Sky's new Digital Boxes, the Kaon NS1120-500 and Problems commanding it with Logitech Harmony Remotes

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theoldfarter

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#191497 5-Feb-2016 22:08

I have had the new Sky Digital box, the Kaon NS1120-500, for a few months now and I have had nothing but trouble trying to control it with my Logitech Harmony One remote.

I have been contacted by another Harmony user, who is having the same problems in that sometimes the Harmony will send the On command and other times it won't. Not all buttons work as they should.

I have a Home Theater and the Harmony One commands five other electronic devices, with no problem. The old Sky SD boxes that have been around for 14 plus years were no trouble to the Harmony.

I will have another go in teaching the One, the codes of the Sky remote.

Anyone else having similar problems?

I had been in contact with Logitech about this and here is my last email to them and their reply.

Dear Sheila

I have just again tried to program my Harmony One with the Kaon NS1120 codes from your Database but nothing works properly. For instance, sometimes the Harmony One will send the On command, which turns on the Kaon and sometimes the Kaon will not turn on. I try the Help function but no matter how many times I try, the Kaon will not turn on.

I have asked Sky New Zealand for the Hex codes so I can send them to Logitech but Sky declined to give them to me. It was not unexpected.

I have been contacted by another person who has a Harmony remote and has just taken delivery of a Kaon NS1120 Sky box and he is having the same problems as me.

I wish to upgrade to the Ultimate One http://www.logitech.com/en-nz/product/harmony-ultimate-one?crid=60 but won't until this ludicrous situation is resolved

I predicted that as these Kaon boxes get rolled out over the next 20 months, by Sky, that more and more Harmony remote users will grow exceeding frustrated with Logitech.

It has been two months since i requested that Logitech obtain the codes for the Kaon NS 1120, what is happening?

Regards

Trevor

Their Reply.

Dear Trevor,

I would like to apologize for the time it takes for a device to be fully compatible with the Harmony database.

Please know that we do not have the actual device that are being added on our database of devices. Commands learned from the original remote or retrieving actual hex codes from every manufacturer are two ways of how a device can be added to our customer's device profile.

For your Kaon NS1120-500, the hex codes are not made available to us by the manufacturer and since we don't have the actual device, we need your cooperation in learning the remaining commands from the original remote.

Best regards,

Sheila B.
Logitech Customer Care
support.logitech.com

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#1486316 5-Feb-2016 23:00

Can't help, other than to say keep at it, teach that command many times.

Good luck!

JimmyH

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#1486418 6-Feb-2016 11:38

I'm puzzled about why Sky won't supply the hex codes. I would have hardly thought they had a vital commercial interest in not allowing their customers to use universal remotes. To the contrary, especially with competition finally heating up in NZ, I would have thought they would want to do everything they could to make their service offering usable and enjoyable.

Sky seem to put out remarkably little material on the Kaon Box. As far as I can find out they don't have a manual on their website showing connections etc, or at least they didn't when I went looking.

I also tried emailing them a couple of times with a few questions (what connections does it have, are Sky applying DRM to the analog outputs etc) a while back. I eventually got replies that read like they were randomly cut and pasted from the FAQ by someone very bored who wasn't even reading the email they were responding to. The replies certainly bore no relation to my questions whatsoever.

For some reason getting straightforward useful information out of Sky seems like getting blood out of a stone, right across the board.

EDIT: I have of course subsequently found this link, but it's not actually that informative for what I was after. Or for your issue.

Behodar

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#1486428 6-Feb-2016 11:55

JimmyH: Sky seem to put out remarkably little material on the Kaon Box. As far as I can find out they don't have a manual on their website showing connections etc, or at least they didn't when I went looking.

It seems to be a common problem in the industry. I remember when trying to choose a Blu-ray player, virtually every manufacturer would have photos of the front panel from eight different angles, but absolutely no pictures of the back. Half the time the "specifications" were so broad and generic that they hardly "specified" anything at all.

wingbat45

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#1486433 6-Feb-2016 12:02

Same remote as a HDi, try that.

Or use the remote provided by sky p? Or is this not an option.

I don't understand why people use universal remotes, but that's just a personal thing./.

richrdh18

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#1486443 6-Feb-2016 12:51

I have the Harmony Ultimate Home unit. Before the MYSky HDI update things were working well and very responsive, just like the normal Sky remote.

Since the Sky firmware upgrade which for me happened on Tues evening, my Harmony with Sky has been very very sluggish, so much so that I have to press a button twice in order to change channel or bring up menu's. Even scrolling through the planner, etc, I still have to press twice to scroll up or down or delete.

Have adjusted the delay response time with the Harmony, but still the same. The Sky remote works just fine.

Frustrating, as now have to have multiple remotes on the coffee table again.

theoldfarter

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#1486456 6-Feb-2016 13:40

wingbat45: Same remote as a HDi, try that.

Or use the remote provided by sky p? Or is this not an option.

