[Unsure whether to buy a Flirc? (PLEASE CONTRIBUTE)]

On 6/1/2018 at 12:24 PM, jseymour said:

Configured one of the MX-500 device pages for a NEC TV IR set, trained the Flirc to it

What is the NEC TV code set you use and is it complete, as in every MX-500 button (including the LCD buttons on both pages) generates a usable IR signal? On my MX-500 I had trouble finding a complete preprogrammed code set. Every one I tried of several from the DVR and other categories seemed to be missing at least one button (commonly, nothing on page 2), and/or produced IR codes that Flirc seemed to learn but did not respond to in actual use (Hours wasted before I realized this). I found that AUX 001 seems complete and am using that with Flirc, but would be good to know of others.

But otherwise, I agree about the overall good experience with this remote and Flirc on Android TV. One minor con is that when holding the cursor pad down, letting go doesn't stop the cursor immediately; there's always a slight overrun. Holding the pad down when learning on Flirc v2 didn't help. I wonder if v1's ability to adjust timings would help here.

I wish the Flirc firmware were more flexible in terms of combining long press and macros on the same button (and in being able to use record_api with either), and in generating HID and Android keycodes (I've written more on this elsewhere),

but overall Flirc does exactly what it claims to do. I am hopeful that @jason will continue to implement new features in firmware.

PS - Does your remote backlight work? Mine died years ago on both of mine.

[How to Find / Add Keyboard Remote Codes using FLIRC Util?]

 

[Flirc with Android TV]

On 6/25/2018 at 3:02 AM, kalhimeo said:

Is there anything new, maybe with the new Flirc revision, to make the record api able to use codes above 255 in the "Consumer device (12)" table ?

You got your wish

On 6/25/2018 at 3:02 AM, kalhimeo said:

Or create a dedicated Flirc Profile for Android with buttons that cannot be mapped atm (ie. KEYCODE_SEARCH = HID 0x0c 0x0221) ?

Being able to directly send Android keycodes is still not possible unless there is another undocumented method, but it is possible to invoke KEYCODE_SEARCH.

[Voice search with non-Nvidia remote on Nvidia Shield TV]

I've used the same universal IR remote for years, and continue to use it with my 2017 Nvidia Shield TV via Flirc. The remote does not have a microphone, but it is still possible to use voice search.

• Mic: All Nvidia remotes and game controllers have microphones. I use a PlayStation 3 Eye USB webcam. It is available for $8 new at Amazon; I bought mine for $2 used from GameStop. Be aware of how Shield prefers Nvidia microphones.
• Remote: Android keycode 84, KEYCODE_SEARCH, triggers Shield's voice search. Flirc can't send this natively as far as I know, whether through its standard keyboard mapping or the hidden HID Consumer Table codes.

Using flirc_util record_macro 128 0 I instead have Flirc trained to send the right Windows key, Android keycode META_RIGHT. The key itself isn't important; choose one that is redundant (the left Windows key does the same thing as the right, and this way I can trigger voice search when using a real keyboard) or unused. Two ways to convert this binding to KEYCODE_SEARCH on Shield:

•  Button Mapper (on Play Store): Advanced | Custom keycode (ver 2) | 84
•  Keyboard/Button Mapper (on Play Store, but needs sideloading for Shield TV): Choose Action | Key Code | KEYCODE_SEARCH

KEYCODE_SEARCH behaves differently depending on context. In voice search-aware apps (Example: YouTube), it searches within the app itself. In the Android TV launcher, and non voice search-aware apps (Example: Prime Video), it activates the general Google Assistant voice search.¹ Nothing happens in some apps (Example: Reelgood).

Optional: In Button Mapper I have the same key open Assistant when long pressed, to invoke Google Assistant voice search no matter where I am: Actions | Assistant, then More Options | disable Alternate assistant. I describe another method in the above-linked HID Consumer Codes discussion.

¹ "Ok Google" does not work with non-Nvidia mics

[Flirc HID codes and Android keycode counterparts]

Flirc has a hidden method for sending HID Consumer (page 12) codes:

flirc_util record_api x 102 where x is in decimal

flirc_util record_api 2 x where x is in hexadecimal

The first method is only documented in @yawor's forum post; the second is not documented anywhere except sort of in one comment by @jseymour. I tried every value for x from 0 to 0x29c (668 decimal), the highest listed in the HID documentation, to to see which ones cause Nvidia Shield TV to do things. Each is listed with the Android KEYCODE the resulting Flirc binding produced in Button Mapper. (The Flirc codes do not match Android keycodes' numbers.)

Flirc code | Android keycode
-----------|----------------
        48 | POWER¹
        50 | SLEEP¹
        52 | SLEEP¹
        54 | BUTTON_1
        64 | MENU
        65 | DPAD_CENTER
        66 | DPAD_UP
        67 | DPAD_DOWN
        68 | DPAD_LEFT
        69 | DPAD_RIGHT
        70 | ESCAPE
        71 | NUMPAD_ADD
        72 | NUMPAD_SUBTRACT
       101 | CAMERA
       111 | BRIGHTNESS_UP
       112 | BRIGHTNESS_DOWN
       132 | ENTER
       137 | TV (Live Channels app)
       138 | EXPLORER
       140 | CALL
       154 | DVR (DVR functionality in Live Channels app)
       156 | CHANNEL_UP
       157 | CHANNEL_DOWN
       176 | MEDIA_PLAY
       177 | BREAK
       178 | MEDIA_RECORD
       179 | MEDIA_FAST_FORWARD
       180 | MEDIA_REWIND
       181 | MEDIA_NEXT
       182 | MEDIA_PREVIOUS
       183 | MEDIA_STOP
       184 | MEDIA_EJECT
       205 | MEDIA_PLAY_PAUSE
       207 | VOICE_ASSIST¹ (general Google Assistant voice search)
       226 | VOLUME_MUTE
       233 | VOLUME_UP
       234 | VOLUME_DOWN
       386 | BOOKMARK
       387 | MUSIC
       394 | ENVELOPE
       397 | CONTACTS
       398 | CALENDAR
       402 | CALCULATOR
       406 | EXPLORER
       414 | POWER¹
       418 | APP_SWITCH¹(Recents in Button Mapper)
       539 | COPY
       540 | CUT
       541 | PASTE
       545 | VOICE_ASSIST¹
       547 | HOME
       548 | BACK
       549 | FORWARD
       550 | MEDIA_STOP
       554 | BOOKMARK
       563 | PAGE_UP
       564 | PAGE_DOWN

¹ Did not produce Android keycodes in Button Mapper. I identified the corresponding keycodes based on what they caused Shield to do. Other Flirc codes may not generate Android keycodes but still do things that I did not notice.

I hope @jason will implement the ability to use flirc_util record_api in long press and/or macro, and perhaps other HID tables and/or true Android keycodes. The latter would obviate the need for apps like Button Mapper to convert HID codes to Android counterparts.

Until then, what is this list useful for today? Many of the Flirc codes produce bindings already available for use via the GUI or command line utilities. My remote has separate Play and Pause buttons, and I do prefer to bind the former to MEDIA_PLAY (not in GUI or command line utilities) and the latter to MEDIA_PLAY_PAUSE (which is). Otherwise, unused keybindings can be used in Button Mapper, or Keyboard/Button Mapper, to open specified apps or other duties              .