IR Remote that works with NextPVR

[Gerryex3]

Yeah if you had a proper mce one it used to show up as ehtray.exe for the program that starts mce and you had to disable it to stop it starting mce when using the green button to start npvr.

Lucky you didn't buy it then the remote only isn't going to fix your start problem.
Your harmony one remote will already be sending exact IR codes that the mce remote will send

What you need is http://m.ebay.com/itm/Genuine-Microsoft-...nav=SEARCH

Hi stustunz,

Yes, I did see that listing at eBay, but as I said I'm not sure how to disable the built in IR receiver in the Dell and I'm afraid if I add another IR receiver it may conflict with the built in one.

Boy, this stuff can get pretty complicated!!!

Thanks,
Gerry

[stustunz]

It will be a device in device manager(usb or input device) just a matter of going through and disabling or look up what each device is using Google
IRss can also sort this for you probably

[mikeh49]

I think we have been operating under some mis-conceptions. Turns out the Dell Zino is not an MCE remote. I found this on the Logitech forum:

I have a dell zino hd with IR, but logitech setup does NOT have info for this HTPC in their database. If you have the remote for your Zino, you can 'teach' the logitch harmony the commands.

I thought I could "trick" the software and setup it up like another Windows Media Center PC, but that doesn't work either because the codes used and/or recognized by the built-in IR on this PC are different than the standard Windows Media Center remotes and IR receivers. So... this truly does need support from the Harmony software.

Anyway, I read some other forums and learned that some people had luck setting it up as a Medion ePC II, but they still needed to "learn" various commands from their Dell remote to make it more fully functional.

What I think this means is that NPVR will not respond fully/correctly to the Zino remote because it only natively understands a real MCE remote. If you're running NPVR on the Zino using its internal IR receiver (I can't remember) then it's not getting some/all of the MCE codes. You can use a 3rd party program to translate the Zino codes to keyboard commands, an example is IR server suite. Or, you could get an MCE remote and receiver from ebay as previously mentioned. (Note that this one does not have the 4 colored buttons.) Here is one that looks pretty good:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-Genuine-HP-U...SwDNdV3pET

Ratss! Doesn't have the colored buttons, but can use the Harmony for those.

This has colored buttons:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/For-Dell-Microso...SwYIhWj3Z9

You really only need the receiver in order to use your Harmony remote programmed for a MCE remote. I found a receiver at a local thrift store. Since you want the green button function, of course you'll need to assign another button on the Harmony for this, unless yours has a green button (mine doesn't). This refers to the large green button with the Windows logo, not the little green button that goes with the blue, yellow and red buttons.

There remains the question of whether Win10 includes the ehome driver that is needed for the MCE remote. I expect someone here knows that (I think sub said the mce remote workd is Win10, so likely not an issue.)

[Gerryex3]

I think we have been operating under some mis-conceptions. Turns out the Dell Zino is not an MCE remote.
. . .

Hi mikeh49,

Yes, I agree!! Dell makes nice stuff but they have a bad habit of making a lot of their stuff with proprietary parts and software. I once had a Dell PC I wanted to upgrade only to find out that not only was the mother board proprietary but the power supply was also proprietary including the main power connector on the mother board. I said then I that I would never buy a Dell again. The only reason I bought this Zino, was that I didn't want a traditional tower, mini or otherwise, in my TV setup with all my other components. Yeah, I could have built my own in a small form factor case but I was too lazy! And the Zino is quite small and in black looks nice in my TV setup.

Anyway, thanks for finding those real MCE remotes and IR receiver, but I would be a little weary of getting the Dell branded ones as they might also be proprietary!

While I'm definitely not giving up I'm starting to question all this complexity just to get the green button (and maybe the blue button to work). My goal is to be able to bring up the Zino, set up or watch a recording, shut it down, and switch back to regular TV - all without using the mouse and only the IR remote. I have an IR controlled power strip so everything CAN be controlled by the Harmony, except for starting NPVR. But I worked around that by putting a shortcut for NPVR in the Startup folder, so whenever the Zino powers up, NPVR will start. The only problem is if I accidentally exit NPVR I would have to use to mouse to start it up again.

So right now the system is working pretty well and is doing all the functions I want with just the remote. I'm still going to look into IRSS and possibly using the Haup remote's codes, but its less of a priority for now!

THANKS ONCE AGAIN TO EVERYONE FOR ALL YOUR HELP!!!
Gerry

[mikeh49]

To start NPVR from the windows desktop you can create a shortcut and give it a keystroke combination to start it, like ctrl-alt-N. Then program a harmony key to send that keystroke using the PC keyboard device. Before sub supported the green button I used this, in fact, I still do. However, for the infrequent times NPVR conks out and I end up at the desktop, I use a wireless mouse that I keep in a drawer by the couch.

[Gerryex3]

To start NPVR from the windows desktop you can create a shortcut and give it a keystroke combination to start it, like ctrl-alt-N. Then program a harmony key to send that keystroke using the PC keyboard device. Before sub supported the green button I used this, in fact, I still do. However, for the infrequent times NPVR conks out and I end up at the desktop, I use a wireless mouse that I keep in a drawer by the couch.

Wow, that's very interesting. I did see a PC Keyboard device when I was setting up the MCE remote in the Harmony. I will definitely give it a try, but the IR signals will still be going though the built in IR receiver in the Dell, so its possible that it may not pass keyboard commands and/or change the codes to something not standard. But I will give it a try!!

Thanks,
Gerry

[Gerryex3]

Wow, that's very interesting.

Hi mikeh49,

You can always learn something new!!! I've been working with PCs for many years starting with DOS, to Win 3.1, to today. And while I knew there was something about starting programs with shortcut keys I never really looked into it. On my desktop PC (not the Zino) I also have a Haup TV tuner and NPVR installed. I have it pinned to the Task Bar so all I had to do was to go to its properties and set the shortcut to Ctl-Alt-N, clicked OK. Then I tried the keyboard shortcut and, wa-la NPVR started!!!

I have to shut down now and I'll be busy Sun, so sometime on Monday I'll give it a full try on the Zino. I really don't care what button, green or other wise, that starts NVPR, just so I can do it from the remote. I just hope Dell didn't screw up their IR receiver too much!!

Thanks again,
Gerry

[Gerryex3]

To start NPVR from the windows desktop you can create a shortcut and give it a keystroke combination to start it, like ctrl-alt-N
. . .

Hi mikeh49,

I can't give it a try on the Zino today, but I went ahead and a added keyboard device on the Harmony on-line setup software. I used a Media Center PC as the main selection, Microsoft as the mfg, and MCE Keyboard as the device. I then looked at setting up the buttons and I see separate selections for all the letters, some special selections, and separate entries for Ctl and Alt. So if I want to send Ctl-Alt-N how would I do that. I can see pressing the three equivalent buttons one at a time but that would be very awkward. How would I get the combo Ctl-Alt-N into one button of the Harmony?

Thanks,
Gerry

[stustunz]

Not going to work it's still going to be talking Microsoft and not Dell to the receiver

[mikeh49]

@stu Probably true.

I won't be able to help with the Harmony for several days. If you want to try it, you could check the Logitech site or forums for help.

You could try all the keys on the Dell remote with NPVR and figure out what works (and what doesn't). That would give an idea of whether this is worth pursuing, or if you need the 3rd party software for sure.