Harmony SST-768, H768 User Manual

Harmony Remote SST-768 User Manual

Harmony Remote User Manual

March 25, 2003

This User Manual introduces you to the main features of your Harmony Remote SST-768. Please note
that the HarmonyRemote.com web site and web wizards are constantly updated to improve your
experience. At times the information in this manual may be out of date. If in doubt, follow the
information and instructions on the web site. Select a topic from the Index to learn more about your
Harmony Remote SST-768:

If you did not find what you were looking for, contact us.

Index

l

Introduction

l

Setting up your Harmony Remote

l

Using your Harmony Remote

l

Customizing your Harmony Remote

l

Interacting with your entertainment

Introduction

controls just those devices that are needed. For example, in the "Watch a Videotape" Activity example

Harmony Remote User Manual

March 25, 2003

The Harmony Remote is an internet powered universal remote. For the first time you will be able to
control your home entertainment devices as a system, not as a collection of components.

To configure your Harmony Remote, answer web wizard questions to create your own personal
Harmony configuration. The web wizards allow you say how you have set up your home
entertainment components, and what your preferences are.

Your Harmony Remote can control most devices that understand infrared (IR) signals. If one of your
devices is not in the HarmonyRemote.com database, the web wizard will learn about your device and
will automatically add it to the database.

At the end of the setup process, you will have your own configuration loaded onto your Harmony
Remote and your own personal Harmony Member home page. Come back to your Member home
page as often as you like to customize all of your Harmony Remote’s features, to update your
interactive television listings, to explore your Zap links, or to add new entertainment devices.

How is the Harmony Remote SST-768 different?

The Harmony Remote SST-768 has fewer buttons than many other remotes. This is because the
Harmony Remote takes care of many tasks automatically. For example, you do not need a separate
button to choose between controlling your TV or your VCR. With the Harmony Remote, you say what
you want to do (e.g. Watch a Videotape) and the Harmony automatically controls your TV and your
VCR at the same time! You do not have to program any macros to achieve this level of automated and
simple control.

The ways that you interact with your entertainment system are grouped into Activities. Each Activity

above, the Harmony Remote controls the television and VCR together.

There are two buttons and a scroll wheel on the right hand side of your Harmony Remote. The scroll

Harmony Remote showing side LCD control buttons.

- - - -

- - - - - -

- -

- - - - - - -

Scroll & Select

Change Mode / Cancel

- -

-

Harmony Remote User Manual

March 25, 2003

wheel can be rotated with your thumb or finger to view options on the LCD screen. The scroll wheel is
also a Select button. Press it on your Harmony Remote to feel it click. This is used to select options
that you see on the LCD screen. The oval button below the scroll wheel generally changes to a new
Mode, Cancels a selection, or Exits a sub-menu.Take a moment to find these buttons in the picture,
and on your Harmony Remote.

Smart State Technology

Smart State TechnologyTM is what allows the Harmony to command your entire entertainment system
with just one touch. For example, when you select an Activity (e.g. "Watch a DVD"), the SSTTM

instantaneously evaluates the current state of all your individual components and then sends the
appropriate commands for perfect configuration. In other words, the Harmony will turn on your TV,

DVD and receiver, set the inputs, and even start the DVD playing. With SSTTM, you will never need
to program macros to control your system simply and perfectly.

If your Harmony Remote gets out of sync with your entertainment devices, press the Help
button. For more information, read the "Using your Harmony Remote" chapter in this
manual.

Activities

the LCD screen may show different commands. For example, when you watch a DVD, you can change

Harmony Remote User Manual

March 25, 2003

When your entertainment system is off, your Harmony Remote shows the main menu on its LCD
screen. The main menu shows which Activities you can enjoy. Different homes have different
entertainment devices, so your Harmony will only show you the Activities that are relevant to you!

Modes

Once you have selected an Activity to enjoy, your Harmony's LCD screen will show options that are
available for that Activity. The functionality of the buttons on your Harmony is also tailored to the
Activity.

