Hauppauge Remote

[jsg4z]

Sage is configured to use the remote that came with the PVR-250..the silver one with colored buttons. However, I have found that a lot of sage's functions don't fit on this remote.

I can teach my learning remote the buttons directly from the remote, but i need it to learn more. Has anyone been able to extend the 250's remote control with a learning remote? I am assuming i have to work with Hauppauge's IR software?

[Opus4]

I guess your question boils down to 2 parts, correct?

1) Can the Hauppauge IR software somehow be set to recognize additional codes from another remote?

OR

2) Is there some software that can replace the Hauppauge IR software and be used to recognize additional codes through the Hauppauge IR receiver?

I am not aware of solutions to either of those questions... but, of course, that doesn't mean they don't exist. I would also be curious to hear if anyone else knows of utilities for either question.

- Andy

Edit: #1 has all been solved. See my last post in this thread for the links.

[ripple]

How about:
3) Pretend the remote has more buttons

I'm taking a slightly different approach to solve this using JP1 on my universal remote. Unfortunately I'm short of time lately (real life intruding on my play time) so I haven't been able to pursue proving my theory yet.

Using JP1 I already have my universal remote replacing my silver remote's existing buttons because the button codes are known for the IR protocol Hauppauge is using (RC-5). My theory is that the IR software can receive 63 different button codes (see button definitions in irrremote.ini) because there are different button codes defined depending on the physical remote you have (new silver or old black).

If this is true, a person should be able to tie Sage commands to button codes even if those button codes are not sent by the physical remote you have. Then, using JP1 we could set up our universal remote to send those extra button codes to do many more functions than we could with the silver remote.

Has anybody else tried this yet?

Again, I'm not sure if it will work but it's something I'm trying to explore. I may know more if I get time this weekend...

Kevin

[Opus4]

That sort of falls under my #1: Use the existing software to recognize additional codes.

Looking at irremote.ini again, what you said makes sense. The [Debug] section has all 64 codes as CODE#, where # goes from 0 to 63. The [SystemCode] section tells which key mapping to use & the silver PVR remote uses the #=KEYNAME mappings in the [HCWPVR] section. So, it looks like all you have to do is determine which keys send which RC5 codes, name them in the [HCWPVR] section, and make use of them in [SageTV] or whatever application section you are creating. (Or simply use CODE## for all your mappings, but that is less intuitive when you try to remember which key is coded for each key command.)

With that JP1 connection, I suppose you could program the codes to any key that you want. Other universal remotes would be stuck using whatever RC5 device mapping happens to work. (I saw some such mappings somewhere...)

I keep debating (I'm slow to make up my mind) whether I want to buy another remote... & if so, whether to get some cheap learning remote w/the JP1 option or the MX500 w/a PC programming option.

The advantage of what you just suggested would allow me to simply continue using the Hauppauge IR program for the time being with any new remote, since I am quite familiar with getting it to do what I want, instead of having to go immediately buy a usb-uirt & learn something like Girder.

Let us know how this works out for you, but I'll bet it works perfectly... if you can get (or already know) those remaining IR codes.

- Andy

[falchulk]

Hmm, I might be an idiot but I dont understand this at all. How can you use codes from buttons that dont exist? I can understand using a learning remote to mimic the silver but how would you get the ir code for the extra buttons(the ones not included on the silver)?

[Opus4]

Originally posted by falchulk
How can you use codes from buttons that dont exist? I can understand using a learning remote to mimic the silver but how would you get the ir code for the extra buttons(the ones not included on the silver)?

I don't claim to be an expert on this, but from what I've been reading recently, the Hauppauge remote is using some standard RC5 IR codes. I imagine that means there are more RC5 codes than just what the silver remote sends. If so, then perhaps the Hauppauge IR software will recognize them, since it does list 64 codes in irremote.ini.

There are places for this to fall apart -- namely that even if there are more RC5 codes, maybe the software won't recognize any of them for some reason.

