MCE Remote Vista/Win7 inconsistent events

[rwhapham]

Before I call this an IR receiver problem and try and return mine for a new one, I thought I'd see if anyone else was seeing what I am. My HTPC is running 32-bit Windows 7 and using an HP MCE IR receiver (this one: http://www.ebay.com/itm/270929871250?ss ... 1497.l2649). It is being driven my a Sony NSZ-GS7 Google TV IR blaster, though I have reproduced this with every other standard remote I've picked up. Here's what I see: no matter what the proximity of the emitter to the receiver, I get inconsistent events from the plug-in. They all show up as Unknown because it is not a standard MCE remote, but the hex following the Unknown will often change even though I'm pressing the same button on the remote over and over. Some times most are the same with an errant event mixed in; other times it seems that the event is different nearly every time. Has anyone else experienced something like this using a non-MCE remote, MCE IR receiver, and the MCE Remote Vista/Win7 plug-in? Any ideas? Is there another way to test the IR receiver apart from EventGhost? As always, thanks in advance.

[Sem;colon]

Hi rwhapham,

is the sun maybe shining on the receiver?
I have a slightly different model http://www.ebay.com/itm/Microsoft-Gatew ... 1c3677bb48
I also use the MCE Remote control and have no problems with receiving events.
But also a quick test with the Remote of my Pioneer AVR brings up always the same event.

[rwhapham]

Hi rwhapham,

is the sun maybe shining on the receiver?
I have a slightly different model http://www.ebay.com/itm/Microsoft-Gatew ... 1c3677bb48
I also use the MCE Remote control and have no problems with receiving events.
But also a quick test with the Remote of my Pioneer AVR brings up always the same event.

Just to make sure it wasn't something about my setup, I took the IR receiver into the office with me. No extraneous light and no potential IR interference, and still the same problems. So it leads me to believe there is either something wrong with the receiver itself, or there is something wrong with the AlternateMceIrService that is actually doing the capture.

[blaher]

Before I call this an IR receiver problem and try and return mine for a new one, I thought I'd see if anyone else was seeing what I am. My HTPC is running 32-bit Windows 7 and using an HP MCE IR receiver (this one: http://www.ebay.com/itm/270929871250?ss ... 1497.l2649). It is being driven my a Sony NSZ-GS7 Google TV IR blaster, though I have reproduced this with every other standard remote I've picked up. Here's what I see: no matter what the proximity of the emitter to the receiver, I get inconsistent events from the plug-in. They all show up as Unknown because it is not a standard MCE remote, but the hex following the Unknown will often change even though I'm pressing the same button on the remote over and over. Some times most are the same with an errant event mixed in; other times it seems that the event is different nearly every time. Has anyone else experienced something like this using a non-MCE remote, MCE IR receiver, and the MCE Remote Vista/Win7 plug-in? Any ideas? Is there another way to test the IR receiver apart from EventGhost? As always, thanks in advance.

I have the same HP IR receiver, and yes, some non MCE signals behave as you've discovered.

Code: Select all

11:32:10   MceRemote.Unknown.BFFBFFFBAEBAFABA8
11:32:14   MceRemote.Unknown.BFFBFFFBAEBAFABA8
11:32:15   MceRemote.Unknown.BFFBFFFBAEBAFABA8
11:32:18   MceRemote.Unknown.BFFBFFFBAEBAFABA8
11:32:21   MceRemote.Unknown.BFFBFFFBAEBAFABA8
11:32:22   MceRemote.Unknown.BFFABFFAEEBAFABA8
11:32:26   MceRemote.Unknown.15455C7410
11:32:28   MceRemote.Unknown.515571D00
11:32:30   MceRemote.Unknown.1445153018
11:32:32   MceRemote.Unknown.1445147518
11:32:35   MceRemote.Unknown.14415E710
11:32:39   MceRemote.Unknown.511455840
11:32:41   MceRemote.Unknown.144556610
11:32:44   MceRemote.Unknown.1545566158
11:32:47   MceRemote.Unknown.500579D50
11:32:50   MceRemote.Unknown.511579840
11:32:54   MceRemote.Unknown.500579D00
11:32:57   MceRemote.Unknown.14055E7410

The 1st ones that are all very similar, and mostly the same, is my volume down button on my Onkyo remote, but the next lot of different ones (channel down on my Foxtel/Sky pay TV box), are so different as to be unusable.

http://www.googletvforum.org/forum/goog ... le-tv.html might have some answers, or you could just try different remote device codes on your remote until you get one that is consistent.

