RC6 Remote won't work in MP, but works fine in Windows Media Center (1 Viewer)

[Mr_Generic]

Greetings,

I have a Windows 7 machine running Windows Media Center with a Hauppauge WinTV-DCR-2650 to receive my RC6 Remote Control signals (I use the HD HomeRun Prime to do my tuning). This setup works fine, including my RC6 remote.

I just installed MediaPortal 1.14 on this same machine, and I cannot get the RC6 remote to work properly. When I press any of the arrow buttons, MP beeps once or twice but there is no movement on the screen.

I've tried setting up MediaPortal Configuration two different ways:
1) Remotes and Input Devices...HID tab: "Use generic HID device" - beeps, nothing happens onscreen
2) Remotes and Input Devices...Hauppauge tab: "Use Hauppauge Remote" -- I even tried checking "Filter doubleclicks" (I also read in another forum that the Hauppauge tab is for remote control IR receivers that plug directly into a Hauppauge card. My DCR-2650 receives the signal, and is connected to the PC via USB.)

I also tried remapping the keys, but every button I pressed entered "0" into the field.

I went back into WMC, and the remote still works fine there.

My ultimate goal is to get MediaPortal working so I can get rid of WMC.

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks!
- Bob

 

[Stéphane Lenclud]

Hi Bob and welcome to our forums.
Could you attach some logs using our watchdog?
You could also try the HID Demo and provide logs and screenshots from the devices and messages tabs.

@mm1352000 could possibly help us out here, maybe he has experience with your Hauppauge hardware.

 

[mm1352000]

...maybe he has experience with your Hauppauge hardware.

No personal experience with this hardware. It's only useful in the USA.

Same advice as given here applies:
https://forum.team-mediaportal.com/...-dcr-2650-with-integrated-ir-receiver.133659/

Unfortunately @caffeamericano never followed up.

1) Remotes and Input Devices...HID tab: "Use generic HID device" - beeps, nothing happens onscreen

This is the most likely route to getting it working. The beep indicates something must be receiving the button-presses...

2) Remotes and Input Devices...Hauppauge tab: "Use Hauppauge Remote"...

I'm pretty sure that this route has no chance of working. Then again, I could be wrong.

As @Stéphane Lenclud said: try the HID demo and see if any buttons are recognised. If yes, that gives us something to go on; if not, we'll have to investigate how support could be added.

 

[mm1352000]

Interestingly, I just found this advice buried on Hauppauge's website (support -> DCR-2650 -> WinTV 8 tab):

Also when asked to install the IR we recommend no as it was never meant to control WinTV and has limited functionality.

I also found this in the FAQ tab:

I cannot wake my computer from sleep mode using the remote control.
The WinTV-DCR-2650 remote control hardware interface does not support this function.

My Media Center is no longer responding to the remote control
In order for the IR to work, you need to have the Hauppauge Remote Control driver installed and the associated service needs to be running. To check to make sure the driver and the service are correctly installed, click on Start in Windows and then go to Computer and right click and go to Properties. Then click on Device Manager. Once in Device Manager, click on Human Interface Devices and you should see the Hauppauge driver: “Hauppauge WinTV DCR-2650 Consumer IR”.
The next thing to check is the Service. Go to Control panel/Administrative Tools and click on Services. Locate the “Hcw2650Service”. The Status should be Started. If it is not, right click on it and choose Start.

It all sounds rather... non-standard.

I'll keep digging...

 

[mm1352000]

I also tried remapping the keys, but every button I pressed entered "0" into the field.

When you did this, were you trying it with the Hauppauge handler?

 

[Mr_Generic]

I also tried remapping the keys, but every button I pressed entered "0" into the field.

When you did this, were you trying it with the Hauppauge handler?

If you mean: did I do it from the MediaPortal Configuration software...Hauppauge tab, and click the "Learn" button, yes.

Or is there another Hauppauge handler to which you are referring?

Thanks,
- Bob[DOUBLEPOST=1462245411][/DOUBLEPOST]

Interestingly, I just found this advice buried on Hauppauge's website (support -> DCR-2650 -> WinTV 8 tab):

Also when asked to install the IR we recommend no as it was never meant to control WinTV and has limited functionality.

I also found this in the FAQ tab:

I cannot wake my computer from sleep mode using the remote control.
The WinTV-DCR-2650 remote control hardware interface does not support this function.

