Using EventGhost or IRSS to setup my remote

[cadams8221218]

i have a hauppauge colossus card and finally figured out that i have to use a program like irss to get my remote to work in media center since media center doesnt ask me to setup my ir blaster and remote. i know i need to use the ir file tool inside the irss suite to setup my remote but cant find any directions anywhere to do that, anybody familiar with the irss suite?

[barnabas1969]

I've used IRSS, and abandoned it for EventGhost. EG is much better than IRSS for my purposes.

I'm not sure why you think you need to use IRSS to make your blaster work with the Colossus though. I'm not experienced with the HD-PVR nor the Colossus. Perhaps you should change the subject of this thread to more accurately reflect that you need help setting up your blaster with the Colossus card. There are some people here who can help you do that.

[Scallica]

Perhaps you should change the subject of this thread to more accurately reflect that you need help setting up your blaster with the Colossus card. There are some people here who can help you do that.

The OP already has a thread, but all suggestions provided by members were unsuccessful.

http://www.thegreenbutton.tv/forums/vie ... 911#p25911

[barnabas1969]

OK, after reading through that thread, and reading the setup instructions that Scallica linked in that thread... I think you could probably use IRSS or EG as your "External Blaster" application. Both IRSS and EG have support for the MCE IR transceiver (it's a combination blaster/receiver). In order to make that work, you would probably need to create a macro in either IRSS or EG that can accept the channel number as an argument on the command line. Both IRSS and EG have a command-line interface that can be used to start a macro, so this should be possible in either software.

However, I have a couple of questions related to your other thread...

In that thread, you kept asking why Media Center didn't ask you to setup your blaster. From what I read in the instructions (here), it won't ask you. It will treat the Colossus like any other tuner. However, you MUST go through the entire setup described in that document BEFORE you setup the Colossus as a tuner in Media Center. Scallica recommended that you should clear your tuner config and start over. He provided a link to a guide to show you how to do that.

I would recommend following Scallica's instructions to reset Media Center back to defaults, then follow the instructions from Hauppauge for setting up the Colossus, and then run Media Center setup to add your tuner. There won't be a prompt for the blaster... it should just work if you've followed all the instructions to the letter.

I'll further ask if you've considered tuning the channels using Firewire (1394) instead of IR blasting. Also, why not just use a CableCARD tuner like the HD HomeRun Prime or InfiniTV4?

[cadams8221218]

THANK YOU ALL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!, I finally am getting some help with this, i have used this app called translator in the irss suite to find the remote codes for my box and have them saved, there is a tab for macros but i dont know what to do, i know in the hdpvr windows media setup app i have to add an app path and an app arg to get my remote and blaster to work in media center, I am so close to finally getting this to work, thanks again guys

[barnabas1969]

Yes, the translator program is the IRSS command line interface. It has one big drawback though... it has a fixed timeout value that cannot be changed. I think it was 5 seconds, but I'm not sure. That was my problem... I had some macros that have fixed times in them to wait for other things to happen. They would always timeout when I tried to run them with translator.

Also, the macro setup in IRSS was not as straight-forward as it is in EG. Plus, EG adds the ability to incorporate Python scripts/commands in the macro. It's extremely powerful. The forum for IRSS (on the MediaPortal website) was absolutely no help at all... the answer I got was basically that the guy who wrote IRSS is "retired" and that there won't be any further development on it. Most of the MediaPortal users are using EG... not IRSS... so that should tell you something.

Basically, you'll need to setup a macro in IRSS or EG that sends the blasting commands. The macro will need to accept an argument that contains the channel number. Then, in the HDPVR/Colossus setup app, you'll put the path to the command line interface for EG/IRSS, and the argument will be "<Your_Macro_Name> %C" (without the quotes). That will cause the command line interface (translator, in the case of IRSS) to start your macro, and pass the channel number, which is stored in %C by the Hauppauge software.

