Re: Windows Media Center for Vista - "IR Hardware Not Detected"

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I hear what you are saying, but I don't see this as a Sony issue.

The analogue signal works but is poor quality
The S-Video signal is black and white only as the Samsung box only has a
Scart or RF connection and this is a known issue with Scart to S-video
conversions that cannot be fixed.
I have a Scart to Composite converter and a composite cable going into the
back of the VAIO.

If I could take the cable straight into the VAIO I would, but in the UK all
of the signals are encoded by the digital cable TV providers and it is
illegal to do that anyway, so you need a set top box to be able to see the
channels - No other option without significant cost and unsightly satellite
dishes/aerials.

The image and sound look excellent in the small preview screen but it is the
IR Hardware Not Detected that Microsoft puts in the way that makes no sense
at all and the Vista OS is the system that both detects the IR Receiver and
also ignores it with Media Center.

How can I open up a case for Microsoft to take notice and how can we get a
groundswell of people to force them to fix this very strange configuration
setting.

I work in IT with a major softwae and storage vendor and I know that
engineers don't get out much, but I also know that this when things go wrong,
we need to build a case to get them to fix it. This issue seems to have been
bubbling away for over a year and people seem to have been forced to use a
setting that is plainly antiquated. I am more than happy to set up a web
survey through my SurveyMonkey account and link it to this forum and get this
spun up to get them to investigate this and fix the issue. Let me know what
you think.

"Curious" wrote:

Maybe Nigel has some idea as to why Sony UK would want to sell a MCE system
without STB support for analog tuner functions.
"Jaime" <jaimelobo@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:Oh4ZgJIBJHA.1632@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Yes, that has been the subject of questions on this board for years (XP
MCE and Vista). Usually, it's people who put together their own system and
haven't bothered (or don't want) to buy the remote kit, but want to use a
signal other than direct coax.

The issue partially MS and partially Sony; MS has always coded the setup
for Media Center to require the IR Receiver/Sender if anything other than
a direct connection is used, since without the IR pieces, MC couldn't
control the remote tuner. AFAIK, there is no hack to get around this
requirement

What is odd, is that Sony build the IR Receiver into the system, but
didn't add ports for the IR Blasters.
--
James
Orlando (Goofy says "Hey"), Florida

"Bridgland" <Bridgland@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:A8626921-8FA0-4930-975F-309C7D0D5D7D@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
The fact is that I can see the STB's composite signal and hear sound in
the
wizard's screen when it asks to confirm if the it is a specific channel,
s-video or composite. It is the IR Hardware detection that is stopping
it.

"Jaime" wrote:

I wonder if the U.S version of this Sony PC has the same issues. Lots of
people here use STB's (either cable or sat), it would seem silly that
Sony
makes it impossible for all those potential customer to use this system.

--
James
Orlando (Goofy says "Hey"), Florida

"Curious>" <<spammenot@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:0CD49ABA-B0D4-4328-9A60-3256797B3596@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Since your Vaio has no way to connect a blaster and nothing in the
manual
implies that you can connect an independent STB for analog input with
the
built in tuners I think you may be out of luck.
The only option I can think of is to have a separate USB MCE
compatible
analog tuner and remote with IR receiver and blaster and configure it
and
disable the internal tuner.
"Bridgland" <Bridgland@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:E1F4FAC8-53C0-4B11-9C97-3D24B5F903F4@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
User Manual for the Vaio is
ftp://ftp.vaio-link.com/pub/Manuals/Desktops/LM1_LT1/LM1_LT1_H_EN.pdf
and
troubleshooting guide is
ftp://ftp.vaio-link.com/pub/Manuals/RecoTS/2007Q3_RT_EN.pdf.

I found the connector for the IR receiver after taking the back off
the
unit
and it removed it from the device manager. I then uninstalled the
pinnacle
unit and rebooted and it discovered it again as an eHome Infrared
Receiver
(USBCIR) again but still no luck.

I can't beleive that it is this hard to set up watching the
television
using
Composite rather than analogue. The programs show perfectly in the
preview
in the wizard but I can't get it to move on from the IR Hardware Not
Detected.

Anyone with some registry hacking skills???

"Curious" wrote:

I can not get to your user manual from the US. Can you please
provide
the UK
link.
"Bridgland" <Bridgland@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:62D19040-B045-43A9-B501-B89D29649A37@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Update - No luck. Just down to the Pinnacle PCTV Remote Kit and
no
other
IR
USB device.

"Bridgland" wrote:

You're right. All in one (looks like a big digital photo frame)
and
unfortunately no BIOS setting as it is connected internally as a
USB
device.
Time for the toolkit.

"Jaime" wrote:

This is an all-in-one design, correct? Odd that it has MC
capabilities
but
no way to connect the IR blasers.

If so, probably no easy way to get inside. The only possibility
is
probably
in the system BIOS/Setup, there may be a way to disable at the
hardware
level.
--
James
Orlando (Goofy says "Hey"), Florida

"Bridgland" <Bridgland@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in
message
news:0A4CB005-6943-4B0A-92ED-8CA9B7458996@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
The original one doesn't have the blaster capability to
control
the
set
top
box. Do you think that I should try to remove the current
one
tha is
integrated into the desktop. I can't remove it physicaly,
but
maybe
you
can
suggest how to remove it logically (already tried disabling
it).

"Jaime" wrote:

Why are you connecting the Pinnacle remote kit, if the
system
already has
one built in? Perhaps MC islooking for the blaster to be
plugged
into the
native IR, not the auxiliary one.
--
James
Orlando (Goofy says "Hey"), Florida

"Bridgland" <Bridgland@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in
message
news:2D15DBAA-F148-451B-8EA9-704A5153C3A3@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Windows Media Center for Vista - "IR Hardware Not
Detected"
when
trying
to
set up a cable set top box

I looked at the previous threads on this, but I can't get
any
decent
resoltion to the issue I am having. Firstly here is my
setup.
- Computer - Sony Vaio LT1M with built in tuner, and
media
center
remote
with IR built into the unit.
- OS - Vista Home Premium SP1
- Cable Set Top Box (necessary for UK) - Virgin Media
vBox
from
Samsung,
using Composite connection into the PC (works very well)
- Additional equipment purchased - Pinnacle PCTV Remote
Kit
for
Windows
Vista (as I needed the IR blaster cable to control the set
top
box).

The Media Center's TV setup detects the signal as
composite
but
then
keeps
stalling on the "IR Hardware Not Detected" and I cannot go
beyond
this.
I
can get it working using basic Antenna and Analog
settings,
but
that
isn't
the ideal way I want to set it up.

The Device Manager shows IR device for the PC as well as
the
new
Pinnacle
USB IR transceiver are identical (2 instances) and they
are
both
"eHome
Infrared Receiver (USBCIR)" with a Microsoft driver with a
date of
21/06/2006
and version 6.0.6001.18000. I have disables the
integrated
one
and
uninstalled the IR device and let it reinstall - no luck.

Has anyone got any ideas?







.

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