code with the numbered buttons.

2-Test by turning on the television and
changing channels.

Repeat the procedure until you find the code that allows
correct operation."

Thanks Diga:

I was just wanting to confirm that I was doing it correctly. Right below what you pasted, if you look at the next section, you see this:

If your television brand is not listed or if the code listed for
your television does not allow control of your television, this
remote control is not compatible with your television.

So, if you go strictly by the manual, the Panny remote can not control the Emerson TV since no code is given for it. Obviously, this isn't true as other folks have found codes not given on page 19 that did work for other TVs.

So, I was just wanting to confirm that I was attempting the programming of the code the correct way. I had already read the instructions on page 19 in my manual but was just wanting to confirm that there wasn't some subtle thing not in the instructions (like undocumented codes) that I was missing.

Thanks
Drew