TV on/off suggestions please

[cipriani2k]

I'm about to build my cabinet somewhat soon and the only issue I haven't figured out is how im gonna be turning my tv monitor on. I'm gonna get a smart power strip and have my tv as the main device so when i turn the tv on everything else will power on and then i have a small button wired for my pc. But like I said, I just cant figure out any ways to turn it on. Id prefer not to cut through my bezel. I'd think maybe wiring a button would work great but I know nothing about tvs so I haven't really considered that option. Does anyone have any ideas on some alternatives?

Also I dont know how uncommon it is, but my tv does not remember that the power was on obviously, or I wouldnt really have an issue.

[cipriani2k]

http://webpages.charter.net/rbecker5/plans.html

How hard is it to rig a remote to a pushbutton? if this method is as easy as it sounds I might start looking for the remote.

[brock.sampson]

I hacked a cheap walmart universal remote.  Instead of having a seperate button to turn on the tv I hooked the power button leads to a 25 port connector and use the lpt port to turn it on.  Some more details here http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=77105.msg805195#msg805195.  I wasn't very difficult but may take some fiddling as some pcs poll the lpt port differently.

[cipriani2k]

thanks so much for the help there. I cant wait to try this out. Im not at all knowledgable though so if i got this straight, I can get a lpt - pci since i dont have an lpt port. and then i solder 2 wires into the female end of the lpt port, (one in pin 2 and one in pin 25) and connect those wires onto the remote control power button. Im sure im gonna mess up the application of this so i just wanna make sure i at least have the right idea going into it.

[brock.sampson]

Yep that should get the basics.  I just got a 25 pin connector from radio shack.  You can also use an old printer cable you just have to find the right pins with a meter.  Not sure how a pci card will poll that port so you may have to fiddle around with that for a while.