Thanks for testing Kanebrake. I am glad that this works for you.

Now I am ready for the next step.
Next thing is to make an user interface for browsing the albums so that a playlist can be made using the remote control only.
Therefore Peter will develop a new application interface, which can be used in future for other plugins too (lilke an MCE plugin or MediaPortal plugin).

Awsome! can't wait to try it.

Is this still being worked on?

Hi Engelhardt,

currently Peter is working to his new AlbumPlayer interface which the MCE Remote AddOn will use.

When that work is done the development on the MCE Remote AddOn will speed up. To be honest, the last month very little work was done due to a project for my work. But that will change, since that project is near to its completion.

I will post a new (Beta) version in this thread as soon as the AlbumPlayer interface is ready and some screens (with album selections) becomes available. My estimation is that this will be before the end of May.

Hello Vincent,
Sorry to bother but wanted to know how the work was coming on the MCE control and plugin?

Hi Engelhardt,
Peter has completed the new interface and I am started with the new AP_RemoteControl software, using .Net Framework 2.0. (The "old stuff" was programmed with .Net Framework 1.0). Peters interface is already integrated in this new AP_RemoteControl SW.
At the moment (well actually a month ago) I was working at the display-engine and the menu browsing, using the MCE remote control.

The work is on a "low level" at this moment since I have upgraded my development computer very recently and have just put all development software on it. This computer has an HDMI interface which I want to use with a new LCD-TV (which I still have to buy). So I will enjoy the test phase more then using my old Philips CRT
At the end of this month I should have the display engine and remote control interface ready so I could show you some progress (screenshots). Not much later (hopefully within 1 or 2 months) I should have the first beta version up and running.

Things go not as fast as I hoped for, but with Peters new interface and the upgrade to .Net 2.0 Platform the AlbumPlayer and Ap_RemoteControl software will be better prepared for the future. With the .Net 2.0 platform the current development effort can be used (better) for plugins for the MediaPortal and Windows Media Center, which are way back on the development roadmap.

I might invest some time to search a way to suppot Media Keyboards as well. Several AP users asked for it and the Ap_remote control addon is a good place for it.

Here it is almost Oct. Has this development been dropped?

Hi Engelhardt (and other AP users).
First of all, sry for the late response.

The development is not dropped, its just on a very, very low level. Development time has dropped from a few days in the month to less then one day in the month. Busy at work and rebuiling my attic consume most of my time this moment. I even have not found the time to buy and install new LCD-TV screen yet.. .
I have made some progress though last months...
AlbumPlayer Interface is integrated. Now Playing info works and the basic functions (Volume Control, Prev, Next, Pause, Play...etc) are working again. These functions work with a MCE remote and multimedia keyboard. A volume overlay is also ready and working. Next things to make are: Album Info (album and track info), Collection Browser and Playlist viewer, and abbilities to edit the playlist. We are in doubt a bit if this is a good addon which will be used to a lot of AP owners, since .NET 2.0 is still not standard for WinXP yet (maybe next SP), and interested people who likes to see (and change) what music is playing on a TV/LCD screen migh have already a Media Center, which is currently standaard integrated with Vista Home Premium. Maybe a plugin for it makes more sense. Also other ideas are born and currently investigated. But again development is not dropped (yet), but if it will be published the way we had think about a (long) time ago is not very clear yet.

I did promise a screenshot some time ago; so here is one:
http://www.albumon.com/remote/AP_Remote.jpg

and another one (with working NowPlaying and Track Progress):
http://www.albumon.com/remote/AP_Remote1280.jpg

The development of special remote control software support is stopped since V5.0 already adds some functionality for that.

Only thing remains is the MCE-remote support application.

The main topic text is updated and download for V5.0 support application added. http://forum.albumon.com/viewtopic.php?t=618

As an alternative for the MCE remote support application, you can also look for the Melloware remote software, which supports many remote controls. http://forum.albumon.com/viewtopic.php?t=1212

Recently I purchased an MCE remote to use with AP5 and the AP Remote Control application 1.0 on Windows XP Pro SP2 and I can't get it working.

