Volume Control with MCE Remote

[Mike88]

I have a Rosewill RRC-126 MCE remote. When using its Volume +/- buttons you can see the volume numbers change in the upper right corner of the HDTV screen. Unfortunately this does not affect the volume from the HTPC > SPDIF > A/V receiver. I figured maybe it affects the volume from some other configuration & dismissed the situation.

For the heck of it I tried the Mute button. It displays no sound on the HDTV screen & it does mute the sound going to my A/V receiver.

I then used the Volume button & decreased the sound all the way down to number 1 with no change in volume. But when I went down one more step to X or mute, it did mute the sound.

Why does the Mute function work via the SPDIF connection but not the Volume?

[richard1980]

You are bitstreaming encoded audio (most likely Dolby Digital), thus volume adjustments can only be made after the stream is decoded (which is what your receiver is doing). Muting simply stops the bitstream.

[Mike88]

Thanks for the explanation.

[barnabas1969]

Yep, Richard is correct. You should use your AVR's volume control... unless you own the RCAware HDMI-CEC bridge, of course.

[JazJon]

Time to get a Harmony remote control

[Mike88]

Time to get a Harmony remote control

I have one. It's an older 550 model with hard plastic buttons for the volume (and channel) +/- buttons which are very difficult to feel. You can't just grab the remote & have your thumb automatically find the buttons. The volume buttons are not distinct at all. I don't like the Harmony One or 900 because they also have hard smooth plastic buttons, even though they feel 100 times better than the old 550. I like buttons that you can feel, which is the 650 or 700. The 700 is about $100 but controls only 6 devices. I've even thought about a Harmony 300 just for WMC, and the AVR volume. Or finding an MCE remote with a programmable volume button.