MCE Remote

[-LD]

would it be possible to integrate the media center edition remote to work with Sage?

when attempting to program the buttons in Sage, i can't...but default things like left and right work just fine (don't need programming)

has anyone successfully gotten the MCE remote to control Sage?

[JasonJoel]

I am fairly sure there is a Girder plugin for the MCE remote... Might want to take a look there, then you could use it via Girder.

Jason

Originally posted by -LD
would it be possible to integrate the media center edition remote to work with Sage?

when attempting to program the buttons in Sage, i can't...but default things like left and right work just fine (don't need programming)

has anyone successfully gotten the MCE remote to control Sage?

[-LD]

i know there is a girder plugin, but i use myHTPC with the MCE plugin for it...i'm afraid it will cause conflicts and unwanted results to use both girder and the myHTPC plugin to control the same remote

[justme]

This goes back to a long running debate in the development of myHTPC. Some want more remotes and hardware supported natively, and some want better intergration with Girder. It is getting to the point where all the native support for IR hardware is causing unpredictable behavior in many situations. ie. myHTPC often won't get focus back. I personally side with the group that is for better Girder intergration. It requires users to setup Girder, but is a much more stable setup. Using Girder as the central control you could send directed commands to both SageTV and myHTPC. With Girder 4 coming out soon(I hope), it should be easier for anyone to setup Girder.

As far as Sage goes it's obvious that Frey is trying to insure that users have a working solution out of the box. Hence just the official Actisys support, even that thru a custom built interface. It looks like they might add a USB IR blaster/reciever soon. But as far as controlling Sage now, girder is the only way I've seen of, and I've tried to read every new post since I joined.

Maybe now that Narflex is planning to open up the UI to third party programmers, you might soon see some alternatives. I know alot of myHTPC programmers want to intergrate SageTV's engine into the UI of myHTPC. This should be a marriage made in heaven and provide a solution for you, but thats all in the future right now.

when attempting to program the buttons in Sage, i can't...but default things like left and right work just fine (don't need programming)

I don't personally own the MCE remote, but it sounds like some buttons are mapped to the keyboard. From my experiments with XPMCE I know most functions could be controlled by the keyboard, so you may just need to find out what keys your remote buttons are mapped to. It would then be easy to map the desired SageTV behavior to those keys. Maybe some one on the AVS forums could tell you how the other remote buttons are ,or could be, mapped. Best of luck.

[salsbst]

MCE Remote -> USB-UIRT -> Girder -> SageTV

The MCE Remote comes with an IRT of sorts but the API for the IRT stinks. I do use the IR LED that came with the MCE Remote (it's plugged into the USB-UIRT).

I stick with Girder. I use the MCE remote to send commands to Girder through a USB-UIRT. Girder sends commands to SageTV based on those events (with logic in between).

It works today if you're willing to deal with configuring it.

Another thread discusses directly interfacing b/t USB-UIRT and SageTV. I'll stick w/Girder because of the configurability.

For instance, if SageTV is going to be displaying Live TV all of a sudden, then the FM radio application that might have been running needs to be turned off. My vote is to devote resources to a very Girderable UI.... but on the other hand, it appears that there is already a very Girderable UI, so I guess that job is done? In that case, my vote is for a UI that can be controlled/skinned by myHTPC (again, with Girder controlling the whole thing -- right now myHTPC is the culprit in the ungirderability department).

[salsbst]

Girder export group for MCE Remote: http://stusals.com/remote-phillips-mediacenter.GML