[kdar]

I have build PC using Linux with XBMC installed. But I still need to buy a remote or some kind of wireless keyboard.

Can someone recommend me a good remote to be use with XBMC?
What can you recommend from your experience?

[fshagan]

The media center remotes that are "Microsoft certified" for Vista or Windows 7 Media Center often work well. The cheapest ones have problems; they emulate keyboard commands rather than the full set of IR commands that Media Center can use (and that xbmc has in the default configuration for "MCE Remotes".)

The remotes by Microsoft, Pinnacle, HP, Dell, etc. all seem to work well. If you have a Harmony remote, you can buy just a IR receiver and program the Harmony from their database for a MCE remote.

[jhsrennie]

The pain free option is to buy an official Microsoft remote or one of the full compatibles like the HP remote. See http://wiki.xbmc.org/?title=Remote_Control_Reviews for some options.

JR

[apotropaic]

I had a spare Bluetooth dongle so went with the PS3 remote route. There's a thread here somewhere explaining how to set it all up but a lot of people have had issues but mine works perfectly. I've even mapped the PS3 key to load up XBMC...

I'm using a Revo Atom 3610 with 64-bit Lucid Ubuntu.

[Justintoxicated]

I have a certified Microsoft remote and I can't get it working correctly in XBMC. Some of the buttons work, but the Back button does not. So there are a number of menus I can get into, that I can not get back out of without having to get up and hit the backspace key on the keyboard. Also other buttons seem to be lacking functionality, such as the information button and the fast-forward and rewind buttons can only jump 30 seconds at a time and you have to press and release to get it to do that.

Can anyone help? The remote works flawless in Win7 Media Center. I really like XBMC interface but having a buggy remote is killing me.

[jhsrennie]

I have a certified Microsoft remote and I can't get it working correctly in XBMC. Some of the buttons work, but the Back button does not. So there are a number of menus I can get into, that I can not get back out of without having to get up and hit the backspace key on the keyboard. Also other buttons seem to be lacking functionality, such as the information button and the fast-forward and rewind buttons can only jump 30 seconds at a time and you have to press and release to get it to do that.

Can anyone help? The remote works flawless in Win7 Media Center. I really like XBMC interface but having a buggy remote is killing me.

Have you looked at http://wiki.xbmc.org/index.php?title=Usi...in_Windows ?

JR

[Justintoxicated]

Have you looked at http://wiki.xbmc.org/index.php?title=Usi...in_Windows ?

JR

JR, thanks for the link.
However I'm not finding that exact key in the windows registry.

I searched for 745a17a0-74d3-11d0-b6fe-00a0c90f57da

I found the key under:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/System/ControlSet001/Control/Class/745a17a0-74d3-11d0-b6fe-00a0c90f57da/

Because the path of the key is not the same I doubt it is safe to proceed with the work around.

Having to edit the win registry to make a standard Microsoft remote work in a media center is really BS to begin with. I really enjoy all the hard work put into this program, but this is a huge flaw.

The wiki says:
"If this key doesn't exist stop right now because this config won't work. The only reason I know why you might not have this key in the registry is if your remote is not a standard MS remote or you're not using the standard MS driver."

When in fact I have a MS MCE remote and I am using the standard MS driver that came with windows 7 ultimate.

Reading further into the wiki I found another statement that says:
"Ironically the official MS remote will not work with XBMC out of the box. This is because it uses IR codes i.e. type 1 in the list above, and XBMC does not support this."
http://wiki.xbmc.org/index.php?title=Usi..._with_XBMC

Unfortunately since I don't have an identical registry entry the solution does not seem as simple as suggested. This is unfortunate. It sounds like I will need to find another media player? What are my options?
I do have a Logitech 880 is there is some configuration I could simply download into it then that would be good enough. Currently I had it set to work like the "official MCE" remote that is not supported by XBMC. Is there a configuration I can load that will it work without editing my registry?

[jhsrennie]

Having to edit the win registry to make a standard Microsoft remote work in a media center is really BS to begin with. I really enjoy all the hard work put into this program, but this is a huge flaw.