The remote I bought did not come with drivers. It is labeled "Model No. TSHA-IR01" and "RC6". (Elsewhere in this topic, a link to images of remotes has it pictured as a "version 2, model 1039, MS Clone?"). The IR transceiver is a TSDX-IR07. The transceiver shows up in device manager as a "Microsoft eHome Infrared Transceiver" (vendor ID 0x1784, PID 0008). After installing the MCE 2005 Update Rollup 2, its driver could still not be found, so I updated its inf (irbus.inf) manually to add its PID per the instructions here:
http://forum.team-mediaportal.com/get-s ... post255404
and then it loaded in device manager and the transceiver's activity light lights up when I push buttons on the remote. In general, this solution was reported by others to always fix their remote. But it still does not do anything to AP, and the 'Monitor RC Activity' feature of AP Remote 1.0 only ever says "Ready". The device drivers for the transceiver are version 5.1.2600.2825; files hidclass.sys, hidr.sys, hidparse.sys, and hid.dll

I was wondering if anyone has experienced a similar issue, and for those of you who have it working, can you tell me if the remote's up/down keys should work in windows (such as in Explorer to move up and down a file list) when AP5 and AP RC1.0 are not running? At this point I cannot determine if the problem is with the remote and the receiver, or if this particular remote is just incompatible with AP5 and this add-in.

and finally, can someone who has this working with a similar remote give me the driver version number and file list for the driver for your IR transceiver? Maybe the device driver is not translating this remote's IR codes into the correct messages because my driver is wrong.

At this point I am about to throw out the remote because I spent $13 for it and then the equivalent of $500 of my own engineering time trying to get it to work!

blk

I have a MCE-remote. I can only tell behavior when Vista is running. In Vista cursor keys are working also in other programs without AP running. Does play/pause keys work or do they not too.

Did you try the drivers of the first post of this topic?

I tried the driver in the .rar file labeled for XP Home in the Other section. Is that the one you mean? This INF file did not contain the vendor and device ID for my IR transceiver. The driver files are the same names but a different version. I will modify the INF to add my device and try that specific version.

Pause/Play does not work. That was what I was trying out to test AP, and I was using the cursor keys hoping they would work in windows. But none of them work. I assume this is a problem with my remote because of this and the fact that the RC Monitor utility isn't seeing any activity.

Yes that is what I mean. Unfortunately I don't have other tips.

I found a freeware tool called "HIP" (Human Interface Programmer) which is available at:
http://www.byremote.com.au/downloads/de ... SCLASS=HIP
and FAQ at:
http://www.byremote.com.au/Hip/mce_remote_faq.htm


After my modification to add my remote in the INF (which installed the device drivers), and installing HIP, my TSHA-IR01 remote is being decoded. HIP can also learn from other remotes and you can press buttons on the remote and configure it to send what they are calling "Windows System-Wide" keys which appear to be keystrokes in response to buttons on the remote. Through this I am able to navigate around in windows (like up and down in a file list). You can also execute programs, such as to make AP start when you press a key on the remote.

My AP-specific question is whether the best way to control AP is by making the remote send keystrokes (system keys or predefined keys). I could set it up this way because through HIP you can make any remote key send any one or any series of keypresses (including special keys such as "MEDIA_NEXT_TRACK"). As long as the keypresses I assign are not processed by windows, they reach AP and work.

Is this the best way to control it? Or is there another more preferred interface into AP? Unfortunately I am not able to get some of the actual windows multimedia keys directly through (I think they are being consumed by windows because I can't use Play or Pause, but I can use the Next Track command....

The other interfaces that are available in HIP that can be used when a key is pressed on the remote are:

"POST Message" - you specify a Message (numerical) and values for wparam and lparam. You can specify (if you wish) the destination window's window class and window caption.

"COM Command" - you specify the Class Name (currently it has one option, "WMP.DeskBand" but I don't know what that means) and you specify values for Interface 1, Interface 2, and Parameter.

Are one of these alternatives better?

Once I figure out which is the best way, I can post my HIP configuration files and complete instructions if anyone would like to have this. (I paid only $13 for this remote and receiver).


blk