MCE remote "green button" being eaten by Vista

[mikesm]

Folks, I just rebuilt a SageTV client with all new hardware (E7200, ATI 4850, IP35 PRO MB, HDDVD/BLURAY combo drive, etc...) and started with a fresh install of vista64 ultimate with SP1. Playback works GREAT, quality is outstanding, and I should have the HDDVD/BLURAY playback and Flight Sim X working soon too.

One problem that I can't seem to figure out is with the MCE remote I am using, Sage is not seeing the start of "green button" command that is normally mapped to the "home" function.

I have the GPEdit hack enabled to prevent Media Center from starting, I shut the windows media center services down, and even renamed the ehtray app in /windows/ehome. No go. All the other IR commands seem to work fine, just the green button is broken. If I co into the detailed settings menu on sage and attempt to remap the home function, when I press the green button, I get no response. It's like the IR event never gets passed to Sage.

I can't seem to find any info on this problem on the web or in SageTV forums. Does anyone have any idea as to what is wrong or how to fix it?

thx
Mike

[Conejo]

Do you have logitech drivers loaded?
http://forums.sagetv.com/forums/show...30&postcount=5

[mikesm]

Originally Posted by Conejo

Do you have logitech drivers loaded?
http://forums.sagetv.com/forums/show...30&postcount=5

Nope. I do have a logitech cordless ps/2 keyboard and mouse on it, but no logitech drivers are loaded. Vista thinks its a generic keyboard.

[mikesm]

I think I figured it out, or at least part of it out. It looks like I used the MCE remote alternate driver on the old vista install I had done before. But Vista x64 won't allow unsigned drivers like that one to be installed...

Has anyone gotten Sage working with the MCE remote in Vista without use of an alternate driver, but using the one that came in Vista?

[Conejo]

I was abusing Google search and found these:

Windows Vista and SageTV Experiences
http://forums.freytechnologies.com/f...ad.php?t=24437

MCE Remote Replacement Driver for Vista!!
http://forums.sagetv.com/forums/showthread.php?t=25604

Originally Posted by StephaneM

You do not need any replacement driver for MCE Remote on Vista (or XP). Just use the default driver and use a third party software (like mine or event ghost) and prevent ehtray from running.
Regards,
Stéphane.

EDIT: added another link

New MCE Remote Software
http://forums.sagetv.com/forums/show...76&postcount=1

[mikesm]

Originally Posted by Conejo

I was abusing Google search and found these:

Windows Vista and SageTV Experiences
http://forums.freytechnologies.com/f...ad.php?t=24437

MCE Remote Replacement Driver for Vista!!
http://forums.sagetv.com/forums/showthread.php?t=25604



EDIT: added another link

New MCE Remote Software
http://forums.sagetv.com/forums/show...76&postcount=1

Yeah, I saw all those myself. You need the replacement driver I think if you use the MCE remote in Vista. But it doesn't run under Vista 64 bit.

I already have a license for StephaneM's software, but am not using it. For now, I just remapped the LiveTV button to Start. But I think I'll try for a more elegant and more capable solution tomorrow...

thx
mike

[bcjenkins]

Did you do this?

* Disable the MCE Services (credit Motofreak75)

1. Open MMC
2. Load the group policy object editor
3. Open the Local computer policy
4. User config
5. Admin templates
6. Windows components
7. Windows Media Center
8. Do not allow Media center to run : Enable


B

[StephaneM]

Originally Posted by mikesm

I already have a license for StephaneM's software, but am not using it. For now, I just remapped the LiveTV button to Start. But I think I'll try for a more elegant and more capable solution tomorrow...

In the latest version of LM RKM (since version 4.4), there is a new "Exclusive Mode" for the MCE Remote. When this is enabled you don't have to disable MCE Services or ehtray. You enable this exclusive mode and restart your PC (or unplug / plug the remote, restart LM RKM and Blaster service) and you're done.

Regards,
Stéphane.

[Motofreak75]

If you unlucky and you can not run gpedit.msc

goto the run command and add this, and it will enter a key in the registry

 
reg add HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\WindowsMediaCenter /v MediaCenter /t REG_DWORD /d 1 /f

and to undo button here

 
reg delete HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\WindowsMediaCenter /v MediaCenter /f

THIS IS FOR VISTA ONLY *** USE AT YOUR OWN RISK ****

[mikesm]

Originally Posted by bcjenkins

Did you do this?

* Disable the MCE Services (credit Motofreak75)

1. Open MMC
2. Load the group policy object editor
3. Open the Local computer policy
4. User config
5. Admin templates
6. Windows components
7. Windows Media Center
8. Do not allow Media center to run : Enable


B

Yup. Did that. Pushing the green button does not start up VMC. But Sage can't see it either. Also, sage can't see the guide button, the live tv button, mute, vol+/-, the recordings, or music button either... Very strange.

[mikesm]

Originally Posted by StephaneM

In the latest version of LM RKM (since version 4.4), there is a new "Exclusive Mode" for the MCE Remote. When this is enabled you don't have to disable MCE Services or ehtray. You enable this exclusive mode and restart your PC (or unplug / plug the remote, restart LM RKM and Blaster service) and you're done.

Regards,
Stéphane.

If I use LM RKM in Vista 64bit, will you be able to use all the buttons on the MCE remote? Can it also receive IR commands that are not from the MCE remote? I use a harmony so I can send practically any IR commend. The issue seems to be the IR receiver...

[StephaneM]

Originally Posted by mikesm

If I use LM RKM in Vista 64bit, will you be able to use all the buttons on the MCE remote?

