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Remote control for MBT


steve1977

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steve1977

Any experience using remote controls with MBT? Particularly, did anyone succeed to have its TV remote control "learn" to steer MBT? Thanks in advance!

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Deihmos

You will need CEC for your TV remote to work. There is an adapter that enables CEC but Idon't know if it will work with WMC.

Edited by Deihmos
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What about non-WMC remotes? Like the standard TV remote (Samsung, LG, Sony, ...) or even a macmini remote?

As long as your remote is sending WMC commands it will work. I'm using a Harmony remote setup as a WMC one and works perfect. If your TV remote can't learn those commands, then you might consider getting a WMC remote.

Edited by gcw07
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steve1977

Would I still need a CEC dongle although the Mac Mini has a integrated IR receiver? Should I be fine with WMC commands using Eventghost?

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steve1977

Did some more googling and reading through forums. Apparently, I won't be able to use my Sony remote with my MacMini unless I buy an additional IR receiver.

 

I should be somehow able to use my MacMini remote to steer MBT. Not sure how yet, but it should work using Eventghost. There are Eventghost for XBMC, Mediaportal, Windows Mediaplayer, etc. Not sure whether this will require a separate plugin or I could use one of the existing ones and they magically work with MBT. Is MBT's remote mapping compatible with any other media center?

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steve1977

I am one step further, but still the remote does not work. Eventghost is sending me the message "MCE is not running", which somewhat makes sense as MBT is running on Win7. Thoughts?

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I used Eventghost for years, having constant problems with application focus. I stumbled upon IntelliRemote and never looked back. It's very good at sensing which app has the focus, and the built-in profiles, like MCE, XBMC, MPC-HC, etc, are totally customizable. I'm using it with a USB-UIRT receiver, but it works with many different ones. I have a couple of different Harmony remotes in different rooms, and a URC MX-850 in the main HT room.

 

When I installed MBT I just copied the MCE profile, renamed it, pointed it to the MBT executable location, and was good to go. The original MCE profile still works fine with MBC.

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I am one step further, but still the remote does not work. Eventghost is sending me the message "MCE is not running", which somewhat makes sense as MBT is running on Win7. Thoughts?

Unfortunately that sounds like a limitation of the EventGhost program. It I guess checks to see if WMC is running it what it sounds like. Not much we can do about that, sorry. You might try contacting the person that wrote that plugin and ask them for an option to remove that check.

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Xzener

I also tried EG a while back, couldn't get it working well. I simply bought an MCE remote dongle, closed EG, and never looked back.

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I'm using the Harmony 650, which seems to work completely fine, except for the fact that for some reason I can't hold down the arrow buttons and be able to scroll quickly. Works fine in MBC, but for some reason in MBT I need to keep tapping the button to move one item at a time... Extremely time consuming, and I can't figure out why it's doing this.

 

The "signal" icon stays on the remote screen while I hold the button, so I know it's still sending the command, but for some reason MBT isn't picking up on the fact that I'm holding the button down, and only recognizes a single command. I've reprogrammed my remote twice with different settings, all with no luck. But the remote still works perfectly in MBC/WMC, just not MBT.

 

Any ideas?

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That is just not a supported feature pmac. WMC implemented the fast scroll in their app and while MBT sees you've pressed it, it just sees you've pressed it, not that your holding it down or what to do if you are. Maybe eventually Luke can get that feature in, but just not there yet.

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Ok, thanks. I assumed that since fast scrolling worked with the keyboard, it would work similarly with the remote, didn't realize it would be a separate command. Hopefully it will end up in the full release!

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steve1977

Maybe someone who knows python can help me how to edit the plugin to work with MBT. It currently does not work unless MCE is running (which in my case is never given I am running MBT on WIn7x64).

 

Code (snippet)

FindMCE = eg.WindowMatcher(u'ehshell.exe', u'Windows Media Center', None, None, None, 1, False, 0.0, 0)
class hotKeys(eg.ActionClass):   
    def __call__(self):
        if self.value > '{Win+':
            eg.SendKeys(None, self.value, False)
        else:
            hwnds = FindMCE()
            if len(hwnds) != 0:
                eg.SendKeys(hwnds[0], self.value, False)
            else:
                self.PrintError("MCE is not running")
                return
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TrainAss

I'm using a Harmony One with MBT and it works great.  I have it programmed so I can bring up the subtitle/audio options as well.

@@elshagon I too have a Harmony One and am trying to get mine setup like yours. You wouldn't be able to post some screenshots or info of your settings, would you?

Edited by TrainAss
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elshagon

@@elshagon I too have a Harmony One and am trying to get mine setup like yours. You wouldn't be able to post some screenshots or info of your settings, would you?

Yes I will post some screenshots soon, could be a day or two.  I will PM you once they are up.

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elshagon

Ok here's some instructions on how I set up my Harmony One remote to work with media browser on a Windows 7 machine:

 

  1. With the Harmony software you first tell it what devices you have in your setup, set the delays needed to turn everything on, then create activites that appear on the front lcd display such as “watch my movies”. When you do this you setup commands from the remote to turn on all your gear and get you into Media Browser.
  2. When you setup your htpc as a device choose: Device type: Computer –> Media Center PC –> Manufacturer: Microsoft –> Model: Windows Media Center SE (doing this gives you more options than if you just pick Dell etc as your manufacturer)
  3. I then selected to “add an activity – watch my movies” and chose to “manually add an activity”. Doing this you can make sure everything turns on to your liking, tv, receiver, etc.
  4. Now to the important part for media browser. With the Harmony you can add hotkeys to launch Media Browser from the quicklaunch taskbar. You do this by dropping the Media Browser shortcut icon into your taskbar to the right of your start button. I then moved it so its all the way to the left (just to the right of the start button). Doing this means Media Browser will launch when win+1 is pressed. You add this command in the Harmony One Software. You can also set hotkeys with win+2 etc to launch whatever program or even browser bookmarks you want from the Harmony remote.

That’s it. You can also customize your buttons to switch subtitles and audio tracks which is good if you have files where your language isn’t the default track. I also dropped my foobar into the taskbar next to the Media Browser and created a music activity with all the same steps then add “win+2” as the last step.

Here's some screenshots:

When you setup your htpc as a device choose: Device type: Computer –> Media Center PC –> Manufacturer: Microsoft –> Model: Windows Media Center SE 

529bd8f0985b2_device.jpg

Once you add an activity go to "Customize Buttons"  Here you can assign commands to all your buttons.  Here's mine:

529bd99624e27_buttons.jpg

 

I assigned the following by clicking on "Additional Buttons" Note the hotkeys to open Media Browser win+5 meaning MBT is the 5th icon over in the taskbar from the start menu.  Also note I added a sequence so when clicking on "exit all" it will close MBT, foobar, media center etc.  Also note the "audio/subtitle" with the * assigned.  This will bring up the audio and subtitle options with MBT.

 

529bdacfdb988_sequence.jpg

Here's the sequence I set up for "Exit All"

529bdb3ef301f_Capture2.jpg

 

And finally a shot of the Harmony One remote screen for my Movies/TV activity.  In this case I can launch MBC or MBT as I have both on the touch screen.  I named MBC as "MB3" and MBT as "Movie Theater".  Also see the button labeled "Audio Subtitle", this brings up MBT's options to change audio/subtitle: 

 

529bdeea869c9_remote.jpg

That's it, hope the screenshots helped, and let me know if you haven any questions.

Edited by elshagon
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