Re: Microsoft Remote - Ir Receiver Connection

Skier7667 wrote:
Hi Steve,

Here are some of the info from the Technical Data *** for the Microsoft Remote Control for Media Center PC

Wireless Technology
*Wireless Platform - 36 KHz Infrared RC6 and MCIR

Compatibility and Localization
*Interface - USB compatible receiver
*Operating Systems - Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition

Version Information
*Product Version - Microsoft® Remote Control and Receiver for Media Center PC with Windows 1.0
* Remote Version - Microsoft Remote Control for Media Center PC with Windows 1.0
*Receiver Version - Microsoft Receiver for Media Center PC with Windows 1.0

It appears that there is more than one platform for Ir, however the receiver according to MS is suppose to be a USB compatible receiver. What Infrared RC6 and MCIR are - I have no clue.

The MS remote receiver has these two connections in the back for what I think is called Ir Blaster. They are extra sensors to put on a cable box. I'm not fully sure I understand what is their purpose (since I don't have a cable box), but it appears to be so that the remote of the box will send the signal to the box and also to the Media Center Ir receiver. Then why would the Media Center receivver not pick up the signal from the cable box.

I find that even if I turn the Media Center Ir receiver 180 degrees around, it still picks up the signal from the remote. In fact even though they say to aim the remote at the receiver, I can aim the remote in any direction and I guess the Ir signal must bounce off the walls because it still picks it up perfectly. Almost as if it was an RF signal and not a light wave signal like Ir.

Maybe you are correct, but in reading about the Microsoft remote and some of the Knowledge base articles, it appears as if it is suppose to be more than just compatible for "only" the MS product. In fact one of the updates has to do with newer drivers that addresses several issues, including making it more addressable with other Ir devices, etc.

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/912024/

Someone in another thread told me they have XP and it loaded drivers for an IR Port. I don't see any IR ports in the device manager on my MCE XP. How can I add one. Of course Polar has a USB driver which loads when I go through Add Hardware, but as I said before I believe this driver is for their USB Ir receiver which is very pricy.

I wonder what others might think about this.

The issue is what IR "languages" the receiver understands and what
language the watch "speaks". IR supports many different languages.

If the watch speaks IRDA, and the receiver receives RC6 and MCIR,
then the receiver will not "hear" the watch.

You will need another receiver that talks IRDA (assuming that's
what your watch talks).

-michael

Home page: http://members.aol.com/MJMahon/

"The wastebasket is our most important design
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