Simple steps for getting remote to work without SageTV focus

[DWeade]

Hello,

I've been pouring over the information to get SageTV to work when the window is not in focus. I tried once before and found a workaround after I couldn't get the windows messaging option to work. However, after upgrading to version 6 recently I am unable to get the remote to control Sage. Instead, I have to use Remote Desktop Connection to control playback and/or bring the window to focus and then use the remote control.

Maybe someone can help me understand where things are now as I am having problems figuring out which of the entries on this forum are relevant to the current version of SageTV.

I am running:
SageTV 6.1.9.146
704 MB RAM (768 total, 64 going to video card)
AMD Athlon 3200+
Windows XP SP2
Hauppauge 45 button remote

If what I read is correct (from this post) then: "June 23,2004 UPDATE: The Hauppauge remote software now supports a command within iremote.ini to send messages to other windows: SendMsg(). Usage to control SageTV"

Hoping that was true, I followed these steps:

1. Turned off ir.exe
2. Opened the Hauppauge Irremote.ini file (located in the Windows folder) and changed the two locations which point to the sagetv.exe file to:

GRNPOWER={run(C:\Progra~1\SageTV\SageTV\SageTV.exe)}{mode(SageTV)}

GO={run(C:\Progra~1\SageTV\SageTV\SageTV.exe)}{mode(SageTV)}

On my system, sage is installed on the C drive in the Program Files folder in a SageTV folder and then inside another SageTV folder. This was the default install path when I installed the program on a clean OS install this morning.

3. Restarted ir.exe
4. Brought a different program to focus and tried the remote. No go. I didn't even get the old failure where the focus on the SageTV interface elements jumped from the bottom to the top.

I am assuming I have oversimplified this process. I have tried other irremote.ini files today, just to see if any others would work. I have also compared the files and could not see any major differences aside from the location the GO and GRNPOWER lines point to when referencing the SageTV.exe app location.

Can someone please help me (and others I'll bet) to understand the steps necessary to get the remote to work with SageTV out of focus?

Thanks,
D

[Opus4]

Is the rest of the irremote.ini the one from that post (#15) & uses SendMsg() in the [SageTV] section to send commands?

Did you use the Power button on the remote to put it into SageTV mode? If not, the it will just act in regards to whatever program has focus.

Are you using a Client installation? If so, you have to change the target for findwnd().

- Andy

[DWeade]

Andy, thanks for the quick response. Here are some answers:

Is the rest of the irremote.ini the one from that post (#15) & uses SendMsg() in the [SageTV] section to send commands?

No, I made the correction to the original irremote.ini as the post 15 version was not making a difference.

Did you use the Power button on the remote to put it into SageTV mode? If not, the it will just act in regards to whatever program has focus.

This is one of those things which I overlooked or isn't well documented. I never knew you could bring the program to focus using the power button.
I've always tested it with the front page of Sage to see if I could simply navigate the options.

I guess that is my one thing to learn today. This seems to put me in a good place until I have more time to work on this more.

I am still bit unclear on one thing: What would I put into the irremote.ini file to make SageTV the ONLY program the remote would work with on that specific machine? I have no interest for getting the remote to control anything else as the computer Sage is installed on is a small box which runs Sage and a few lightweight apps.

Thanks again,
D

[CollinR]

Which IR reciever?

[Opus4]

Originally Posted by DWeade

No, I made the correction to the original irremote.ini as the post 15 version was not making a difference.

The original irremote.ini (the one modified by the SageTV installer) won't work this way because it sends keystrokes, not event codes via Windows messages.

This is one of those things which I overlooked or isn't well documented. I never knew you could bring the program to focus using the power button.

This was the whole reason for modifying the path to the exe - so it could run the exe (which would either start SageTV if it wasn't running yet or wake it/bring it into focus if it was already running), then set the remote to SageTV mode.

I am still bit unclear on one thing: What would I put into the irremote.ini file to make SageTV the ONLY program the remote would work with on that specific machine? I have no interest for getting the remote to control anything else as the computer Sage is installed on is a small box which runs Sage and a few lightweight apps.

I thought this was discussed in one of those remote threads in my sig lines... essentially, you would rename/remove the [Default] section in irremote.ini & change the [SageTV] section name to [Default]. Then, remove all but Default= from the [Applications] section. I don't remember if there is anything else that needs to be done.

Originally Posted by CollinR

Which IR reciever?

I guess this would mean: are you really using the Hauppauge IR receiver & remote, or do you have an MCE kit, which has an MCE remote + receiver? If it is an MCE kit, all this irremote.ini editing is pointless.

- Andy

[mikesm]

Is this an issue because Sage drops into the tray and you are trying to get it back?

I had this problem in spades in XP. I would stop playback, suspend the system via remote, and then later wake up the system via remote, only to find Sage minimized in the tray, and the remote commands being ignored, so no way to get sage restored to full screen mode. Since the clients normally operate without keyboard or mouse, I had to plug in a mouse, click on Sage top get it back in focus and full screen.

This was a pain for me, but toxic for WAF. I played around with sending messages to sage, used the hibernator utility to try and send messages to Sage to go to full screen mode upon resume, etc... Nothing worked reliably.

Since I am a MSFT developer I had Vista licenses lying around, and converted one client to Vista. Volia - no more problems with Sage hiding in the tray on resume.

Of course, this means dealing with all the video decoder issues in Vista.

Thx
Mike

[CollinR]

Originally Posted by Opus4

I guess this would mean: are you really using the Hauppauge IR receiver & remote, or do you have an MCE kit, which has an MCE remote + receiver? If it is an MCE kit, all this irremote.ini editing is pointless.

- Andy

Sorry I'll expand, or the USB UIRT so that Sage can control your cable boxes as well. This the Hauppauge reciever will not do however the USB UIRT will work with the original Hauppauge remote and the UIRT doesn't come with a remote itself.

Many ways to skin a cat.

[DWeade]

I'm using the Hauppage 45 button remote at the moment. I have purchased a learning remote, which I programmed with the basic functionality for running Sage TV in the auxiliary settings, but that is currently in storage until we settle in our new home.

The option for bringing it to focus with the power button is a great solution. I don't know why I didn't play around to figure this out previously. I guess you sometimes get caught up with what works when you're busy and stop testing options.

Thanks again.