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Author Topic: MC 21 Does Not Respond to Remote Controls [Solved]  (Read 7361 times)

IAM4UK

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MC 21 Does Not Respond to Remote Controls [Solved]
« on: August 24, 2015, 08:23:33 pm »

MC 21 does not respond to the various remote controls I have tried (MCE remote, Harmony 700). In fact, it only responds to a RF keyboard/mouse about half of the time. Curiously, it responds consistently to BlueTooth keypad/mouse. For verification, I checked each remote with MC 20, and all work fine.

Any ideas?
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RoderickGI

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Re: MC 21 Does Not Respond to Remote Controls
« Reply #1 on: August 24, 2015, 08:35:16 pm »

Did you check in "Options/Remote Control/Devices & Options" to make sure that the correct devices are selected in MC21, and that they are Active?
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What specific version of MC you are running:MC27.0.27 @ Oct 27, 2020 and updating regularly Jim!                        MC Release Notes: https://wiki.jriver.com/index.php/Release_Notes
What OS(s) and Version you are running:     Windows 10 Pro 64bit Version 2004 (OS Build 19041.572).
The JRMark score of the PC with an issue:    JRMark (version 26.0.52 64 bit): 3419
Important relevant info about your environment:     
  Using the HTPC as a MC Server & a Workstation as a MC Client plus some DLNA clients.
  Running JRiver for Android, JRemote2, Gizmo, & MO 4Media on a Sony Xperia XZ Premium Android 9.
  Playing video out to a Sony 65" TV connected via HDMI, playing digital audio out via motherboard sound card, PCIe TV tuner

IAM4UK

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Re: MC 21 Does Not Respond to Remote Controls
« Reply #2 on: August 24, 2015, 09:43:45 pm »

Yes; in fact, I attempted to step through the commands, but it would not acknowledge signal for any other than the arrows and enter.

My HTPC has an IMON IR receiver built in, rather than an external USB IR receiver. That has not mattered on previous versions of MC, and I hope it does not matter with v21.
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RoderickGI

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Re: MC 21 Does Not Respond to Remote Controls
« Reply #3 on: August 24, 2015, 10:44:19 pm »

I'm not sure what you mean but your answer.

Do you mean yes, you checked the Devices & Options page, and the correct devices were selected and active? See first image below.

The Devices & Options page is accessed via the bottom link on the Remote Control Setup page. See second image below.

Or did you mean yes you have tried to program the remote through the Remote Control/Commands page? See third image below.
If you are using an MCE remote, you should be able to leave the Commands page in the default configuration. You do not need to train the MC with the remote commands, which I assume is what you were doing by "Stepping through the commands". MC should just work as installed.

If your remote control and Imon IR receiver worked with MC20, it should work with MC21. You just need to make sure that the Microsoft MCE input device is selected and Active. At least, that is the first step.
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What specific version of MC you are running:MC27.0.27 @ Oct 27, 2020 and updating regularly Jim!                        MC Release Notes: https://wiki.jriver.com/index.php/Release_Notes
What OS(s) and Version you are running:     Windows 10 Pro 64bit Version 2004 (OS Build 19041.572).
The JRMark score of the PC with an issue:    JRMark (version 26.0.52 64 bit): 3419
Important relevant info about your environment:     
  Using the HTPC as a MC Server & a Workstation as a MC Client plus some DLNA clients.
  Running JRiver for Android, JRemote2, Gizmo, & MO 4Media on a Sony Xperia XZ Premium Android 9.
  Playing video out to a Sony 65" TV connected via HDMI, playing digital audio out via motherboard sound card, PCIe TV tuner

IAM4UK

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Re: MC 21 Does Not Respond to Remote Controls
« Reply #4 on: August 25, 2015, 07:56:35 am »

The correct devices are selected and active.
Since they did not work, I had also gone to the other screens in your post. The one with the IR connection was not applicable, since it told me I had no such connection (as if it no longer realized I have an IR receiver in the computer). The one with commands I attempted to program as a workaround (understanding that it SHOULD not be necessary with an MCE remote), but that also failed after the arrows and enter.
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mattkhan

