MCE 2005 remote, mute issue, double button press

[Wakalaka]

Any plans on allowing assignment of single keystrokes to any button? I have PC as Start GB-PVR because if I choose Exit from main menu, I want to easily be able to launch GB-PVR, otherwise I have to grab wireless keyboard and mouse, plug in monitor, then double-click GB-PVR shortcut on desktop.

I could run a program that monitors processes every x minutes for gbpvr.exe running, and if not to run it, thus removing this need, but I don't want a process constantly running in the background to do this. Maybe this could be added as a feature to GB-PVR Recording Service? Would it be wise to add more overhead to it?

[sub]

Any plans on allowing assignment of single keystrokes to any button?

To be honest, probably not in the near future. It'd be nice to add this at some stage, but I dont have time for it at the moment.

The only feature I've wanted in the past which isnt provided by default, is the ability to start GB-PVR using the green button on the remote, but there is technical ugliness that I didnt want to deal with that discourage me from doing this. Namely, the need to use a system event hook .DLL to monitor for this button press (which behind the scenes loads a DLL into each and every process running in the users desktop session) - even though its minimal risk, I dont like the idea of having my DLL running in other applications.

[Wakalaka]

The only feature I've wanted in the past which isnt provided by default, is the ability to start GB-PVR using the green button on the remote, but there is technical ugliness that I didnt want to deal with that discourage me from doing this. Namely, the need to use a system event hook .DLL to monitor for this button press (which behind the scenes loads a DLL into each and every process running in the users desktop session) - even though its minimal risk, I dont like the idea of having my DLL running in other applications.

The only other way I can think of to achieve this it to move the ability to send keystrokes on a button press is into the driver itself, which isn't an option since you don't have the driver source. Maybe the available HIP Replacement Driver for MCE remote can be modified to have a config app?

[Wakalaka]

My eHome driver is pictured below. It's WHQL signed, has a newer date than yours, yet has an older Driver Version. I tried my drivers and the ones I attached in an earlier post (which are the exact same as yours), but had nothing but problems.

I have Event Ghost loaded, MCE Remote set in GB-PVR config.exe, and using eHome Infrared Receiver driver. Here are the main problems:

1. While watching Live TV, if system volume is muted, GB-PVR won't respond to any remote buttons OR keyboard presses. I made sure GB-PVR had focus on taskbar.
   
2. Button presses sometimes go 2-3 times, e.g. cursor up/down on main menu.
   
3. If I click on blank area on desktop then hit remote button Up, I see GB-PVR main menu selection go up one, PLUS the next desktop icon up is selected.
   

I didn't have problems 2 and 3 with the HIP replacement drivers. I've always had problem 1 no matter what driver I use.

Questions:

1. When you test GB-PVR and the MCE remote, do you try using the computer for web browsing or other tasks at the same time, or do you assume GB-PVR is a "DVR only use" system?
   
2. Is it possible to tell config.exe that no remote is being used, so that something like HIP or Event Ghost can pick up the button presses and then post them to GB-PVR as keystrokes? I assume you set a remote type in config.exe under the assumption that a user won't ever change the button->keystroke assignment that GB-PVR has.
   
3. When a remote type is picked in config.exe, what does this do? GB-PVR doesn't install a driver for the remote, does it? The OS drivers pick up the remote button press, and somehow this gets to GB-PVR. What is that path?
   

[sub]

The only other way I can think of to achieve this it to move the ability to send keystrokes on a button press is into the driver itself, which isn't an option since you don't have the driver source. Maybe the available HIP Replacement Driver for MCE remote can be modified to have a config app?

I've always just suggested people use HIP when they need do this type of custom stuff. As far as I'm aware this has worked fine for other people, though most just want the green button startup, so maybe havnt tried to do as much as you.

It sounds like HIP would work fine for you if you could work out why you get this mute problem. I've not seen another user indicate they get this, so I have to assume its just something funny happening on your machine.

[Wakalaka]

My eHome driver is pictured below. It's WHQL signed, has a newer date than yours, yet has an older Driver Version. I tried my drivers and the ones I attached in an earlier post (which are the exact same as yours), but had nothing but problems.

I have Event Ghost loaded, MCE Remote set in GB-PVR config.exe, and using eHome Infrared Receiver driver. Here are the main problems:

1. While watching Live TV, if system volume is muted, GB-PVR won't respond to any remote buttons OR keyboard presses. I made sure GB-PVR had focus on taskbar.
   
