Using MCE's IR blaster with Sage

[npereira]

i just want to know if this will work...

I have a bunch of remotes, but there all set asside as I bought a logitech harmony 880 remote. This remote controls my sound system, dvd, illico set-top box, and viewsat receiver.

what would be the best way to set this up if I only want my Hormony remote to control (replace) the MCE remote?
I can have the harmony learn the MCE remote keys, that's not an issue, the issue is SageTV will need to change the chanel on the STB....

I'm confused....

[StephaneM]

Originally Posted by npereira

what would be the best way to set this up if I only want my Hormony remote to control (replace) the MCE remote?

You make the Harmony Learn the MCE Remote as you have done for all your hardware.

Though you still need to learn your set top box IR codes with LM RKM (use the original remote for this and not the Harmony).

Once you have learned your original set top box remote in LM RKM. SageTV will use LM RKM to change the channels on your set top box (through the MCE Blaster). This will of course happen when:

* you use the mouse / keyboard to control SageTV
* when SageTV will make scheduled recording
* when you use the MCE Remote (or Harmony emulating the MCE Remote) to control SageTV.

Regards,
Stéphane.

[npereira]

but where in LM RKM do I make it learn the commands of the set-yop box remote? Do I have to create new profiles for both the remote and ir device?

T'ai trop cool pour m'aider comme ca Steph ! Si je vien qu'a faire marcher ca, tu etre sur que tu va recevoir une donation de moi !

[StephaneM]

Originally Posted by npereira

but where in LM RKM do I make it learn the commands of the set-yop box remote? Do I have to create new profiles for both the remote and ir device?

That's two different things :

* Remote Profiles : this is to define what the MCE Remote should do to an application. For instance to customize what pressing on the "Red" button will do in SageTV or in Notepad.

* IR Devices : this is to define the IR Codes to be used by the MCE Blaster to let LM RKM control this external device by sendig him these IR codes (for instance changing channel on the device)

Take a look at this article: http://www.lmgestion.net/@en-us/4/22/60/79/article.asp there is here all the basics for creating an IR device and learning IR codes.

[npereira]

ill check that out, so basicaly the Remote Profile for instance would be SageTV, and IR device profile would be my Set-Top Box? (which is an illico Explorer 940 by Scientific Atlanta)

[StephaneM]

Originally Posted by npereira

ill check that out, so basicaly the Remote Profile for instance would be SageTV, and IR device profile would be my Set-Top Box? (which is an illico Explorer 940 by Scientific Atlanta)

Exactly. Note: SageTV already support natively the MCE Remote, so if you use LM RKM to also drive the MCE Remote, you will have to configure SageTV so that it does not use a remote (or you can do the opposite, leave SageTV as it is if it is already working, and not creating a remote profile in LM RKM)

Regards,
Stéphane.

[npereira]

so I can use the default remote profile, and simply setup my illico STB to be learned by LM RKM?

[StephaneM]

Originally Posted by npereira

so I can use the default remote profile, and simply setup my illico STB to be learned by LM RKM?

Yes.

[electron]

So I finally got a chance to try this, and I didn't run into a single software issue. The interface is very easy to use, very flexible, and it just works, great job! Highly recommended if you want to use your MCE blaster to control a set top box!

Originally Posted by StephaneM

I don't know how to do it in HIP, but you can try my software (see signature) with the default MCE Remote drivers (XP or Vista). You'll be able to learn your set top box remote with the MCE remote blaster and test that channel changing is working as it should before configuring SageTV.

Here is a basic how to (you can find detailed instructions on my web site):

* Create an IR device in my Software
* Learn the 0, 1, 2 etc.. buttons of your original remote
* Learn the "Enter" button also
* In the "send these commands after..." field, type the name of the "Enter" button as you learned it.
* Set up delays as it seems right for your set top box

Then test a channel change by typing the channel number in the "Channel number" field and clicking the "Test Channel Change" button.

Note: if you also use the MCE Remote for controlling sage, you'll certainly need to insert a pause before the channel change. For this type #500 (for a 500 milliseconds pause) in the "Send these commands before..."

Once you have verified that changing channel works. You'll have to copy my SageTV plugin into the SageTV directory and configure your video sources to use this plugin (this is all explained on my web sites).

Oh and this should work if you use the SageTV service.

Regards,
Stéphane.

[npereira]

Steph,

I am trying to have the blaster learn the illico remote codes but when I click on learn, the take the illico remote, point it close to the blaster and press the '0', the window does not close. So I opened the trace window, and I dont see anything comming in. I tried every single remote i have and none of them work except for the MCE remote... the trace viewer doesnt show anything except if I use the MCE remote...

I tried both the Vista MCE IR bloaster and the MCE IR Blaster and same thing....