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Re: MC 21 Does Not Respond to Remote Controls
« Reply #5 on: August 25, 2015, 08:35:45 am »

is MC20 receiving the commands instead of MC21? I think I had this problem the other day.
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gappie

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Re: MC 21 Does Not Respond to Remote Controls
« Reply #6 on: August 25, 2015, 08:47:04 am »

you said that it worked in previous mc's. i programmed most commands for my remote. so it is running an executable in the command settings. when moving to mc 21 i had to change all those from mc20.exe to mc21.exe.. something i had to do every big upgrade (ofcourse). could that be your problem?

 :)
gab
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fitbrit

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Re: MC 21 Does Not Respond to Remote Controls
« Reply #7 on: August 25, 2015, 08:57:39 am »

is MC20 receiving the commands instead of MC21? I think I had this problem the other day.

That happened to me too. All was well after uninstalling MC20.
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IAM4UK

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Re: MC 21 Does Not Respond to Remote Controls
« Reply #8 on: August 25, 2015, 10:21:44 am »

I had thought about the possibility of a conflict due to MC20, and had therefore uninstalled that.  MC21 still doesn't accept remote control inputs.
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JimH

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Re: MC 21 Does Not Respond to Remote Controls
« Reply #9 on: August 25, 2015, 10:38:37 am »

Mysterious problems like this often turn out to be related to "security" software.
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Vocalpoint

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Re: MC 21 Does Not Respond to Remote Controls
« Reply #10 on: August 25, 2015, 10:47:11 am »

The Devices & Options page is accessed via the bottom link on the Remote Control Setup page. See second image below.

VERY interested in this thread since I have had problems with my MC remote as well. When I using Remote Desktop to the HTPC and click Remote Control in Options on our running copy of MC 20 - I get the second screen you capped.

But when I click Next - I get this: See attached.

Yet - we have a bought and purchased MC remote purchased directly from JRiver. Even more weird is that even tho this wizard recognizes nothing being plugged in - our remote does manage to do the basics in MC (via Theater View). We can use the green button and select commands allow us to scroll around and select our movie.

But the greatest frustration remains a disconnect with the remote whenever I use JRemote at some other time. Example:

1. On Monday night we watch a movie using MC (AND the remote) - with the HTPC always in Theater View on our big screen downstairs. All seems fine. Movie concludes. When done - I press the Green Button to ensure Theater View is in the "Home" position. We then use our Harmony remote to shut down all the gear in sequence.
2. On Tuesday night - I decide to watch a flick on my iPad in bed - this time using J Remote. I fire up the movie - from the HTPC and watch half of it and nod off. I stop the movie and exit JRemote. I may not return to this flick for a few days
3. On Wednesday nigh - we decide it's family movie night and return to the Media room for some big screen action. I fire up the gear in sequence using our Harmony One command "Watch Digital Movie". Everything comes up great. MC is now on the projector/bigscreen in Theatre View - the way I left it on Monday night. But when I go to navigate with the MC remote - I get nothing. Not a single button will work and the only recourse is shut down all the gear and reboot the HTPC.

Clearly - my MC layout has issues. But this remote "disconnect" thing happens EVERYTIME I use JRemote for anything. If I listen to music on my iPad upstairs and return to the HTPC later - I find it's no longer in Theatre View - but in some strange nether world drilled down into Audio somewhere. For movies - I have already laid out what usually happens.

And the fact that MC will not even acknowledge that I have an actual MC remote attached - has to have something to do with this.

What am I doing wrong? Is MC throwing the error because I am using RDP to use the wizard?

Would love to get some help on this - as it's been an issue for 2 years now.

Cheers!

VP
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gappie

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Re: MC 21 Does Not Respond to Remote Controls
« Reply #11 on: August 25, 2015, 11:15:48 am »


What am I doing wrong? Is MC throwing the error because I am using RDP to use the wizard?

well.. i just checked. i NEVER press next. i have a jriver remote for many years and it works. but i just set it up using commands and device & options..
so now i did click next and i get the same error as your attachment.