[cadams8221218]

I really do appreciate your help on this issue, and im sorry but I dont think I quite understand how i am to acctually SETUP A MACRO IN IRSS, where exactly do i start, sorry to sound so dumb but mediaportal did not create a clear cut tutorial to do this,or I couldnt find it atleast, the path to the command line would be the app path, so for example,C:\programfiles\mediaportal\macros i guess, and the app arg will be whatever the actual file name is then%C. Thanks again, I bought my colossus about6 weeks ago and havent been able to figure out this last step yet.

[barnabas1969]

No, the app path will be the path to the translator.exe file. Then, the arguments will be the name of your macro, a space, and %C to pass the channel number to your macro.

I don't have IRSS installed anymore, so I really can't help you with creating the macro. If you had EG, I could give you a step-by-step.

[cadams8221218]

well since i have some legit answers and help, im gonna go ahead and uninstall irss and download and install event ghost, if u could just go ahead and let me know where I can find a legit and working tutorial so I can finally use just one remote, lol. Or if u like u can continue to just help me through this thread. Again thank u sooooooooooooooooooooooooooo much, I knew id finally find someone who knew how to do this.

[cadams8221218]

also will i be able to use my hp windows media center ir receiver andremote to change the channels,on the event ghost website it says Microsoft MCE Remote (receiving only, transmitting IR will be supported in the future), im not exactly sure I fully understand what this means. THanks again

[barnabas1969]

Hold on there, Tonto. I told you that I would explain how to create a macro in EG. I did not tell you that I would explain how to setup blasting in EG. I do not do ANY IR blasting. My Media Center PC controls the other components entirely by HDMI-CEC, RS-232, and TCP/IP.

Now, I can tell you that the "Microsoft MCE Remote - Vista/Win7" plugin, which is newer than the one you read about in the (very outdated) documentation, DOES support blasting. See this thread, and more specifically... this post.

There is also one quirk about the "Microsoft MCE Remote - Vista/Win7" plugin... it intercepts the Media Center IR commands in such a way that it prevents Media Center from working as intended. I found a work-around for this. See this post.

So, you'll need to do the following steps. They are very basic. You'll need to figure out the details... I'll help you, but I'd rather help you figure it out on your own than to just spoon-feed you the answers.

1) Install EventGhost
2) Install the "Microsoft MCE Remote - Vista/Win7" plugin. It is already included with the default EG installation... you just need to add the plugin, and double-click it from inside the EG "folder tree" (you'll see it in the right-hand pane in EG after you add the plugin) to view the configuration dialog for the plugin, and then click the button to install the AlternateMCEIR service.
3) Download and install the registry patch that I posted in my third link above.
4) Create a new macro in the EG "folder tree" (in the right-hand pane again). Add an action to the new macro, using the actions provided by the MCE plugin (you'll see plugins and their associated actions in the left-hand pane in the EG gui).

From what I see, the "new" MCE plugin has an action to send an IR command. When you add this action to a macro, and double-click the action... you'll see a dialog box where you can "learn" IR commands (or just enter the Pronto code)... and also a "test" button which enables you to test the IR code. Clicking "OK" will save the settings in your new action (don't forget to also press the "save" icon in the toolbar to save your EG settings file).

My advice is to "learn" the codes for the 0 thru 9 keys on your cable-box remote control. Save each of them in a separate macro with one action per macro. Then, test each new macro by right-clicking on the macro and choosing "execute". If the cable box receives the correct number from each of the 10 new macros... you've won half the battle.

Once you have followed my steps above, and tested working IR codes... then, come back here and I'll help you create macros and events that can be used to send any IR commands you like.

There are other actions in the "Microsoft MCE Remote - Vista/Win7" plugin that will allow you to test your blaster to see if it's compatible with the plugin.

