# Tivo Learning Remote and Bose Lifestyle Teaching



## jrog (Sep 5, 2004)

Alright, I know how these things go. I'm not looking to get flamed for using a Bose system. The Bose RF remote can control my Tivo, just about everything I would need to do on a daily basis, except the all important TIVO button. Enough about that.

I'm trying to use the IR command options in the Lifestyle to Teach my Tivo remote the Volume buttons, as well as the Power buttom. When in the learning mode, I send the signal to the Tivo remote, and all I ever get is the 10 fast blinks, meaning it didn't work properly. I can take the remote to my bose wave radio, which is IR, and it will learn that command, but that is not very useful. I love the Tivo remote, but why can't it recognize the IR command? Is it out of the range of the Tivo remote's capability?

Any other remote suggestions then for controlling the Bose Lifestyle, as well as the Tivo Series 3? Anyone out there have this problem settled?

Thanks,

Jrog


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## bkdtv (Jan 9, 2003)

Learning remotes can't learn RF signals. A remote must output IR signals to be compatible with learning remotes.


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## jrog (Sep 5, 2004)

The bose Lifestyle is capable of IR. I have read of others using theirs successfully with the Harmony 880 remote, but I don't want to run out and pick one of those up at $250 only to find out I need a software upgrade or something. Just hoping to find one person that has a Bose Lifestyle and a Tivo Series 3.

-Jrog


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## eisenb11 (Sep 6, 2006)

You might want to specify what model of Lifestyle you have...

Mine (Lifestyle 10, 20? something like that...) is RF only so won't work with the IR remote. 

Doesn't matter for me, though, because it was retired a few months ago in favor of a Yamaha YSP-1000 sound projector - it's amazing what comes out of this single speaker!


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## jrog (Sep 5, 2004)

Sorry... duh. It's a Bose Lifestyle 18 Series 2. It has the component video with progressive scan, the adaptiq, and all that jazz. The code that's in it allows for the RF remote to control the Tivo with just about every single function you'd want, except, there is no Tivo button or anything, so I have no way of either getting into the menu, or into the recorded programs list. Guide, channels, fast forward, recording... it all works, just not the menu or the previously recorded items.

Oh well, there is no way around having multiple remotes I guess... unless a serious investment is made. I hear the harmony 890 can learn RF commands, and I've read first hand from someone that has an 880 that can send IR to his lifestyle 18, but those are a little pricey.

-jrog


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## bkdtv (Jan 9, 2003)

> I hear the harmony 890 can learn RF commands


No universal remote can learn RF commands. The Harmony 890 communicates with an IR extender via RF over long distances. After recieving the corresponding RF command from the 890, the Harmony extender base transmits IR signals to your equipment.

As far as the LS18, a quick search gave this result on Remotecentral.com:


> Whether it is a series 1 or 2 LS18 you still do not need a C-1024, just to turn "IR Receive" ON in the settings menu. The CCF files for LS18 are available in the files section here.
> The LS18 transmits RF from the remote control TO the media centre and then emits IR from BOTH the front of the media centre, and also out the back via an IR port using wired IR eye (think you may need to check the wiring if you plan to extend or use a different IR receiver as it is of course proprietary).


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## jrog (Sep 5, 2004)

bkdtv said:


> No universal remote can learn RF commands. The Harmony 890 communicates with an IR extender via RF over long distances. After recieving the corresponding RF command from the 890, the Harmony extender base transmits IR signals to your equipment.


yup, you are right. Their lingo is tricky at first, but if you look closely that's what they are saying. It's a nice feature, but not worth the upgrade from the 880.

-jrog


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## jrog (Sep 5, 2004)

hmm... maybe I should hook an IR blaster to the back of the unit, and then put that directly on the front of my Tivo Remote while I try and capture the setting. Other than that, I think I'm doing it right, but maybe I do need a software update. 

Thanks for the info on that other post


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## mr.wurtz (Jan 20, 2009)

How to program your Learning TiVo Remote to control a Bose Lifestyle System:

In step 5, I recommend that you start by programming the Mute button first and move on to the Volume Up and Volume Down buttons in step 10.

