IR / RF Remote Controls for Windows: Links to Explanations, Tutorials, and Guides

Unfortunately most remotes for Windows do not currently work with XBMC Media Center straight out-of-the-box. If you would like to know why, the following is a simple and informative explanation.

How MCE Remotes work in Windows, and why they don't immediately work out of the box.

Beginning with SVN Builds created after 9.11 Camelot, support for MCE Remotes that send keystroke combinations (such as ALT+S) is build in; however, a custom keyboard XML must be created to take advantage of these keystrokes. In the next few weeks and months expect changes to the Wiki on the subject of remotes to handle these issues. With luck most MCE Remotes should work out of the box (or close to it) with the next official release of XBMC.

Below are some tutorials for getting your remote control to work with XBMC for Windows. Additionally, the above link contains a few methods that do no include installing either IR Server Suite, EventGhost, or any other additional software.

Available tutorials and HOW-TOs to setup/configure remote controls for XBMC on Windows:

• Tutorial: HOW-TO get XBMC for Windows to work with remote control via IR Server Suite
• Tutorial: HOW-TO use MCE remote in XBMC under Windows XP with IR Server Suite
• Tutorial: HOW-TO control XBMC using EventGhost with the Microsoft MCE Remote
• Tutorial: HOW-TO easily get MCE Remote working flawlessly in XBMC with EventGhost
• Tutorial: HOW-TO use XBMC and Vista Media Center with a MCE remote with EventGhost
• Tutorial: HOW-TO setup the original Xbox DVD remote the correct way with EventGhost
• Tutorial: HOW-TO use a module to configure Xbox Remote Control on XBMC for Windows
• Tutorial: HOW-TO use Logitech Harmony Universal Remote Control without EventGhost
• Tutorial: HOW-TO setup iMon specific remotes and software with example Moncaso Remote
• Tutorial: HOW-TO use Hauppauge 45 (or 34) button remote control in XBMC
• Tutorial: HOW-TO get Sony PS3 Bluetooth Remote Control working using EventGhost
• Tutorial: HOW-TO setup Sony PS3 Bluetooth Remote Control to work with XBMC
• Tutorial: HOW-TO use MCE remote (RC6) in XBMC under Windows the easy way

Also checkout these other ways for controlling XBMC:

• iPhone Remote App for XBMC
• XBMC HTTP-R, Remote Control app for PDA, PPC, or Smartphones
• Android XBMC Remote Control
• Configurable SonyEricsson Bluetooth Remote with XBMC
• XBMC Controller for PSP (PlayStation Portable)
• XBMC Remote Control on PSP (PlayStation Portable)
• XBMC Remote Interface for PSP (PlayStation Portable)
• XBMC integrated web interface (web server)

Good luck!

PS! Please do not post asking for support in this specific thread, as this thread is only for posting links to other threads with tutorials.

Dam it looks like another was added to the list.

Why are there so many remote apps.. does one app offer something better then the others..

What build\milestone is expected to have the control built into xbmc?

Swwethip1 Wrote:Dam it looks like another was added to the list.

Why are there so many remote apps.

Different IR receivers have different ways of setting keymaps. At least that's one I know of.

I have my HTPC set up including home automation using girder 5 whole home pro, I have also now installed event ghost, it does seem to me this may be duplication as Girder "should" be able to do all that event ghost does, can any one tell me if it does or should I stick with both?

Trying to help the cause. Hopefully this helps.

I have the following setup:

HTPC w/ Windows XP SP3 (The computer!)
XBMC (Greatest program ever invented by a living organism)
USB-UIRT (IR transmitter/reciever)
Harmony 880 (Remote Control)
Standard Comcast remote (optional remote control for the computer inept)
Surround Sound system w/ reciever (makes loud noises)
LCD TV (Puts colors next to eachother to form moving pictures)

I initially tried girder with my USB-UIRT to handle the IR signals, as suggested by their website, but after trying EventGhost I found I liked that much more. I think it's much more user-friendly and powerful.

Don't know if anyone wants to know how to get this working but here it is anyway:

1. Install Windows, XBMC
2. Download and install USB-UIRT drivers from their website
3. Download and install EventGhost
4. Download XBMC plugin for EventGhost (USB-UIRT plugin is built-in)
5. Launch EventGhost (after adding XBMC plugin)
6. Add XBMC plugin
7. Aim ANY remote control at the USB-UIRT and press ANY button to transmit ANY IR signal.
8. Drag and drop an IR signal in the log list of EventGhost into an action in the XBMC tree.
9. Add any other IR signal to do anything else you want (such as change the time to tomorrow, invert the colors on your desktop or even create an ASCII picture of Mikey Jackson in notepad)

By doing this you can map any button on any remote to do any command in XBMC (or any other application for that matter)

I've finally got most everything working on my Snapstream Firefly RF remote via LM Remote Keymap. The one major sticking point is I can't seem to get the context menus to show up. Anybody familiar with LM Remote and have this working?

I've set up a PressKey event for the Menu key, but get no response from XBMC when it is pressed. The menu button on my keyboard brings up the context menu exactly as expected.

EDIT: I found a solution in the keymap.xml file. Apparently the "c" key performs the same function as the "menu" key, so using that instead solved the problem.

anyone know if this will work?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.as...6880125001

I badly need a driver for this that works on windows XP 64bit. I tried the Vista one and all the others, no 64 bit support.

If someone could help out modifying one of the current drivers to work with Win XP 64 bit that would be great.

I have no clue how much work this is but I am hoping someone in here could help me out

eQUIV Wrote:Alright, so I installed vista, installed the driver but now I have no idea how to get it working with my remote. Any ideas what program I could use?

i hope you have installed vista ultimate - it's the only vista that has mce included. you might need it for testing purposes.

again i've done a research for you. in general, logitech harmoy remotes ARE able to control the windows media center. before this works, you have to connect your harmony to your pc using the included usb cable, log into an account at logitech and download the software needed to do this task into your remote. as i don't know the technical side of this, you are on your own here. just make sure to select something like "media center control" or "mce" or something similar that should enable you to control media center.

when done, go take a look here. there are ppl describing how they successfully control xbmc with an harmony 880 and eventghost. my guess is this should work for your 550, too.

good luck..

im in a similar boat mate, seems that eventghost should pick up the ir from the 550 and then you configure THAT with their xbmc plugin. seems easy enough. just make sure you use a beta eventghost. should be a link floating around the first page or so...

i cant seem to get ir working that is built into an encore enltv-fm tuner card. NOTHING seems to see that there is ir there. thinking i might hack the xbox playback's ir to usb and try that? yay or nay?