Yes

Can it also receive IR commands that are not from the MCE remote?

No. You can only use the original button layout for the MCE remote.

I use a harmony so I can send practically any IR commend. The issue seems to be the IR receiver...

Why do you think the IR receiver is an issue? Use the original MCE remote to verify that the Harmony has the right IR codes (there is a debounce issue with the Harmony and the MCE receiver : the MCE remote use debouncing codes, whereas the Harmony is not : there is a registry key to edit for this, can't remember which one, it should be easy to find though)

Regards,
Stéphane.

[mikesm]

Originally Posted by StephaneM

Yes

No. You can only use the original button layout for the MCE remote.

Why do you think the IR receiver is an issue? Use the original MCE remote to verify that the Harmony has the right IR codes (there is a debounce issue with the Harmony and the MCE receiver : the MCE remote use debouncing codes, whereas the Harmony is not : there is a registry key to edit for this, can't remember which one, it should be easy to find though)

Regards,
Stéphane.

Thanks. I'm going to install this on my system tonight and use it for controlling Sage and PowerDVD. Nice program BTW...

I think something is screwy with the driver as a bunch of keys don't seem to do anything, only the basic media control functions that turn into generic keystrokes do anything at all. Everything else is just ignored. This is true with the harmony as well as the original MCE remote. Same effect.

It's like something on this system will not allow Sage to "see" the IR commands. VMC is shut down in multiple ways. There is no Vista process running that can intercept the remote's IR activity...

thx
mike

[mikesm]

Originally Posted by StephaneM

Yes

No. You can only use the original button layout for the MCE remote.

Why do you think the IR receiver is an issue? Use the original MCE remote to verify that the Harmony has the right IR codes (there is a debounce issue with the Harmony and the MCE receiver : the MCE remote use debouncing codes, whereas the Harmony is not : there is a registry key to edit for this, can't remember which one, it should be easy to find though)

Regards,
Stéphane.

Ok, I used your software, but still had an issue. It took reinstalling the drivers for the MCE remote to fix it. I guess I probably didn't need all the features of lm keymap, but I'm using it now and it works fine except for one bug.

Certain keys register twice in Sage, like the pageup/pagedown keys, the skip functions, etc... I think these are the basic media commands that work normally without any special work. The weird thing is the trace for lm keymap shows the IR code is sent once and is send to sage as a keystroke once, but sage sees it twice. it doesn't act like this on real keypresses from the keyboard though. I thought LM Keymap was supposed to prevent this from happening if I told sage to not use the MCE remote and configure it in the dommands section of detailed settings for no remote/keyboard operation?

What am I doing wrong?

thx
mike

[StephaneM]

Originally Posted by mikesm

Certain keys register twice in Sage, like the pageup/pagedown keys, the skip functions, etc .../... I thought LM Keymap was supposed to prevent this from happening if I told sage to not use the MCE remote and configure it in the dommands section of detailed settings for no remote/keyboard operation?

LM RKM can take over those buttons: Vol+ / Vol- / Mute / Back / Stop / Skip Forward / Skip Backward / Numbers buttons / Arrow buttons / Ok / Clear.

For the other buttons LM RKM cannot prevent other applications to handle them. So either SageTV is responding directly to these buttons (it shouldn't if you set SageTV to not use any remote) or something else is (like a keyboard software).

When this is the case, you can simply disable the repeated button in LM RKM in the SageTV profile: assign a "None" action to the button and voilà.

Regards,
Stéphane.

[mikesm]

Originally Posted by StephaneM

LM RKM can take over those buttons: Vol+ / Vol- / Mute / Back / Stop / Skip Forward / Skip Backward / Numbers buttons / Arrow buttons / Ok / Clear.

For the other buttons LM RKM cannot prevent other applications to handle them. So either SageTV is responding directly to these buttons (it shouldn't if you set SageTV to not use any remote) or something else is (like a keyboard software).

When this is the case, you can simply disable the repeated button in LM RKM in the SageTV profile: assign a "None" action to the button and voilà.

Regards,
Stéphane.

Weird. Ok, I guess I'll just go disable the other buttons, but I don't have any keyboard software loaded as far as I know. And Sage is not configured to use a remote. Would the ATI drivers (which use hot keys) do this? This is a dedicated HTPC, so no other software is really loaded on this...

So other than pageup/pagedown, what other buttons do I have to disable?

thx
mike

[StephaneM]

Originally Posted by mikesm

Weird. Ok, I guess I'll just go disable the other buttons, but I don't have any keyboard software loaded as far as I know. And Sage is not configured to use a remote. Would the ATI drivers (which use hot keys) do this?

No the ATI drivers would not do this (though I always disable hot keys support in CCC). Double check for SageTV, sometimes the property for the remote is stored on the client properties file or the server properties file.

So other than pageup/pagedown, what other buttons do I have to disable?

It depends on your setup. So my best answer would be: the one you need to disable.

Regards,
Stéphane.

[mikesm]

Originally Posted by StephaneM

No the ATI drivers would not do this (though I always disable hot keys support in CCC). Double check for SageTV, sometimes the property for the remote is stored on the client properties file or the server properties file.

It depends on your setup. So my best answer would be: the one you need to disable.

Regards,
Stéphane.

SageTV isn't set to be in remote mode, the properties confirm that... I disabled a few of the keys that clearly were doing it. It seems this is an issue for many since most of the sagetv profiles on the server seem to have these keys disabled.

In any case, it's working fine now. Thanks!


mike