Afraid to ask this might be so stupid but...launch MBT with remote?

[tobias-tobin 9]

Is there a way to launch MBT with the remote?  Since it is its own app, I have to get up and connect my mouse and launch it if I have been using the PC for something else.  I tried looking for this and either I missed it or it is not discussed.  I'm using a standard MCE remote. 

 

I really like MBT and want to get my wife using it.  But the way I have her setup downstairs everything is with an MCE remote.  So unless I can set it up so she can launch MBT with remote she won't use it.

 

Sorry if this is stupid question.

 

tobias.

[Deathsquirrel 741]

I use a tivo slide remote with a mapping app to let me control what every button does.  On Windows 8.1 HTPC I set the tivo button to emulate the Windows Start button.  That takes me to the tile interface where I use the direction pad to navigate the tiles and launch MBT.  Something comparable should be possible regardless of your remote choice as long as the OS is win 8.1.  Everyone may not love the new start screen but it's fantastic as a HTPC app launcher you can navigate with a remote control.

[DGMayor 88]

I've edited the shortcut through windows (right click and select properties) and gave it a hotkey of Control-Shift-1.  Then I have a button on my Harmony remote to launch it by calling that shortcut.

[simono5 21]

I'm on 8.1 and launch straight to the tile interface and use the direction arrows on my windows remote to select MBT.

 

Maybe not the cleanest solution but it works.

Edited January 2, 2014 by simono5

[bruce73 2]

I've done something similar to DGMayor. I have a shortcut to MBT in my taskbar (Win 7) which can be opened with the WinKey+1 combo. I've mapped this to a softkey on my Harmony One.

Edited January 2, 2014 by bruce73

[tobias-tobin 9]

Hi all,

Thank you for the responses.  I'm on Win7 and although I do have a Harmony remote I could use I like the particular MCE remote I am using.  I see what you are doing and I will see if I can come up with something.  Thanks.

[Koleckai Silvestri 1150]

If you can program your remote to emulate a key combination like CTRL-F12 then do this:

 

1) Right click on the MBT shortcut (any one of them on your system will do)

2) Choose Properties.

3) Assign a Shortcut Key in the properties. Click in the Shortcut Key box and then press the key combination you want to use.

4) Assign that key combination to a button on your remote.

5) Profit???

 

Pressing the button should now launch the application.

 

Probably works in desktop mode in Windows 8 as well. Don't know about Metro as I don't have a touch device running Windows and don't use Metro.

Edited January 2, 2014 by Wayne Luke

[tobias-tobin 9]

I have an Amulet MCE remote.  So are we talking a Harmony programmable remote here or are we talking any MCE remote?  I haven't looked much to see about custom programming of the remote.  It seems like most is geared towards voice which I am actually not using.  There are some extra buttons I would think I could custom program.  I'll have a look at doing this.

[tobias-tobin 9]

Looks like this might allow me to do what I need although I have not tried yet:

http://xbmccustomregis.sourceforge.net/remaptut.html

[Yoda 3]

@@tobias-tobin, try this advanced mce remote mapper tool. It'll let you remap your keys right out of the box.

 

http://forum.xbmc.org/showthread.php?tid=164252

 

I would follow the others' suggestion of mapping the MBT shortcut keys to the remote and use that to launch it.

[tobias-tobin 9]

Excellent.  Thanks.

[simono5 21]

@@tobias-tobin, try this advanced mce remote mapper tool. It'll let you remap your keys right out of the box.

 

http://forum.xbmc.org/showthread.php?tid=164252

 

I would follow the others' suggestion of mapping the MBT shortcut keys to the remote and use that to launch it.

I've just used this tool to map my WMC green button to MBT in less than 1 minute.

 

Fantastic!  Thank you!!

[tobias-tobin 9]

Max resolution on my MCT TV is 1024x768.  For the life of me I cannot get this program to display the options to the right.  So I cannot save.  I feel like a dumb*ss but I cannot get a horizontal scrollbar and I cannot get any access to those options.

[simono5 21]

I've just changed my resolution and having the same issue that you report.

 

There is an 'open registry editor' button but I can't work out which registry keys get updated so I can't even provide manual instructions for you.

 

Will keep looking.

[tobias-tobin 9]

Yeah I'm trying a different approach.  I'm going to try and get the values and just put them in the registry manually.  This sucks.

[simono5 21]

This is what I've found out......

