[mythtvnz] Lirc & MCE Remote

[Johan Schuld]

Hi,

I've joined this list ages ago, when I first started using Mythtv. I've been
a non-stop myth user since then (2006ish) and it's been absolutely rocksolid
for me most of the time (apart from HW failure :). However, it's time to
switch from DVB-S to DVB-T so I bought myself some new hardware and got it
mostly up and running. I've also acquired a Microsoft MCE Remote (with it's
USB receiver) and have been trying to get it to work with Myth, with success
but not completely.

I've found that some keys, like the navigation keys l/r/u/d and the volume
worked out of the box. Even with LIRC not running. I suspect it must have
identified itself as a HID device. After some extensive searching I've
managed to get the remote control, and just the non-keyboard keys of the
keyboard to work. I'd thought I'd share my experience as some things I don't
understand and are odd.

1: I can only get it to work using the "devinput" driver. I can't get it to
work with the on many forums suggested "mceusb" driver.
2: Also, I have to point the "device" to
/dev/input/by-id/usb-Philips_eHome_Infrared_Transiever....event-if00 device.
/dev/lirc0 does not work.

Using this I also can get irrecord to work to generate my lircd.conf file.
(some from the net work too).

3: However, I found that you can only use names i irrecord's "namespace"
(i.e KEY_OK, or KEY_PLAY). any arbitrary key names are not accepted? I can't
get mythtv to work for the life of me using these keywords in my .lircrc
file. If I rename them to something else (like xOk, xPlay) in both the
lircd.conf file and .lircrc file it works beautifully.

4: Can't seem to record all the "keyboard" keys of the MCE remote, only the
non-keyboard keys (like volume, play, etc..). Maybe it's the USB receiver
simply not passing these on?

So the good news is it works. I've always had a love/hate (prob more hate)
relationship with LIRC as it just seems to suddenly give up on me without
notice and it takes me ages to get it up and running again. I was hoping
using the USB receiver it might be easier.

Ideally, I'd like to have the MCE keyboard my primary keyboard also when not
using myth. So i.e. mucking around in terminal windows, browsing the web,
etc. I'm not too worried about the mouse functionality. maybe I can get that
to work using irxevent or something but first I need lirc to actually
recognize the keys. Maybe it's the USB receiver and I should fall back to my
serial one or the one with the Hauppauge cards?

Is there anyone else who has experience with this remote? I'm particularly
interested to hear anyone who got it to work using the "mceusb" drives
(previously called mce_usb, or mce_usb2?)

I am running Suse 11.4, and using the out-of-the-box lirc and drivers.

For whoever is interested: I use a Core 2 Duo base, Hauppauge TD-500,
Hauppauge HRV4000 (both work fine). Nvidia 7600GS (to be replaced with a
Nvidia Geforce 210).

Apart from the above, I've spent numerous hours underneath and on top of the
house to find and fix the UHF Cabling and masthead amplifier.

Cheers,
Johan Schuld
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