New to HTPCs here (2 Viewers)

SpudR

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    Be brave and MP will reward you with the best media experience around!
    Don't worry though, we have a great and thriving community that's more than willing to help :)
     

    Dr Forinor

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    December 21, 2015
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    Be brave and MP will reward you with the best media experience around!
    Don't worry though, we have a great and thriving community that's more than willing to help :)

    Thank you. I've decided to try it out with MP1 and see how I get on.
    At the moment I'm trying to figure out which TV Card to go for, and which remote I wanna have.
     

    CyberSimian

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  • June 10, 2013
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    which remote I wanna have
    Some remotes are easier to get working with MP than others. For the simplest setup, I would suggest buying a remote that has the following characteristics:

    (1) Manufacturer claims that it is Microsoft MCE (WMC) compliant.
    (2) Remote uses RC6 signalling protocol (look for "RC6" somewhere on the remote or packaging).
    (3) Remote is sold with its own IR receiver.
    (4) IR receiver plugs into a USB socket on your HTPC.

    You can also use a universal remote, such as those made by Logitech Harmony, and by One-for-All (there are others, also). These universal remotes can send RC6 signals, and have the Microsoft WMC code set built in. My preference at the moment is the Harmony 650 (for its wonderful "Activities"), and the One-for-All URC-7140 (for its better usability in certain aspects). Universal remotes also usually can control more than one device (e.g. Harmony 650 supports 8; URC-7140 supports 4).

    The problem with buying a universal remote is that they are not supplied with an IR receiver, so you would need to source that separately. The following site shows various RC6 IR receivers, some of which you may be able to buy in the UK:

    http://www.cohaus-berlin.de/shop/RC6-Infrared-Receiver:::2.html

    -- from CyberSimian in the UK
     

    Dr Forinor

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    December 21, 2015
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    which remote I wanna have
    Some remotes are easier to get working with MP than others. For the simplest setup, I would suggest buying a remote that has the following characteristics:

    (1) Manufacturer claims that it is Microsoft MCE (WMC) compliant.
    (2) Remote uses RC6 signalling protocol (look for "RC6" somewhere on the remote or packaging).
    (3) Remote is sold with its own IR receiver.
    (4) IR receiver plugs into a USB socket on your HTPC.

    You can also use a universal remote, such as those made by Logitech Harmony, and by One-for-All (there are others, also). These universal remotes can send RC6 signals, and have the Microsoft WMC code set built in. My preference at the moment is the Harmony 650 (for its wonderful "Activities"), and the One-for-All URC-7140 (for its better usability in certain aspects). Universal remotes also usually can control more than one device (e.g. Harmony 650 supports 8; URC-7140 supports 4).

    The problem with buying a universal remote is that they are not supplied with an IR receiver, so you would need to source that separately. The following site shows various RC6 IR receivers, some of which you may be able to buy in the UK:

    http://www.cohaus-berlin.de/shop/RC6-Infrared-Receiver:::2.html

    -- from CyberSimian in the UK


    Thank you for your advice. I was considering the 2.4Ghz variety to be at the top of my list, purely because I wanted something that didn't need line of sight, should I reconsider?
     

    CyberSimian

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    I was considering the 2.4Ghz variety to be at the top of my list, purely because I wanted something that didn't need line of sight, should I reconsider?
    I think that my advice would be: proceed with caution.

    I don't have any experience with such remotes, so I can only speculate:

    (1) If the RF remote that you are thinking of buying is described as "MCE" or "WMC" compatible, the remote probably sends keyboard shortcuts to control the media center. But these are WMC keyboard shortcuts, and not MP keyboard shortcuts. Some keyboard shortcuts are the same, but others are different. So the latter buttons will appear not to work. However, there is a remote configuration file available from this site for the "Centarea HID", which may enable your RF remote to work correctly. You will only know for certain when you try it out.

    (2) If the RF remote is not described as "MCE" or "WMC" compatible, it is not possible to predict whether it will work with MP.

    Using an RF remote is a perfectly reasonable thing to want to do, but be prepared for the possibility that it won't work. If you have spent only £10 on this remote, that is not a big loss. If you have spent £200 on this remote, ...:mad:

    -- from CyberSimian in the UK
     
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    Dr Forinor

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    Really appreciate the advice, thank you. :) :)[DOUBLEPOST=1451139028][/DOUBLEPOST]And how would a Bluetooth remote fare?
     
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    CyberSimian

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    And how would a Bluetooth remote fare?
    I just had a quick look on Amazon UK for "bluetooth remote control", but I did not see any that specifically stated that they worked with Windows Media Center (WMC). So it is not clear whether they would work with MP. :(

    -- from CyberSimian in the UK
     

    Dr Forinor

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    I read on the forums here somewhere that someone managed to get the Sony PS3 remote working with MP using some config files over at Kodi....
     

    Dr Forinor

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    Well I installed MP1, along with a few extensions, set up my movie files and then went to start MP, it crashed. And it pretty went on to crash on each successive attempt, not even allowing me to view anything. I uninstalled it, full clean uninstall, restarted my PC and now will try MP2 and see how I get on.
     

    CyberSimian

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    I installed MP1, along with a few extensions, set up my movie files and then went to start MP, it crashed. And it pretty went on to crash on each successive attempt, not even allowing me to view anything.
    When you encounter problems like these, you need to provide a full set of logs at DEBUG level, and upload them to this site for the experts to examine (not me!). The MP1 "Watchdog" gathers all relevant logs after the event, and packages them into a zip file for you to upload. You should use the Watchdog as it also includes other files (such as your Windows Event Log, Direct-X info, etc.) Refer to the Wiki for further information about providing logs.

    Also, when you have problems like these, try to reproduce them with all extensions disabled. Extensions are written by independent authors, and those extensions may not have been tested with the release of MP that you have installed.

    -- from CyberSimian in the UK
     

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