:)
gab

edit: to be more clear.. the remote still works fine.. its just that the next button gives me an error. :)
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Vocalpoint

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Re: MC 21 Does Not Respond to Remote Controls
« Reply #12 on: August 25, 2015, 11:23:50 am »

well.. i just checked. i NEVER press next. i have a jriver remote for many years and it works. but i just set it up using commands and device & options.. so now i did click next and i get the same error as your attachment.:) gab

The only reason I left mine in this state is that it did the same thing when we got the the remote - and I found it so annoying that MC would not recognize that it's own remote is connected - that I just left it.

But I am certain things would probably work better if I could get that wizard to properly recognize the remote that is attached.

As noted - we have some bizarre issues with MC on our HTPC. That I would like to solve once and for all.

VP
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gappie

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Re: MC 21 Does Not Respond to Remote Controls
« Reply #13 on: August 25, 2015, 11:33:13 am »

The only reason I left mine in this state is that it did the same thing when we got the the remote - and I found it so annoying that MC would not recognize that it's own remote is connected - that I just left it.

But I am certain things would probably work better if I could get that wizard to properly recognize the remote that is attached.

As noted - we have some bizarre issues with MC on our HTPC. That I would like to solve once and for all.

VP
im not sure how much wizard will follow. and i started to remember that i saw the error before ..
http://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php?topic=91680.msg631089#msg631089
not sure if that is any help.. im just trying.

 :)
gab
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IAM4UK

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Re: MC 21 Does Not Respond to Remote Controls
« Reply #14 on: August 25, 2015, 04:29:45 pm »

Deleted "learned" commands.
Removed MCE remote from active controls, then added it back and observed that it again became active.
Restarted MC 21.

Still no response to remote control, rendering MC 21 useless.

Any other ideas?
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pfm555

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Re: MC 21 Does Not Respond to Remote Controls
« Reply #15 on: August 25, 2015, 05:03:59 pm »

 Try going to Tools>Options >Startup and make sure you have the Server or Server and Media Center set to run on Startup. If nothing is set the JRiver will not respond to remote commands.
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RoderickGI

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Re: MC 21 Does Not Respond to Remote Controls
« Reply #16 on: August 25, 2015, 07:03:02 pm »

Any other ideas?

Lots.  :D

First, as you had MC20 installed, and have now uninstalled it. Do a clean reboot of your HTPC, then reinstall MC21 over the top of the existing MC21 installation, reboot, and test again. Make sure that you allow any MC related processes if your antivirus or firewall software tries to block anything. In fact, make sure that both your antivirus and firewall are not set to automatic or silent mode, and are set to ask what to do if they see something they want to block. You can change those settings back once the problem is resolved. If that doesn't work, then ...


I was going to suggest starting your HTPC in Windows Safe Mode, then running MC21 and seeing if the remote works. If it does, then something else on your HTPC is capturing the IR commands, interfering with the driver, or similar. You could still try that, but the driver for the IR device may not load in Safe Mode. . .

Actually you should be able to check if the IR device appears in the Device Manager after you have restarted in Safe Mode, and if it has, it should work in MC21. If it does not, Google remote control testing software to find something that will detect IR commands and show you they are being received. Perhaps something as simple as WinLIRC would be enough. Perhaps install and learn how to use that before going into Safe Mode. If you can confirm that IR commands are being received using WinLIRC, and yet MC21 is not receiving them even in Safe Mode, then it could be that there is something wrong in MC21.

If Safe Mode just doesn't allow the use of IR, then try using msconfig.exe to turn off everything that should not be required on the Services and Startup tabs, then reboot to that configuration and see if the IR device is in Device Manager, as it should be, and then test if the remote works in MC21. Using msconfig can be a little fiddly though, as it is pretty hard to work out what is essential and what is not. Basically I turn everything off that I possibly can, leaving Microsoft services running, then reboot and see if anything is missing, if so, back into msconfig and turn it on, etc. until I get a working environment with the minimum features, and then I test whatever it is that needs testing. In this case, the remote in MC21.

