JP1 Remotes

I just captured my first Smart TV remote. I was really shocked when I picked up the remote and felt the full QWERTY keyboard on the back. I wasn't prepared for that! I have no idea how useful this function list will be, because I can't imagine what to do with a 131 functions to make it a useful backup to the OEM remote.

I am going to need a backup for this OEM remote, because this remote is in the common room here, and if it goes longer than 30 days without going missing, I'll be surprised.

Has anybody come up with a usable strategy for emulating these remotes with the full keyboard on a JP1 remote?

I want to use the old 1067 Comcast Remotes, because I have a lot of them, and I can always modify my extender to accommodate whatever strategy I come up with. I have a label maker that prints small laminated labels that work great for labeling buttons.

I'm thinking of a strategy multi-plex solution of some sort, where the TV button and the TV Power button always puts the remote into standard TV mode and then on those occasions wheres you need the Qwerty, swapping in the alpha codes for the numbers following somewhat familiar flip phone texting methods.
2 = A, B, C
3= D, E, F
4 = G H I ....


Shift 1 multiplex to new setup code
2 = a
3= d
4=g
5-j
6=m
7=p
8=t
9=w

Shift 2 multiplexes to new setup code
2 = b
3= e
4=h
5=-k
6=n
7=o
8=u
9=x
...

So what has anyone else done to emulate these TV remotes that have the full qwerty keyboards?

I always like it when people come up with new ideas, but in this case I am skeptical. A "dumb-phone SMS" typing system is better implemented on the server, and I do not think that is an option for you. Otherwise you have to either

- (Method 1.) base your system on fairly long and unflexible time delays and state machines: Press 2. then the state machine enters a new state (call it state A): if timeout occurs, transmit the IR signal for A, if 2 is pressed again, enter state B; if 3 is pressed, enter state D, if "Play" is pressed, send the Play IR signal. And so on... This is without the optical feedback you have when typing SMS on a "dumb-phone".

- (Method 2) Two (or more) different shift keys. Will likely be very hard even for technophiles... Pressing Shift-3 9 to send a z...?

Can you imagine entering "http://www.hifi-remote.com/forums" in this way?

But feel free to show me wrong.

Can I imagine entering "www.hifi-remote.com/forums"
Most of my devices still use the dumb phone SMS method for entering titles, so yeah I know how awful this is. What's even worse is if you want to capitalize the letters.

Shift 1
w 9
w 9
w 9
. 0
Shift 2
h 4
shift 3
i 4
f 3
i 4
shift 4
-1
shift 3
r 7
shift 2
e 3
shift 1
m 6
shift 3
o 6
shift 1
t 7
shift 2
e 3
shift 1
. 0
shift 3
c 2
o 6
shift 1
m 6


I don't have any control of the server or the machine state, only the remote.

To quote the movie office space, "Michael Bolton: That's the worst idea I've ever heard in my life......Samir: Yes, this is horrible, this idea."

People used to text on phones like this over 10 years ago, the blackberry was to die for back then in great part because of a full qwerty keyboard. Going back into the stone age is counter-productive IMO. I have a Blu-ray player that does that old school text entry on the number pad crap, I never use it. Instead, I pull out my smart phone and launch the app that'll control my blu-ray player as well as let me type on the keyboard anything I want to type into the blu-ray player via wi-fi so I don't even need line of sight. Gotta love the new age, I suspect your smart TV may have an app for it or have some other way of controlling it besides the single remote.