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Hello
Can XBMC on Windows be remote controlled with a Logitech Harmony remote?
As there are may models from Logitech, which one do you recommend?
Thanks scsi
Bigkidoz
2009-03-21, 15:57
Hello
Can XBMC on Windows be remote controlled with a Logitech Harmony remote?
As there are may models from Logitech, which one do you recommend?
Thanks scsi
I use a harmony 525 to control all the a/v devices including xbox with XBMC, i'm about to build a HTPC with XBMC using a USB MCE remote that i will program the 525 to replace, probably the best $70 i have spent on my home entertainment system.
Yeah it works just fine. I replaced my Microsoft MCE with a Harmony 525 without any problems.
dave1233345
2009-03-21, 17:39
the harmony is good. but i wouldn't recommend it. the remote has a poor responce rate compared to the oringal remotes. its not a big problem but it is frustrating when your used to your old remotes which respond at lightning speed. also setup is long and frustrating..
personally i'd look for a alternative
the harmony is good. but i wouldn't recommend it. the remote has a poor responce rate compared to the oringal remotes. its not a big problem but it is frustrating when your used to your old remotes which respond at lightning speed. also setup is long and frustrating..
personally i'd look for a alternative
If you use the ir serversuite as described in the sticky to tweak timings like repeat and hold delays you can make it respond and repeat as faster then a keyboard. i got a 555 set it up to control my complete audio and video setup (6 remotes) in less then half an hour and find it very user friendly.
question about IR receivers, I just built a HTPC for a friend, he has a Harmony 880, don't really want to buy the MS Media Center remote to get the receiver.
Anyone here have experince with http://store4pc.stores.yahoo.net/adsirblrecos.html this one? Or care to suggest one to get? The PC has no com port so I'll need it to be USB, I know most are USB but I've seen a couple that use a com port.
Bigkidoz
2009-03-22, 04:40
the harmony is good. but i wouldn't recommend it. the remote has a poor responce rate compared to the oringal remotes. its not a big problem but it is frustrating when your used to your old remotes which respond at lightning speed. also setup is long and frustrating..
personally i'd look for a alternative
I totally disagree, i setup the remote in maybe 30 mins to operate 7 devices and find it works great on all and sure beats having 7 remotes with 7 sets of batteries crowding the coffee table or drawer, its so simple even my 5 yo can pick it up and instantly choose between playing a dvd/bluray or cable tv/fta tv.
Even when i had some keystrokes problems at first i went into the settings and had the harmony learn from the original remote. I bought a cheap ebay MCE remote and if the remote is crap i'll use the harmony instead.
this question has been asked no less than a dozen times... and discussed at least as many.
the search feature is your friend... not to mention there is a sticky about IR at the top of the forum.
I read the Sticky a few weeks ago, unless I'm blind it doesn't get into where to get the actual IR receiver, one person mentioned using the Xbox IR one, but that only comes with the Remote + you have to buy an adapter to use it on the PC. The threads I'm finding all seem to be more about how to set up XBMC to work with the remote. I did search "IR RECEIVER" in the Windows forum and read threw a bunch of the ones that came up. People are saying buy the MCE kit, or the Xbox remote, I can't find any post saying "buy this receiver" they're all suggesting kits from Antec or Happauge.
The USB-UIRT a few people are using is expensive, the one I linked to is 10 bucks, I cannot find a thread about it to know if it will work. $50 for the UIRT one is kind of steep if I can do the same thing with a $10 one.
Again, maybe I'm blind but I couldn't find what I'm after, obviously it's been asked and answered but the thread is alluding me :)
IR receivers have been discussed many times BUT it not relevant to XBMC as XBMC does not care or know and has nothing to do with the receiver.
Figure out what remote/ir software you are going to use, then buy a receiver that is compatible. This has also been discussed many times.
