Away Mode - Australian Media Centre Community

Away Mode
Started By ozbear , Sep 23 2013 04:25 PM
Away Mode

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#1 Away Mode: post #1 ozbear
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Posted 23 September 2013 – 04:25 PM
I used to think I was fairly intelligent but no matter how much I read about “Away Mode” the less sense it makes to me.

Can someone please explain, as if you were talking to a child what away mode is (simply), why I might want it enabled, why I might not, and when it does whatever it does.

I just don’t get it.

#2 Away Mode: post #2 joecrow
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Posted 24 September 2013 – 08:21 AM
Well as a former user of the “Away Mode” feature (more on the former later) without going into the technicalities since I don’t know them:-

Away mode is used in conjunction with Sleep, so if the off button on the remote puts your HTPC to sleep and Away Mode is enabled then 2 things could happen.

1. If a recording or some other scheduled task (EPG update etc.) is running when you press the off button the HTPC will enter Away Mode by turning off video and audio signals but will continue running the task until it is completed before actually going to sleep.
2. If the HTPC is already sleeping when a recording or other task is scheduled it will wake up in Away Mode without turning on video and audio signals and run to completion before returning to sleep.
In Away Mode if a button on the remote is pressed it should enable vid. and audio, i.e. come fully to life.

Away mode is usefull as it provides a fully dark/silent mode for recording or scheduling updates say in the middle of the night.

If any of the gurus wish to comment or correct my description please feel free to do so, but to perhaps extend this discussion as mentioned I am a former user, reason being that unlike the old monitor I used to use, my super brand spanking new Philips TV does not seem to respond, i.e. go into standby, in Away Mode it just sits there with a message on the screen saying “No Video Signal”. In fact I have yet to discover if it is possible to put the TV into standby and take it out via HDMI, Philips Support say it can’t be done, though the TV has options for putting connected HDMI (compliant) connected devices, e.g. BD player to sleep and waking them up. Seems strange that it does not comply itself!?!
I would like to be able to put the TV to sleep and wake it up in conjunction with the HTPC, any ideas would be most welcome.

Joe

Edited by joecrow, 24 September 2013 – 08:23 AM.
#3 Away Mode: post #3 chir
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Posted 24 September 2013 – 01:06 PM
IMHO, away mode is useful only if your HTPC can’t wake up from sleep to record TV, or if you also use your HTPC to perform constant computational tasks (torrents). Otherwise, standard sleep is perfect for a win7 MCE HTPC. Mine wakes up every night at 3:00 AM to gather the program guide using EPGCollector. Under win7 you can configure the power button to behave like the “suspend” button so as to make the behaviour more coherent.

If you want your TV to go to sleep when the PC sleeps, you have only 2 options:
1) use VGA instead of HDMI (this trick works with my Samsung TV).
2) use HDMI-CEC (that’s what Philips BD players do).

Edited by chir, 24 September 2013 – 01:10 PM.
#4 Away Mode: post #4 ozbear
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Posted 24 September 2013 – 10:49 PM
Thanks guys….that made it a little clearer.

#5 Away Mode: post #5 joecrow
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Posted 25 September 2013 – 01:46 AM

Couple of questions:-

Option 1, how do you play Bluray? I thought VGA is not HDCP compliant.
Option 2, please can you elaborate how I can use HDMI-CEC on my Win 7 x64 HTPC? HDMI video from AMD 6670.

Joe

Edited by joecrow, 25 September 2013 – 08:13 AM.
#6 Away Mode: post #6 chir
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Posted 25 September 2013 – 12:09 PM
The biggest problem about VGA is that TV sets typically do not apply their sophisticated filters (dynamic contrast, dynamic backlighting, colour enhancement, etc…) in VGA mode. So it’s ideal for desktop apps, but not so much for movies. I just mentioned VGA as a zero-dollar trick for sleep mode.

HDMI-CEC adapters for PCs have been around for a few years -with varying degrees of success- from RCAware , Pulse-eight, Rainshadow.

Edited by chir, 25 September 2013 – 12:09 PM.
#7 Away Mode: post #7 joecrow
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Posted 26 September 2013 – 03:17 AM
I googled HDMI-CEC and as Chir mentioned adaptors were available some years ago, but its unclear to me if any still are and it seems they were not always fully functional. There has been nothing much on the subject, that I could find, since 2011, some hope that AMD or NVIDIA might implement it but nothing new there either. Shame really as it would be an elegant solution to have the HTPC put everything in standby when it goes to sleep. Oh well I will have to stick with the big hammer and simply power of the TV via a master/slave extension lead when the HTPC goes to sleep.
Joe

#8 Away Mode: post #8 joecrow
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Posted 05 October 2013 – 10:57 AM
Hi Guys

You may want to take a look at the post >here regarding my experience so far with an HDMI-CEC adapter. In conjuction with Away mode there are some real power saving opportunities when doing unattended recording and updates.