Recommended Harmony device

[SirDrexl]

Sorry, I could be missing something here, but this solution doesn't work, for a simple reason: it means you can't have 'Watch my videos' or 'Listen to music' in your activities (and thus the single-hit macro buttons at the top of the 650). That's because the truly dreadful Harmony software won't set up an activity unless you've defined a suitable device. So when I try to define 'Watch my videos', it doesn't want to use a television remote control as the device; instead it prompts you to select or define an device that can play DVDs.

Has no one else experienced this? Or am I the only person who uses the macros?

Regards to all, and thanks to Jason for a terrific product!

Discy

You may have to experiment to get the right kind of "activity." For Listen to Music, tell it you want to use the cable/satellite music channels. The software realizes that this task can be done with a TV, because the music channels may be accessible directly through it. Use Watch TV instead of Watch My Videos.

[Videonisse]

Great thread! I hope my Flirc arrives any day so I can start trying this out. :)

However, I don't fully understand why TV remote profiles are suggested instead of something like a PVR as Tivo or maybe the Boxee? Will it not confuse the Harmony config guide when you setup two TVs and then create the Activites?

[Chris!]

Yeah I can confuse it a little but it usually works. The reason they are recommended as they seem to emit quickly and continuously (so when the remote button is held down it keeps sending that remote button - not just once)

That said experimenting never hurts, if you come up with a better combo post it on the forums :)

Pleasant regards,

Chris!

[StrangeNoises]

My flirc just arrived.

Rather typically for all the recommendations in this thread, I have a Panasonic TV, a Samsung AV receiver and EyeTV running on an adjacent Mac (which I know from bitter experience will respond to a Plex remote's codes). So I probably can't use any of those recommendations. Trying the SkyBox...

[Chris!]

Let us know how it goes.

[StrangeNoises]

as skyplus sky hd+box it sends a code for "info" that flirc doesn't see... looking for something else not panasonic or samsung... it seems to need a specific product code to go by...

[StrangeNoises]

... several remotes later...

has anyone got a known remote config I can select for harmony 300 that:

a: can program all the buttons (has enough codes)

b: that flirc will actually *receive* all of those buttons

and that isn't panasonic, samsung, eyetv, plex. also not sky, hauppauge and lg (all three of which failed on point b: above)

[StrangeNoises]

ok, using profile for SAMSUNG LN46C650L1F - doesn't seem to be listened-to by my samsung av receiver - Got it working. Seems to receive all the button presses.

Some niggles:

after programming it on my mac i plugged it into my linux xbmc box, and it didn't seem to be working. plugged it back into my mac; working. further investigation showed a kernel oops logged in dmesg when the flirc was plugged in. rebooted, then it seemed to work. unwelcome for something that's supposed to be presenting as a keyboard.

Because of that, wanted to do future programming on that linux box, installed flirc from deb repository (system is ubuntu precise 12.04 64-bit), but it doesn't recognise that the flirc is connected. even as it's there, working, receiving and processing button-presses on my remote, flirc app thinks it's not there. literally, using arrow keys on remote to go back the bash history to the flirc command, and pressing ok to enter it, flirc thinks there's no flirc there with "Warning: cannot open USB deviceFlirc Version 1.0.2 [a3bbc3e70a32c4f2]

Device Disconnected" (then help output)

I note the linux app is lagging the mac app by a few minor versions.

[Chris!]

Interesting findings, i'm sure Jason is reading and using these suggestions - busy guy but is 100% committed to Flirc.

Regarding the Sky hd remote profile, can you not remove the "info button" when programming in the myharmony online thing, replace it with another button flirc can see?

In fact as you're all settled up, I may give it a try on my Harmony 300. If I do i'll report back.

I didn't have your problems programming on my Mac and using using on my openelec machine. Don't worry though as Jason's main machine is a Mac so i'm sure he can get to the bottom of it.

Chris!

[StrangeNoises]

I don't think the problem was on the mac - the mac flirc app worked fine; it's the linux flirc app that didn't; and on the linux box that the first time i plugged it in, it oopsed.

After that reboot and initial test I unplugged it, plugged it back into the mac to program some additional buttons, and plugged it back into the linux box, it was fine.

As this is probably my stable configuration now, that's probably it. And yes, I settled on the Samsung TV profile in an early post on this thread, as it turned out it didn't interfere with the other samsung kit actually here, and it seems to be working a treat. All buttons received by flirc.

So even with the hiccups, of course, it's settled to a hopefully final configuration within um, two and a half hours, which is still a huge win compared to all the other remote/receivers i tried, which took a day or so of sustained effort for at best partial rewards.

