extremely frustrated with HD extender IR receiver

[stefano540]

Andy - you nailed it!!!
Removed the file and repaired the installation, now everything works !!!
My RemoteClients.properties.defaults file also had the 11/2/07 date and I didn't touch it.
Thanks a lot
Stefano

[Opus4]

Originally Posted by sam99

Out of curiousity, what date should the "RemoteClients.properties.defaults" file have? Mine is 11/2/07

Originally Posted by stefano540

My RemoteClients.properties.defaults file also had the 11/2/07 date and I didn't touch it.

I should have mentioned that the 11/2/2007 date is the latest open.

- Andy

[dvsing]

Anyone else notice that the STX-HD100 seems to be much less sensitive to IR remote commands than other components? Both the USBUIRT (which I used to use when watching the server directly) and my Sony receiver respond to the remote no matter what direction I point it, but I have to be pointing the remote directly at the HD extender to get a response. This is somewhat annoying. Anyone have any tricks they've found to get around this? I've tried putting a piece of tin foil sticking out over the top of the ir receiver since I have it up high on the top of my entertainment center in hopes to reflect some more IR but it's only marginally effective.

Other than IR performance, this box is great! Picture quality is incredible, color depth and smoothness totally kill anything a PC video card could deliver.

-Dan

* merged *

[gplasky]

IR does seem to be too directional. I'm not sure if it is the remote or the receiver in the box. I'll be setting up a Harmony later. I mean, it obvious the remote that comes with the HD Xtdr isn't the top of the line. Rubbery feel and inconsistent operation. Sometimes either have to press the button couple a three times or adjust the direction. I do like all the buttons. Good choices.

Gerry

[bcjenkins]

I tried to link codes from my MCE remote last night. RC6 support is not working right. It thought most buttons were all using the same code.

B

[phuzzy]

Originally Posted by gplasky

IR does seem to be too directional. I'm not sure if it is the remote or the receiver in the box. I'll be setting up a Harmony later. I mean, it obvious the remote that comes with the HD Xtdr isn't the top of the line. Rubbery feel and inconsistent operation. Sometimes either have to press the button couple a three times or adjust the direction. I do like all the buttons. Good choices.

Gerry

It's both, but mostly the remote. My Harmony 880 with the HD extender is much less directional than the stock remote, but slightly more directional than any of my other components.

[nick_l]

Originally Posted by phuzzy

It's both, but mostly the remote. My Harmony 880 with the HD extender is much less directional than the stock remote, but slightly more directional than any of my other components.

I'll agree with this. Response is a little better with my 880. At least I dont have to hold the remote directly in front of the HD extender at 90° and parallel to the floor when I use it.

[MTuckman]

Originally Posted by nick_l

I'll agree with this. Response is a little better with my 880. At least I dont have to hold the remote directly in front of the HD extender at 90° and parallel to the floor when I use it.

I'm finding the same thing. So far the only complaint I have is the IR receiver. I have my USBUIRT sitting right on top of the extender and every key press I send is being acknowledged by the USBUIRT. The extender on the other hand is only acknowledging every other key press. And that is with the 880. With the original remote it is more like one in every 3 or 4 key presses.

My biggest concern is that this is going to be a hardware issue and there won't be very much we can do about it. At this point the WAF is way down on the extender.

Hey! I hit 100 posts - finally!

[MTuckman]

Just noticed something while I was playing with both the original remote as well as the 880, while I was typing my previous post.

Every once in a while, I notice that it isn't so much that the extender is not acknowledging the key press but sometimes is delayed in processing it. I was hitting the up and down arrow keys and it was processing about every other. Then all of a sudden it would, it would process the previous key press that it had appeared to have previously ignored.

So for example I would be hitting the up arrow key repeatedly, pausing for a couple of seconds between key presses, with the remote not quite pointing dead on to the extender.

It would ignore about every other press, so it would be moving the "cursor" up at the rate of about one position every 4 - 5 seconds. Then suddenly after the "normal" above delay it would move the cursor up 2 or 3 positions at once.

[Fluffdaddy]

Originally Posted by MTuckman

My biggest concern is that this is going to be a hardware issue and there won't be very much we can do about it.

Don't even think that

I like to watch TV at night laying on my couch which is about a 15-20 degree angle from my entertainment center, where all my components sit. A gymnast would have had problems twisting and bending to get the remote lined up just right. I'm shocked this made it through round one of hardware development

[jdamore]

My bet is a combination of the remote being weak and the ir receiver (the actual component) is to far from the front panel. If this was true you should be able to get a response from the remote every time when you are very close to the extender (like 3-4 inches).

So my question to you guys is, does the remote respond better if right up to the IR window?

[Fluffdaddy]

Originally Posted by jdamore

So my question to you guys is, does the remote respond better if right up to the IR window?

Yes. But back up and try to use from even the smallest angle an it's hit or miss

[jdamore]

Hmmm.. looks like I will be opening up the enclosure after all (once its delivered) . I'm wondering if you can possibly bend the IR receiver a little closer to the front window. I do that to almost all my components to improve the angle it can receive. Anyone willing to give it a go to see if it fixes it?

[KJake]

Not sure of anyone else, but this remote seems of pretty poor quality. A lot of my buttons don't seem to make contact with the board inside and make a unimpressive thump sound when I press them. There seems to be a large gap between the buttons and the board?

What I'm getting at here is, this is nothing like the Hauppage 45 button remote...is this just my experience?

* merged *

[KJake]

I think the problem is with the remotes. Mine is crap TBQH.

I programmed my pronto pro and the 4 IR emitters are working great with the HD extender (something is up with Channel Down though).

edit: no problem with channel down, that was my fault in that i had somehow assigned both channel up and channel down to the channel up hard button. fixed.

[stefano540]

I have had the same experience, with the Hauppauge remote side-by-side with the Sage remote. Feels cheap in comparison.
Stefano

[Fluffdaddy]

Hey what did we expect?

My Logitech 880 U remote cost me more then the HD Extender




http://forums.sagetv.com/forums/show...469#post252469

[95TBird]

I wonder if one of these might help ??

http://www.hometech.com/infrared/emi...tml#AT-IRPRISM

I've used them in the past to improve IR performance & had good luck.

[bastafidli]

SInce I do not have any of those universal remotes I cannot compare, but my observations are

1. it works in about 30-45 degree angle in both directions but it has to be pointed on the unit.
2. it doesn't work if somebody stands in front of the unit between the remote and the unit.
3. the response is sometimes slow and there is no feedback (visual or audio) if the button was accepted or not. I press some buttons and I cannot tell if nothing has happened because the Sage software on the server or extender is busy or because it didnt registered the command. In my opinion it can be either so the remote can be good, but the software may have some issues processing the commands.

[Fluffdaddy]

Originally Posted by 95TBird

I wonder if one of these might help ??

http://www.hometech.com/infrared/emi...tml#AT-IRPRISM

I've used them in the past to improve IR performance & had good luck.

Hummm looks interesting an cheap too.