Bill48105
2009-03-22, 07:25
Unfortunately some of the threads in here are a mess & personally I'd prefer a wiki system or such to better organize all the important info. Not bashing anyone running the show here, I'm sure they got their hands full & if people would do a better job of following posting rules or figure out searching it would help some but there is just way too much information in here and to make matters worse that information can be different between platforms, change over time, depend on which build you are using, which hardware you have, drivers, OS version, etc etc etc.. I might only have a few posts in here but I am no n00b and I can say I have wasted days & days looking for info wading through threads. Enough ranting I suppose, I'm sure it is my fault for not knowing how to search. ;) {Sarcasm}
To answer your question, on the Windows platform in particular it isn't obvious but XBMC doesn't deal directly with the remote or the IR receiver. (I came from running XBMC on an XBOX & the MS remote was truly plug & play & worked right away with XBMC without any config whatsoever so I assumed support was built in & would be the case in XBMC on Windows too. WRONG)
In most cases you get a receiver (either USB, serial or built into a card like Hauppauge which I have) then you need drivers for it (which likely come with it or are built into Windows which is the case with true MCE remotes). If that driver (like Hauppauge) emulates keystrokes you just need to configure it to output the right keystrokes that XBMC needs. Or you might need an add-on utility like EventGhost or IR Server Suite etc to do some translating or scripting. (During my testing XBMC actually gave a message on startup that it found a remote server or such which leads me to believe not all emulate keystrokes to control XBMC but rather talk directly with XBMC but I am far from expert on that) Keep in mind this assumes you are using the remote included with your kit. If you plan to use a universal remote you need to either reconfigure the IR receiver driver or add-on utility to understand that remote or it be a learning remote to get signals from the original remote or be programmable to emulate a certain remote. (Yeah talk about a lot to work through lol)
So as long as your kit can at least emulate keystrokes or work with one of the add-on's it is just a matter of searching for how-to or such on what is needed to bring all the pieces together. I did a write up on how I did it with my Hauppauge IR built into the PCI TV tuner:
http://xbmc.org/forum/showthread.php?p=300223#post300223
Of course there are other ways to do it but that's what I ended up with after days of searching & trying different combinations.
Hope that helps
Bill
thanks for the post Bill48105, I agree there's almost too much information here. I read a ton of threads and didn't find exactly what I wanted, and the stuff I found varied on methods of how to accomplish. I'm currently reading up on EventGhost so once I do order the IR receiver I can get it programmed properly. I just wanted to get a receiver that would work with the Harmony without breaking the bank. I don't see why he needs one that can send commands, and he doesn't need a remote, even if it only adds $15 to the price, it's still extra money spent.
I will say this, XBMC might not be the most user friendly to set things up in, but once you get it configured it's like butter. I don't have a remote on my PC, but my XBMC is pretty much flawless. Learning EventGhost is a whole new story, but again it seems like once you get over the initial "WTF?" confusion of it and get it working. You never have to touch it again. In the end I'll take something powerful that requires some of my brain power to set up over a PNP application that lacks features and has no plugin support.
Just one point about the Harmony & the USB receiver. I was in your situation few months ago - I have the Harmony One and needed a USB receiver. So I bought the cheapest one I can find that claimed it was compatible with MCE - but it wasn't the real MCE from Microsoft. It did work fine with Media Center but not with EventGhost (not even with the generic HID plugin). I ended up having to buy a real MCE receiver to get it to work with EG & Harmony.
So just be careful to get a USB receiver that will be recognized by EG - look at their forums as well. There are a lot of cheap imitations that won't work with EG, IR Suite etc.
mattb123
2009-03-23, 18:49
Just one point about the Harmony & the USB receiver. I was in your situation few months ago - I have the Harmony One and needed a USB receiver. So I bought the cheapest one I can find that claimed it was compatible with MCE - but it wasn't the real MCE from Microsoft. It did work fine with Media Center but not with EventGhost (not even with the generic HUD plugin). I ended up having to buy a real MCE receiver to get it to work with EG & Harmony.
So just be careful to get a USB receiver that will be recognized by EG - look at their forums as well. There are a lot of cheap imitations that won't work with EG, IR Suite etc.
I've also been looking for info like this. I have a couple more questions surrounding this so this seems like the thread to ask them in.
I'm building g a htpc and I'm trying to make it nice, but also keep costs to a minimum. I'm planning on installing XP Pro because I have an extra copy and it should be fine for this project using XBMC without a MCE edition of Windows (right???). I already have a Harmony remote that can emulate a MCE remote but I do not have an IR receiver. I can't find any IR receivers on sale without an included remote.
Does anyone know of a good receiver at a reasonable cost that will work with XBMC on XP Pro?