Summary of issues:

that first plug-in into a linux box that's never seen it before. In this case running ubuntu precise 12.04 64-bit; but can't rule out the error was in mobo usb controller.

flirc linux programmer doesn't recognise the device when definitely operational on same machine. (and seeing all those commands and no window, tell me it does actually have a gui, doesn't it? Didn't I see somewhere it's a QT app?)

[Chris!]

Oh. Sorry, my bad.

Thanks for the summary - Jason is considering making a Flirc device setting for harmony remote but doesn't want them to steal the idea (hence patent pending) - otherwise his hard work for USC Cancer research will be worth a whole lot less.

[Gatos]

Hi everybody , fisrt of all excuse my english im not english speaker, i bought flirc in europe, so happy to receve it because i like innovation and i want the new things

I'v got a Harmony touch remote , for my window8 pc and my XBMC installed on it, it's my home cinema installation, tha's good thing for me and for my children.

so i got the flirc.bin file and installed it to my w8  homecinema and , configured my harmony touch withe the corresponding profile flirc xbmc,every thing is okay .

Inconvinient is thats My xbmc , must be running on windows  before i can use the harmony touch activity

 

But my hope is to configure somme button to lunch firefox or internet explorer , or to go to desktop, with the metro surface of windows 8.

or when i m on the desktop i want to lunch the xbmc or ever media center with my harmony touch but i can't

 

So i began to programming my harmony touch withe microsoft mce and going to my flirc to use it , it not work any touch or any botton not working

so i change it to the LN46C650L1F profile but after few keys when programming flirc on keyboard it crachs on the "x" touch to mean stop in the xbmc sofware.it not responding and close.

 

my question

 

how can i configure my harmony touch with flirc ?to drive windows 8 desktop , and to drive xbmc too?

and how can i get from xbmc and return to the desktop windows 8 .?

Can any one have a config file to share withe me please ? i v  spend all the weekend learniing how to? do but nothing s good?

Thanks for your attention.

 

 

[Chris!]

Like this?

 

Using this method you can start XBMC from windows.

You could then use the XBMC shutdown menu to close XBMC and return to the desktop

 

Does this answer you question?

[Gatos]

Thank you for your answer i understand this , but i can't find how to do it , i ctr+alt +x to the shortcut but i cant fin how to add this to my harmony touch remote because when adding a commande dont give me a keyboard suggest in xbmc flirc profile.and can't type ctrl+alt+x any way because the profile flirc xbmc is not microsoft keyboard.

:(

[Chris!]

Are you using the harmony settings:

Manufacturer: Flirc

Device: XBMC

 

This is beta firmware and is still a bit rough around the edges. I still recommend this device for now: http://forum.flirc.tv/index.php?/topic/22-harmony-remotes/

Then you assign any function in the harmony software to a button (doesn't matter what) then assign that button using the flirc software to win key + 1 ()

[Sintor]

i dont think i get the step after the harmony setup.

 

do i take the harmony remote and go in to my "xbmc" activity where the tv profile is setup as explained. and then program it with flirc software

 

or what mode should the harmony remote be in to program it with the flirc software without breaking any of my other harmony activitys.

[Chris!]

This thread is a bit more detailed: 

 

Does this help?

[Sintor]

Could you maybe do a harmony remote+flirc video? With the diffrent ways to do

 

 Or maybe i should wait until my flirc arrives. maybe its not as confusing as it seems.

[kimball73]

There was one particular setting on the Harmony remote which is not obvious to find and which affects the way the remote sends repeated commands. By default the Harmony profile sends the original IR signal + 3 repetitions to make sure the device gets at least one of them and responds correctly. This is causing a slight lag when quickly pressing an arrow key to advance through menus or scroll the library one-by-one.

The solution is to set the harmony's repetitions to 0, in addition to inter-key delay = 0. This is done counter-intuitively through the Troubleshooter in the Harmony Software as described on post #6 on this thread.

http://www.remotecen...ad.cgi?2621,1#6

The result is almost perfect, with almost 0 lag on repeated key presses, ultra smooth high speed scrolling and plenty of usable IR commands.

 

Thanks for the information!!  After making the changes, my Harmony One remote is working perfectly with the Flirc and the XMBC on the Raspberry Pi.

[Pepcore]

Thank you very much, Eskra !

 

I was messin around with my new Harmony 650 and Microsoft MCE Keyboard Profile to get it workin´for XBMC & FLIRC the last Days... Grmpf... :angry:

 

With your very helpful Hint... using the Panasonic Profile for XBMC, in Combination with my Samsung TV, everything works like a charm !! :)

 

I owe you an icecold Beer of the brand of your choice ! ;)