MCE Remote and Blaster

[phenixdragon]

I know this has been brought up before but I just am not seeing my answer here. Has anyone actually gotten the IR blasters to work that come with the MCE remote? And does anyone have instructions to set up the MCE remote for Sage and also instructions for the blasters too if they have gotten it to work.

Thanks!

[gplasky]

Nope-MCE remote receiver and blasters are NOT supported by Sage although the remote will work, blasters won't. CAN you get them to work?-maybe. Using a different MCE system driver from Girder or HIP and using Girder or HIP to control MCE remote and Sage, the answer is YES people have done it.

Gerry

[phenixdragon]

Ya I never have been able to figure out Girder but I am using HIP. I was curious if someone wouldn't want to post their Girder if they had it.

But has anyone gotten the IR through HIP to work?

[Scriber]

I'm a bit confused and frustrated too.

I was thinking that the alternate mce driver might make the mce receiver accept other remotes too...

But, does it matter which mce receiver you have (2004 v. 2005)?

Does the 2005 remote work with the 2004 receiver out of the box?

Also, can I use the mce keyboard with XP Pro and the 2004 receiver? Make a difference if I use the alternate mce driver?

[Motofreak75]

I have been using MCE 2005 remote and KB on my XP sp2 htpc, I also install MCE2005 rollup1 (not rollup2) and I'm using HIP, they make the blaster work and I can add in any other remote with HIP running.

[Scriber]

Originally Posted by phenixdragon

Ya I never have been able to figure out Girder but I am using HIP. I was curious if someone wouldn't want to post their Girder if they had it.

I'm the opposite (although I haven't had much time to spend on HIP).

Look here: http://www.sage-community.org/index.cgi/wiki/Girder I have a mapped sageclient gml that works fine w/the last free version of Girder except TGB (I have similar functionality linked to the live tv button). If you want that I can post that when I'm home.

[Scriber]

Originally Posted by Motofreak75

I have been using MCE 2005 remote and KB on my XP sp2 htpc, I also install MCE2005 rollup1 (not rollup2) and I'm using HIP, they make the blaster work and I can add in any other remote with HIP running.

So you installed the MCE2005 rollup 1 on XP Pro sp2? Which receiver -- I presume 2005. I have an integrated 2004 IR receiver so I want to continue to use that.

[Motofreak75]

yeah I have MCE 2005 remote and KB, so I cant tell you if it will work for sure with your 2004 parts. But since I was able to do it, then yo might be able to, just back up stuff before testing it.

[batorok]

please post!
thanks

Originally Posted by Scriber

I'm the opposite (although I haven't had much time to spend on HIP).

Look here: http://www.sage-community.org/index.cgi/wiki/Girder I have a mapped sageclient gml that works fine w/the last free version of Girder except TGB (I have similar functionality linked to the live tv button). If you want that I can post that when I'm home.

[Scriber]

Originally Posted by batorok

please post!
thanks

Here it is - nothing fancy.

[byremote]

Originally Posted by Scriber

I was thinking that the alternate mce driver might make the mce receiver accept other remotes too...

This is a common misconception. The MCE device is NOT a universal remote, and the IR Sending capabilities are pretty weak compared to dedicated units like USBUIRT, Tira and IR Trans. If you use a remote control that shares the same Philips chipset and frequency, then you may be able to send it codes (although whether or not these are unique is the luck of the draw). You can ONLY use different remotes if you use the replacement driver. We have also come across some incompatibilities with the blasting side of things with some components Sony receivers were the most recent example).

The replacement drivers only work with v2 of the MCE remote (whatever that means) and I am not sure if that includes the MCE keyboard as well. The code is very hardware-centric and without the original developer of the dll it does not seem likely that development will continue unless other programmers take up the challenge (and stuff at this level is beyond my field of expertise).

All that said, the MCE remote is the best value sender and receiver around, but if you are wanting true universality then a dedicated Ir receiver/blaster with the remote of your choice is the best way to go.