[cadams8221218]

when i tried to install the mce plugin i chose the vista 7 one, and i tried them all and something went wrong, as i was installing the plugin in the main window on the right the log was all in red and said something went wrong, then my system couldnt recognize my colossus, went into device manager and it was now unable to start, after reinstalling and uninstalling several times i had to pull it out of my system and totally reinstall it, so ill tackle this again tomorrow, those instructions in the guide are kinda old so maybe i need an updated version, maybe someone has tried the exact same setup as im using and can help. this whole thing has been waaaaaaaaaaaaay more difficult than it should b. y wont media center ask to install the ir blaster like it did with my other hauppauge card, and others ive seen.and please spoon feed me the info, im pretty tech profficient but all this has been a disaster.

[cadams8221218]

so now media center found my tuner and found all my channels and finished the setup, went to play live tv and it said no tuner available to satisfy request, all is good in device manager but i still get this message? SMH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i may need to sleep on this one, im in Baltimore and need to get this working again before tomorrow nights game.

[barnabas1969]

I'm gonna be blunt (I'm sure everyone will be shocked ). Between this thread and your other one, it seems that you don't follow instructions well, and you don't answer questions when people ask them. For example, if you look at my post #4 above, I asked a couple of questions and you never answered them. In your other thread, several people asked questions and you never answered them. People here don't ask questions for no reason.

It's absolutely impossible that Event Ghost messed up your Colossus card. Has someone tried your exact same setup? Yes, I'm sure they have. And they got the built-in blaster to work exactly as described by the Hauppauge documentation. You must have skipped some steps. Those instructions aren't written as simply as they could be... you need to pay close attention to the instructions... and don't skip any steps.

[cadams8221218]

all u said may be possible, also i wasnt trying to use the builtin blaster, i was trying to use the external hp windows media center one, i am currently backing up my data and am getting ready to reinstall windows 7, ill then very carefully follow the directions given and hope I can figure this thing out, but there is one thing i need to mention about what happened when i tried to install the plugin for my remote and receiver using ghost event, even after I tried to install all 3 plugins that eventghost gave me the option to install when i went back to the plugin setup it still said that i need to click here to install a separate plugin, the picture of the remote and receiver never showed up like it was for every other blaster which already had the needed plugin available, such as the usbirt, the windows media center one for xp and a bunch of other ones, if i still have trouble with the windows 7 setup i may try using xp instead. thanx for all the help by the way again. and to answer your questions in post 4 i dont have a firewire cable, and i have two ir blaster kits so im just going with what i have and have setup and used before, well ive setup and used the external blaster in the past with another setup anyway, and im using the colossus because this is what i bought and dont have any money to buy something else, the colossus is what i want anyway, ill get back to the post after 4 or 5 pm eastern time.

[barnabas1969]

Don't go with XP. Stick with Windows 7.

I'm starting to think that it might be easier to help you via Windows Remote Assistance. You're going off in so many different directions with the USB-UIRT and everything else. Instead of installing a bunch of plugins for EG, just install the one simple plugin that I told you to install. I don't even know what you're talking about when you mention pictures of remotes and such.

[cadams8221218]

oh my god yes, please remote into my system and give me a hand, thank you soooooooo much, ill get back before 4 or 5 pm eastern time, xfering of files is going quicker than expected thank u

[barnabas1969]

OK, but I can't do it tonight. I can do it tomorrow night (Thursday). I'll send you a PM with my e-mail address. You'll need to send me a remote assistance invitation via e-mail. On your Media Center PC, press the start button, and type "Windows Remote Assistance" (without the quotes). From there, you can save an invitation file and send the file to me as an attachment in an e-mail. Do not post the invitation attachment on this forum.

You'll need to make sure that your Windows Firewall is set to allow Remote Assistance. You can get more information here: http://windows.microsoft.com/is-IS/wind ... a-firewall

You'll also need to make sure that your router is setup so that UPnP is enabled/allowed. I can't help you much with that part... it depends on your router's make/model.

[cadams8221218]

around what time on thursday night, could it b before 730 or after 1030pm? thank you so much again

[cadams8221218]

ill b watching and recording the orioles yankee game between 730 and 1030