I'm sure you don't mean to be offensive, but this is annoying to those of us who've put in the hard work you mention. Unlike in unix, there is no standard interface for remote controls in Windows so there's nothing for XBMC to support. The nearest we get is to have the remote emulate a keyboard, so this is what XBMC does. The registry changes configure the MS remote to emulate a keyboard, so they're not directly to do with XBMC. We didn't choose this state of affairs and aren't responsible for it.

If the registry key doesn't exist then either the remote is not fully Microsoft compatible or you're not using the standard Microsoft driver. Try using the ShowKey applet from mceremote.zip to see what, if any, keystrokes your remote is sending. It might help if you tell us what model your remote control is.

The Logitech will emulate the Microsoft handset, but this will only work with a Microsoft IR receiver or a full compatible like the HP.

JR

[Justintoxicated]

I'm sure you don't mean to be offensive, but this is annoying to those of us who've put in the hard work you mention. Unlike in unix, there is no standard interface for remote controls in Windows so there's nothing for XBMC to support. The nearest we get is to have the remote emulate a keyboard, so this is what XBMC does. The registry changes configure the MS remote to emulate a keyboard, so they're not directly to do with XBMC. We didn't choose this state of affairs and aren't responsible for it.

If the registry key doesn't exist then either the remote is not fully Microsoft compatible or you're not using the standard Microsoft driver. Try using the ShowKey applet from mceremote.zip to see what, if any, keystrokes your remote is sending. It might help if you tell us what model your remote control is.

The Logitech will emulate the Microsoft handset, but this will only work with a Microsoft IR receiver or a full compatible like the HP.

JR

This is the exact remote I have.
"Microsoft A9O-00007 WinXP Media Center Infrared Remote Control"
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.as...6880100851

It has worked out of the box in every media center app I have ever used, up until now. I have used the 880 in it's place for both sage TV and Windows Media Center when programming it as a Microsoft remote. Of course I always try the Microsoft remote itself first as well. The driver I am using is listed as the "Microsoft eHome infrared Transceiver"

[blacklist]

I have a similar set up and the exact same remote. I use the mediaportal IR server suite (IR Server Suite)to disable the windows media center events from my remote and it works like a champ.

I believe the non-functional buttons you are encountering will be solved by installing this little application.

[jhsrennie]

Well that certainly looks like a Microsoft remote, and if it's using the eHome driver than it is Microsoft compatible.

If you fire up regedit and look in HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\HidIr\Remotes\ what subkeys are there?

JR

[Justintoxicated]

I have a similar set up and the exact same remote. I use the mediaportal IR server suite (IR Server Suite)to disable the windows media center events from my remote and it works like a champ.

I believe the non-functional buttons you are encountering will be solved by installing this little application.

I was looking into that link but I don't fully understand how to use that, or what it's purpose is. Looks like a lot of people are using it for IR blasting?
I installed Media Portal and once again my remote works out of the box. The moving pictures UI is better than the one in XBMC, however I like the simplicity of XBMC and the built in visualizations for music. XBMC is also faster and requires a lot less configuration, except well, apparently getting a standard MS remote to work.

Well that certainly looks like a Microsoft remote, and if it's using the eHome driver than it is Microsoft compatible.

If you fire up regedit and look in HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\HidIr\Remotes\ what subkeys are there?

JR

I guess I was in a rush and I used the search to find the key in the registry. It took me to ControlSet01 rather than CurrentControlSet. I do in fact have the registry entry. However at this point I'm trying to decide wether or not I should proceed down the XBMC path. Having used XBMC on my old original xbox I am certainly a fan. But I need something that will work in a client / server setup similar to sage TV. Where the server can manage the TV tuner,and distribute available tuners to computers elsewhere. The problem with using the network tuner HDHR without a server is that if one computer is recording or watching a station, and you try to watch TV from another computer, it can steal the tuner that is in use.

XMBC can't do this yet right? I'm not sure if Media Portal can do this yet either.

[izzy]

I have a remote control similar like this: http://www.acowin.com.hk/product456.html
Most ob the buttons work fine but I can't get the mouse wheel to work on my XBMC under Linux. The mouse functions on the remote work if I toggle them but I want to be able to use the wheel for scrolling (up, down) without mouse cursor. Is there a way to do that?