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IR Server Suite (IRSS)
"Philips MCE USB IR Receiver- Spinel plus" (shipping with some Zotac Boxes)
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<blockquote data-quote="belcom" data-source="post: 935773" data-attributes="member: 89055"><p>First, for not getting confused, we should talk about the term "MCE".</p><p>"MCE" means "Media Center Edition" and is in no means a technical specification.</p><p>What Microsoft tried to say with "MCE Remote" when they released their first MCE Remote was, that you can control Windows Media Center with it.</p><p> </p><p>Knowing that, let's go to the technical stuff.</p><p>All newer IR Receivers have USB interface and identify themselves as HID-Device against the Operating System (we won't speak about old HW with serial connection or other USB implementations here).</p><p>HIDs (Human Interface Devices) can send "commands" to the OS.</p><p>To serve different types of HID devices, the HID specification splits the devices in some groups. E.g. HID-Mouse, HID-Keyboard, HID-Gamepad, HID-Whatsoever.</p><p>So, every USB HID-Device does not only identify as HID-Device, but also as (virtual) sub-devices.</p><p>Our Philips receiver for example identifies as</p><p>- HID-Keyboard (Arrow Keys, Number Keys, Enter and everything you find on a normal keyboard is grouped here)</p><p>- HID-Powermanagement (Wakeup, Hibernate, Standby, Shutdown, ...)</p><p>- HID-Media (Volume, Mute, Play, Pause, ...)</p><p>- HID-Custom (Red, Green, Yellow, Blue, Teletext, DVD, TV, Music, Photo, Guide, ...)</p><p> </p><p>Windows itself takes full control over HID-Keyboard, HID-Mouse, HID-Powermanagement and the volume part of HID-Media. So, if a HID Device sends appropriate commands over one of those interfaces (virtual connections), Windows handles them on its own.</p><p>Handling HID-Media (other than Volume) and HID-Custom needs support of additional software.</p><p>Windows Media Center has a built-in support for those non-windows handled virtual devices, and that's where the term MCE comes back.</p><p>Every receiver which sends commands being able to be handled by Windows Media Center has the "MCE" in its name or at least in its description.</p><p> </p><p>And here comes the big BUT:</p><p>A MCE Receiver doesn't straight forward "MCE" commands coming from MCE remotes to USB/HID.</p><p>In fact, IR receivers translate (proprietary) IR signals coming from IR remotes into corresponding (well known) HID commands.</p><p>These IR signals can be ANY signals, they change between manufactures and even between models of the same manufacture.</p><p>So the goal for every generic/non bundled remote is to match ALL the IR signals (IR codes) the receiver understands and can translate.</p><p> </p><p>Most generic remotes can learn IR signals from other remotes. If possible, use the bundled remote to program your generic remote.</p><p>A second option is to see if there is a database for your generic remote, holding a IR signal table for your receiver (e.g. Logitech Harmony has databases). Hint: In such databases, receivers are often not named correctly, but having the name of the product it was bundled with. So try to find a bunch of products having the same receiver bundled and try those setups.</p><p>Third option is to try to program other receivers into your generic remote and test it by try&error.</p><p> </p><p>Let's come to our actual issue:</p><p>A quick google "Harmony Philips spinel plus" returned a forum post where "Targa traveller 1577" (as setup for harmony) was meant to be working.</p><p>To use the HID-Custom buttons (see above) in MediaPortal you need to install IRSS.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="belcom, post: 935773, member: 89055"] First, for not getting confused, we should talk about the term "MCE". "MCE" means "Media Center Edition" and is in no means a technical specification. What Microsoft tried to say with "MCE Remote" when they released their first MCE Remote was, that you can control Windows Media Center with it. Knowing that, let's go to the technical stuff. All newer IR Receivers have USB interface and identify themselves as HID-Device against the Operating System (we won't speak about old HW with serial connection or other USB implementations here). HIDs (Human Interface Devices) can send "commands" to the OS. To serve different types of HID devices, the HID specification splits the devices in some groups. E.g. HID-Mouse, HID-Keyboard, HID-Gamepad, HID-Whatsoever. So, every USB HID-Device does not only identify as HID-Device, but also as (virtual) sub-devices. Our Philips receiver for example identifies as - HID-Keyboard (Arrow Keys, Number Keys, Enter and everything you find on a normal keyboard is grouped here) - HID-Powermanagement (Wakeup, Hibernate, Standby, Shutdown, ...) - HID-Media (Volume, Mute, Play, Pause, ...) - HID-Custom (Red, Green, Yellow, Blue, Teletext, DVD, TV, Music, Photo, Guide, ...) Windows itself takes full control over HID-Keyboard, HID-Mouse, HID-Powermanagement and the volume part of HID-Media. So, if a HID Device sends appropriate commands over one of those interfaces (virtual connections), Windows handles them on its own. Handling HID-Media (other than Volume) and HID-Custom needs support of additional software. Windows Media Center has a built-in support for those non-windows handled virtual devices, and that's where the term MCE comes back. Every receiver which sends commands being able to be handled by Windows Media Center has the "MCE" in its name or at least in its description. And here comes the big BUT: A MCE Receiver doesn't straight forward "MCE" commands coming from MCE remotes to USB/HID. In fact, IR receivers translate (proprietary) IR signals coming from IR remotes into corresponding (well known) HID commands. These IR signals can be ANY signals, they change between manufactures and even between models of the same manufacture. So the goal for every generic/non bundled remote is to match ALL the IR signals (IR codes) the receiver understands and can translate. Most generic remotes can learn IR signals from other remotes. If possible, use the bundled remote to program your generic remote. A second option is to see if there is a database for your generic remote, holding a IR signal table for your receiver (e.g. Logitech Harmony has databases). Hint: In such databases, receivers are often not named correctly, but having the name of the product it was bundled with. So try to find a bunch of products having the same receiver bundled and try those setups. Third option is to try to program other receivers into your generic remote and test it by try&error. Let's come to our actual issue: A quick google "Harmony Philips spinel plus" returned a forum post where "Targa traveller 1577" (as setup for harmony) was meant to be working. To use the HID-Custom buttons (see above) in MediaPortal you need to install IRSS. [/QUOTE]
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