Problems with Windows Media Center and MCE remote (1 Viewer)

[sandos]

Ive been trying to use my MCE Remote on my windows XP mce, and its working fine out-of-the-box mostly, except for the fact that MCE intercepts some keys and starts media center. I do not want that.

Now I've seen the references to disabling the built-in key handling in the registry (CodeSetNum) and removing those sure does disable the special handling, but it also makes my remote not work at all! Ive tried using IRSS too, but that seems to be receiving absolutely nothing when I remove those. It works with the keys there, but the special handling is also still there.


So, I started digging around here. It seems there is a few ways to fix this, one being using the "ehome" driver + registry hack. But I dont know what that is? Another solution that seems dirtier is the MCE replacement driver. Is there any other options? I also saw refrences to hip and girder, not sure what those are.

I do not want to use mediaportal, btw. So anything dependend on that is not a solution.

 

[geov]

Ive been trying to use my MCE Remote on my windows XP mce, and its working fine out-of-the-box mostly, except for the fact that MCE intercepts some keys and starts media center. I do not want that.

Disable the MCE-Services...this will free up memory, it will allow the TV-Card to work with MP and will prevent MCE from responding to the remote...

Now I've seen the references to disabling the built-in key handling in the registry (CodeSetNum) and removing those sure does disable the special handling, but it also makes my remote not work at all! Ive tried using IRSS too, but that seems to be receiving absolutely nothing when I remove those. It works with the keys there, but the special handling is also still there.

You dont have to do any of these anymore, they were workarounds in the past. Just install the latest MCE Replacement Plugin...it will handle all of this for you.

So, I started digging around here. It seems there is a few ways to fix this, one being using the "ehome" driver + registry hack. But I dont know what that is? Another solution that seems dirtier is the MCE replacement driver. Is there any other options? I also saw refrences to hip and girder, not sure what those are.

Once again the ehome driver is old, you dont need it anymore....just the latest MCE Replacement Plugin.

 

[sandos]

Ive been trying to use my MCE Remote on my windows XP mce, and its working fine out-of-the-box mostly, except for the fact that MCE intercepts some keys and starts media center. I do not want that.

Disable the MCE-Services...this will free up memory, it will allow the TV-Card to work with MP and will prevent MCE from responding to the remote...

Did that already, does not seem to really help?

Now I've seen the references to disabling the built-in key handling in the registry (CodeSetNum) and removing those sure does disable the special handling, but it also makes my remote not work at all! Ive tried using IRSS too, but that seems to be receiving absolutely nothing when I remove those. It works with the keys there, but the special handling is also still there.

You dont have to do any of these anymore, they were workarounds in the past. Just install the latest MCE Replacement Plugin...it will handle all of this for you.

So, I started digging around here. It seems there is a few ways to fix this, one being using the "ehome" driver + registry hack. But I dont know what that is? Another solution that seems dirtier is the MCE replacement driver. Is there any other options? I also saw refrences to hip and girder, not sure what those are.

Once again the ehome driver is old, you dont need it anymore....just the latest MCE Replacement Plugin.

Ok, I got the feeling this was unstable and not very well tested code. I hope I got the wrong feeling

 

[phunqe]

Run Group Policy Object Editor (GPEdit.msc), expand Computer Configuration (for per-machine settings if you want disable for all users on the computer) or User Configuration (for per-user settings if you want to disable for logged on user only), then expand Administrative Templates, and finally Windows Components, and select Windows Media Center. Change the setting for Do not allow Windows Media Center to run to Enabled.

 

[geov]

I have been using the MCE Replacement Plugin for over year, you must being doing something wrong

Try to get back to where you were originally, revert back to the original MCE Driver that comes with XP. Disable the MCE services, if I remember correctly there should be 3 of them. Uninstall the MCE Replacement Plugin, re-install it, go to MP-config and enable/configure the plugin....just use the default settings. There are a few other settings that you might have to configure, but firs see if you can get it to work in MP, then I will help you with other issues that might come up. A few i important things...

