[jeskasper]

OS X Lion 64-bit
Platform: Late 2011 Mac Mini
Install Method: dmg
XBMC version: 11.0-RC1 Git:20120226-30312f1
XBMC log: http://pastebin.ubuntu.com/870444/

I have a very strange problem. I have a 2011 aluminum Apple Remote and it is paired with OS X Lion on the Mac Mini. In XBMC I have set System -> System -> Input Devices -> Apple-remote to "Standard". Some times the remote works fine - other times it is very unresponsive and only reacts for each x-clicks. Some times 2 clicks - some times 12. It is very frustrating. I have tried getting very close to the IR reciever, but this does not seem to make a difference. I have tested with a camera, that the remote does actually emit IR for EVERY click on the remote. I have tried to disable remote in XMBC, shutdown XBMC, start XBMC, enable remote, shutdown XBMC, start XBMC, but to no avail. I have tried killing the XBMC-Helper app from Terminal, and starting XBMC again. Sometimes it helps for half a minute or so, and then it starts acting up again. Any suggestions? I am very close to ditching the Apple remote and getting a Logitech Harmony instead.

Hope someone can give me a tip as to which direction to go.

Best regards,

Jes

[Ned Scott]

It can still be the battery even if it emits light on a camera. It can also be a florescent light, as they can interfere with IR (had one that made a Comcast cable box remote useless).

[jeskasper]

It can still be the battery even if it emits light on a camera. It can also be a florescent light, as they can interfere with IR (had one that made a Comcast cable box remote useless).

Hi Ned,

I just tried using the remote with my MacBook with the same OS and same version of XBMC running off it - no problems at all. Every click is registered. So it can't be the battery.

When you say "flurescent light" what do you mean? Do you mean those long tubes for industrial lighting? I don't have any of those, but I do have an energysaving light bulp based on the same principal near by. I will just have a check ... Okay, I have tried taking out all the erengysaving light bulbs - and removed the power from the aquarium lights. No good. It worked great at first, but then, suddenly, it starts to lose the clicks. When it started acting up, I put it to the test on the MacBook again and it worked without a flaw - so it is not the battery draining a bit after usage. It more or less seems like XBMC or OS X gets "tired" after a while....

[Ned Scott]

Very odd. If you use something like iTunes on the MacMini, can you reproduce the same behavior where it starts to become unresponsive?

[jeskasper]

Very odd. If you use something like iTunes on the MacMini, can you reproduce the same behavior where it starts to become unresponsive?

Well, now it gets even more strange. When I quit XBMC, kill the XBMCHelper app, and open op iTunes, then I am only able to play what is highlighted in iTunes. I am not able to navigate the library, because the up and down arrows just tries to adjust the volume up and down.

My Mac Mini is connected to a Philips 32" LCD tv via HDMI and sound goes to my HTS via the HDMI connection from the TV to the HTS.

[jeskasper]

Someone suggested I reinstall XBMC after a total uninstall. How do I get around doing this without having to reconfigure everything?

[jeskasper]

I just tried killing off XBMC and the Helper and installed Plex Media server. Same problem. I am beginning to think it is the Mac Mini IR reciever at fault. But how do I verify that?

[Ned Scott]

Well, now it gets even more strange. When I quit XBMC, kill the XBMCHelper app, and open op iTunes, then I am only able to play what is highlighted in iTunes. I am not able to navigate the library, because the up and down arrows just tries to adjust the volume up and down.

My Mac Mini is connected to a Philips 32" LCD tv via HDMI and sound goes to my HTS via the HDMI connection from the TV to the HTS.

That's normal for iTunes. Does the remote ever stop responding when using iTunes?

[jeskasper]

Just an update - I think I solved the problem. I called Apple and asked them for a tip. They reminded me to check for interference, which I already did by trying to move it away from speakers, turning off other IR capable eqipment and the like. I also changed the battery on the remote. The problem persisted even in iTunes and did so whether the remote was paired or not. I then tried installing a fresh OS X Lion on another disk and booted from it. Same problem showed up. I figured then that it had to be the IR reciever in the Mac. Before I called Apple, I tried connecting my MacBook, that had worked fine with the remote, to the TV and placing it where the Mini had been. Boom - same problem on the MacBook. I then vnc'ed to the Mini from my MacBook and pulled the plug on the TV. Remote works! So the problem seemed to be interference from the TV itself. I stumbled upon this thread: http://forums.cnet.com/7723-21577_102-36...ir-remote/
I then moved the Mini to another place in the cabinet, not so close to the TV, and also turned off automatic contract and light level adjustments on the TV. Now my remote works as it should. Hope this thread will help someone else in this situation.

EDIT: Not so fast brother. It seemed that I was still getting some interference, and also I was having the problem now, that the Mini was tucked to far away out of sight, so I had to bend under the table to get line-of-sight for the remote. I moved the Mini back up next to the TV, and taped a small square piece of white paper on top of the IR sensor of the Mini. This way, the interference will have a harder time getting in to the Mini sensor, but the much stronger signal from the Apple Remote will still be able to get through. If it starts acting up again, I might try with two pieces of paper. Another possibility, that seems a bit more eastetic, could be to use a small round patch of electrical tape on top of the Mini sensor. That would obscure the fact that tape has been put over the sensor.

Jes

[Calvin4000]

Totally amazing, guys... my Apple Remote was 90% of the time unresponsive... I was ready for format and reinstall my Mac Mini... I solved it by going into the sony menu for general setup. There is a option for a light sensor which comes "on" as a default, as described in the previous post link... as soon as the light sensor was switched off, the remote worked again perfectly...

Bloody Sony interference....

btw, a piece of paper tissue in front of the sensor works too....

Thanks Jes...

[nakedmeeple]

Not sure if I've found a potential solution but I'm testing it. My situation is that Kodi on my Mac Mini would just randomly stop responding to my Harmony Ultimate One remote, even though I know the remote works with other devices, and I know the Mac works by remoting in to it and being able to control Kodi with a mouse and keyboard.

I shut down Kodi and downloaded a free Remote Control Diagnostics app from https://www.iospirit.com/labs/remotecont...gnostics/. This app told me XBMCHelper was using the IR port exclusively (as expected, since Kodi lets me launch it from the OS using the remote) but also:

The IR Receiver USB device is used by Google Chrome (PID 11079)
An application is accessing the IR Receiver USB device via an IOUSBDeviceUserClient. Depending on what it is doing, this may keep macOS and applications from receiving Apple Remote button presses. The application is located at /Applications/Google Chrome.app/Contents/MacOS/Google Chrome.​

Sure enough, Chrome was running in the background. I'm not sure why Google Chrome wants to use the IR receiver, but when I shut it down and shut down the XBMCHelper process, then rechecked with the app, I got green diagnostics across the board. I've now restarted Kodi and left Chrome shut down. I'll continue to test this over the next few days and see if I get any more interruptions on my remote.