X10 Community Forum

📸Cameras & Camera Software => Camera General Discussion => Topic started by: mjwillyone on September 04, 2007, 11:11:14 AM

Title: VCR Commander is junk!
Post by: mjwillyone on September 04, 2007, 11:11:14 AM: I have never been more frustrated during the setup-phase of an electronic device as I have setting up my VCR Commander! I am close to throwing this out the window! I have not only followed the instructions that came with the unit, I got on this forum and printed every post concerning the commander. One post said that you should begin pressing the record and stop keys after the first beep of the commander. I tried that. Another said that you should use an X10 remote that has been setup to work with the VCR. I tried that. The directions that came with the unit said that you may have to point the remote at the commander at various angles. Yikes, I tried that. What a joke. Now what do I try????????????? If X-10 does not exchange me a unit that works, I am NEVER buying X-10 products again. I have spent over 3 hours on this one unit and without it, my "security cameras" are useless.

Mark
Title: Re: VCR Commander is junk!
Post by: Puck on September 04, 2007, 11:18:01 AM: Some find this to be a better set of instructions to follow:

Setting Up and Learning with VCR Commander (http://kbase.x10.com/wiki/Setting_Up_and_Learning_with_VCR_Commander)
Title: Re: VCR Commander is junk!
Post by: Charles Sullivan on September 04, 2007, 12:56:25 PM: I've found one of the most important things when training the VCR Commander to recognize the IR from the remote is to do it under very dim room lighting, and make sure the IR detector in the VCR Commander is not pointing in the direction of a window (during daytime) or any other potential source of stray IR.
Title: Re: VCR Commander is junk!
Post by: HA Dave on September 04, 2007, 01:06:40 PM: Ditto to Charles Sullivan and Puck.

Plus (and I know you read the directions) the commander won't learn with the IR emitters plugged in, once programed make sure you have the emitters over the IR port on the VCR (many VCR IR ports aren't where they would appear to be... check with a flashlight). Make sure the remote has new batteries, and "play" with distance (in the dark room).

And..... I had one VCR that just would not work.. I tried another one...and no problem.
Title: Re: VCR Commander is junk!
Post by: porsche4786 on September 21, 2007, 12:26:50 PM: Quote from: mjwillyone on September 04, 2007, 11:11:14 AM
I have never been more frustrated during the setup-phase of an electronic device as I have setting up my VCR Commander! I am close to throwing this out the window! I have not only followed the instructions that came with the unit, I got on this forum and printed every post concerning the commander. One post said that you should begin pressing the record and stop keys after the first beep of the commander. I tried that. Another said that you should use an X10 remote that has been setup to work with the VCR. I tried that. The directions that came with the unit said that you may have to point the remote at the commander at various angles. Yikes, I tried that. What a joke. Now what do I try????????????? If X-10 does not exchange me a unit that works, I am NEVER buying X-10 products again. I have spent over 3 hours on this one unit and without it, my "security cameras" are useless.

Mark

I agree with you, I have bought two VCR commanders and neither have worked. Both beep different amounts of times during programming also. I might just cut my loses while I'm ahead and buy a camera system from costco, which comes with a DVR even! Only thing is I have to spend about $700 if I want one that includes the power cord in with the RCA cables for the camera...I hate having to run wires to the cameras, but at least it will be reliable. Or they have some for around $450 also...
Title: Re: VCR Commander is junk!
Post by: porsche4786 on October 16, 2007, 08:55:40 PM: yeah, no kidding, i'm done with this crap. it's amazing how a company can be this ****ty.
Title: Re: VCR Commander is junk!
Post by: porsche4786 on October 16, 2007, 10:47:33 PM: Quote from: zach1234 on October 16, 2007, 10:33:59 PM
Report them to www.bbb.com file a compant. It kind of helps. If you want to email me I have a way to extend range. Or if you can get your MONEY BACK.

x10.com come and buy our (qualty products) sorry I was in lala land I ment to say JUNK

it's not a matter of bad range, it's a matter of they don't work and both I've gotten beep different amounts of times and such.
Title: Re: VCR Commander is junk!
Post by: zach1234 on October 17, 2007, 04:47:02 PM: I would get a refund.
Title: Re: VCR Commander is junk!
Post by: porsche4786 on October 17, 2007, 04:54:54 PM: Quote from: zach1234 on October 17, 2007, 04:47:02 PM
I would get a refund.

I got em from an ebay store....it's been far too long for a return. Glad they were cheap.
Title: Re: VCR Commander is junk!
Post by: Charles Sullivan on October 17, 2007, 05:56:52 PM: Quote from: porsche4786 on October 17, 2007, 04:54:54 PM
Quote from: zach1234 on October 17, 2007, 04:47:02 PM
I would get a refund.

I got em from an ebay store....it's been far too long for a return. Glad they were cheap.

You need to distinguish between the eBay store of an X10 authorized reseller and an eBay X10 surplus dealer. X10 stuff that I've purchased from surplus dealers (because they were el-cheapo) tended to be of questionable quality - often intermittent. I haven't had problems with stuff direct from X10 or from the authorized X10 resellers. (YMMV of course).

I suspect X-10 sells pallet-loads of rejects and customer returns to surplus dealers. If so, they're not entirely blameless when the quality of their products is suspect.
Title: Re: VCR Commander is junk!
Post by: HA Dave on October 17, 2007, 06:16:45 PM: I recently upgraded a computer with DRAM I bought from a used PC dealer at a flea market.

My thought was if the DRAM worked..... I would be a cleaver shopper... and have bragging rights. If it hadn't worked I would have just had to re-buy the DRAM from a brick-and-mortar dealer.

I am NOT comparing E-Bay with flea markets.... but if someone else did... who am I to argue.
Title: Re: VCR Commander is junk!
Post by: porsche4786 on October 17, 2007, 06:31:31 PM: they came from x10 express on ebay. He has a 30 day return policy, but I never had time to mess with the thing to make sure it wasn't working, so I gave up my ability to return the things.

edit: well, I guess there is a one year warranty......

Quote from: Charles Sullivan on October 17, 2007, 05:56:52 PM
Quote from: porsche4786 on October 17, 2007, 04:54:54 PM
Quote from: zach1234 on October 17, 2007, 04:47:02 PM
I would get a refund.

I got em from an ebay store....it's been far too long for a return. Glad they were cheap.

You need to distinguish between the eBay store of an X10 authorized reseller and an eBay X10 surplus dealer. X10 stuff that I've purchased from surplus dealers (because they were el-cheapo) tended to be of questionable quality - often intermittent. I haven't had problems with stuff direct from X10 or from the authorized X10 resellers. (YMMV of course).

I suspect X-10 sells pallet-loads of rejects and customer returns to surplus dealers. If so, they're not entirely blameless when the quality of their products is suspect.
Title: Re: VCR Commander is junk!
Post by: porsche4786 on October 17, 2007, 08:46:19 PM: yeah, i know, i've read a lot. i gave up with this a while ago.

Quote from: zach1234 on October 17, 2007, 08:34:25 PM
I think X10 has problems hav you even bothered to read the forms.