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Topic:
MCE IR using RCA IR to RF extender?
This thread has 3 replies. Displaying all posts.
Post 1 made on Thursday December 27, 2007 at 20:10
Dweezilz
Founding Member
Joined:
Posts:
January 2002
16
First off, here is my setup. I have a dedicated theater room with a AV closet outside the room. I use an RCA IR to RF (to IR) wireless extender which takes the IR from my Harmony 880 in the theater, converts to RF and the receiver in the AV Room receives the RF and converts it back to IR. I have the receiver connected to a block that has 6 IR blasters/emmitters plugged in and each taped to the front on my different devices (receiver, hd cablebox, DVD player). It works perfectly...that is it worked perfectly until I wanted to add a HTPC. I purchased an lite-on keyboard and IR receiver initially and it worked perfectly with Theater Tek to control the HTPC from the theater. At that point I decided to go with MCE and purchased the MCE remote, keyboard, and IR receiver. That's where the happy story ends. The RCA device does send a signal out from the Microsoft remote and/or keyboard and I see the Microsoft IR blasters that came with the setup flash bright red outside the theater when the keyboard or remote is used and I even see the M$ receiver flash as it receives the signal...yet nothing happens on the HTPC. If I go outside the theater and aim the keyboard at distance right at the IR receiver, MCE controls perfectly. Via the RCA ir to rf to ir extender...it doesn't work.

My guess is that something gets 'lost in translation' and the IR code that the RCA device spits out isn't being recognized by the Microsoft IR receiver.

Anyway, I wanted to get some input as to what the problem is and what I can do to get it working. Can I run a wire with some sort of small receiver and flasher on the other end that will work with the MCE receiver?
OP | Post 2 made on Saturday January 12, 2008 at 12:23
Dweezilz
Founding Member
Joined:
Posts:
January 2002
16
On December 27, 2007 at 20:10, Dweezilz said...
First off, here is my setup. I have a dedicated theater
room with a AV closet outside the room. I use an RCA
IR to RF (to IR) wireless extender which takes the IR
from my Harmony 880 in the theater, converts to RF and
the receiver in the AV Room receives the RF and converts
it back to IR. I have the receiver connected to a block
that has 6 IR blasters/emmitters plugged in and each taped
to the front on my different devices (receiver, hd cablebox,
DVD player). It works perfectly...that is it worked perfectly
until I wanted to add a HTPC. I purchased an lite-on
keyboard and IR receiver initially and it worked perfectly
with Theater Tek to control the HTPC from the theater.
At that point I decided to go with MCE and purchased
the MCE remote, keyboard, and IR receiver. That's where
the happy story ends. The RCA device does send a signal
out from the Microsoft remote and/or keyboard and I see
the Microsoft IR blasters that came with the setup flash
bright red outside the theater when the keyboard or remote
is used and I even see the M$ receiver flash as it receives
the signal...yet nothing happens on the HTPC. If I go
outside the theater and aim the keyboard at distance right
at the IR receiver, MCE controls perfectly. Via the RCA
ir to rf to ir extender...it doesn't work.


My guess is that something gets 'lost in translation'
and the IR code that the RCA device spits out isn't being
recognized by the Microsoft IR receiver.


Anyway, I wanted to get some input as to what the problem
is and what I can do to get it working. Can I run a wire
with some sort of small receiver and flasher on the other
end that will work with the MCE receiver?

I guess this is a tough one afterall. Well, instead of using that RCA IR to RF to IR extender thing is there a wired 'target' that I can get with a 20 foot wire and just run it through the pipes into the room?
Post 3 made on Saturday January 12, 2008 at 16:50
muskrat1997
Lurking Member
Joined:
Posts:
January 2008
7
I feel your pain. I don't know if you have seen my post "My IR distribution system will not pass commands to my Media center PC." I seem to have exactly the opposite problem. I can send through my RECOTON WIRELESS REMOTE CONTROL SENDER IR100 all be it sometimes spotty although I believe the Hauppauge WinTV HVR-1600 IR receiver or its software is to blame. If I send the signal through the IR distribution system I see no response at all.
Post 4 made on Wednesday January 16, 2008 at 09:34
IMind
Lurking Member
Joined:
Posts:
January 2008
1
Dweezilz:
I'm surprised the MCE remote doesn't work through the RCA IR to RF. They seem to work well with any sort of universal remote. The keyboard, not so much, IR keyboards are notoriously more complicated.
As far as the keyboard goes, have you considered buying an RF keyboard. I spent $10 on mine and it works well. I'm not going through walls or anything though and I don't have an MCE specific keyboard. I can't recommend anything specifically, but there are RF wireless keyboards designed for MCE. There are also RF remotes and RF keyboard/remote pairs. Gyration comes to mind. Again I can't recommend them based on first hand experience but they seem to have a good rep. Microsoft is supposedly coming out with some for Vista but I wouldn't hold my breath.

muskrat1997: I had nothing put trouble with the HVR-1600 IR receiver... without even an RF distribution system. It will just stop working for no reason at times...

I just bought a Philips SRM7500/37. Two way RF and IR remote for Vista MCE/SideShow. I'm hoping this resolves my MCE remote issues.


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