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[WINDOWS] HOW-TO use a Logitech Harmony Remote with XBMC - Printable Version

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+---- Thread: [WINDOWS] HOW-TO use a Logitech Harmony Remote with XBMC (/showthread.php?tid=77519)



- jhsrennie - 2012-02-19

J30EF Wrote:when i turn the sound up with my harmony one whilst watching a film, the volume down button makes the film skip to the start and the volume up button makes the film fast forward, very annoying Smile

What IR receiver are you using? It sounds as if the harmony is not properly emulating whatever handset originally came with your IR receiver.

JR


- J30EF - 2012-02-20

Hi,

I have no idea on the IR Receiver as its built into my HTPC case, i have a Novatech Vision Media case.

The original AV Remote also follows the same functions as the harmony in terms of the volume up/down skipping and pausing. All other features work fine, mute actually mutes the film, it is only vol up and vol down Sad


Harmony One with xbmc - thebearnecessit - 2012-02-22

Ignore this post: I got my problem fixed by elitegamer in post 812 here :http://forum.xbmc.org/showthread.php?p=1025364#post1025364.

Here's the problem I had about sms style text input:
I have my harmony One working with xbmc but have about 1000 questions about how to get certain things working. I've posted elsewhere on this website but I think I've been posting in the wrong threads so hopefully this is the right place.

I'll start with just one question to keep things simple Big Grin

I can't get the sms style text input to work.

I have created a keyboard.xml in the correct place, and rebooted the pc but it still doesn't work.

I'm trying to get it t work in the Music section and specifically in the last.fm search box. But if it worked in every text imput box in xbmc that would be fine too.

Here's the text i put in the file:

<keymap>
<global>
<keyboard>
<k>UpdateLibrary(video)</k>
<w>ToggleWatched</w>
<two>JumpSMS2</two>
<three>JumpSMS3</three>
<four>JumpSMS4</four>
<five>JumpSMS5</five>
<six>JumpSMS6</six>
<seven>JumpSMS7</seven>
<eight>JumpSMS8</eight>
<nine>JumpSMS9</nine>
</keyboard>
</global>
</keymap>

How do I even begin to troubleshoot this?


- Zedax161 - 2012-02-23

Hi guys maybe someone here can help.

Iv just got a harmony 300 and an ir receiver, im running xbmc live on a revo.

I tried to follow this guide but i gues its a bit old now. When i login to configure my harmony I have a screen to add devices i need to put in a manufacturer and then a model number.

I added microsoft and xbox media center however this doesnt seem to work?

DO i still need to add mce keyboard? How do i go about this?


- thebearnecessit - 2012-02-24

Zedax161 Wrote:Hi guys maybe someone here can help.

Iv just got a harmony 300 and an ir receiver, im running xbmc live on a revo.

I tried to follow this guide but i gues its a bit old now. When i login to configure my harmony I have a screen to add devices i need to put in a manufacturer and then a model number.

I added microsoft and xbox media center however this doesnt seem to work?

DO i still need to add mce keyboard? How do i go about this?

The idea is to get your harmony to pretend to be an "MCE SE Keyboard"

I've linked a thread with instructions below but a couple things worth noting first:

1 the pictures in the instructions are missing
2 it says "mce keyboard" instead of "mce se keyboard" because the instructions are out of date now
3 it says to add another device called "windows media center se" but ive never needed that yet, so no point in adding it if you ask me. can easily add it later if there's some button you realise that you dont have, but i think its more handy for advanced users
4 this thread right here is the right one for posting ueries etc. the thread linked below has better and more recent instructions, but i think they want us to keep posting in this one.

http://forum.xbmc.org/showthread.php?p=732919#post732919

post back here if you are unsure about anything


- bodhi - 2012-02-24

thebearnecessit Wrote:The idea is to get your harmony to pretend to be an "MCE SE Keyboard"

I've linked a thread with instructions below but a couple things worth noting first:

1 the pictures in the instructions are missing
2 it says "mce keyboard" instead of "mce se keyboard" because the instructions are out of date now
3 it says to add another device called "windows media center se" but ive never needed that yet, so no point in adding it if you ask me. can easily add it later if there's some button you realise that you dont have, but i think its more handy for advanced users
4 this thread right here is the right one for posting ueries etc. the thread linked below has better and more recent instructions, but i think they want us to keep posting in this one.

http://forum.xbmc.org/showthread.php?p=732919#post732919

post back here if you are unsure about anything

Actually that's the wrong thread to follow. I think it has been abandoned by the OP. The pictures have been reposted in this thread. Look at previous posts a few months ago. If I find it I will post the link here.


[WINDOWS] HOW-TO use a Logitech Harmony Remote with XBMC (UPDATED) - bodhi - 2012-02-24

VanOert's pictures on the first post have been reposted here:

http://forum.xbmc.org/showpost.php?p=942798&postcount=598


- jhsrennie - 2012-02-24

Zedax161 Wrote:Hi guys maybe someone here can help.

Iv just got a harmony 300 and an ir receiver, im running xbmc live on a revo.

I tried to follow this guide but i gues its a bit old now. When i login to configure my harmony I have a screen to add devices i need to put in a manufacturer and then a model number.

I added microsoft and xbox media center however this doesnt seem to work?

DO i still need to add mce keyboard? How do i go about this?