The key to this working, however, is to have some way of getting those RC5 codes into a learning remote. Let's say you have a universal remote & a learning remote -- set the universal remote to some device that will send RC5 codes & then teach them to the learning remote... and preferably then proceed to download them into your computer & edit the remote via JP1 or some such connection. BlueDo even has such a 2-remote package.

- Andy

[glbrown]

Am I correct in assuming that you are trying to use the Hauppauge receiver? All of this is easy with a uirt.

[Opus4]

Originally posted by glbrown
Am I correct in assuming that you are trying to use the Hauppauge receiver? All of this is easy with a uirt.

Yes -- this is for those of us too cheap to buy the usb-uirt & then learn something like Girder. I've got the Hauppauge IR program figured out for me to control most of what I need to control. I may end up going the uirt/girder route anyway at some point, but I like to know my options & this seems to be a common question: "how can I do more w/the silver remote?"

- Andy

[ripple]

Originally posted by Opus4
Yes -- this is for those of us too cheap to buy the usb-uirt & then learn something like Girder. I've got the Hauppauge IR program figured out for me to control most of what I need to control. I may end up going the uirt/girder route anyway at some point, but I like to know my options & this seems to be a common question: "how can I do more w/the silver remote?"

That's basically my motivation too...It's cheap because I already have the Hauppauge stuff, know how to use irremote.ini, and have a lot of fun with JP1. If you haven't dived into JP1 yet, it may not be worth it to you... Personally, I just like the intellectual challenge

And to falchulk: Yes, once the device type and protocol are known, the values for all the button codes can be determined. Usually the task is matching a button code to it's assigned function in the device (i.e. VCR), but in this case I'm hoping to map the button code to a function which I set up in the irremote.ini file (like Andy described so eloquently).

I also agree it looks feasible on paper (or screen?). I'm fairly certain I can send other codes, but this depends entirely on whether the IR software will actually receive and take action on all these "extra" codes...

Kevin

[glbrown]

What is JP1?

The reason I ditched the Hauppague is it didn't have enough buttons. I don't need girder functions because I only run Sage from the remote. The uirt was a cheap and clean solution for muti-tuner and remote support.

We have spent at least 20 bucks talking about it

[ripple]

Originally posted by glbrown
What is JP1?

JP1 refers to a pin connector available on some universal remote models that allows you to re-program your remote using your computer and some freeware. Steep learning curve but very flexible. See www.hifi-remote.com

Originally posted by glbrown

We have spent at least 20 bucks talking about it

I've only spent about a nickel...you're rates must be higher than mine

Kevin

[falchulk]

Ok, I guess I still dont get it. I obviously get that if you know the device type and protocol you can figure out the codes....for standard devices. Consumer devices have published code sets. The PVR does not. You are saying that you can extrapolate new codes from the existing codes sent by the remote? Is this something you are working on now? I would really like to know how this turns out.

[Opus4]

Of course, this is the key: is it really possible to get all 64 codes it seems to recognize?

I keep reading more about the hauppauge remote & rc5 from various google links. First, according to the irremote.ini documentation that I keep referring to, it is actually possible to use a different remote with the Hauppauge receiver:

It is possible to teach the infrared receiver to accept other remotes. By changing ValidCode and ValidMask as below the receiver will accept nearly all remotes. It just has to use a standard RC5 code.

Second, I could be entirely wrong here, but the RC5 code lists I see seem to be in numerical order. I have no idea if those numbers refer to the actual IR codes or not. If so, the 'missing' codes are easy, if not... then nevermind. Perhaps Kevin knows the answer to that one? [Edit: there was a comment that each RC5 device could have 64 codes.]

- Andy

[spacegoat]

I did some experimenting and found a solution, or at least a work-around. Teach your learning remote some codes for another device that you don't use in the same room to buttuns you don't use in sage. If you can use device code preset you can program it for a device you don't even own.

Then go to the commands menu in Sage setup and link your unmapped buttons to sage commands.