If I can't find just a receiver, what remote/receiver combo do people recommend? I saw an inexpensive one on NewEgg but it was for Vista only and the reviews stated it wouldn't work with XP at all (no driver). And since I'm not planning on using the remote, if there is an inexpensive remote that is not very good but includes a good receiver then I'd be happy with that too.
Any recommendations? Thanks!
Matt
supernoman
2009-03-23, 18:51
Define inexpensive. You can build yourself one if you really want to keep costs down. Also, check ebay for old MCE remotes.
I've also been looking for info like this. I have a couple more questions surrounding this so this seems like the thread to ask them in.
I'm building g a htpc and I'm trying to make it nice, but also keep costs to a minimum. I'm planning on installing XP Pro because I have an extra copy and it should be fine for this project using XBMC without a MCE edition of Windows (right???). I already have a Harmony remote that can emulate a MCE remote but I do not have an IR receiver. I can't find any IR receivers on sale without an included remote.
Does anyone know of a good receiver at a reasonable cost that will work with XBMC on XP Pro?
If I can't find just a receiver, what remote/receiver combo do people recommend? I saw an inexpensive one on NewEgg but it was for Vista only and the reviews stated it wouldn't work with XP at all (no driver). And since I'm not planning on using the remote, if there is an inexpensive remote that is not very good but includes a good receiver then I'd be happy with that too.
Any recommendations? Thanks!
Matt
mattb123
2009-03-23, 18:57
Define inexpensive. You can build yourself one if you really want to keep costs down. Also, check ebay for old MCE remotes.
Well, I guess as little as I need to spend to get the desired results. I just don't want to buy more than I need and since I'm new to all this MCE/XBMC stuff I thought I'd ask before jumping in and risking buying either the wrong thing or more than I need. The cheap remote on NewEgg is about $20 and I'd call that inexpensive. Too bad it's not supported in XP.
Can you elaborate on the DIY project? I'm reasonably handy with electronics but don't want to spend a ton of time on it if a few dollars more would get me something already built. I also wonder how drivers would work with a DIY solution.
If DIY wasn't a viable option, what do you think would be a good value to get a working receiver on my system?
Thanks!
supernoman
2009-03-23, 19:36
I forget to mention I abandoned my MCE IR for USB-UIRT ($55). I know it's not inexpensive but if you plan on using a Harmony remote, I'd recommend the investment. I already had 2 MCE IRs and tried to make due but there are issues with the MCE IR and Harmony Remotes or at least the two models I have (One and 880). There is lag and inconsistent reception. Everything worked fine with the original MCE Remote, but the Harmony would not get me consistent scrolling or consistent power on/off no matter how I configured it.
Google for how to make your own IR. It would most likely connect to a serial port.
Well, I guess as little as I need to spend to get the desired results. I just don't want to buy more than I need and since I'm new to all this MCE/XBMC stuff I thought I'd ask before jumping in and risking buying either the wrong thing or more than I need. The cheap remote on NewEgg is about $20 and I'd call that inexpensive. Too bad it's not supported in XP.
Can you elaborate on the DIY project? I'm reasonably handy with electronics but don't want to spend a ton of time on it if a few dollars more would get me something already built. I also wonder how drivers would work with a DIY solution.
If DIY wasn't a viable option, what do you think would be a good value to get a working receiver on my system?
Thanks!
mattb123
2009-03-23, 20:13
I forget to mention I abandoned my MCE IR for USB-UIRT ($55). I know it's not inexpensive but if you plan on using a Harmony remote, I'd recommend the investment. I already had 2 MCE IRs and tried to make due but there are issues with the MCE IR and Harmony Remotes or at least the two models I have (One and 880). There is lag and inconsistent reception. Everything worked fine with the original MCE Remote, but the Harmony would not get me consistent scrolling or consistent power on/off no matter how I configured it.
Google for how to make your own IR. It would most likely connect to a serial port.
Thanks again. My new MB doesn't have a serial port and I don't want to have to buy or mess with USB-Serial converters (I get to fight with those for my job sometimes). So that option is out for me IMO.
I'm looking into the USB-UIRT. If that is the best solution then I can pay that, I just don't want to pay extra now and find out it's not the best (or at least good) after I have it.
