New Installation - Help!

[PW1000]

Hello. I am new C4 user, and I have just had a system installed for me by a dealer. I am a bit surprised by the number of problems / glitches for which the dealer tells me there is basically no solution. These range from fundamental issues to minor irritations. I would greatly appreciate some guidance as to whether I should challenge the dealer further or whether I should just adjust my expectations.

My system consists of a HC-300 controller with a SR-250 remote, a Samsung UE40C8000 TV, a Virgin Media “V+” (ie Samsung SMT-H3110) box, a Panasonic BDP LX 53 Blu-Ray Player, a Pansonic VSX 2020-K amplifier, a Sonos controller with 5 zones and Rako lighting with 11 zones and it uses a HP Mediasmart Windows Home Server as network storage.

Here are 4 examples of issues I would like to resolve:

1. The C4 system does not respond quickly to key presses and frequently “misses” certain key presses. Sometimes, several seconds or even minutes later, it will then execute a whole series of missed key presses – but sometimes it will just miss them altogether. This happens equally whether the C4 is controlling the Virgin Media box, or the Blu-Ray player or the Sonos. I understand there may be a little bit of lag when using C4 this way, and that there will be some delay when switching between sources, but this is more than just lag and happens (intermittently) even when just browsing through a menu for an already-selected source. The dealer just says the CPU is running at up to 85% capacity which is “normal” and doesn’t seem to acknowledge this as a problem.

2. The SR-250 remote cannot display a full list of albums, tracks or artists when controlling the Sonos. For example, if I try to call up a list of albums (I have around 250) then the first few will appear on the screen but if I try to scroll down to see others, they are not there. Similarly, if I try to jump down the list to albums beginning with, eg, “T” then I may see the first 3 or 4 but if I try to scroll down to see the rest, they are not there. Basically Sonos is unusable when accessed via the C4 remote but by contrast the Sonos app on my iPhone works perfectly.

3. The TV has a built in media player, which can read photos, videos and music stored on the home server. This function works well when using the TV by itself and I would just like to be able to access it using the SR-250 remote / navigator screen. The dealer has done this by adding a new “TV” option under the “Watch” icon on the C4 navigator screen. If I select that option, the C4 selects the TV and switches to a spare input (ie not the one to which the Virgin Media box is connected). I then have to press the “Guide” button and the C4 sends a signal to the TV to call up its normal media player interface. This all works but is pretty clunky to have to access the media function this way so I have asked the dealer (i) whether this functionality can be accessed directly from the “Video” icon on the C4 navigator (which is currently unused) or (ii) failing that, whether the C4 could at least automatically “press” the Guide button when the “TV” option is selected so that the TV calls up its media player interface without me having to press another button on the remote. They are basically saying both of these options are impossible.

4. Similarly, I can access internet radio through Sonos – from the Navigator screen I have to select “Listen”, then “Sonos” then “Radio Station” which is again pretty clunky. I have asked whether this could be done automatically when I select the “Radio” icon on the Navigator screen (ie I am taken from there direct to the list of Sonos radio stations), and again I am being told this cannot be done.

Am I expecting too much, or do I need to press the dealer further? All guidance very gratefully received!

PW

[ILoveC4]

I will elaborate further later, but you need to press your dealer further.

[PW1000]

Thanks Dan - will look forward to hearing your thoughts! Would be grateful for any more detail you can give me for discussion with the dealer

PW