DigitalEverywhere FireDTV remote controll (1 Viewer)

[ezukas]

MediaPortal Version: 0.2.3.0
Windows Version: Win XP Pro SP2
CPU Type: Intel Core2 T7200 2GHz
Memory: 1 GB
Motherboard: Dell Latitude D620
Motherboard Bios: Dell A08
Video Card: Mobile Intel 945GM Express
Video Card Driver: 6.14.10.4634
1. TV Card: DigitalEverywhere FireDTV
1. TV Card Type: DVB-T
1. TV Card Driver: 4.8.0.0
Remote: DigitalEverywhere FireDTV
TV: Philips 32" LCD 1280x720
TV - HTPC Connection: DVI-HDMI

Hello!
FireDTV remote control is included in MediaPortal configuration as supported device. I did search on the web and noticed, that many people have troubles to make FireDTV remote to function with MediaPortal. Some people have "solved" the problem by installing some old driver for FireDTV. But I don't think it's a nice solution.
Problem looks to be due to incompatibility of MediaPortal with latest FireDTV driver. I understand it's related just to one file 'FiresatApi.dll' , which should be copied from FireDTV 'Tools' folder to the root folder of MediaPortal. The latest version of this file is 1.10.1.0 and it looks like MediaPortal have trouble with it. This is what I found in the logs:

2007-11-20 10:34:05.171875 [Info.][MPMain]: MAP: using default mappings for FireDTV
2007-11-20 10:34:05.171875 [Info.][MPMain]: FireDTVRemote: Trying to enable FireDTV remote, but failed to find dll with error: Object reference not set to an instance of an object.
2007-11-20 10:34:05.203125 [Info.][MPMain]: FireDTVRemote: Starting on handler 7864904
2007-11-20 10:34:05.218750 [Info.][MPMain]: FireDTVRemote: Failed to open driver

2007-11-20 10:34:05.203125 [ERROR][MPMain]: FireDTVRemote: Trying to enable FireDTV remote, but failed to find dll with error: Object reference not set to an instance of an object.
2007-11-20 10:34:05.218750 [ERROR][MPMain]: FireDTVRemote: Failed to open driver

Actually I'm not really sure how FireDTV remote should be installed on MediaPortal, I didn't succeed to find solid info about that. This is all I know:
1) file 'FiresatApi.dll' should be copied to the same folder where 'MediaPortal.exe' is located;
2) original FireDTV remote control application 'RemoteControl.exe' should not be running.
Is it all correct? Anything more should be done?

I hope I have provided sufficient info about the problem and that it will help to fix the problem.
Kind regards!

 

[JoeSmith]

same problem here

got my firedtv about 3 weeks ago and everything except the remote is working fine.
The driver on the the CD may be to "new" and i can't find any old drivers on the web.

In the FireDtv remote configuration menu it is not possible to choose any receiver

help needed


Thanks Joe

 

[maarty]

Hi, I have exactly same problem. Could anybody help me?
Thanks.
Maarty

 

[ezukas]

I have tried with an older FireSatApi.dll without success. But who knows how old it should be... and is the problem the problem related to dll? The newest version of FireSatApi.dll is v.1.10, the older one I have tried is v.1.3. I found following file http://sourceforge.net/tracker/download.php?group_id=107397&atid=647927&file_id=137247&aid=1214927 which contains even older version v.1.2 of FiresatApi.dll, but I have not tried it yet. This zip file seems to contain some old solution for FireDTV remote, but it's necessary to study, what could be used now out of this.
There https://forum.team-mediaportal.com/showthread.php?t=29457&highlight=instance+firedtv"" I see problem was solved by installing the old driver for FireDTV. Note this phrase "After i have installed this drivers i could see firedtv bla bla in reciever under remote on mediaportal configurations." This maybe could mean that with the newer drivers MediaPortal does not recognize the remote control part of the FireDTV, because with newer drivers it is not possible to select receiver in remote control configuration section for FireDTV. Maybe it could be also firmware related, because in this thread https://forum.team-mediaportal.com/showthread.php?t=31590&highlight=remote+firedtv"" it seems like some people can't use remote control after the firmware upgrade. Some people got this problem only with Vista https://forum.team-mediaportal.com/showthread.php?t=30834&highlight=remote+firedtv"" , for me it does not work nor in XP, nor in Vista. From forum messages I see that some lucky people get their Fire/FlopyDTV remotes working only by killing the 'RC' application https://forum.team-mediaportal.com/showthread.php?t=29074&highlight=remote+firedtv"" and https://forum.team-mediaportal.com/showthread.php?t=28138&highlight=remote+firedtv"" I wondering what drivers and firmware are on their systems?
There could be and alternative way to try to solve the problem. It seems that FireDTV 'RC' application is designed to control other applications. There is even MediaPortal_FireDTV.KeyMap file in the 'Tools' folder. I have tried to edit FireDTV 'RemoteControl.ini' file to include MediaPortal mapping. But after the editing 'RC' is failing to process the ini file. But it might be possible to achieve something by going this direction.
Kind regards!