Edit: I was just looking at that solution. Looks pretty slick - does this work with XBMC naively or does another layer of software need to be added to go between the hardware and XBMC (like Event Ghost)?
Another option: Would you be interested in selling one of your inferior receivers to me for cheap? I'd like to try it inexpensively and maybe tune the remote timing to see if I can overcome the issues you had.
Thanks again. My new MB doesn't have a serial port and I don't want to have to buy or mess with USB-Serial converters (I get to fight with those for my job sometimes). So that option is out for me IMO.
I'm looking into the USB-UIRT. If that is the best solution then I can pay that, I just don't want to pay extra now and find out it's not the best (or at least good) after I have it.
Edit: I was just looking at that solution. Looks pretty slick - does this work with XBMC naively or does another layer of software need to be added to go between the hardware and XBMC (like Event Ghost)?
Another option: Would you be interested in selling one of your inferior receivers to me for cheap? I'd like to try it inexpensively and maybe tune the remote timing to see if I can overcome the issues you had.
I have been reseaching this for a few days now, well for awhile actually. But for the past couple I've been really dedicating myself to this. It seems like this info we're after would be something easy to find, but apparently it's not. Googling wasn't turning up much and the few receivers on Froogle - I can't find any reviews of them. Asking on here doesn't help as people tend to go "search the forums!" "there's a sticky!" or "XBMC has nothing to do with a receiver"
the USB-UIRT is pricey, but can send and receive commands. I'm still trying to wrap my head around why I'd need a remote that can send IR commands. I suppose it would be useful if you need to change the TV's inputs to get your HTPC to come up on the screen. But I don't need that, so to me the USB-UIRT would be a bit overkill, but in price and features.
As for finding the receiver on their own, I have seen a couple IR Blasters on Froogle, but as the previous poster said, not all of them work with MCE even if they claim compatibility. I did not know this and was about to jump on an Anyware remote on Newegg for $23, now I'm kind of hesitant. What sucks is unless somebody replies here, I doubt I'll be able to find any info on Google about the receiver the Anywhere comes with and if it'll work correctly with EG. EGs fourms search function isn't all that accurate. Well, I guess since I have some free time I'll browse thru the threads on there in hopes of finding gold. If I find anything good I'll post back here and let you know, if you happen to find anything you could do the same :)
Once I get it all figured out and working, I believe I will write a top to bottom guide on how to get XBMC up and running with a remote. Including what parts to buy etc. It's definitely a time consuming project to search for all the info needed. As helpful as the stickies here are, I was still left with a lot of unanswered questions.
Here is the one I got and I can confirm it works with Harmony + EventGhost + XBMC and I have no issues! Actually works surprisingly good. The receiver is plug and play and for $30 it's a fair deal. As far as I know Microsoft does not make those remotes anymore.
http://compeve.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=263&zenid=ae3ca580dde29914dc435cf5eef52def
If you're looking to use EG to link XBMC and your remote - I suggest you check their compatibility list and make 100% sure that the remote/receiver you're buying is compatible:
http://www.eventghost.org/wiki/Receivers
ryansebiz
2009-03-24, 00:02
Here is the one I got and I can confirm it works with Harmony + EventGhost + XBMC and I have no issues! Actually works surprisingly good. The receiver is plug and play and for $30 it's a fair deal. As far as I know Microsoft does not make those remotes anymore.
http://compeve.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=263&zenid=ae3ca580dde29914dc435cf5eef52def
I use the MCE IR from this along with my Harmony One and EventGhost and it works perfectly.
It took me a few days to setup, mapping codes to get it just right to work with BeyondTV as well, but now that I've got it setup perfectly I'm very, very happy.
mattb123
2009-03-24, 01:06
I use the MCE IR from this along with my Harmony One and EventGhost and it works perfectly.
It took me a few days to setup, mapping codes to get it just right to work with BeyondTV as well, but now that I've got it setup perfectly I'm very, very happy.