2. Button presses sometimes go 2-3 times, e.g. cursor up/down on main menu.
   
3. If I click on blank area on desktop then hit remote button Up, I see GB-PVR main menu selection go up one, PLUS the next desktop icon up is selected.
   

I didn't have problems 2 and 3 with the HIP replacement drivers. I've always had problem 1 no matter what driver I use.

Questions:

1. When you test GB-PVR and the MCE remote, do you try using the computer for web browsing or other tasks at the same time, or do you assume GB-PVR is a "DVR only use" system?
   
2. Is it possible to tell config.exe that no remote is being used, so that something like HIP or Event Ghost can pick up the button presses and then post them to GB-PVR as keystrokes? I assume you set a remote type in config.exe under the assumption that a user won't ever change the button->keystroke assignment that GB-PVR has.
   
3. When a remote type is picked in config.exe, what does this do? GB-PVR doesn't install a driver for the remote, does it? The OS drivers pick up the remote button press, and somehow this gets to GB-PVR. What is that path?
   

Also when I'm using eHome Infrared Receiver driver (either version) and I close Event Ghost or HIP (tested with both), the 2-3 button movement stuff goes away. It's as if GB-PVR picks up the remote button press and takes action, and Event Ghost or HIP does the same thing. I think the purpose of the HIP replacement driver is that since you want button->keystrokes other than defaults, the replacement driver disconnects the DVR software from the remote button processing and then HIP processes all buttons.

[sub]

Also when I'm using eHome Infrared Receiver driver (either version) and I close Event Ghost or HIP (tested with both), the 2-3 button movement stuff goes away. It's as if GB-PVR picks up the remote button press and takes action, and Event Ghost or HIP does the same thing.

This is probably because both the MCE remote and HIP are sending the events to GB-PVR. The obvious answer is that in this case you should only be programming HIP to only respond to events GB-PVR doesnt handle by default, ie dont bother handling things like up/down/left/right/enter/0-9/etc since these already do the right stuff. If the MCE remote sends the 'up' keyboard event to GB-PVR, then HIP sends the 'up' keyboard event, then GB-PVR just thinks the user has pressed the 'up' key twice. It has no way to know where it came from.

I think the purpose of the HIP replacement driver is that since you want button->keystrokes other than defaults, the replacement driver disconnects the DVR software from the remote button processing and then HIP processes all buttons.

You're probably right. I've never used HIP or the replacement driver myself.

[Wakalaka]

This is probably because both the MCE remote and HIP are sending the events to GB-PVR. The obvious answer is that in this case you should only be programming HIP to only respond to events GB-PVR doesnt handle by default, ie dont bother handling things like up/down/left/right/enter/0-9/etc since these already do the right stuff. If the MCE remote sends the 'up' keyboard event to GB-PVR, then HIP sends the 'up' keyboard event, then GB-PVR just thinks the user has pressed the 'up' key twice. It has no way to know where it came from.

What if GB-PVR handles a button, but it doesn't do what I want it to do, therefore I want to override the keystroke that it uses? If I'm right, then you use the HIP alternate driver, but then since this disconnects GB-PVR from buttons, you have to enter ALL buttons to keystrokes translation in HIP.

[Wakalaka]

If you added an option in config.exe to select no remote, would GB-PVR work if I used my keyboard? If so, then can you add an option for no remote so that the HIP alternate drivers aren't required, and we can then use HIP or Event Ghost to assign all button to keystroke translations?

[sub]

What if GB-PVR handles a button, but it doesn't do what I want it to do, therefore I want to override the keystroke that it uses? If I'm right, then you use the HIP alternate driver, but then since this disconnects GB-PVR from buttons, you have to enter ALL buttons to keystrokes translation in HIP.

I thought it was pretty clear in the discussion above, but...If you only wanted to add a few features to unused buttons (like green button to start GB-PVR etc), then you could use the original eHome driver plus built in MCE remote support, and simply use HIP to add event handling for those extra buttons. If you want to replace functions already functions where GB-PVR already does something else, then you'd probably need to use the alternative driver (so that events are not passed to GB-PVR by driver), then handle all the keys yourself.

If you added an option in config.exe to select no remote, would GB-PVR work if I used my keyboard?

"No remote" would effectively be the same as selecting the 'Default (Hauppauge)' option. With this setting, its only expecting keyboard events. Your problem of course is that the eHome drivers actually generate keyboard events and GB-PVR has no idea these keys have come from a remote. For example, when you press the 'up' navigation button on your remote, Windows just puts "up key pressed" message on to GB-PVRs input message queue.

The only way I could NOT handle those is by ignoring any keyboard events. (which is a change I wont be making)