 

[JoeSmith]

i tried the dll version from the sourceforge download but it's not working for me.
there must be a chance to find the problem. There are a few possiblities :

1. MediaPortal is the cause
This would imply that it's not working for any DTV user. Task : find a dtv user with a current MP version and working remote

2. Drivers are the cause
Task : Find old drivers. Can't be downloaded from the digital-everywhere homepage ...

3. Dll has changed (but drivers don't care)
Task : find someone who can adopt the changes to work with mp

4.???


3 seems not be the case since i tried the older dll and its still not working. During my search for a solution (some weeks ago) i also read a comment from the digital everywhere developers that they didn't change parts of the remote.

I also tried changing the RC applications ini file but that one does not accept the Mediaportal Keymap file. Of course there is always the possibilty to copy the MediaPortal.Keymap into the ***.Keymap but the question is : what do i need to do to get it working that way. I guess the support for the DTV remote has to be deactivated and certain other steps need to be done. But what ? I really don't care if that configuration is "nasty" and takes some hours. Still much better than searching for solutions and getting nothing ...

I guess it would be really good if everybody who has got this problem sends a support request to the digital everywhere support team : http://www.digital-everywhere.com/en/alcms/index.php?sid=1190144629

Regards
Joe

 

[PHDNovice]

Hi Guys,

I have exactly the same problem with the remote and worse. Now with the lates firmware and drivers, MP under Vista keeped on crashing. After a fresh rebuild with XP also nothing works.

It's stange to me that as the FireDTV products are promoted by the MP team, the developers don't seem to realy respond to these issues. I can only assume the problems are caused by the new drivers.

Regards,
Robert

 

[JoeSmith]

Today i got a mail from the digital-everywhere support team :

Wir haben dieses Problem bereits getestet und haben uns mit MediaPortal in Verbindung gesetzt. Wir haben gestern erst versucht dieses Problem zu rekonstruieren, und haben bemerkt, dass MediaPortal die FiresatApi.dll nicht einmal aufruft auch wenn diese im richtigen Verzeichnis liegt. Darauf hin haben wir MediaPortal angesprochen und warten nun selbst auf einen Antwort.
Falls sie mit die Information, welche Treiberversion bzw. welche FiresatApi-Version mit den neuesten MediaPortal - Viewer funktioniert, zukommen lassen könnten, wäre ich Ihnen sehr dankbar.

and now my effort to translate it

We have already tested this problem and got in connection with MediaPortal. Yesterday we have tried to reconstruct the problem and noticed that MediaPortal does not even call the FiresatApi.dll even if its in the correct directory. After that we addressed MediaPortal and are now waiting for an answer.
If you can share any Information which driver/FireSatAPi version is working with the newest MP, i would be very thankful.

So the task is to find someone who has a working remote and a current MP version.
go go go

Joe

 

[ezukas]

Thank you Joe!
Now there is some hope that problem will be solved. Remote control is the last issue to be solved on my setup - the rest seems to be running fine.

 

[maarty]

Hi.

I have comunicated with their support too to get the same outpup, so this is my communication with them below.
I have found a thread, where some man said he returned to older drivers and everithing was OK, but he didn't answer yet:

http://primary.firedtv.com/Forums/tabid/311/forumid/17/postid/4209/view/topic/Default.aspx

Maarty

Hi.
I have MP 0.2.3.0 and your drivers 4.5.N.
If I run MP configuration, I will not be able to choose anything in field "receiver" on the Remote-FireDTV section. FloppyDTV card is detected good.

In Mediaportal configuration log I find this:
"FireDTVRemote: Trying to enable FireDTV remote, but failed to find dll with error: Object reference not set to an instance of an object."

I have copied firesatapi.dll on the same directory where I have mediaportal.exe.

I have seen one thread on the FireDTV forum today, which says the problem is only with newer drivers, not with the old one, but I have not been able to find any older drivers to download than 4.5.N version.
(http://www.firedtv.com/Forums/tabid/311/forumid/17/tpage/1/view/topic/postid/4209/Default.aspx#4252)

It was published on Mediaportal forum too (a few threads), bud without any resolving answer.
For example https://forum.team-mediaportal.com/digitaleverywhere_firedtv_remote_controll-t32093.html?p=211951

Please give me some advice, updated driver with corrected problem, some workaround in MP or at least the link to some functional older drivers. This issue is a big problem for me.