Another option is a cheap MCE remote, or a proper programmable remote that can learn codes, or has the the MCE ones available.

[rwhapham]

Before I call this an IR receiver problem and try and return mine for a new one, I thought I'd see if anyone else was seeing what I am. My HTPC is running 32-bit Windows 7 and using an HP MCE IR receiver (this one: http://www.ebay.com/itm/270929871250?ss ... 1497.l2649). It is being driven my a Sony NSZ-GS7 Google TV IR blaster, though I have reproduced this with every other standard remote I've picked up. Here's what I see: no matter what the proximity of the emitter to the receiver, I get inconsistent events from the plug-in. They all show up as Unknown because it is not a standard MCE remote, but the hex following the Unknown will often change even though I'm pressing the same button on the remote over and over. Some times most are the same with an errant event mixed in; other times it seems that the event is different nearly every time. Has anyone else experienced something like this using a non-MCE remote, MCE IR receiver, and the MCE Remote Vista/Win7 plug-in? Any ideas? Is there another way to test the IR receiver apart from EventGhost? As always, thanks in advance.

I have the same HP IR receiver, and yes, some non MCE signals behave as you've discovered.

Code: Select all

11:32:10   MceRemote.Unknown.BFFBFFFBAEBAFABA8
11:32:14   MceRemote.Unknown.BFFBFFFBAEBAFABA8
11:32:15   MceRemote.Unknown.BFFBFFFBAEBAFABA8
11:32:18   MceRemote.Unknown.BFFBFFFBAEBAFABA8
11:32:21   MceRemote.Unknown.BFFBFFFBAEBAFABA8
11:32:22   MceRemote.Unknown.BFFABFFAEEBAFABA8
11:32:26   MceRemote.Unknown.15455C7410
11:32:28   MceRemote.Unknown.515571D00
11:32:30   MceRemote.Unknown.1445153018
11:32:32   MceRemote.Unknown.1445147518
11:32:35   MceRemote.Unknown.14415E710
11:32:39   MceRemote.Unknown.511455840
11:32:41   MceRemote.Unknown.144556610
11:32:44   MceRemote.Unknown.1545566158
11:32:47   MceRemote.Unknown.500579D50
11:32:50   MceRemote.Unknown.511579840
11:32:54   MceRemote.Unknown.500579D00
11:32:57   MceRemote.Unknown.14055E7410

The 1st ones that are all very similar, and mostly the same, is my volume down button on my Onkyo remote, but the next lot of different ones (channel down on my Foxtel/Sky pay TV box), are so different as to be unusable.

http://www.googletvforum.org/forum/goog ... le-tv.html might have some answers, or you could just try different remote device codes on your remote until you get one that is consistent.

Another option is a cheap MCE remote, or a proper programmable remote that can learn codes, or has the the MCE ones available.

Thanks for the input. I think I'll try some different PVR device codes with the GS7 before I call it a problem with the IR receiver. I'm not interested in giving up the GS7's remote, though. So, hopefully I can trial and error my way to a workable solution.

[kkl]

I think there are some IR protocols that the MCE IR receiver has difficulty discerning. I had one remote that I was trying to learn that I had to capture 7 or 8 times for each button, then use the Pronto code that was most consistent. I initially tried capturing it on one IR receiver and blasting it on another. That didn't work and I had to capture it on the same device I was blasting from because the protocol was so picky. Sometimes you might have to add more than one Trigger/Event for a button if it goes back and forth between two codes.

Some protocols also use a toggle bit where each button can generate two or more forms. You want to avoid those whenever possible. I think the Philips RC5 protocol is the most common form of this. There are some people who really understand this stuff at the JP1 Forum.

[Sem;colon]

I had one remote that I was trying to learn that I had to capture 7 or 8 times for each button, then use the Pronto code that was most consistent.

Hi kkl,

I had a similar problem with learning codes. Sometimes the TV does what it should, sometimes not (with the same learned code).
I will publish a modification of the MCE IR Plugin soon where you can choose to learn a button more than once (you have to press it x times then), after that the Plugin is calculating the average of all learned codes and uses it.
The often you learn your button the better the code will work when blasting it.

[kkl]

I will publish a modification of the MCE IR Plugin soon ...

That sounds fantastic and I'm sure will be greatly appreciated by the EG community.