Remote question for servers and clients

[crarbo1]

Hello,
I'm really considering getting SageTV but don't know what remote to use to be able to control my TV, my PC running SageTV as the server, and another PC running SageTV as a Client. I would like to be able to change the volume and turn off power to my TV and have the ability to have SageTV functions on it. Are there any remotes that can do this? Is the setup easy? Do I have to buy any other equipment, besides the remote, to make this work?

Any help is appreciated. Right now I'm just doing the trial on my desktop PC and using my mouse and keyboard.

Thanks,
Chuck

[crarbo1]

Any thoughts?

[gplasky]

I use a Harmony. I have a 880 in the living room and the 520 in a study. They don't come with a receiver but will work with any receiver. I have it using the HD-100 and a MCE receiver. Also used it with a USB-UIRT. They are "Activity" oriented so when you press the "Watch Sage" button it can turn on your TV, switch to the Video 1 input and then control Sage on your PC or Extender. You configure it over the Internet from its known database of devices. Others use the MCE remote and the remotes from URC. Seacrh the forum and you'll find various answers to your question.

Gerry

[crarbo1]

Thanks Gerry,
I do have the MCE receiver but didn't want to pay an arm and a leg for remotes that would work with my server and client PC's. I do have a MCE remote but it seems too difficult, at least for me, to setup to use for SageTV features. I would like to use those but unless someone can idiot proof the setup for me then I guess I wont. I guess what I'm not sure about is how to teach any universal remote the SageTV commands or my TV remotes power and volume commands. Does Harmony do this through the internet? How does other "cheaper" universal remotes do this? Also, I may buy an extender later and would like to use the same remote for all. Will there be any problem in doing this?

Thanks,
Chuck

Originally Posted by gplasky

I use a Harmony. I have a 880 in the living room and the 520 in a study. They don't come with a receiver but will work with any receiver. I have it using the HD-100 and a MCE receiver. Also used it with a USB-UIRT. They are "Activity" oriented so when you press the "Watch Sage" button it can turn on your TV, switch to the Video 1 input and then control Sage on your PC or Extender. You configure it over the Internet from its known database of devices. Others use the MCE remote and the remotes from URC. Seacrh the forum and you'll find various answers to your question.

Gerry

[gplasky]

In the Detailed Setup-Commands you can teach your remote commands to Sage including the MCE. MCE is suppoerted by default but it has to be on an OS that has a driver for the MCE remote or your need to install it. When you setup a Harmony you basically pick what remote you want it to imitate. It can be an MCE remote, the HD-100 or any remote you own. Then either Sage supports the commands natively or you teach it. I have the USB-UIRT receiver on my WHS server.

Gerry

[crarbo1]

Thanks for the reply. I will try to see if I can teach it. Do you know of a cheap universal remote that would work for SageTV server, client, and extender that I could teach it like you said or nativly support via codes?

Thanks,
Chuck

Originally Posted by gplasky

In the Detailed Setup-Commands you can teach your remote commands to Sage including the MCE. MCE is suppoerted by default but it has to be on an OS that has a driver for the MCE remote or your need to install it. When you setup a Harmony you basically pick what remote you want it to imitate. It can be an MCE remote, the HD-100 or any remote you own. Then either Sage supports the commands natively or you teach it. I have the USB-UIRT receiver on my WHS server.

Gerry

[crarbo1]

I tried to use the "link infrared/keystrok to SageTV command" and it is not learning it. Any ideas of what I'm doing wrong. For example, I setup that I was using the MCE remote. I then when inot the link menu and wanted to link the info in SageTV to the info button on my remote. It asks me to press the remote button to link to the SageTV command and when I do nothing happens and it does not work.

Any help is appreciated,
Chuck

Originally Posted by gplasky

In the Detailed Setup-Commands you can teach your remote commands to Sage including the MCE. MCE is suppoerted by default but it has to be on an OS that has a driver for the MCE remote or your need to install it. When you setup a Harmony you basically pick what remote you want it to imitate. It can be an MCE remote, the HD-100 or any remote you own. Then either Sage supports the commands natively or you teach it. I have the USB-UIRT receiver on my WHS server.

Gerry

[gplasky]

If you are using an MCE receiver look in Device Manager and make sure the driver loaded. I'm not sure if you need Vista Premimum or Ultimate that has VMC. You may need to find the actual driver although I thought the receiver worked out of the box with Vista. WHS won't have a driver and I'm not sure if you can load a driver for it.

Gerry

[crarbo1]

Gerry,
I am testing this on my Client PC, Vista Home Premium, and it appears that the drivers are loaded. Under Human Interface Devices there is a Microsoft eHome Infrared Transceiver listed and under USB controllers there is a eHome Infrared receiver (USBCIR) listed. I think this is correctly installed. The receiver does work somewhat. When I go to Detailed Setup/Commands/Show SageTV commands linked to Infrared/Keystroke and hit the following buttons they work:
OK = Enter/Select
Arrow Up = Up/Up
Arrow Down = Down/Down
Arrow Right = Right/Right
Arrow Left = Left/Left
That is all that it showed was linked.

If I go into a Live TV show here is what happens, at least most of time:
Record = Appears to work
Stop = Appears to work
Pause = Appears to work
Rewind = Appears to work
Play = Appears to work
Fwd = Appears to work
Replay = Appears to work
Skip = Appears to work
Back = Appears to work
More = Appears to work
Up/Down/Left/Right/OK buttons = Appears to work
Green Button = Appears to work but somestimes opens up Vista MC as well, even with VMC's services stopped
Channel Up/Down = Appears to work
Mute = Appears to work
Recorded TV = Appears to work but somestimes opens up Vista MC as well, even with VMC's services stopped
Guide = Appears to work
Live TV = Appears to work but somestimes opens up Vista MC as well, even with VMC's services stopped
DVD Menu = Appears to work when starting a ripped DVD
Number buttons = Appears to work
So it appears that most of the buttons work as expected but sometimes opens VMC. If I could somehow make sure the buttons that sometimes opens Vista Media Center doesn't do that, I would be all set. Will this work the same way in XP Media Center 2005? I ultimatle want to use that as my SageTV server and my Vista PC as a client. Also, what do I have to do to stop XP MCE 2005 from messing up SageTV?

Thanks,
Chuck

Originally Posted by gplasky

If you are using an MCE receiver look in Device Manager and make sure the driver loaded. I'm not sure if you need Vista Premimum or Ultimate that has VMC. You may need to find the actual driver although I thought the receiver worked out of the box with Vista. WHS won't have a driver and I'm not sure if you can load a driver for it.

Gerry

[gplasky]

Make sure the services and I think it is still ehtray.exe isn't running. Search the threads on how people have accomplished this. I also think LM Remote can do this too.
LM Remote thread

Gerry

[crarbo1]

Thanks Gerry,
I thought that I had done that but maybe not. I will do more searching. I knew about LM remote but it seemed to be complicated.

Thanks,
Chuck

Originally Posted by gplasky

Make sure the services and I think it is still ehtray.exe isn't running. Search the threads on how people have accomplished this. I also think LM Remote can do this too.
LM Remote thread

Gerry