USB remotes

[kamikaze2112]

What's the best option for a USB remote?

I've been using the IR receiver (extended about 70' over Cat5 cable) with my PVR-150 card and it seems like it's crapped out on me. Everything else on the card works except for the IR receiver. I tried the receiver with an HVR-1250 I've got as well, and it doesn't seem to work with it either. I use a Sony Remote Commander, and I can program any remote to it, i just need a receiver that's USB that I can put in my living room since I've already got a USB hub there. I've tried my USB-UIRT in the living room, but my plasma TV makes it go nuts with the stray IR it generates (and the little led blinking away like crazy drives me equally crazy). I was thinking about getting a MCE remote, I just want to make sure it'll work. i knew this day would come, I was just hoping that I'd have a better solution ready to go when it did.

EDIT: Since posting this, I've put my USB-UIRT in the living room, and extended the IR blasters back to the set top boxes in the office over Cat5. This setup seems to work for the time being, but some commands from the remote don't seem to register in sage the first time you press the button, and sometimes I get double presses, but at least it's working for now. I'm not happy with this setup, mainly due to the fact that the red light on the USB-UIRT is blinking like crazy cause of the stray IR coming from my 50" plasma, but it'll do until I find a better alternative.

[blade]

More details on your setup would be helpful. I'm a little confused as to how you have things setup. Are you using the computer that is 70' away to drive your TV in the living room or do you have a server/client setup?

[kamikaze2112]

Originally Posted by blade

More details on your setup would be helpful. I'm a little confused as to how you have things setup. Are you using the computer that is 70' away to drive your TV in the living room or do you have a server/client setup?

That's pretty well it. Office is at one end of the house, living room is at the other.

cable runs are about 70', thru the drop ceiling in the basement.

Sage box in the office has a PVR-150 and HD-PVR, setup to record from 2 satellite STBs, which are blasted with a USB-UIRT. Video output from my video card on the sage box is component video, audio is digital coax from the motherboard, both extended to the living room with a Cat5 Balun. for a remote, I was using the on board receiver from the PVR-150 that I'd cut and extended the wires using Cat5 cable. I also have a USB 1.1 drop in the living room via Cat5 USB Balun, and can put a hub on it if necessary.
I'm using the server with the video, audio, and remote receiver extended.

Now, what I did last night was brought the USB-UIRT out to the living room, and extended the remote emitters over Cat5 back to the office to blast the STBs which is a temp fix. For some reason, the usb-uirt didn't like my hauppauge remote, so I had to go thru and program all the buttons in sage (i've learned all the codes from that remote with my sony remote commander, the two remotes are interchangeable.) problem is that it only recognizes every other command from the remote, unless it's a couple inches from the USB-UIRT. I've tried putting the UIRT behind a speaker, pointing towards the wall which seems to fix the interference (no more blinky led unless i press a button on the remote) but sage just doesn't seem to recognize all the commands. This is on a fresh load of Win 7 Ultimate 32 bit as well.

Something else I'd learned is that the HVR series cards don't necessarily use the hauppauge 45 button remote, and could possibly use the MCE remote instead. I'm trying to get my hands on one to test, but i haven't managed to find one yet. I found some RF MCE remotes online, which would likely work just fine, but they can't control the rest of my system which the remote commander does very well. I was about this close to just saying eff it and almost bought a HD300 last nite, then i read that it apparently doesn't do all the nice UI animations and stuff from sage 7, so that's not going to be acceptable either.

I know i'm a little long winded here, but the more information I can provide, the better my chances of finding an acceptable solution. I kinda wish that there was a USB RF receiver for the logitech harmony remotes, so they could still blast my TV and amplifier, and then send commands to save via RF. That would be ideal.

[Skirge01]

The Harmony 1100, 900, and 890 are all RF remotes. I have the 890 set up to control my receiver, HTPC, and CD player. Granted, you're at 70 feet and the remotes claim a max of 100, so the coverage might be a little spotty.

[kamikaze2112]

Originally Posted by Skirge01

The Harmony 1100, 900, and 890 are all RF remotes. I have the 890 set up to control my receiver, HTPC, and CD player. Granted, you're at 70 feet and the remotes claim a max of 100, so the coverage might be a little spotty.

they are RF to an IR repeater tho. I guess I could just tape one of the ir emitters right to the USBUIRT. 70' is as the cables run, i'd say it's more like 50 but with walls in the way.

[Skirge01]

Originally Posted by kamikaze2112

they are RF to an IR repeater tho. I guess I could just tape one of the ir emitters right to the USBUIRT. 70' is as the cables run, i'd say it's more like 50 but with walls in the way.

That's precisely what I did. It's documented in my blog, right here. Works perfectly.

[kamikaze2112]

Originally Posted by Skirge01

That's precisely what I did. It's documented in my blog, right here. Works perfectly.

nice write up.

I'm assuming you're emulating the MCE remote with the harmony then?

[Skirge01]

Originally Posted by kamikaze2112

nice write up.