Basically, I am assuming that something is interfering with MC21 receiving the remote commands. Maybe MC20 Server, antivirus, firewall, maybe something else.

Vocalpoint and Gappie, the Next button at the bottom is just the first step in setting up MC to control other equipment using an IR blaster, as described at the top of the Remote Control dialogue. If you aren't trying to do that, then don't be concerned that it doesn't work. MC may be detecting that you don't have an IR blaster, although the message is a little ambiguous. Maybe even incorrect. Interestingly, I don't get that message, and I don't have an IR Blaster. But I am using an internal CIR, which is probably reporting that it has a blaster, as it has the capabilitiy.

Anyway, if "Microsoft MCE" is Active under "Devices & Options", then I believe that MC knows you have a working IR Receiver.

Vocalpoint, perhaps you could use some of the information above to track down your JRemote vs Remote control issue. At a minimum, check that the IR Receiver is still present in Device Manager whenever the remote stops working.
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What specific version of MC you are running:MC27.0.27 @ Oct 27, 2020 and updating regularly Jim!                        MC Release Notes: https://wiki.jriver.com/index.php/Release_Notes
What OS(s) and Version you are running:     Windows 10 Pro 64bit Version 2004 (OS Build 19041.572).
The JRMark score of the PC with an issue:    JRMark (version 26.0.52 64 bit): 3419
Important relevant info about your environment:     
  Using the HTPC as a MC Server & a Workstation as a MC Client plus some DLNA clients.
  Running JRiver for Android, JRemote2, Gizmo, & MO 4Media on a Sony Xperia XZ Premium Android 9.
  Playing video out to a Sony 65" TV connected via HDMI, playing digital audio out via motherboard sound card, PCIe TV tuner

IAM4UK

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Re: MC 21 Does Not Respond to Remote Controls
« Reply #17 on: August 25, 2015, 08:18:37 pm »

Try going to Tools>Options >Startup and make sure you have the Server or Server and Media Center set to run on Startup. If nothing is set the JRiver will not respond to remote commands.
Thanks for the suggestion. I tried that, and it made no difference. That has not been a requirement in previous versions I've used, by the way.
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IAM4UK

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Re: MC 21 Does Not Respond to Remote Controls
« Reply #18 on: August 25, 2015, 08:32:05 pm »

Thanks for the ideas, RoderickGI.
None of those suggestions -- all of which were sensible and appreciated -- worked.
However, I did discover something in the iMON remote control manager. It had both MC 20 and MC 21 as identified programs it could control, but its settings for v21 were all blank. I found the only MC profile for it, associated it with the iMON entry for MC 21, removed the iMON entry for v20... and now v21 responds to my remote control.

Thanks, all.
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RoderickGI

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Re: MC 21 Does Not Respond to Remote Controls
« Reply #19 on: August 25, 2015, 08:53:05 pm »

I had a niggling feeling that there could have been something in that, but as MC20 had worked, I incorrectly assumed that the iMON software was set to pass through IR commands. I believe iMON calls that the “punchthrough” mode. But I've never used an iMON device, so I didn't want to start there.

Maybe iMON created the MC20 profile automatically when you installed it, and didn't do the same for MC21 for some reason. Maybe because MC20 was still installed at the time.

All well and good now then. Make a note to check that next year when MC22 comes around!
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What specific version of MC you are running:MC27.0.27 @ Oct 27, 2020 and updating regularly Jim!                        MC Release Notes: https://wiki.jriver.com/index.php/Release_Notes
What OS(s) and Version you are running:     Windows 10 Pro 64bit Version 2004 (OS Build 19041.572).
The JRMark score of the PC with an issue:    JRMark (version 26.0.52 64 bit): 3419
Important relevant info about your environment:     
  Using the HTPC as a MC Server & a Workstation as a MC Client plus some DLNA clients.
  Running JRiver for Android, JRemote2, Gizmo, & MO 4Media on a Sony Xperia XZ Premium Android 9.
  Playing video out to a Sony 65" TV connected via HDMI, playing digital audio out via motherboard sound card, PCIe TV tuner
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