Thanks! Is EG required to use the remote with XBMC or is that just for other uses?
spartacus51
2009-03-24, 01:28
Anyone looking for a recommendation for a remote I'll throw mine in for a Gyration MCE remote. It's a plain learning HID remote that works off RF with a (fairly large) dongle, but has IR built in for universal application. Controls my TV great, HTIB decent enough and loves my media center. The best part though is the gyro mouse. press a button and all the sudden you're holding a Wiimote for your MC. Honestly, it works better than the wiimote. Gyro control is accurate and sensitive enough to within probably 3-4 pixels. I like it enough that when my first one stopped working after a year and a half I bought another. $150 isn't cheap ($75 on ebay) but I love the thing.
Thanks! Is EG required to use the remote with XBMC or is that just for other uses?
It's not required and it depends on the remote you have. scsi44 was asking specifically about getting his universal remote (Harmony) working with XBMC. You can of course mess with obc codes in keymap.xml but why would you want to do that? EG is an extra layer between your remote and the XBMC Eventserver and makes mapping remote commands to XBMC actions transparent and as easy as drag-and-drop: you press your remote control button, the event shows up in EG and then you just drag that to the corresponding XBMC action. You can also do more complex stuff. For example, if you use the external player in XBMC - you can configure EG to switch control between XBMC and your external player when you launch a video and then return control to XBMC when you're done - all pretty seamless...
So, to sum up - EG is not required to get your remot to work but it makes your life so much easier! ;)
Sure glad i found this thread, i'm looking to get a 720 0r 880 harmony remote, any you guys recommend? Or will each work the same..
So from what i read, if i get a harmony remote, and a microsoft IR reciever, hook it up and use event ghost, i'll be able to map the commands on xbmc to the buttons i want in harmony?
Do all commands work? Seems pretty easy...
Hope someone can confirm this before i got throwing money around :) thanks
Sure glad i found this thread, i'm looking to get a 720 0r 880 harmony remote, any you guys recommend? Or will each work the same..
They should work the same. All Harmony remotes can emulate the MCE remote or any other device in the Logitech DB.
So from what i read, if i get a harmony remote, and a microsoft IR reciever, hook it up and use event ghost, i'll be able to map the commands on xbmc to the buttons i want in harmony?
Do all commands work? Seems pretty easy...
Hope someone can confirm this before i got throwing money around :) thanks
All basic commands work (play, stop etc.). However, you should also do some mapping in the Logitech app to get your custom buttons working. You might also need to tweak keymap.xml if you want the remote to execute an XBMC action that is not defined in EG.
They should work the same. All Harmony remotes can emulate the MCE remote or any other device in the Logitech DB.
All basic commands work (play, stop etc.). However, you should also do some mapping in the Logitech app to get your custom buttons working. You might also need to tweak keymap.xml if you want the remote to execute an XBMC action that is not defined in EG.
So it will function just as good as the actual xbox remote does with xbox?
I'll see if i can order a harmony then, i personally like the 720 because of its looks, the 880 looks chunky
I use the Microsoft IR receiver with the Harmony One remote. I've used other harmonies before, but they all broke pretty easily. I can highly recommend the Harmony One remote :)
Hi,
I've got a 785 from logitech and am using Vista, what i did and works for me is this:
Used a small part of this sticky Tutorial: How to use MCE remote under XP with XBMC (http://xbmc.org/forum/showthread.php?t=36936)
PART3
install IR Server Suite - Test Build 1.4.2.1711.exe
1: only select the input service
PART4
Configure the IR Server Suite
Start | Programs IR Server Suit | Input Service Configuration
Input Service Configuration:
Microsoft MCE
Boxes Receive and Transmit are both checked
Configure:
* Basic
* Remote
* Keyboard
* Mouse
Basic
Learn IR timeout : 10.000
Disalbe Windows Media Center services (check)
All others are greyout (this guide is only for XP Sp3
Remote
Enable remote control input (check)
Disable automatic buttons (check) (this makes the mute and volume buttons work)
use system keyboard rate settings (uncheck)
Keyboard
Enable keyboard input (check)
Handle keyboard locally (check)
Use system keyboard rate settings (check)
Use Qwertz Layout (uncheck)
Mouse
Enable mouse input (check)
Handel mouse locally (check)
Tweaked the xml files to my liking and everything works perfect for me.
I prefer this method as EG felt a bit laggy to me.
Also use translator to map the "green button" to start XBMC.
If you (or anyone) want i can share my xml files which i edited..
Just send me a pm..
Awesome thanks, i'll be surfing around for a remote and a MS ir receiver