HOW TO: Using MCE Remote and/or Harmony 880 to control BTV

[John Sparks]

OK I just got a Harmony 880 remote and wanted to use it to control BTV and MCE. I had a firefly remote but it was RF and useless to the Harmony which is IR driven. I did a Microsoft MCE Remote v2 which was RF and the Harmony could use to control MCE. While it could also control BTV once the viewscape was running, there was no way to program a button to start the viewscape up. Another member here, queonda told me about a free alternative to Girder, called HIP that might do the trick (thanks!) and after setting everything up, it works GREAT!

In case anyone else wants to set up the same thing I decided to write down my experiences and upload my configuration file so they won't have to do all the grunt work (I spent two days setting it all up)

So here we go:

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1. Download HIP full version and install. during installation the only plugin I told it to use was the Media Center one.

Download here: http://www.byremote.com.au/downloads...asp?SCLASS=HIP

2. Follow the instructions here: http://www.byremote.com.au/Hip/mce_remote_faq.htm
to replace the driver on the MCE IR receiver with the one for HIP. Necessary to allow customizing of buttons!


3. Cancel the setup wizard if it tries to run and instead go to the main screen.

4. Download and unzip the file attached to this post (BTV-MCE.zip) to your hard drive. Copy the configuration file BTV-MCE.hip to the C:/program files/HIP folder (the default installation)

5. In the main HIP configuration screen, go under file and open configuration and choose my configuration file you just saved to your HIP folder.

6.That should configure HIP to use the MCE remote to control both MCE and BeyondTV. Make any changes you want and save the configuration. For example, if you don't have MCE on your machine, you can erase that program from the list.

7. You might also want to go under file/preferences and check that the program is set to run with windows at startup.


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Notes:

The instructions assume you are using the MCE Remote v2 (see the file linked in step 2 for a photo) - I don't know if it will work with the V1 remote. These instructions also assume you have BeyondTV installed in it's default directory too.

A. I Programmed the TV button (using its default unprogrammed mode) as the HIP master control.

B. The DVD Menu button on the MCE remote goes to transparent Guide in BTV, the Guide button goes to the full version Guide (will close out any video or TV you are watching and go to the guide)

C. I reprogrammed the PC (power) button to send an application close (ALT-f4) instead of sending the computer into hibernation. You can use this to shut down BTV or Media Center and go back to the desktop. I use it to shutdown BTV before

I use HIP to open Media Center and vice-versa so I don't have both running at the same time.

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Using HIP with Logitech Harmony emulating the MCE Remote

If you use a Harmony remote (I have an 880) then you will need to teach it the TV button (used for HIP master control in my configuration file) on the MCE remote because it doesn't know it.

I set up the default Windows Media Center device in the harmony control software, but I defined two new inputs, "BeyondTV" and "MediaCenter". You just type in the new input in the input list and click next. Then, when it asks you for the keys to access the inputs, I told it to use the TV (HIP) command I taught it, and then press the number key for the program I want to run. In my case:

BeyondTV input
IR codes:
TV(hip)
2

MediaCenter Input
IR codes:
TV(HIP)
1

Then I defined Activities for each (using the "watch my videos" wizard), telling the activity to use the beyond TV input for the BTV program and the media center input to use media center. It automagically sends the HIP codes when it starts each (thinking it is switching inputs) and viola! you are in the program of your choice. (You may have to set up the activity using the default wizard first and then 'troubleshoot' it to choose the input you want.) After setting up the activity, you will want to rename it to be easier to recognize. I just called one:"BTV" and the other "Media Center."

[queonda]

Thanks John Sparks for the time for you writing this up. This would help a lot of people.

[John Sparks]

You're welcome and if not for you, I wouldn't have even found out about HIP.

That's what is great about this forum, everyone is very helpful to each other, and especially to me when I have a question or problem. I just hope this helps someone else out.

[queonda]

John, how did you teach your harmony remote the MCE coes? I tried both reg and Raw mode and failed. MCE remote works but Harmony doesnt.

[seraph321]

I finally just ordered a Harmony 880 remote and I'm going to want to start using it with my HTPC (Running MCE). I've been using an old X10 remote (which is RF) until now. I know I'm going to need an IR reciever for the PC before I can use the Harmony.

Do I have to buy an MCE remote to get the receiver, or can I buy one separately? If so, which one should I get?

[John Sparks]

Originally Posted by queonda

John, how did you teach your harmony remote the MCE coes? I tried both reg and Raw mode and failed. MCE remote works but Harmony doesnt.

On the Harmony web configuration software, I chose "add a device"

choose "computer"

choose "media center pc"

choose "microsoft" as the manufacturer

when asked for a model number I just made something up, like "remote control"

check "all of this information is correct" and "save"

It will ask if you have a remote for this device. Choose: NO

It will then present you with a list of similar models. Choose: Microsoft Media Center (v2)

That should do it.

[John Sparks]

Originally Posted by seraph321

I finally just ordered a Harmony 880 remote and I'm going to want to start using it with my HTPC (Running MCE). I've been using an old X10 remote (which is RF) until now. I know I'm going to need an IR reciever for the PC before I can use the Harmony.

