Harmony 525 remote setup with XBMC + WMC

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pinkshiro

7 posts

Wannabe Geek

#29370 5-Jan-2009 10:28

Hi everyone,

I have just gotten a Harmony 525 remote to use with my HTPC, with my HTPC using:

Antec Fusion 430 Case
Vista Ultimate
XBMC (holds my Video/music/Picture libraries & play DVD's)
WMC (Access Live TV & Guide)
Imon (software for the IR in my case presumably)

But I am a bit lost in setting up the Harmony remote to work with XBMC, and switch to WMC when I need it to. Yes, I am still learning this stuff.

I have asked this question elsewhere, with the general responces being rudeness and calls of "noob", so I am at my wits end. There is so much conflicting information out there, that I don't know which direction I should be taking. This is not my first effort to find information about this. I have done some searches on the net which have resulted in confusing me even more.

Can anyone point me in the right direction for how I need to be setting up the remote?

Some thoughts / questions. I know there are a lot of questions below and I don't expect them all to be answered, I would just like some helpful hints to point me in the right direction at the very least...

Do I set up a device in the Harmony software using my Antec Case as the specified device? Or should it be an MCE remote device?

Do I set up seperate devices for each piece of software (XBMC and WMC), and if I do this, does that mean I can program all the keys to work differently for each device? Can I program a key to work like keystrokes on a keyboard, which is what XBMC apparently works around?

I assume that if I can assign keystrokes on a keyboard to a button, then I will be able to assign a macro execution to a keystroke. For example, alt tabbing between XBMC and WMC, if they are both open. Or alternatively, can I get the Remote to switch programs in the HTPC when I select a unique device?

What about event ghost? I had the elitists on the other forum tell me I have to use this software in order for my harmony to work in XBMC when it is set as an MCE! Why the hell would I need third party software when the harmony is supposed to be a "smart" remote?

Thanks for reading. Hope you can help.

rphenix

985 posts

Ultimate Geek

Lifetime subscriber

#187728 6-Jan-2009 10:23

Do you currently have/use a MCE Remote?

I take it your using windows?

I use XMBC with Ubuntu + ANtec Fusion case. I then use a $30 MCE remote I purchased on trademe it came with a microsoft receiver but I dont need that I was only after the remote to work with the integrated antec receiver.

I basically setup the software on ubuntu that interprets the IR signals from IR receiver to send key strokes to XMBC (its basically sending XBMC hot keys as if you were typing on the keyboard) so I have mapped the proper hot keys to pause, fast forward etc.. then I've mapped seperately the power button to shutdown ubuntu by exectuing a shutdown command it works well :) and because I'm using the Antec IR receiver built in I can turn the HTPC system on using the remote.

I also use the spare MCE receiver on my desktop PC in the lounge with a Harmony 525 remote but I only use that to control VLC using a input module for VLC that works with MCE remotes and I've setup the Harmony by telling it I have a media center pc so the buttons work just like a normal MCE remote.

My understanding is the imon software is a bit cripped that comes with the antec system? but I imagine you setup imon to send keystrokes to XMBC in windows. Let me know how you go I could always drop a spare drive into my Antec case and setup windows on it to help you out if you get stuck.

pinkshiro

7 posts

Wannabe Geek

#187732 6-Jan-2009 10:46

Hey rphenix,

Thanks for replying. How does XBMC work on Ubuntu? Well?

Yes, I am using Vista Ultimate. Don't hate me :)

After posting this yesterday, I continued my searching around for information. The general feeling I got was to assign keystrokes to buttons on your remote in iMon. Since all XBMC controls are built around keyboard controls, I theoretically should be able to come up with a decent set up this way.

Last night I set my device in Harmony up as a Computer > Home Theatre PC > Windows Media Centre. iMon seems to like this as long as I set the remote as MCE, in the iMon settings.

Tonight I will have time to sit down and play with iMon. I like the sound of using this software, and if it works without having to buy an extra IR receiver, then all the better. I will post back tomorrow.

pinkshiro

7 posts

Wannabe Geek

#187949 7-Jan-2009 09:41

Hm.

Okay, played around with iMon last night.

Seems to work okay. Just a few annoyances. The Red, Green, Yellow, Blue Teletex buttons are not options within iMon, and I don't know how to add them in. iMon thinks I am using an MCE, and in Harmony my device is set as an ambiguous "Windows Media Centre" device. Anyone know if it is possible to add buttons that iMon currently doesn't know about?

rphenix

985 posts

Ultimate Geek

Lifetime subscriber

#187951 7-Jan-2009 09:48

Go to the harmony remote software, customise the MCE device key settings. Make sure something is assigned to the red, green,blue, yellow buttons.

That will be why its not working I'm pretty sure.

If you take a look here you can see the full size mce remotes do have the teletext buttons (take a look at the second from the top, left, in the middle of that remote it has those buttons)

pinkshiro

7 posts

Wannabe Geek

#187953 7-Jan-2009 09:50

Yeah, I checked the Harmony software and took a look at the key mappings for those buttons, and they were mapped to "red", "green" e.t.c e.t.c

I guess I just need to assign them to some other unused button...