How to use Vox with Onkyo AV

[TeDeV]

Hi, can someone please help me, on how to control my Onkyo receiver using VOX?

i can see there is a addon, but i don't know how to use it, or how to use the commands. Still trying to figure this out.

Are there any ready-xml for me to include? My onkyo model is NR-609

[jitterjames]

I am attaching a .rar with some xml files (a groups and some payloadXML) and an excel sheet with the Onkyo ISCP command reference.  Not all commands in this sheet will work with the nr609

- Enable the Onkyo plugin (in VC >> Options >> Plugins) save options and restart VC.  You have probably already done this.

- Copy the 2 payload files to your VC\payloads folder  (onkyoinputs.xml and onkyomodes.xml)

- Import VcGrp_Onkyo.xml into your command tree.

Let me know if you need any help.

[jitterjames]

note that the plugin is one way only.  We can only send information to the Onkyo, not get information from it, so you can't use any of the "QSTN" commands.

[TeDeV]

hey james, thanks a lot for the help. i will try it as soon as i can when i get home.

Getting info is not what i need. I just want to say which input i want, and what volume i need it to be. :-)

[TeDeV]

hey james, i was finally able to try it. it works, but when i try to choose an input, it is always selecting the BD/DVD option

if i say input PC, it goes to BD/DVD, etc.

and the other thing is that it doesn't turn on the receiver. i can turn it off, but not on.

I guess that the lan card is not working when the receiver is off?

[jitterjames]

hey james, i was finally able to try it. it works, but when i try to choose an input, it is always selecting the BD/DVD option

if i say input PC, it goes to BD/DVD, etc.

and the other thing is that it doesn't turn on the receiver. i can turn it off, but not on.

I guess that the lan card is not working when the receiver is off?

This is correct.  I only use 3 inputs.  You can edit the payloads\onkyoinputs.xml to use the inputs and the phrases you want.  See the attached image.

The power issue is one that I have complained to Onkyo about.  Talk about retarded engineers.  Basically when the Onkyo powers off, so does the network card, and they also offer no WOL function.  I have the same issue with my stupid LG NAS.  In the case of the Onkyo you can go into the network settings and make sure ■Network Control is set to ENABLED.

The problem here is, that when you turn off your receiver, it doesn't actually turn off!  I measured power consumption on mine and when on it uses about 30+ watts and when "off" (or standby as they call it) it uses about 20+ watts .  The same thing happens if you enable hdmi passthrough so that you can watch TV even when the Onkyo is "off".

If you disable both the hdmi passthrough and the Network Control (which I have done) then when you turn it off it is really off and uses about 0 watts.  So, what seems to be happening is that if either network control or pass-through are enabled, then the standby mode is only powering down the amp and the computer that is controlling everything is fully on and quite power hungry, requiring 20 watts.  Pathetic really.  Atrocious!

To me, this is the opposite of "energy star" and Onkyo and all other companies should be forced to fix problems like these.  My solution is to use my IR blaster to turn the Onkyo On.  Of course, if you do this, remember that it actually takes quite a while for the computer to boot so you won't be able to issue any network commands for about 30 seconds (just a guess - I haven't timed it).

[jitterjames]

By the way, a handy tool that lets you test and then grab Onkyo ISCP codes is a desktop program called OyRemote

http://www.krautsourced.com/?page_id=78

of course the excel sheet may be just as good for some people.

[shango]

Knew I shouldn't have down graded my Onkyo

[jitterjames]

what did you downgrade to?

[shango]

Still an Onkyo, I had a 577 then changed to an 309,

it's a newer amp but 1 level down, budget end basically, wanted 3D support which the 577 didn't have.

anything higher i'd just be paying for features and inputs id never use.

wouldnt buy anything other than onkyo now.

[jitterjames]

when I bought my NR509 it was specifically for the networking.  This model was revolutionary when released for having such features at this price point.  At the time I wasn't really thinking about using it for network radio but it's really nice to be able to listen to my favourite internet station without having to turn the pc on, and be able to access music on USB or my NAS is pretty cool too, as is the ipod app, but my main reason originally was for voice control.

Your model probably supports fairly comprehensive control via IR so with a USB-UIRT, or a windows MCE transceiver with blasting capability, or a HALX (soon to be available I think) you would be able to do a lot.  I don't think you'll ever get commands like "set volume 27" with IR and it is unidirectional, but still you can do almost everything else, like selecting audio or video input, DSP mode, volume up and down, adjust base, treble, center channel level, etc.  I can do all this on my 509 with IR.

I guess it is possible that the NR models have more IR commands than the SR models though, I don't really know.

[shango]

TBH, the only buttons i use on my amp is vol up/down and change between htpc and ps3 channel thats it.

Its a bit too much of a work around for those features, i do look forward to having everything networked with Lan over HDMI once that comes on more devices though, will make things a lot easier.

[vulcanjedi]

My amp powers on remotely via the Onkyo Remote Android App for me when its turned off.

[jitterjames]

My amp powers on remotely via the Onkyo Remote Android App for me when its turned off.

Most likely that is because it is not really off, and is wasting electricity.  Some people don't care about this, which is fine, but I do personally.

[vulcanjedi]

I have an NR509
I did a Google Search and found some other friendlies that provided some of the codes I think, will give a try tonite....cause I use inputs
Game and CBL/SAT too.
http://www.xlobby.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=25&t=6020
http://www.avsforum.com/t/1347463/onkyo-iscp-commands