I'm assuming you're emulating the MCE remote with the harmony then?

Exactly. I'm also using EventGhost to talk to the HTPC, since it allows much more control over waking and sleeping.

[blade]

Originally Posted by kamikaze2112

For some reason, the usb-uirt didn't like my hauppauge remote, so I had to go thru and program all the buttons in sage (i've learned all the codes from that remote with my sony remote commander, the two remotes are interchangeable.) problem is that it only recognizes every other command from the remote, unless it's a couple inches from the USB-UIRT.

When you taught Sage the codes from the Hauppauge remote did you link both codes for each button? I think the Hauppauge remote toggles the codes for each button, meaning that each button will send 2 different codes and both codes must be linked to the command or Sage will only respond to every other key press.

[kamikaze2112]

Originally Posted by Skirge01

Exactly. I'm also using EventGhost to talk to the HTPC, since it allows much more control over waking and sleeping.

don't really care much about waking and sleeping at the moment. good performance from a remote is paramount at this point. I'm running on less than 10 hours sleep over the last 3 days, and I'm tired of dicking around with this thing. I'm about ready to start chucking money at it LOL

I think I want to find a regular MCE remote to test with my usbuirt, make sure I can get the desired operation before I blow a bunch of money on a harmony.

Appreciate the help

[kamikaze2112]

Originally Posted by blade

When you taught Sage the codes from the Hauppauge remote did you link both codes for each button? I think the Hauppauge remote toggles the codes for each button, meaning that each button will send 2 different codes and both codes must be linked to the command or Sage will only respond to every other key press.

no i didnt...so go thru and re teach it all the codes again? if that's all it takes then my problem is solved for the time being...

edit: tried this, remote is still flaky as hell. recognizes some keypresses and not others. oh, and the other thing after sitting all day, i had to go into the detailed setup and set it to no remote, and then back to the usbuirt to get it to recognize any keypresses. that is definitely not acceptable.

Edit again: went thru and programmed every button again 3-4 times with the hauppauge remote about 1mm from the usbuirt. you were right blade, it alternates codes every other keypress. I can't figure out how that seems logical, but whatever. usbuirt seems to respond quite well now with both the hauppauge and sony remotes. lets hope that the non-responsive behavior i got tonite was a one time thing, and I'll be set until I can sort out a better solution.

[Skirge01]

Originally Posted by kamikaze2112

no i didnt...so go thru and re teach it all the codes again? if that's all it takes then my problem is solved for the time being...

Each SageTV command now shows two IR codes? (Just checking.)

I'm not sure what purpose picking up an MCE remote is going to do.

[kamikaze2112]

Originally Posted by Skirge01

Each SageTV command now shows two IR codes? (Just checking.)

I'm not sure what purpose picking up an MCE remote is going to do.

yes it does, 2 codes per command (for the ones i programmed anyway). I was hoping that the MCE remote and IR receiver might be a little more tolerant of the IR interference from my TV, and possibly fix the problem of having to go in a reset it to no remote, and then back to the usb-uirt. I've got a lead on a cheap one from another forum I frequent, so it's worth a try to test with. for whatever reason, it's working quite well at the moment, but that will all change as soon as the wife gets home LOL

she's like kryptonite to computers. I can record tv with my hdpvr for weeks and not have a single failed recording, but she gets audio dropouts and failed channel changes all the time on her shows LOL

[kamikaze2112]

ok, so if I leave the machine sitting for more than 10 or 15 minutes, it no longer recognizes the UIRT. I have to unplug it and plug it back in (which then means resetting the remote in the sage options). the light blinks on the UIRT to show that it's receiving, but it doesn't pass commands to sage, and it won't blast my set top boxes.

[Skirge01]

Originally Posted by kamikaze2112

ok, so if I leave the machine sitting for more than 10 or 15 minutes, it no longer recognizes the UIRT. I have to unplug it and plug it back in (which then means resetting the remote in the sage options). the light blinks on the UIRT to show that it's receiving, but it doesn't pass commands to sage, and it won't blast my set top boxes.

Did this just start suddenly? It could be that Windows 7 is putting the device to sleep. Check your power settings first.

[kamikaze2112]

Originally Posted by Skirge01

Did this just start suddenly? It could be that Windows 7 is putting the device to sleep. Check your power settings first.

checked that, turned all the power mgmt settings off, and it still didn't work.

ended up having to put the usb-uirt back in the office because it won't blast the stbs after it goes awol mode, I'm thinking that it and my usb balun are having a disagreement. This is exactly why i want a separate IR receiver for the living room. so it's either a MCE receiver, assuming it'll get along with the usb balun, or I'll have to go with some other wired IR extender and run it back to the UIRT in the office. I'm still baffled as to why the IR on my PVR-150 crapped out.

like i said, once the wife gets home, everything goes haywire. this was all working until she got home and I wanted to show her.

[Oats]

I grabbed an HP MCE receiver new from ebay for $10 shipped. I have a URC universal remote I use with it and eventghost.