Windows Media Center-the easiest path?

[klaberte]

I have a RS 15-2104 that has served me well for years. I would like to use it to control my new Win7 Media Center (WMC) machine.

So I think I need two things:

1. A USB receiver that will correctly interpret the typical WMC commands (I suspect I will get it with a throw-away remote).
2. An upgrade that will talk the same protocol, codes, etc. as the throw-away remote.

I haven't bought a remote/USB receiver yet, so I am game with what ever works and doesn't cost too much.

Any suggestions?

[klaberte]

By the way, I also have a USB UIRT which I could press into action if there is a smooth path there (although my quick reading of those posts suggests that set-up is non-trivial). Should I be exploring this path first?

[The Robman]

If you buy a device that works and it comes with a remote, you can use your 15-2104 to capture the signals and then use the captured info to build an upgrade.

Hopefully it will use a standard protocol, in which case the job will be easy, but in the event that it uses a strange protocol that our tools don't recognize, post your IR file (the one with the learns in it) here and I'll take a look.

[klaberte]

Thanks Robman. I guess I was hoping to avoid having to diagnose my remote protocol, hoping instead that someone would say "I know upgrade X works with receiver Y for WMC".

If I don't hear this from someone, I will follow your advice. Is there a standard, systematic way to take and report capture files?

[cauer29]

Thanks Robman. I guess I was hoping to avoid having to diagnose my remote protocol, hoping instead that someone would say "I know upgrade X works with receiver Y for WMC".

If I don't hear this from someone, I will follow your advice. Is there a standard, systematic way to take and report capture files?

FWIW the official Microsoft MCE remote and receiver use a known protocol for which there are upgrades available. They're probably not the cheapest option though.

A.A.

[The Robman]

Thanks Robman. I guess I was hoping to avoid having to diagnose my remote protocol, hoping instead that someone would say "I know upgrade X works with receiver Y for WMC".

If I don't hear this from someone, I will follow your advice. Is there a standard, systematic way to take and report capture files?

Don't worry about diagnosing the new remote, just buy whichever device you get the best deal on. If it comes with a remote, we can replicate it on your 15-2104.

[Dilligaf]

I have found that the upgrades for MCE remotes are fairly large if your remote doesn't have a built in code, make sure you have enough room in your remote.

Mike

[cauer29]

I have found that the upgrades for MCE remotes are fairly large if your remote doesn't have a built in code, make sure you have enough room in your remote.

Mike

Hmmm...remotes sold as "MCE" remotes are generally not using MCE protocol from what I've seen. They use whatever the mfgr felt like using and then there is a custom driver at the PC side that takes care of translating to the common MCE commands. As such, I don't think you can really say much about the size of an upgrade with respect to an "MCE" remote.

The official Microsoft MCE remote uses the MCE protocol, the upgrade for which, is some 150+ bytes in S3C80. I don't know what it is for other CPUs, but I'll grant you that 150 bytes seems a bit large.

A.A.

[embrion]

Just to add my 2 cents.
I've just setup my JP1 remote as one using MCE protocol. If you want more keys, use Xbox 360 remote instead of generic MCE remote...it has more keys and is still MCE one.
http://www.freewebs.com/xbox360country/remote.jpg

You can even make Win MCE software to accept it using "Tweak Mce".

I use MS receiver that came with my old remote:
http://geektechnique.org/images/1151.jpg

On the software side, you can use EventGhost or IR Server Suite. Second one can even make MCE receiver to accept signals from non MCE remotes and show it as MCE signals. I'm using it with XBMC but it can be used with MediaPortal or other, smaller apps.

[klaberte]

Thanks Robman. I guess I was hoping to avoid having to diagnose my remote protocol, hoping instead that someone would say "I know upgrade X works with receiver Y for WMC".

If I don't hear this from someone, I will follow your advice. Is there a standard, systematic way to take and report capture files?

Don't worry about diagnosing the new remote, just buy whichever device you get the best deal on. If it comes with a remote, we can replicate it on your 15-2104.

Just to clarify (and thanks to Robman for tracking my questions through the various threads), I am considering this remote:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00224ZDFY?tag=j0df-20

However, the reviewers mention that it emulates key presses ("not a true remote"), and some complain that it was difficult to get working with non-traditional schemes (one reviewer specifically mentions problems replicating it on his Logitech Harmony)

But if there is reported success, or there is confidence we can replicate this remote on my 15-2104, I will go for it!

[The Robman]

I'm pretty sure that we've seen that remote before and have an upgrade for it. It's probably one of the "no name" MCE upgrades. If you do get the remote, learn a button and show us what the learned signal looks like, then we can look it up on the master file to see which upgrade it is.

If the remote has lots of buttons with unusual names, it might be hard to come up with a button layout on your 15-2104 where you'll remember what each button does.

[klaberte]

Thanks, Robman. Ordered it tonight. Will learn some codes and post them in the protocol decode forum.

[The Robman]

Post them here because it's likely a protocol that we've seen before so we won't need to "decode" it as such.

[klaberte]

OK, got the remote and have learned a few buttons. Here's one of them:



Uploaded with ImageShack.us

As expected, the other buttons only change the EFC

Play 051
Select 207
Up 112
Right 209
Down 205
Left 114

Does it look familiar? Do I need to worry about "no end frame"

[The Robman]

We don't need a screen shot, we need to actual IR file.