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Sony USB Control?

jjamesjjames AMX Sustaining Engineer
in AMX Technical Discussion
According to one of our techs, there's no longer a serial port on the back which would normally be used to "Service" (aka control) and instead there's a USB port (on the back.)

Does anyone know whether or not we can still control these things (I'll get a model number soon) through RS-232 (albeit in USB form)?
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  • ericmedleyericmedley Senior Member - 3709 Posts
    jjames wrote: »
    According to one of our techs, there's no longer a serial port on the back which would normally be used to "Service" (aka control) and instead there's a USB port (on the back.)

    Does anyone know whether or not we can still control these things (I'll get a model number soon) through RS-232 (albeit in USB form)?

    At the last Sony dealer meeting we went to they announced that they were no longer putting rs232 ports on any of their televisions. Their excuse was that the ports cost $0.75 which isn't much until you multiply that by 15,000,000 TVs. "Oh,you must be an integerator.." was the responce to one of our engineers who asked the question.

    There are rumors that they will be allowing control via the IP port on all the new models. But, this is only rumor.

    Fortunately, Sony IR is pretty consistent in that there are usually discrete power and source codes.

    We've just switched over to IR and called it a day.
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  • jjamesjjames AMX Sustaining Engineer
    ericmedley wrote: »
    We've just switched over to IR and called it a day.
    That's what we'll do. I just wanted to make sure that this was the only option.

    Thanks!
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  • Jimweir192Jimweir192 Junior Member
    I'm currently testing a unit that allows you to inject CEC commands onto the HDMI bus from a serial port. Works pretty well, although at the moment there is a lot of reversing the protocol as there is very little published info out there on different manufacturers implementations of CEC.
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  • ericmedleyericmedley Senior Member - 3709 Posts
    Jimweir192 wrote: »
    I'm currently testing a unit that allows you to inject CEC commands onto the HDMI bus from a serial port. Works pretty well, although at the moment there is a lot of reversing the protocol as there is very little published info out there on different manufacturers implementations of CEC.



    You can kinds tell the manufacturers are moving toward using the HDMI input for everything. That's fine by me as long a they release the protocol.
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  • ScottpulmanScottpulman Junior Member
    I wouldn't mind if the manufacturers move everything onto HDMI, but why will they not get it through their stubborn ******* heads that we need to have a locking connector. The biggest problem with HDMI is that the connectors fall out all the time
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  • John GonzalesJohn Gonzales Junior Member
    Scottpulman wrote: »
    I wouldn't mind if the manufacturers move everything onto HDMI, but why will they not get it through their stubborn ******* heads that we need to have a locking connector. The biggest problem with HDMI is that the connectors fall out all the time
    Seriously. Is something with the security and simplicity of the BNC connector so hard to replicate?

    Sorry jjames - no help on the USB thing, I just had to chime in with agreement on that locking connector issue. :)

    --John
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  • yuriyuri Junior Member
    How would one inject RS232 commando's onto the HDMI bus? From a receiver?

    HDMI is fine, but it won't allow you to cross great distances... I prefer RS232 or Ethernet :)
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  • ericmedleyericmedley Senior Member - 3709 Posts
    HDMI connector: worst idea EVER!
    S-Video: second worst idea ever...
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  • AuserAuser Junior Member
    ericmedley wrote: »
    HDMI connector: worst idea EVER!
    S-Video: second worst idea ever...

    You've clearly never worked with a video wall processor with a heap of S-Vid inputs. You can watch the segments on the wall failing as they fall out of their own volition. I'm sure S-Video connectors were the worst connector design of all time :(

    Out of curiosity, do the new Sony's have any wired control (ie. Control A1/S-Link port)?
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  • John GonzalesJohn Gonzales Junior Member
    Auser wrote: »
    Out of curiosity, do the new Sony's have any wired control (ie. Control A1/S-Link port)?
    I was wondering the same thing. The s-link/control-s can be used for wired IR by turning the carrier frequency off. Then you get no funky bug on the front of the device. There's also a device to convert it to serial (not sure if it's still available though). Here's some more info on it:

    http://www.amxforums.com/showthread.php?t=146

    And yeah, S-video connectors stink too!


    --John
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  • AuserAuser Junior Member
    Good link to more info on Control A1/S-Link in the last post in this thread for those masochists who want to know more about it, too: http://www.amxforums.com/showthread.php?p=24553#post24553
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  • DHawthorneDHawthorne Junior Member
    Auser wrote: »
    You've clearly never worked with a video wall processor with a heap of S-Vid inputs. You can watch the segments on the wall failing as they fall out of their own volition. I'm sure S-Video connectors were the worst connector design of all time :(

    Out of curiosity, do the new Sony's have any wired control (ie. Control A1/S-Link port)?

    I agree that S-Video was worse, but at least S cables were relatively light. A high-end HDMI is comparable to a garden hose, and they pull out ever so much more readily because of that. I wish they had adopted the DVI connector as standard instead ... it carries the same signal, after all.
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