Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[park]

Hi all,

Wondering if I can pick your brains. I have a Vaio TP1 HTPC. It has a reasonable remote control, but I'd prefer to just use one remote for my Receiver, TV, and the Vaio. The remote I have is a Denon RC-1029 and it has buttons to change the remote mode from Amp to PC, TV etc. I figure that I search hard enough I'll find a guide for teaching the remote how to control the TV, but am wondering if I stand any chance with the PC. As I mentioned, the PC already has a remote control and thus an infra-red sensor too, but with my previous Sony product experience I don't imagine they have made it easy for anybody to use their device in a non-standard way. Does anybody here have any experience with this kind of thing? Should I just save myself a headache and get a new USB infra-red receiver and try and program my amps remote control to that?

[JimH]

One way to do it is to use the Media Center Remote:
http://wiki.jriver.com/index.php/Media_Center_Remote

At the bottom of the page, follow the link to instructions.

You use the transceiver and IR blasters plugged into it to send IR signals from MC to the amp and TV.

[eapool]

Just make sure I am clear on what you want to do - you want to use your denon remote to control your tv, your Receiver, and your Vaio.  You may be able to do this.  As you mentioned, programming the remote to control your tv is just a matter of finding the right method/ code for teaching the remote.  In order to use the remote to control your computer, you will need to make sure that the ir receiver in the computer is compatible with the signal from the remote (freq, etc).  JRiver makes it fairly easy to configure Media Center to respond to your remote.

(I am doing this from memory, but it should be close)
Go to Tools->Options->Remote Control
Click Commands - You should now see a list of commands for JRiver
Select a command and click the 'learn button'
Make sure that your remote is set to whatever mode you want to use to control the PC (Receiver, TV, PC, etc) and press the button that you would like to associate with this command
You need to be fairly close to the receiver (an inch or two) and hold the button down until the command is learned.  If Media Center doesn't respond after a few seconds, then it is not receiving a command from the remote and you will need to determine why (the remote isn't sending a command, the ir receiver and the remote aren't compatible, etc).  If Media Center responds that it has learned the command, continue on teach the commands as necessary.


There are many other ways to do this with programs like eventghost, etc, but if you can't get this remote to work with the receiver in the VAIO, then go with Jim's suggestion above and buy a media center receiver.

Hope this helps,

Alex

[nwboater]

We have a Harmony One remote by Logitech. It has programming software that allows you to set up what they call "Activities" for various "Devices" such as your PC an JRiver. They are a bit pricey, but even though we are low budget people I have found their cost worth it. Especially since the WAF is so high in using it.

Rod