I tried it with my MX-500 programmable remote using codes for a Samsung HD receiver.

[Opus4]

OK... but it isn't clear what complete remote/receiver system you are using.

What IR receiver are you using? Are you using the one on the Hauppauge encoder, or are you using the usb-uirt & letting SageTV control it?

If you are using the usb-urit (or some such device that SageTV supports internally), then that is a well known method, but requires an additional IR receiver and something like Girder if you wish to use the remote to control something other than SageTV.

The question here is: can the Hauppauge IR software recognize additional codes beyond the buttons on the silver remote? If so, they could then be used to control any application you define in irremote.ini -- requiring no additional IR receiver or control software. If that is what you are doing, I would like to hear more.

- Andy

[Opus4]

A little more info for anyone playing around with additional codes for the irremote.ini file...

I started assigning various devices to my non-learning universal remote & found that quite a few settings sent codes to the Hauppauge IR receiver -- as irremote.ini says, open debug.txt in notepad & press buttons to see what codes show up as text. (Note that you may have to restart the IR software if, like me, you hard code the current mode setting in the ini file whe SageTV is run.) But, button 0 always said CODE0, not 0 like the silver remote does. After some testing, I found that I had to set a new system code in the [SystemCode] section, so there was a line as:

20=HCWL

So, whatever device I selected in my universal remote was system 20 to the IR program. I also created a [HCWL] section & placed the correct button names there. At that point, button 0 would then indicate 0 in notepad.

What does this mean? You don't even need to use the exact codes that the silver remote emits. I don't know how many system codes there are, but it appears that each of them can emit 64 codes to the Hauppauge IR program (per the RC5 'standard' I guess)... though the device I selected must have been for a very limited VCR remote, since it only had play commands, channel +/-, and numbers mapped onto my remote's keys.

If you can edit the remote's code assignments on a PC, there shouldn't be a problem extending irremote.ini's capabilities.

- Andy

[kny3twalker]

I did this a long time ago
I set up my directv sony remote using the philips code it had and since my tuner is a philips it would change channels and volume when I used the the tv preset button
you know hit the tv button first then change channels or volume with the normal buttons
Then I followed the instructions on how to make the Sony remote learn
I mapped many of the vcr buttons on the sony remote to the hauppauge functions
I did do this all winTV2000 though
but still should work for SageTV
Problem I did not have enough buttons to map(that were free to be a learned button but that was it
I never really though about it just did not like using two remotes but not hooked up a serial cable so back to hauppauge
Never though about getting out one of my universial remotes and programming it up for SageTV
if every button was configurable that would give me a lot more
(Sony you could not change certain buttons ex I cannot map record to the record button on the Sony, it apparently saved this button for VCR only LOL)

[spacegoat]

Originally posted by Opus4
OK... but it isn't clear what complete remote/receiver system you are using.

What IR receiver are you using? Are you using the one on the Hauppauge encoder, or are you using the usb-uirt & letting SageTV control it?

If you are using the usb-urit (or some such device that SageTV supports internally), then that is a well known method, but requires an additional IR receiver and something like Girder if you wish to use the remote to control something other than SageTV.

The question here is: can the Hauppauge IR software recognize additional codes beyond the buttons on the silver remote? If so, they could then be used to control any application you define in irremote.ini -- requiring no additional IR receiver or control software. If that is what you are doing, I would like to hear more.

- Andy

Your right. My bad. I use the UIRT to transmit, but hadn't used it as a receiver. It appears that the USB UIRT was receiving those codes for me.

Still, I noticed that the irremote.ini said something about the 0 (classic remote) conflicts with Philips TV remotes. You could try programming some Philips control codes into your remote and test those against the hauppage receiver.

Go into that commands setup, select an action and see if anything shows up when you push a button.

[falchulk]

Thanks Opus4, I never knew there was documentation for the irremote.ini.

[Opus4]

I just wish the documentation was 'official' and complete... I sent a request to Hauppauge for more info, but what do you want to bet that they won't send me anything?

- Andy