My Media Center is no longer responding to the remote control
In order for the IR to work, you need to have the Hauppauge Remote Control driver installed and the associated service needs to be running. To check to make sure the driver and the service are correctly installed, click on Start in Windows and then go to Computer and right click and go to Properties. Then click on Device Manager. Once in Device Manager, click on Human Interface Devices and you should see the Hauppauge driver: “Hauppauge WinTV DCR-2650 Consumer IR”.
The next thing to check is the Service. Go to Control panel/Administrative Tools and click on Services. Locate the “Hcw2650Service”. The Status should be Started. If it is not, right click on it and choose Start.

It all sounds rather... non-standard.

I'll keep digging...

Thanks so much for replying so quickly!

If the Hauppauge remote is non-standard, as you may believe it to be, I have no problem in getting another remote. I just figured I'd try to get the one that I already have working. But I'm not married to it.

- Bob

 

[Mr_Generic]

Hi Bob and welcome to our forums.
Could you attach some logs using our watchdog?
You could also try the HID Demo and provide logs and screenshots from the devices and messages tabs.

@mm1352000 could possibly help us out here, maybe he has experience with your Hauppauge hardware.

Thanks for the quick reply.

I'm going to try the HID demo now. I'll let you know shortly.
Thanks!
- Bob[DOUBLEPOST=1462247218][/DOUBLEPOST]Here is a screenshot of the Devices tab in HID Demo. [If you need me to expand it, I can supply that info as well.]

I'm not really sure how to use it. I went to the Messages tab and Tests tab and pressed a few buttons, but nothing appeared in those tabs.

I appreciate the help.
- Bob

 

[mm1352000]

If you mean: did I do it from the MediaPortal Configuration software...Hauppauge tab, and click the "Learn" button, yes.

Okay. This behaviour would be consistent with the use of a remote that is not currently supported by our Hauppauge remote receiver/helper app (HcwHelper.exe).

Or is there another Hauppauge handler to which you are referring?

No, that's the only one.

After you've tried the HID demo, please also try the updated HcwHelper from here:
https://forum.team-mediaportal.com/threads/mp-and-hauppauge-r-005-remote.107017/#post-1088217

1. Close MP and MP Config.
2. Open Windows Task Manager (ctrl + alt + del).
3. Ensure the HcwHelper process is not running. If it is, terminate it.
   
4. Open Windows Explorer.
5. Navigate to your MP install folder (typically c:\Program Files (x86)\Team MediaPortal\MediaPortal\).
6. Take a backup of the existing/standard HcwHelper.exe file.
7. Download and extract the above-linked HcwHelper.exe into your MP install folder to replace the existing/standard one. Note: if you use the built in Windows unzip function, after extraction you may also need to right click -> properties -> unlock, because Windows [rightly] doesn't trust files from the internet.
8. Open MP Config.
9. Go to the Remotes & Input Devics section.
10. Disable the HID handler.
11. Enable the Hauppauge handler and attempt to learn some buttons again. (You'll get the same result as before, but this is expected and okay. What I want to see is only written to the log files.)
12. Close MP Config.
    
13. Open the MP Watchdog tool.
14. Select option 3 ("export...").
15. Click proceed.
16. Attach ("upload a file") the resulting zip file.

 

[mm1352000]

@Mr_Generic
Sorry, the order of the posts in this thread is getting a bit mixed up because I have to approve any of your posts which contain links.

Here is a screenshot of the Devices tab in HID Demo...

@Stéphane Lenclud will need to provide further instructions for you, but I suppose that if nothing is showing in the messages tab then nothing is received.

If you need me to expand it, I can supply that info as well.

It wouldn't hurt.

Please also refer to my previous reply for instructions regarding another thing you can try.

 

[Mr_Generic]

@Mr_Generic
Sorry, the order of the posts in this thread is getting a bit mixed up because I have to approve any of your posts which contain links.

Here is a screenshot of the Devices tab in HID Demo...

@Stéphane Lenclud will need to provide further instructions for you, but I suppose that if nothing is showing in the messages tab then nothing is received.

If you need me to expand it, I can supply that info as well.

It wouldn't hurt.

Please also refer to my previous reply for instructions regarding another thing you can try.

Order of the posts .. no problem. I can sort through it if it means you guys are willing to assist.

Interestingly, even while in the Messages tab, when I pressed the Green Button, WMC launched. After I closed WMC, still nothing in HID Demo...Messages tab. Would this indicate that the remote still works for WMC, but HID Demo is not recognizing it?

I will try the HCW Helper now. [And a sip of single malt Scotch!]

I'll be back in a little bit.

Thanks,
- Bob