1) Turn your Bose system on and press the TV button on your Bose remote. (You MUST press the TV button!)
2) Press the System button on your Bose remote.
3) From the Remote Control menu, scroll to the bottom, select "Teach" from the "IR Control:" menu, then press Enter.
4) On your TiVo remote, press and hold the TiVo and Select buttons simultaneously, until the LED stays illuminated.
5) Press the button you want to program on the TiVo remote. The LED will flash once then remain illuminated.
6) Hold the TiVo remote no more than 4 inches from the front display of the Lifestyle box or the remote IR blaster if you have that hooked up.
7) Press the corresponding button on the Bose remote and observe the LED on the TiVo remote.
8) If the LED on the TiVo remote flashes 10X rapidly, repeat steps 5-7.
9) If the LED on the TiVo remote flashes 4X, the TiVo button was programmed successfully.
10 Press the next TiVo button you want to program (volume up or down) and repeat steps 6-9.
11) Press the TiVo button to exit the Learning Mode on your Tivo Remote.

Once you've successfully programmed your TiVo remote, set your Bose system IR setting from Teach to On.

1) Press the System button on your Bose remote
2) From the Remote Control menu, scroll to the bottom, select "On" from the "IR Control:" menu, then press Enter.
3) Test your TiVo remote by pressing the buttons you programmed.

*Important notes:
*
When you put the TiVo remote in learning mode (by holding the TiVo and Select buttons down) you have about 20 seconds to push the button you want to program. If you don't press a button to program within 20 seconds, the LED will flash 10 times rapidly, stay off, and the remote will exit the learning mode. If this happens, start from Step 4 and try again.

During UNSUCCESSFUL attempts, you'll be repeating steps 5-8 over and over. For example, if you're programming the mute button, continue to hold the TiVo remote up to the Bose display or IR emitter.

TiVo Button: Mute
Bose Button: Mute
TiVo LED: 10X

Repeat the process of pressing the TiVo button, Bose button, then observing the TiVo LED until you see 4 slow flashes on the TiVo remote. After you get 4 slow flashes, press the next button on the TiVo remote you want to program. Continue the process explained above-with the new corresponding buttons-until successful.

Once you have the TiVo remote in the learning mode, you can continue to program other buttons (Volume Up, Volume Down) by pushing the next button you want to program. For example, if you started by programming the Mute button in the example above, once you see the 4 LED flashes (indicating the Learning was successful) you can then press the Volume Up button on the TiVo remote, followed by the Volume Up button on the Bose Remote. THE VOLUME UP AND DOWN BUTTONS are treated as two separate buttons, so you must program both of them!

If you don't change your Bose system "IR Control" back to "On" from the "Teach" mode, your Bose system won't respond to your TiVo remote as you're testing the newly programmed buttons. Forgetting this important step will make it seem as though the learning process didn't work, which will add to your frustration!

Step 1 is really important! If you don't press the TV button on the Bose remote, you're gonna be there all night repeating steps 4-8!


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## Ted_Martin (Nov 26, 2003)

This didn't work for me! I have a Lifestyle V30 and a Tivo Series 3. I followed the steps you layed out and the Tivo remote flashed 4 times. However, the mute button still doesn't work. Any ideas?

Thanks a lot


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## MikeAndrews (Jan 17, 2002)

Can I reprogram a button like [Aspect]? I just tried it and it didnt work.

I want to program a button to power /on/off the Audio Reciever. I already have TV power doing the monitor.

Can a stack the power commands in a macro?


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## douglasabel (Apr 23, 2010)

I have a Tivo series III, and a Bose V30

Following Mr Wurtz's instructions very closely, I did finally get the Volume controls on my TiVo remote to work. For those having trouble, pay attention to these steps.

1) Read ... and Re-Read the "Important Notes" on Mr Wurtz's notes. You will need the section on repeat programming one button, if at first it does not work. The sequence is very important.

2) Hold the remote very close to 4" from the front right side of the Bose Display unit. Too close or too far and you will have issues. I tried the IR emitter, connect to the bose amp, but I had spotty results.