1) Disable the default MCE-Remote function in MP-Config (I'm not talking about the plugin, just look under remotes and disable it there) otherwise it will clash with the plugin working correctly.
2) Install the latest beta version, dont use the one from the plug-in download area it is not compatable with RC2. You can find it in the first post of the MCE Replacement Plugin forum. It is called "MCE Replacement Plugin - 1.0.4.2 (Preview 4)"
3) When you configure the plugin, make sure that the "Enable MCE remote" tick-box is selected, and if you want to make use of the IR-Blaster functions that the "Tune External Channels" tick-box is selected.

This should get the remote responding in MP....then we can take it further if you want more help...

 

[sandos]

Very cool, I will try that.

 

[sandos]

Run Group Policy Object Editor (GPEdit.msc), expand Computer Configuration (for per-machine settings if you want disable for all users on the computer) or User Configuration (for per-user settings if you want to disable for logged on user only), then expand Administrative Templates, and finally Windows Components, and select Windows Media Center. Change the setting for Do not allow Windows Media Center to run to Enabled.

I could not find that policy on my machine.

I have been using the MCE Replacement Plugin for over year, you must being doing something wrong

Try to get back to where you were originally, revert back to the original MCE Driver that comes with XP. Disable the MCE services, if I remember correctly there should be 3 of them. Uninstall the MCE Replacement Plugin, re-install it, go to MP-config and enable/configure the plugin....just use the default settings. There are a few other settings that you might have to configure, but firs see if you can get it to work in MP, then I will help you with other issues that might come up. A few i important things...

1) Disable the default MCE-Remote function in MP-Config (I'm not talking about the plugin, just look under remotes and disable it there) otherwise it will clash with the plugin working correctly.
2) Install the latest beta version, dont use the one from the plug-in download area it is not compatable with RC2. You can find it in the first post of the MCE Replacement Plugin forum. It is called "MCE Replacement Plugin - 1.0.4.2 (Preview 4)"
3) When you configure the plugin, make sure that the "Enable MCE remote" tick-box is selected, and if you want to make use of the IR-Blaster functions that the "Tune External Channels" tick-box is selected.

This should get the remote responding in MP....then we can take it further if you want more help...

I am not a MP user at all, sorry. Removing the native drivers handling and installing your replacement driver successfully removes the MCE annoying auto-start. I can now press all keys.

Problem now is the software I am supposed to use (XBMC) does not recognise the keypresses. It supposedly supports IRSS though and that does seem to detect the remote, in the debug client I see the keys.

Ok, nevermind. I will use "translator" to make them keypresses and that works fine in XBMC. I'm happy enough

 

[phunqe]

Are you running Vista Home Edition by any chance. If you are, I don't know what to do unfortunately. If not, what is not working, can't you run GPEdit.msc at all?

 

[Paranoid Delusion]

https://forum.team-mediaportal.com/general-talk-233/experiences-tvengine-0-3-a-24097/index2.html

Last post may help with home edition.

 

[sandos]

Are you running Vista Home Edition by any chance. If you are, I don't know what to do unfortunately. If not, what is not working, can't you run GPEdit.msc at all?

I can run it fine, there just is no policy for the media center edition.

https://forum.team-mediaportal.com/general-talk-233/experiences-tvengine-0-3-a-24097/index2.html

Last post may help with home edition.

I might try that. I am on XP MCE btw.


My current solution with IRSS + translator works, but it is not ideal (it sometimes duplicates keypressess, the more the faster I set the repeat rate ion IRSS it seems). This entire HTPC setup is sort-of temporary anyway, I will migrate to linux at some point. I know for a fact the remote works perfectly there (I tried it on my ubuntu 8.04 install) so I wont be spending too much energy on this.

By the way, I think all this is working properly now, in a way: I suspect it is simply XBMCs IRSS support that is broken in this binary. Otoh the logger-thingy from IRSS shows no events in Live view, but the debug client does. Dont know whats up with that. Translator also works, obviously.