 

The application updates this key on my machine;

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\HidIr\Remotes\745a17a0-74d3-11d0-b6fe-00a0c90f57da\ReportMappingTable

 

Before making the change it backs the key up  and calls it 'ReportMappingTable.Backup'

 

I have no idea if this will help you but I've mapped MBT to short cut 'CTRL+ALT+0' and this is the data of the registry key;

00 00 00 00 04 00 27 01 00 00 00 04 00 1E 02 00 00 00 04 00 1F 03 00 00 00 04 00 20 04 00 00 00 04 00 21 05 00 00 00 04 00 22 06 00 00 00 04 00 23 07 00 00 00 04 00 24 08 00 00 00 04 00 25 09 00 00 00 04 00 26 0A 00 00 00 04 00 29 0B 00 00 00 04 00 28 0C 00 00 00 03 82 00 0D 00 00 00 04 05 27 0E 00 00 00 01 E2 00 0F 00 00 00 01 09 02 10 00 00 00 01 E9 00 11 00 00 00 01 EA 00 12 00 00 00 01 9C 00 13 00 00 00 01 9D 00 14 00 00 00 01 B3 00 15 00 00 00 01 B4 00 16 00 00 00 01 B0 00 17 00 00 00 01 B2 00 18 00 00 00 01 B1 00 19 00 00 00 01 B7 00 1A 00 00 00 01 B5 00 1B 00 00 00 01 B6 00 1C 00 00 00 04 02 20 1D 00 00 00 04 02 25 1E 00 00 00 04 00 52 1F 00 00 00 04 00 51 20 00 00 00 04 00 50 21 00 00 00 04 00 4F 22 00 00 00 04 00 28 23 00 00 00 01 24 02 26 00 00 00 01 8D 00 29 00 00 00 03 83 00 2A 00 00 00 03 82 00 3B 00 00 00 01 04 02 4E 00 00 00 01 08 02 6E 00 00 00 01 CD 00 

 

No idea what it means!

[tobias-tobin 9]

Cool. Thank you for sharing.

 

Since I cannot save ctrl+alt+0 using that app to the remote key, if I do this it won't help me.  No disrespect to you.  But unless I can get that app to save my wishes, I can put this in my registry, but it won't make any difference.

 

I never knew this would be so freakin difficult.  I could easily just map a voice command to my remote for this.  But that would not do my wife any good.  I need to find a way for her with a regular remote.  I do have a Harmony but she loses remotes like they have legs and run away so I don't really want to give her another expensive remote.  Argh. 

 

There has got to be an easy way to do this.  I principle it is not complicated.

 

Thanks for all the help today.

Edited January 2, 2014 by tobias-tobin

[tobias-tobin 9]

Nobody waste their time on this anymore.  I feel like I am stepping downward and downward in skill and logic on here.  I feel like I ask the dumbest questions.  Please don't waste your time with this. 

 

Granted, MBT should be launchable by remote, I would think.  But it sounds like most people have moved on to programmable remotes like Harmony and that is not an issue. 

 

I've asked so many beyond beginner questions on here I'm embarrassed.  I really don't want anyone to spend time on this. Although I greatly appreciate those of you like Simono5 for trying to help me.

 

I just need to get with the times.

 

*Updated*

BTW - the designer of AdvancedMCERemoteMapper really could implement some consideration for screen resolution.  I know what they did is an easy oversight, but at least implementing scrollbars when the form does not fit makes a big difference to people like me with a relatively low res tv.  I'd like to use that app but can't.  Wouldn't take but a few minutes to fix it.

 

Peace,

tobias.

Edited January 2, 2014 by tobias-tobin

[simono5 21]

@@tobias-tobin,

 

This works and I've tested it with your resolution;

https://code.google.com/p/mce-remote-mapper/downloads/detail?name=MceRemoteMapper.exe&can=2&q=

 

The WMC Green Button is line 13 - Start.

 

Good luck.

[tobias-tobin 9]

I very much appreciate your help.  I have not line 13 nor a Start.  Interesting.  I'll take screenshot if you like.  Just not there.  And I would have tried to use this utility except I don't know what most of it means.  Majority that I do know, I don't want to change.  The rest are just D*.  I don't know what I am changing.

Here's screenshot:

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/5274864/1-3-2014%205-06-05%20PM.png

 

Thanks.

[simono5 21]

I don't think I can help further.  Here's a screen shot of my settings;

https://app.box.com/s/yaq15vywgpg836hvos7q

 

I simply mapped Windows to ALT+F1 and it worked straight away.

Edited January 2, 2014 by simono5

[Cheesegeezer 3086]

Hi all,

Thank you for the responses.  I'm on Win7 and although I do have a Harmony remote I could use I like the particular MCE remote I am using.  I see what you are doing and I will see if I can come up with something.  Thanks.

I wrote a guide here which would be perfect for you

 

http://mediabrowser.tv/community/index.php?/topic/1091-launching-mbc-andor-mbt-directly-from-your-logitech-harmony-remote/

[Mibok 118]

 I have a couple of weeks using LM Remote Keymap, it's really flexible, you can map every button to do whatever you want. In fact you can map a key to launch an application 

[tobias-tobin 9]

@@Cheesegeezer - very nice write-up.  I actually not using a Harmony remote though but I appreciate you sharing your write-up with me. 

 

@@Mibok - I'll check it out.  I never did get anything going yesterday.  Thanks!

[Cheesegeezer 3086]

@@Cheesegeezer - very nice write-up.  I actually not using a Harmony remote though but I appreciate you sharing your write-up with me. 

 

@@Mibok - I'll check it out.  I never did get anything going yesterday.  Thanks!

My bad i thought you said you had a harmony remote.