Changing a Tv channel without remote

[superpomme]

Hi - I'm a bit stuck in doing a Jamma conversion. I mounted a 21" crt screen inside it rather than getting the arcade screen working (i'm going to save that for the next one I build). I can get the pc to load, the TV to turn on, the lights to come on etc...but the tv comes on with normal channels rather than the av channel.

To get to the av button I need to take down the controls, take off the glass bezel, click the button...then put it all back on again. I dont have the remote for it cause i picked the tv up second hand for a quid. Is there any way of wiring a switch to the switches on the side of a tv or is that asking for trouble?

The only other thing i can think of is that i have a usb infra red dongle thing - is there any software that would make that act like a remote to trigger the switch?


Think I may end up having to get a remote for it or swap out the tv, but it just seems like a shame now its all made.

[newmanfamilyvlogs]

You can probably wire a regular microswitch up to the button on the tv pretty easy. If its only one button press to switch you could wire up a relay that triggers off the voltage from the usb port when the computer comes up and tap the button that way. Going infrared will be annoying.

[crashwg]

In my experience the buttons on TVs are on a PCB that is not a common ground system with a wire for each button so you wouldn't be able to just tie into a wire.  You'd have to solder to the contacts that the existing button is soldered to.  It really wouldn't be hard though.  Just keep clear of the suction cup lookin thingy on the tube and everything directly attached to it and you'll be alright.

Alternatively, if the monitor "glass" is not glass (i.e. lexan or whatever) you could drill a small hole and install a small rod or something to push the button.

[Hurray Banana]

If you are connecting the video to the TV through SCART

You can supply a voltage on a couple of pins to tell the TV to switch to the AV input.

See this for more details.

http://www.idiots.org.uk/vga_rgb_scart/

[BadMouth]

google the brand of your tv and "hotel mode"

Not all TV's have it and you won't find it in the manual, but it will do what you want.

[bkenobi]

You can build an IR control for a serial or parallel port for just a couple USD.  Check out lirc and winlirc.  If you can figure out what code to send, you can actually send a power on and AV1 signal at the correct time so the TV turns on and changes to the right station when the FE has loaded.  I've did this on my first cabinet and it works brilliantly!

[Sjaak]

google the brand of your tv and "hotel mode"

Not all TV's have it and you won't find it in the manual, but it will do what you want.

+1 to that

[bkenobi]

google the brand of your tv and "hotel mode"

Not all TV's have it and you won't find it in the manual, but it will do what you want.

+1 to that

Yes, if your TV has it...

[yeertha]

For my HTPC setup I have a USB-UIRT (http://www.usbuirt.com/) to transmit IR signals using EventGhost software (http://www.eventghost.org/).