Do I have to buy an MCE remote to get the receiver, or can I buy one separately? If so, which one should I get?

yeah you will need an IR reciever. If you want to set everything up like I have in this thread so that it all works with the MCE remote and HIP, then you will need to buy the MCE remote which should come with the receiver. The alternate would be to buy the Firefly mini which has an IR receiver but I dont know how well that functions with Media Center. You can choose "Snapstream" as your brand of Media Center device in the Harmony software and the Firefly Mini as your remote. but I have not used that because it will only work if you have the firefly mini IR receiver (which I don't have)

[queonda]

Another options is USB-irt. I think there are a few more, you can search the forums.

[queonda]

Originally Posted by John Sparks

On the Harmony web configuration software, I chose "add a device"

choose "computer"

choose "media center pc"

choose "microsoft" as the manufacturer

when asked for a model number I just made something up, like "remote control"

check "all of this information is correct" and "save"

It will ask if you have a remote for this device. Choose: NO

It will then present you with a list of similar models. Choose: Microsoft Media Center (v2)

That should do it.

Thanks John, I did all that. currently I'm working with level 2 support. It's something with the codes not coming out right. I have the 890. The latest codes they put in my account look promising. Only thing its about 85% working. The other 15% either doesn't work (have to press several time to get it to work or press one, nothing, then again, it moves 2 times. Hopefully I get it resoved this weekend.

[John Sparks]

if you go under "more options" for the media center device, there is an option called "Adjust the Delays (speed settings)" than might help with the button pressing issues.

My settings are:

Power On Delay 1500 ms
Inter-Key Delay 0 ms
Input Delay 1000 ms
Inter-Device Delay 1000


I set the Inter-key delay to allow it to respond to multiple key presses faster (like for skipping forward and back in a show)

Also you can teach the remote commands in learning mode if it doesnt know them by choosing the remote type. Just remember the learning port is at the bottom of the harmony remote (at least on the 880) - I kept trying to point my remote at the top of the harmony and it never would learn the commands, until I paid attention that I was supposed to be pointing it at the BOTTOM of the harmony (oops)

But you might have more going on with your 890 remote. Maybe it is broken?

--

One more thing to check. if you are using the MCE IR receiver, make sure the little red light is NOT on when you are not pressing any remote keys. I had a weird problem where the MCE was responding slowly or not at all to my commands and couldnt figure out what was going on, and then I noticed the red light on the IR receiver was on all the time. I put my hand in front of it and it went out. Hmmm. Something was sending IR signals! I found out that it was one of my old remotes. I had put all of my remotes in a clear plastic storage bin and put them under my coffee table. Apparently the weight of one remote was pushing the button on another one and it was sending out a constant stream of IR which was tying up the MCE IR Receiver even though it didnt know the code.

[masterng]

Hi JohnSparks,
I tried a similar setup before but ran into some problem that I have to quit using HIP. In your setup, can you confirm if the IR blaster and LiveTV still function normally when you're running Media Center? In addion, do you have to teach HIP the codes to your STB remote control? Thanks

[John Sparks]

Originally Posted by masterng

Hi JohnSparks,
I tried a similar setup before but ran into some problem that I have to quit using HIP. In your setup, can you confirm if the IR blaster and LiveTV still function normally when you're running Media Center? In addion, do you have to teach HIP the codes to your STB remote control? Thanks

I dont use the IR blasters, I have analog cable so I cant answer you on that one.

LiveTV works fine, but I did notice that they had the wrong keyboard shortcut code listed under the preprogrammed remote code in HIP for the MCE remote under MyTV option. It was listed as something like ^r (ctrl-r) when it was supposed to be ctrl-shft-T

The keyboard shortcuts are listed here: http://www.microsoft.com/enable/prod...asp?Product=42

And as far as the HIP master control code, I just programmed HIP to look for me pressing the TV button on the mce remote. I left it in its unprogrammed state. I did have to teach that code to my Harmony remote since it didnt have a TV button listed under it.

[queonda]

Finally got it working. Only thing is need to remap some keys.

How do you have BTV starting? The way it's starting for me is Green Key, then directional up, then OK. I would like it to just push a button and it start up. I guess I am going to have to make an harmony activity to do all that.

[queonda]

I using HIP on my BTV link maching. I want to use the switch to connect to my BTV server machine. How do you use the parameters of an application? It says use "" but when I close the quote it doesn't work. If I leave the quote at the end off it works but when I restart the computer it puts jibberish at the end.

The switch I wanna add looks like this: \networkclient:mediaserver

The breakdown:
If I put the " at the beginning and not the end then it works. but get jibberish when I restart computer.
If I put the " at the beginning and the end it doesn't work. I get a message saying mediaserver" cannot find.
If I don't put quotes it didn't work before but now I think is working. I will continue to monitor to see if it won't add jibberish.

[JeffD]

Originally Posted by queonda

I using HIP on my BTV link maching. I want to use the switch to connect to my BTV server machine. How do you use the parameters of an application? It says use "" but when I close the quote it doesn't work. If I leave the quote at the end off it works but when I restart the computer it puts jibberish at the end.

The switch I wanna add looks like this: \networkclient:mediaserver

The breakdown:
If I put the " at the beginning and not the end then it works. but get jibberish when I restart computer.
If I put the " at the beginning and the end it doesn't work. I get a message saying mediaserver" cannot find.
If I don't put quotes it didn't work before but now I think is working. I will continue to monitor to see if it won't add jibberish.

Did you ever figure this out? I'm in the same boat.