What IR receiver are you using? The Harmony 300 will just be emulating whatever handset originally came with the IR receiver.

JR


- Zedax161 - 2012-02-25

thebearnecessit Wrote:The idea is to get your harmony to pretend to be an "MCE SE Keyboard"

I've linked a thread with instructions below but a couple things worth noting first:

1 the pictures in the instructions are missing
2 it says "mce keyboard" instead of "mce se keyboard" because the instructions are out of date now
3 it says to add another device called "windows media center se" but ive never needed that yet, so no point in adding it if you ask me. can easily add it later if there's some button you realise that you dont have, but i think its more handy for advanced users
4 this thread right here is the right one for posting ueries etc. the thread linked below has better and more recent instructions, but i think they want us to keep posting in this one.

http://forum.xbmc.org/showthread.php?p=732919#post732919

post back here if you are unsure about anything

Thanks for the response guys,

Ok so iv added a device manufacturer: Microsoft and for model i put MCE SE Keyboard

The finder thing changed this to "microsoft windows media center se"
Image

Im using the ir receiver from here: http://www.ebuyer.com/235023-cit-media-remote-control-10-metre-range-plug-and-play-usb-rem-001

The ir receiver does blink red when i press a button but still nothing happens within xbmc.

AM i still missing something here?


- thebearnecessit - 2012-02-25

did you follow the rest of the instructions from the op? in the link i posted? because there is a description of how to setup the remotes buttons, which you need to follow.


- Zedax161 - 2012-02-26

thebearnecessit Wrote:did you follow the rest of the instructions from the op? in the link i posted? because there is a description of how to setup the remotes buttons, which you need to follow.

The op says something about adding an activity to the device but as you see from my screen grab my layout is completely different so i guess thread is a little outdated? I can see no where where I can add an activity or anything similar.

So far iv tried adding, MCE Keyboard, MCE Keyboard SE and Xbox Media center as devices. None have worked. I tried assigning keys to all of them with no luck.

Can some please tell me what im missing? Or provide slightly more updated instructions?


- jjd-uk - 2012-02-26

Zedax161 Wrote:Thanks for the response guys,

Ok so iv added a device manufacturer: Microsoft and for model i put MCE SE Keyboard

The finder thing changed this to "microsoft windows media center se"
Image

Im using the ir receiver from here: http://www.ebuyer.com/235023-cit-media-remote-control-10-metre-range-plug-and-play-usb-rem-001

The ir receiver does blink red when i press a button but still nothing happens within xbmc.

AM i still missing something here?
Did you read the review on ebuyer? says it's not a MCE certified remote so that it only sends key presses and that they had to teach the Harmony the remote key presses as it's non standard and the device is not in the Harmony database.

Also that Harmony 300 is one activity only device, which is the "Watch TV" activity, it's only designed to be a cheap basic remote replacement so doesn't offer much flexibility such as custom activities. Plus it is restricted to using the MyHarmony website for setup, which I'm guessing that screenshot is from, which doesn't offer as much in the way of setup tools as it's meant for beginners basic setup.

To get the most from a Harmony remote you need the 600 range upwards as these are more flexible and can use the setup software which is downloaded to your pc and run from there. All the guides on here are written assuming you have this software that is run from the pc which is why you see things different.


- Zedax161 - 2012-02-26

jjd-uk Wrote:Did you read the review on ebuyer? says it's not a MCE certified remote so that it only sends key presses and that they had to teach the Harmony the remote key presses as it's non standard and the device is not in the Harmony database.

Also that Harmony 300 is one activity only device, which is the "Watch TV" activity, it's only designed to be a cheap basic remote replacement so doesn't offer much flexibility such as custom activities. Plus it is restricted to using the MyHarmony website for setup, which I'm guessing that screenshot is from, which doesn't offer as much in the way of setup tools as it's meant for beginners basic setup.

To get the most from a Harmony remote you need the 600 range upwards as these are more flexible and can use the setup software which is downloaded to your pc and run from there. All the guides on here are written assuming you have this software that is run from the pc which is why you see things different.

Ok that explains alot thank you. Basically im not too fussed about functionality i just want to use the directional keys and enter and play / pause thats all.

So if i got another mce certified ir receiver i could potentially get it to work? I did read elsewhere other people using the 300 with xbmc and the software has a xbmc profile


- jjd-uk - 2012-02-26

Zedax161 Wrote:Ok that explains alot thank you. Basically im not too fussed about functionality i just want to use the directional keys and enter and play / pause thats all.

So if i got another mce certified ir receiver i could potentially get it to work? I did read elsewhere other people using the 300 with xbmc and the software has a xbmc profile
Looking the remote again on the ebuyer link you gave, saw it might be a version of this

http://wiki.xbmc.org/index.php?title=IRF_Media_W-01RN

The wiki references a forum thread

http://forum.xbmc.org/showthread.php?tid=82772

which seems to confirm this.

Options are follow the advice in that thread to try and get it working with XBMC Live, or get a receiver that MCE Certified for a more plug n play setup.


- Zedax161 - 2012-02-26

Thanks alot for the response jjd-uk i read through that thread but think il give it a miss and buy another IR receiver like the one mentioned by op.

If i get a MCE certified receiver will it pretty much work after just adding mce keyboard as device?