Some Activities have more than one Mode. Press the side button (below the scroll wheel) to change
Modes. In each Mode the buttons on the Harmony Remote may have slightly different functions, and

between Play Mode and Navigate Mode. In Play Mode the number buttons send the corresponding
numbers to your DVD player. In Navigate Mode, the numbers 5 (Up), 0 (Down), 7 (left), 9 (Right)
control the cursor on your DVD's onscreen menu, and the 8 (select) button selects an onscreen option.

Setting up your Harmony Remote

downloaded from the Internet to your computer. From there it is transferred to your Harmony Remote's

Harmony Remote User Manual

March 25, 2003

Step 1: Create a new User account

Enter information about yourself, such as your address and zip code. This information is used to
determine which antenna, cable or satellite channels are available in your area.

Step 2: Answer web wizard questions about what devices you want to control as a
system

This step is best performed by someone in your household who is familiar with your entertainment
system. The web wizard will ask you questions about the make and model of your entertainment
devices.

If your device model number is not in the HarmonyRemote.com database, you have the option of
choosing a compatible device, or setting up the device you own. We recommend that beginners select
a compatible device to start. This will get you up and running faster. Later you can come back to your
Member Home Page, and tweak the functionality of the device you chose.

At times the wizards will ask you to press buttons on your current remote controls to identify infrared
languages or teach infrared commands. This will allow your Harmony Remote to determine which
infrared languages and commands control your entertainment devices. Gather all of your current
remote controls and bring them to your computer. For more details on the best way to teach infrared,
please read the "Customizing your Harmony Remote" chapter in this manual.

Step 3: Answer web wizard questions about how you have set up your entertainment
devices

As described in the previous chapter, your Harmony Remote organizes functionality into Activities.
The web wizard will ask you questions about how your entertainment devices are connected so that
appropriate Activities can be created and automatically configured.

The web wizard not only creates a configuration that is perfect for your entertainment system, but also
for your preferences. Therefore there will also be questions related to your favorite channels, channels
you would like to hide, etc.

Update your Harmony Remote with your configuration

Once you have finished answering the questions, the wizard compiles a configuration that is then
memory via the USB cable. Your Harmony contains Flash memory to store your configuration, so it is

never lost, even if you take out the batteries.

Whenever you wish to make changes (such as when you buy a new entertainment device),
simply logon to your Member Home Page at HarmonyRemote.com and update your Harmony
Remote with the new configuration.

Keep in mind that because everyone's entertainment devices are different, the wizards may not get

things exactly right the first time. That's ok. Just go back to your Member Home Page and tweak the

Harmony Remote User Manual

March 25, 2003

settings, or run one of the setup wizards again. Update your Harmony Remote with the new
configuration and try again.

Something to remember is that whenever your configuration file is transferred to your Harmony
Remote's memory, all of your TV listings are transferred as well. This transfer can take a few minutes
depending on how many channels are transferred.

Using your Harmony Remote SST -768

Harmony Remote User Manual

March 25, 2003

Important: Please read before using your Harmony Remote for the first time.

After your Harmony Remote has been programmed for the first time you must synchronize it with
your entertainment devices. This will tell the Harmony Remote which devices are on and off, and what
their inputs are set to. You will only have to do this the first time that you try an Activity. From then
on your Harmony Remote will rememeber these settings and will control all of your entertainment
devices for you.

Synchonization Steps:

1. Start by turning off all of your entertainment devices by hand or with their original remote
controls (you can put them away after this because you shouldn't need them again).

2. Use the scroll wheel on the side of your Harmony Remote to choose an Activity you would like
to try (see below for more details on how to select Activities).

3. If your Harmony Remote did not seem to turn on the correct devices for that Activity, or if an
input or setting is not correct (for example, you do not see a picture on your TV or hear sound)
press the Help button on your Harmony Remote. Answer the questions on your Harmony
Remote's LCD screen by selecting Yes or No with the scroll wheel. This will synchronize the
Harmony Remote with your entertainment devices.