What could be wrong?

[StephaneM]

Originally Posted by npereira

when I click on learn, the take the illico remote, point it close to the blaster and press the '0', the window does not close. So I opened the trace window, and I dont see anything comming in. I tried every single remote i have and none of them work except for the MCE remote... the trace viewer doesnt show anything except if I use the MCE remote...

You mean that when you try to learn the MCE Remote, you see a IR code in the "Code 1" or "Code 2" field (something like : 3702|9000 -4450 600...). But when you use your set top box remote, nothing happen (does the MCE IR Receiver blink at least)?

If this is the case, I suppose that the receiver is not able to learn your remote...

Regards,
Stéphane.

[npereira]

exactly, the IR Blaster blink when I press a button on my Illico remote, but nothing shows up in the trace viewer.

All my remotes do the same, the MCE IR Blaster blinks but in the Trace Viewer, nothing comes up.

Could it be because my remotes send 56Khz freq and that the MCE IR Blaster/Receiver only sees 46Khz?

I'm puzzled....

[npereira]

I can make my Harmony switch to PC TV input and wondering if I can make the Harmony learn the sage TV / MCE remote commands?

The only thing I would need is to be able to change the guide, and select a channel in the guide for the Blaster to change it on the STB.

[StephaneM]

Originally Posted by npereira

exactly, the IR Blaster blink when I press a button on my Illico remote, but nothing shows up in the trace viewer .../... Could it be because my remotes send 56Khz freq and that the MCE IR Blaster/Receiver only sees 46Khz?

Maybe. I so far only have see 36Khz remote (by the way the frequency is the first number you seen in "Code 1" / "Code 2" fields when it does learn).

You could try to press longer on your set top box remote button, to see if something can be learned (FYI : data may be received, upon data reception, the data is processed and this may fail).

You can also try the IR Server Suite software, it does things differently from what I'm doing, this may work. If it doesn't work, then the USB-UIRT with 56Khz option is what you need.

Regards,
Stéphane.

[npereira]

I installed the ir server suite but reading through, so damn complicated ! I gave up... Still have it installed but cant seem to get it going... I also installed MediaPortal also, but not supported for my card, and also BERY complicated to get the tv source setup... Also gave up on that...

Back to sage and LM RKM, hopefully I can get this setup to work.

[npereira]

good news, finaly able to get the IR Server Suite to at least give me something...

in the IR file tool, i used "learn IR" and it picked up the code when I pressed the key on my Illico Remote. Then I click decode and gives me this info:

remote is Panasonic 6914
carrier frequency is 56782

Could this help you Steph?

[npereira]

GOOD NEWS! ! ! ! IT STARTED WORKING... dont ask why cause I hjave no clue... So I'm making LM learn the IR Device codes... but why is there 2 code lines? Do I have to make both code lines for the same remote function?

for instance, the 0 looks like this for code 1:
56498||3349 -3199 900 -2450 850 -2450 900 -750 900 -2450 850 -2450 900 -2400 900 -799 850 -799 850 -2450 900 -2450 850 -799 850 -799 850 -799 900 -2400 900 -799 850 -799 850 -799 850 -2450 900 -2450 850 -799 850 -799 900 -2400 900 -35449 |900 -2450 850 -2450 900 -750 900 -750 900 -750 900 -799 850 -799 850 -799 850 -799 900 -750 900 -750 900 -750 900 -750 900 -750 900 -2450 900 -750 900

[StephaneM]

Originally Posted by npereira

GOOD NEWS! ! ! ! IT STARTED WORKING... dont ask why cause I hjave no clue... So I'm making LM learn the IR Device codes... but why is there 2 code lines? Do I have to make both code lines for the same remote function?

There is 2 Code because some remote send two different codes for button press (this is to avoid unwanted repeats). While not all remote do, I assume this is the case, so I want you to learn a button two times to eventually capture the two distinct code (so you need to learn "Code 1" and immediately after "Code 2" for the same button).

Regards,
Stéphane.

[npereira]

ok, done ! Now what do I do?

[StephaneM]

Originally Posted by npereira

ok, done ! Now what do I do?

You learn all the buttons of you original remote. Make sure that each button works as it should : right click the button on the tree view and click "Test button", test the button 5 times in a row and ensure that each time your set top box got it right. If this is not the case, relearn the button until it works (normally you should just press and release the button, so it the first learning was not good press the button longer before releasing).

When all buttons are learned, test a channel change. Type a channel number in the "channel number" field and click on the "Test channel change" button. Make sure that the STB got it right. If not increase the "delay between commands" (or decrease it).

The you can follow this guide to install the SageTV plugin : http://www.lmgestion.net/@en-us/4/22/60/81/article.asp

Regards,
Stéphane.