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In an audiovisual system, discrete input selection means sending a command for one specific source, such as Video 2. A cyclic or toggle command instead moves through the available sources from the device’s current input. The distinction matters when setting up a remote-control macro: choosing a named input directly can avoid having to track or count toggle presses.
Discrete selection vs. cyclic selection
| Control method | What it does | What it depends on |
|---|---|---|
| Discrete input selection | Sends a command to select a particular input, such as Video 1, Video 2 or Video 3. | The device or control system must support a command for that input, and the command must work with the equipment. |
| Cyclic input selection | Advances through available inputs, often with a single Input or A/V button. | Reaching the desired source may require knowing the current input and how many steps to advance. |
Philips’ Prestigo SRT9230 manual describes cyclic selection as cycling through inputs with an A/V button, and discrete selection as using controls that choose a particular source. Control4’s Composer Pro help illustrates the direct approach with separate commands for Video 1, Video 2 and Video 3, rather than one toggle command.
Why direct selection helps with remote macros
A macro is a sequence of commands used to put equipment into a desired setup—for example, turning on a display and selecting the input used by another device. If the macro uses a toggle command, the result can depend on which input was active before it ran. It may also need the right number of presses to reach the intended source. A discrete command targets that source instead.
Philips recommends using discrete input selection in macros where possible to make them more reliable. This is a practical advantage, not a guarantee: the command still has to be available and accepted by the actual equipment.
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How to check whether your equipment supports it
- Look for input-specific commands. In the remote or control-system programming interface, check whether the command list has separate entries for named inputs, rather than only an Input or A/V toggle.
- Try the command on the device. Philips advises testing the available input commands and checking whether the television reacts; a command’s label may not match the input name shown on the screen.
- Confirm the result before using it in a macro. Verify that the intended source is selected, then test the macro from more than one starting input if practical. This helps reveal whether the command selects a specific source or merely advances through inputs.
Support varies by television, remote and control system. A programmable system may offer direct commands even when the original handheld remote has no separate button for each input, but a listed command should not be assumed to work until tested with the equipment.
Another technical use of the phrase
Outside audiovisual remotes, “discrete input” can mean something different. In Emerson’s DLC3020f instruction manual, the ISEL input-selector function block uses DISABLE inputs to enable or disable associated channels. That is an industrial-control meaning, not a command for choosing a TV source.
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