4. Press the Harmony Remote's power button to turn off your entertainment system.

5. Repeat steps 2 to 4 to try other Activities.

6. After you have tried each Activity (and used Help if necessary), if your Harmony Remote is not
controlling your entertainment system as you expect it to, then return to your Harmony Member
home page. Click on the "Troubleshoot" button and the Troubleshooting web wizard will help
you find the problem and make the necessary changes to get all of your Activites working
perfectly.

Selecting an Activity

Scroll and select an Activity

- - - -

- - - - -

- -

- - - - - - Resynchronize

Scroll & Select Activity

Cancel

- -

-

Harmony Remote User Manual

March 25, 2003

When your entertainment system is turned off, your Harmony Remote LCD display shows Activities
that you can enjoy. The Harmony Remote only displays Activities that you have set up for your
entertainment system. The picture below shows some of the Activities that you may have set up.

Select Fav. Activity

To select an Activity that you wish to enjoy, simply rotate the scroll wheel with your thumb until you
see the Activity on the LCD screen. Then press the scroll wheel in to select the Activity (you will feel
it click). The Harmony Remote will send all the appropriate commands to your entertainment system
so that it is configured for that Activity. For example, if you have a television and a satellite receiver,
the Harmony Remote will turn on your television, turn on your satellite receiver, and set your
television to the correct input.

When your entertainment system is off, press the Power button to quickly select your favorite
Activity. By default this is the “Watch Television” Activity. You can use this tip to explain
quickly to friends, relatives, or the baby sitter how to turn on your entertainment system and

start channel surfing.

Changing Activities

So if you use your television, stereo receiver and DVD player to watch DVDs, when you select "Watch

Before resynchronizing, make sure the cause of the problem has been addressed. For example,

Harmony Remote User Manual

March 25, 2003

To change to a different Activity, simply press the POWER button once. The LCD screen will prompt
you to "Press the POWER button again to switch off your entertainment system, or scroll for more
options". Rotate the scroll wheel with your thumb until you see the desired Activity on the LCD
screen. Then press the scroll wheel in to select the Activity. The Harmony Remote will send all the
appropriate commands to your entertainment system so that it is configured for that Activity.

An alternative method of changing to a different Activity is to use the Mode/Cancel button to switch
into Control Mode. Once in Montrol Mode you can use the scroll wheel to select the "Change
Activity" menu item and the use the scroll wheel again to select the desired Activity. The Harmony
Remote will send all the appropriate commands to your entertainment system so that it is configured
for that Activity.

Status Light

The green status light located at the top of your Harmony Remote blinks or shines at various times to
remind you that your Harmony Remote is sending infrared commands to your entertainment devices.

a DVD" the status light may stay on for 3 to 5 seconds.

Make sure that you keep your Harmony Remote pointing at your entertainment devices while
the green status light is on.

Resynchronizing

From time to time when you select an Activity, your system will not be configured perfectly. This can
happen when the Harmony Remote is sending many infrared commands to set up all your devices for
an Activity, and some of the commands are not received by one or more devices. The Harmony
Remote is then "out of sync" with your devices because it thinks one of your devices is on, for
example, but it is still turned off. These are some of the reasons why the Harmony Remote can get out
of sync with your system when selecting an Activity:

l

Someone walks between the Harmony Remote and your entertainment system while the red
status light is on

l

You point your Harmony Remote away from your system while the red status light is on

l

There is an object blocking the line-of-sight between your Harmony Remote and the system

l

You are very far away from your entertainment system

remove all obstructions so that the infrared commands that the Harmony Remote sends can be
received by the entertainment devices.

To resynchronize, press the Help button. The Harmony Remote will ask you a series of questions such
as "Is the Television On?" and "Is the Stereo Receicer set to the DVD input?". Answer the questions
on your Harmony Remote's LCD screen by selecting Yes or No with the scroll wheel. When you're
done, the Harmony Remote will be back in sync with your devices.