I don't understand why people use universal remotes, but that's just a personal thing./.

I had asked Sky for the model numbers of their boxes. Entered them all into the Harmony database but none of them would control the Kaon.

One (ring lol) remote to control them all, instead of eight remotes on the coffee table next to me, is my preference.

Here is what Sky sent me:

Please find below the make and model of all our PVR Boxes .

Item Number . . . : 5770120 KAON NS1120-500 (SKY BOX)

Item Number . . . : 5010850 PACE TDS850NNZ (0850 - MYSKY HDI)

Item Number . . . : 5011850 PACE TDS850NNZ2 (1850 - MYSKY PLUS)

Item Number . . . : 5010514 PACE TDS460NNZ (5514 - MYSKY)

I hope this is of some help to you.

Regards

Carolyn Nauer

Technical Liaison Officer

Lenovo

Shop now for Lenovo laptops and other devices (affiliate link).

Rikkitic

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#1486465 6-Feb-2016 14:09

wingbat45:

I don't understand why people use universal remotes, but that's just a personal thing./.

Are you kidding? I have a TV, an HT amp, HDMI switch, Sky, UHF STB, satellite STB, DVR, Blu-Ray, and a streaming PC. You may enjoy having a dozen remotes in front of you and trying to figure out which one to reach for, but it sure isn't my idea of fun. Without the universal I would have done myself in a long time ago.

Plesse igmore amd axxept applogies in adbance fir anu typos

Yabanize

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#1486535 6-Feb-2016 16:41

How did Sky change manufactures from Pace to Kaon and keep the software the same? A common cpu/chipset?

Behodar

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#1486548 6-Feb-2016 16:55

Presumably it's just an app sitting on top of Linux or something. I know that the old (15 years ago) Pace boxes ran RISC OS, but I'm guessing that they've changed to something else by now.

MePLUR

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#1486558 6-Feb-2016 17:18

Having the same issues with the Kaon NS1120. I've tried using the Harmony to learn all the commands from the Kaon's remote, and it still isn't working right. 9/10 times, the command isn't recognised by the Kaon.

theoldfarter

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#1486562 6-Feb-2016 17:22

Behodar:

Presumably it's just an app sitting on top of Linux or something. I know that the old (15 years ago) Pace boxes ran RISC OS, but I'm guessing that they've changed to something else by now.

This is from the link posted by the third post:

Range

10 Metres (On axis)

Carrier Frequency

36 kHz

Protocol

RCMM

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linw

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#1486778 7-Feb-2016 09:15

I use a Harmony and am glad I still have the MYSKY HDi.

The problem under discussion is seriously weird as the learning mode should have fixed the issue. Even more mysterious is the reports that it works sometimes but not others.

Having trouble thinking of some logical answer. Unless it is a multiple code with a certain timing???

It would be really handy to have a device that displayed the sender outputs with codes and timings!

In the past I have used www.remotecentral.com for info and advice. May be worth a look in their forums.

tchart

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#1486847 7-Feb-2016 11:43

I'm getting the new box when we move at the end of the month. I also have a device that can display hex codes. So I can probably do some detective work later this month.

richrdh18

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#1491547 13-Feb-2016 11:37

richrdh18:

I have the Harmony Ultimate Home unit. Before the MYSky HDI update things were working well and very responsive, just like the normal Sky remote.

Since the Sky firmware upgrade which for me happened on Tues evening, my Harmony with Sky has been very very sluggish, so much so that I have to press a button twice in order to change channel or bring up menu's. Even scrolling through the planner, etc, I still have to press twice to scroll up or down or delete.

Have adjusted the delay response time with the Harmony, but still the same. The Sky remote works just fine.

Frustrating, as now have to have multiple remotes on the coffee table again.

Right, a solution for my Harmony One Ultimate, I ended up deleting the old MY Sky HD device (whatever it was called) and added in the Kaon NS 1120 device. All working well again, happy with the response time, one press and the OSD menus etc come up as expected. Haven't had to teach the remote any new commands.

Life is good once again.

JimmyH

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#1491559 13-Feb-2016 12:31

Rikkitic:

wingbat45:

I don't understand why people use universal remotes, but that's just a personal thing./.

Are you kidding? I have a TV, an HT amp, HDMI switch, Sky, UHF STB, satellite STB, DVR, Blu-Ray, and a streaming PC. You may enjoy having a dozen remotes in front of you and trying to figure out which one to reach for, but it sure isn't my idea of fun. Without the universal I would have done myself in a long time ago.

Hmmm.... I may have to try a universal remote again. I tried one 5-6 years ago and it wasn't very satisfactory, but maybe things have got better?

Personally, I'm happy with a load of remotes on the coffee table. I have a nice holder with compartments for them all and pretty much only use 2-3 at any given time. But, (for some reason the) the GF is complaining about trying to change channels and having 11 remotes to try and figure out.

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