IR Server Suite to resolve Remote ...

According to a thread in the Media Portal Forum, the IR Server Suite will enable me to resolve the problem I had with my Harmony 555 remote control. The setup to make it all work is not straight forward, but finally I succeeded in solving all the problems I was having with my remote control. So, bear with me, while I take you through the steps I took to make it all happen.

First of all I downloaded several files from the thread mentioned above:

1. The IR Server Suite - Test Build 1.4.2 RC1
2. The IR Server Suite - Test Build 1.4.2 RC1 - MP Control Plugin Update
3. The IR Server Suite - Test Build 1.4.2 RC1 - IMon update
4. Imon USB Receivers_05_12_2008_test

Next step, after unpacking all the zip-files, is launching the IR Server Suite installation program from the first zip-file (IR Server Suite - Test Build 1.4.2 RC1) downloaded. This will pop up the main installation program:

Clicking Next reveals the following:

On which you have to agree to the GNU General Public License, no choice, as the only way to continue is to press "I Agree":

I decided to install all the MediaPortal and TV Server plugins, I removed all the settop box drivers as I don't have any of those things. Pressing Next:

You have to supply the Media Portal installation directory (the one shown above is the default directory). After a click on next:

Asking for the IR Server Suite installation directory, for which I left the default untouched. Add a press of the Install button, the installation takes place:

After a short while, the installation is completed, and by pressing Next we get to the next screen:

And by pressing Finish we close the installation program. Now the difficult part starts as we need to copy some individual files manually to the right place. But, before doing so, we need to stop the Input Service, as this was automagically started when we installed the IR Server Suite. To stop this service, type services in the Vista Start menu. In the services window that pops up, find the Input Service in the list of services installed on your machine. By pressing the right mouse button, a popup menu appears. One of the options is "Stop" to Stop the service:

Select the Stop option. After the service has been stopped, we can start copying the relevant files to the right folders:

1. Copy the contents of the IR Server Plugin folder (three files called "Imon usb recievers": a dll file, an xml file and a pdb file) from the "The IR Server Suite - Test Build 1.4.2 RC1 - IMon update" file to C:\Program Files\IR Server Suite\IR Server Plugins.
2. Copy the contents of the Abstract Remote Model folder (one file called "imod pad": an xml file)  from the "The IR Server Suite - Test Build 1.4.2 RC1 - IMon update" file to C:\ProgramData\IR Server Suite\Input Service\Abstract Remote Maps\iMon. The ProgramData folder is a hidden folder on you system C: drive. To access this folder type C:\ProgramData in the location box on top of the windows explorer program:

   

3. Copy the contents of the The IR Server Suite - Test Build 1.4.2 RC1 - MP Control Plugin Update (three files called "MPControlPlugin": a dll file, an xml file and a pdb file) to  C:\Program Files\Team MediaPortal\MediaPortal\plugins\process.
4. Copy the contents of the Imon USB Receivers_05_12_2008_test (a dll file called "iMon USB Receivers") to C:\ProgramData\IR Server Suite\Input Service.

After copying all these files, we need to start the Input Service Configuration program, by clicking Start, All Programs, IR Server Suite, Input Service Configuration:

Scroll down to view the iMon row, which should have a tick in the Receive column, and press the Configure button in this row:

I kept all the defaults, but it is very important to press OK on the configuration screen, as otherwise the appropriate configuration file(s) will not be generated. After closing the IMon configure screen, click on Advanced in the top bar of the IR Server Configuration program:

Select "Server Mode (default)" in the Input Service Mode section, and activate the "Use the Abstract Remote Model" in the Abstract Remote Model section. Press OK, and close the configuration program by clicking OK again. The configuration program will restart the Input Service automatically for you, which will assure the use of the configuration as we just configured:

Finally we have to configure Media Portal to use the Input Service as the remote control. We will do so using the Media Portal Configuration program. So fire it up by clicking on the appropriate icon on the desktop, and go to the remote control section:

As you can see, I deselect "Use Microsoft MCE remote or keyboard". Next, go to the plugin section by clicking on the Plugins in the pane on the left. It might take some time before the infor appears in the right pane. When it appears scroll down to the process plugins section. And click on the MP Control Plugin for IR Server icon with your right mouse button. This will pop up a menu, in which we select Configuration:

This will bring up the MP Control Plugin for IR Server Configuration window:

In this screen delete the MCE remote from the Remote Controls, by selecting it and pressing Delete (and OK in the confirmation dialog). Select Abstract Remote Model in the popdown box besides the Add Remote button, and click the button. Finally select OK to save the configuration, and close the Media Portal Configuration program by pressing OK again.

On my system the Harmony 555 remote control is working all the way through, all the buttons are showing the expected behavior.