If after answering a few questions you believe the Harmony Remote is in sync again, press the

side button (below the scroll wheel) to skip the rest of the resynchronization questions.

the LCD screen may show different commands. For example, when you watch a DVD, you can change

Harmony Remote User Manual

March 25, 2003

Menu and Button Functions (Modes within Activities)

When you select an Activity, the Harmony Remote will not only turn on all the correct entertainment
devices and set their inputs correctly, it will also set up its LCD menu and buttons to match that
Activity. For example, if you select the "Watch Television" Activity, the LCD will show a list of
channels that you can select, and the Recall button will send "Previous Channel".

Some Activities have more than one Mode. Press the side button (below the scroll wheel) to change
Modes. In each Mode the buttons on the Harmony Remote may have slightly different functions, and

between Play Mode and Navigate Mode. In Play Mode the number buttons send the corresponding
numbers to your DVD player. In Navigate Mode, the numbers 5 (Up), 0 (Down), 7 (left), 9 (Right)
control the cursor on your DVD's onscreen menu, and the 8 (select) button selects an onscreen option.

The diagrams below show the various Modes within each type of Activity. They show example LCD
menus, and the default function of each button.

"Watch Television" Activity

"All Channels" or "Favorite Channels" Modes

- - - -

Change Activity / System

Mute

Bookmark

Volume Up

Volume Down

Show Listings

+10, +100,

-

or .

- - - - -

Previous Channel

Resynchronize

Scroll & Select

Change Mode / Cancel

Channel Up

Channel Down

Enter / Select

Harmony Remote User Manual

March 25, 2003

Favorite Channels Mode: In this mode, the LCD shows a list of all of your favorite
channels. To change your favorite channels, from your Member Home Page, click on
the "Edit this Activity" link next to the Watch Television icon, and then click on the
"Change Settings" link.

All Channels Mode: In this mode, the LCD shows a list of all channels for you to
select from. The list will not contain channels that you have deselected (i.e. channels
you do not like). To hide channels that you never watch, from your Member Home
Page, click on the "Edit this Activity" link next to the Watch Television icon, and
then click on the "Change Settings" link.

The button functions are quite similar in each of the modes in the "Watch Television" Activity. The
Zap button bookmarks what you see on television. The Volume buttons control the volume on your
television or stereo receiver (whichever you have specified to the web wizard). The Channel and
number buttons change channel on your television, VCR, cable box, or satellite receiver, etc.
(whichever you have specified to the web wizard).

"Watch Television" Activity,

Power Off

Numbers

Favorite Shows Mode: In this mode, the LCD shows a list of the TV shows that are
on your favorite channels at a particular time. To change your favorite channels,

from your Member Home Page, click on the "Edit this Activity" link next to the Watch Television

"All Shows" or "Favorite Shows" Modes

- - Previous Time Slot

-

Change Activity / System

Mute

Bookmark

Volume Up

Volume Down

Channel Listings

+10, +100,

-

or .

- - Next Time Slot

- -

Previous Channel

Resynchronize

Scroll & Select

All Shows / Fav. Shows

Channel Up

Channel Down

Enter / Select

Harmony Remote User Manual

March 25, 2003

icon, and then click on the "Change Settings" link.
All Shows Mode: In this mode, the LCD shows a list of all TV shows that are on

your channels at a particular time. The list will not contain TV shows on channels
you have deselected (i.e. channels you do not like). To hide channels that you never
watch, from your Member Home Page, click on the "Edit this Activity" link next to
the Watch Television icon, and then click on the "Change Settings" link.

In the "All Shows" or "Favorite Shows" modes, the ">>" button allows you to see what's on in later
time slots. This can be especially useful close to the hour (or half hour) when programs are about to
change. Press this button to see what's on next. The "<<" button shows what was on in previous time
slots.

"Watch Television" Activity,

Power Off

Numbers

In "All Channels" or "All Shows" modes, the list on the LCD can be quite long (depending
on how many channels you receive). To rapidly scroll to a channel or show, the list is

scrolled by pages when the cursor is at the top or bottom of the LCD screen. The arrow bars
on the left side of the LCD screen remind you of this. To disable this rapid page scrolling mode,
from your Member Home Page, click on the "Edit this Activity" link next to the Watch Television
icon, and then click on the "Change Options" link.