Thanks
Martin

Attachments report.txt (1.27 KB)
Malle
Posted On: 10 Dec 2007 10:59 AM
Dear Martin Syrovatka,

Please have a test on the battery. Attention also on the direction of the battery. After this, start the 'RemoteControl.exe' from Strart - Program - FireDTV - Tools folder and you will see a RC icon on your Taskbar. Make a double click on it and this remotecontrol software are open for test. Turn the RemoteControl in the direction of the led of your FireDTV and press '1'. Now you will see to outshine the green point. Your RemoteControl is working.

For MediaPortal you need to copy the FiresatApi.dll to the folder where the MediaPortal.exe are.
We have nothing change to the driver for remote control.
I hope this will help.

kind regards,

Malle
--------------------------------------
digital everywhere Support Team

http://www.digital-everywhere.com
http://www.digital-everywhere.com/shop/

PS: Have a look at our support page: http://firedtv.com/support
Martin Syrovátka
Posted On: 10 Dec 2007 12:33 PM
Dear Malle.

I didn't say anything about total nonfunctional RC, only about problem in Mediaportal. Sorry but changing or testing battery is nonsense, because in your Viewer RC is functional and I talked about SW problem.

I know about necessity to copy FiresatApi.dll to the folder where the MediaPortal.exe is and I wrote it in Ticket then I did it !

So you couldn't have read my ticket closely, I think, becasuse your advices don't answer to my questions.

Please read the forum post on this link, this man said he had functional system, he used new BDA driver and he got a problem. If he used older drivers, he was OK. I posted this link in ticked too, you know.

(http://www.firedtv.com/Forums/tabid/311/forumid/17/tpage/1/view/topic/postid/4209/Default.aspx#4252)

At least, could you give me some link to download older driver to testing it, or could you send me driver in mail?

Thanks.
Martin Syrovatka
Malle
Posted On: 10 Dec 2007 01:03 PM
Dear Martin Syrovatka,

Sorry, but you sayed anything about that it work in FireDTV Viewer. Thats why i ask you for some tests from the simple beginning.

Ok, I will send you at first the older FiresatApi.dll for a test. Please tell me how it work. If this not work, I will send you a older driver, but our programer told me that nothing is changed.

kind regards,



Malle
--------------------------------------
digital everywhere Support Team

http://www.digital-everywhere.com
http://www.digital-everywhere.com/shop/

PS: Have a look at our support page: http://firedtv.com/support

Attachments FiresatApi1_3.zip (64.55 KB)
Martin Syrovátka
Posted On: 11 Dec 2007 01:05 AM
Hi.

Sorry, but I supposed it was clear from other text, so because of that I was lilte bit illhumoured.
Thanks you to older version of firesatapi.dll, but it didn't help me.
Please send me some older drivers than 4.4.N too.

Pleas read this thread in Mediaportal forum, it's interesting what different actions helped to some peaple and any actions helped to others.

Thanks.
Martin

Martin Syrovátka
Posted On: 11 Dec 2007 01:07 AM
Sorry I forgot the link: https://forum.team-mediaportal.com/digitaleverywhere_firedtv_remote_controll-t32093.html
Martin
Malle
Posted On: 11 Dec 2007 10:08 AM
Dear Martin,

Please test this driver to both FiresatApi.dll the newest and the older one. The one older driver is as zip file as attachment.

Tell me how this work.

kind regards,

Malle
--------------------------------------
digital everywhere Support Team

http://www.digital-everywhere.com
http://www.digital-everywhere.com/shop/

PS: Have a look at our support page: http://firedtv.com/support

Attachments DVBS2_5.zip (16.85 KB)
Martin Syrovátka
Posted On: 12 Dec 2007 11:03 AM
Hi.

Thank you for drivers. Unfortunately, I tried all combinations(your older drivers and 4.5.N drivers, your older firesatapi.dll and from last drivers and other one rom FireSATRemoteControl_Beta1 program) and I had no success.


Dear Martin,

For the RC problem of the MediaPortal: We have made some tests yesterday and find out, that the MediaPortal player don't connect to the FiresatApi.dll. We have test this with all versions of api and also with a debug version of this and nothing was taken hold by MediaPortal. We write a mail to MediaPortal.


kind regards,

Malle

 

[rtv]

I don't have a FireDTV and cannot test that but I've just added a method to load the FiresatApi.dll in MediaPortal's base directory if it cannot be found via:

HKLM\SOFTWARE\DigitalEverywhere\FireDTV\InstallFolder + Tools\FiresatApi.dll

If the field "receiver" stays empty than most likely

uint returnCode = FireDTVAPI.FS_GetNumberOfBDADevices(out BDACount);

fails which is an imported method of the FiresatApi.dll with the entrypoint "?FS_GetNumberOfBDADevices@@YAKPAK@Z"

So maybe the functionality of that dll has changed. Please use the confirmed working "old" release together with MediaPortal for now until someone fixes the interface to the recent dll.