3) Once I got the repeat process down, I was able to cycle quite quickly through failed programming attempts, until I got a slow 4 flash confirmation from the TiVo remote. This worked well for the Volume up button. However, I got many false positive confirmations on the Volume down button. Meaning, that even after the confirming 4 flashes from the TiVo remote, the Tivo volume down still did not work. I persisted a few times, and my last attempt I held down the volume on the Bose remote right through the confirming blinks on the TiVo remote, and it finally worked. I do not know if this was the trick though, because once it worked, I did not mess with it.

4) The MUTE button did program, but it only mutes for 1 second, and then it jumps out of mute all by itself. I still have this problem.

5) Although the Volume controls do work now, the pace of adjustment while you hold the button down is very slow. Almost frustratingly slow.

Hope this helps those of you that have had issues on your first try.


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## Joe3 (Dec 12, 2006)

I have the Bose Lifestyle proprietary system and the proprietary TiVo. The only thing that comes close in comparison to this communication tech experience is TiVo and the Cablecard.
But you can't beat Bose/TiVo in a small to medium room. Believe me I spent months trying.


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## mr.unnatural (Feb 2, 2006)

Learning remotes can be tricky to set up if you're not careful. Try turning off all but just barebones lighting in the room when teaching a remote command, especially if you have fluorescent bulbs being used in the light fixtures or lamps. If you can't get the code to stick then experiment with the distance between remotes. You should also try different durations of the button presses. Some remotes will learn if you just press and release quickly while others require a longer button press to learn the command.

FYI - there are lots of learning remotes available for well under $100 and some even in the sub $50 range if you look around. I've seen Harmony 880 refurbs going for as little as $75-80. Heck, I paid less than $150 for my brand new Harmony One (i.e., not a refurb).

BTW, did you ever wonder why so many people bash Bose speakers and systems? The reason is because they don't reproduce realistic sound. Bose gets a lot of sound out of small boxes because they engineer them to work that way. The problem is that while the sound stage is large, it does not represent accurate sound reproduction. Bose has relied on gimmickry to reproduce big sound from day one.

I used to own a pair of the original Bose 901 systems until I got educated about realistic sound reproduction. I traded them in on a pair of Dahlquist DQ-10's at a high end audio salon back in the mid 70's and it was the best thing I ever did for my sound system. The guy at the store didn't really want to take them because he knew none of his regular clientele would be interested in buying them. I suspect he sold them off to someone via a classified ad in the local paper.

If quality sound reproduction is not high on your priority list then Bose speakers will probably suit your "lifestyle" just fine. The fact that Bose sells so many systems indicates just how many consumers are clueless about realistic sound reproduction in the home. They may sound good, but they'll never sound right. Bose is a four letter word to any serious audiophile.

FWIW, my comments were meant to educate you and not criticize you in any way. Proper sound reproduction with consumer audio gear is a learning process. You don't have to get sucked into the insanity of high-end audio like I once did to enjoy it.



Joe3 said:


> But you can't beat Bose/TiVo in a small to medium room. Believe me I spent months trying.


Believe me, you didn't try hard enough.


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## gweempose (Mar 23, 2003)

mr.unnatural said:


> I used to own a pair of the original Bose 901 systems until I got educated about realistic sound reproduction. I traded them in on a pair of Dahlquist DQ-10's ...


Back in the day, I had a pair of Dalquist DQM9's. I still kind of miss those bad boys.


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## deathopie (Jul 16, 2010)

I was able to get my Bose Cinemate II to work with the Tivo glo remote, but like Doug above I found the volume down and power buttons to be very stubborn. My Bose remote only has 4 buttons and the unit shuts itself off after a period of no usage, so I programed the Bose power to the "TV pwr" button on the tivo remote. It took MANY attempts to get the volume down and power buttons to work, even after the false positive 4 flashes indicated it should be programmed. Be persistent and you should get it.
I also have a Harmony 520 remote and set it up like a tivo remote and taught it the bose commands as well. It works well. Now the wife and I can have remote wars.


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