Hi, I’m a long-time XBMC/KODI user (on a MacMini).
I just purchased the Vero 4k+, and so far setup/customization has gone smoothly.
The one thing I haven’t been able to figure out is how to get my old IR remote (that I used to control KODI on the Mac) to work with the Vero/OSMC.
On the Mac, I was using the “Universal (Harmony)” remote (as selected in the Kodi System Settings). I’d prefer not to re-program my remote, and simply use the same remote & programming with the Vero 4k+. However, I don’t see a selection for this remote in the MyOSMC Remote lirc/.conf files.
Is there a lirc/.conf file that mimics the KODI ‘Universal’ remote settings/codes?
Is there a set of files I can copy over from the KODI directory on the Mac? I found a ‘customcontroller.Harmony.xml’ file in both the Mac & Vero system folder which I could copy to the Userdata/Keymaps folder, but I believe what is needed is just a lirc/.conf file. (I did not use any custom key-mapping on my Mac KODI system.)
I’m a bit surprised that one of the few KODI default remote options on the Mac (possibly other systems) is not an option carried over to the Vero 4k+. Any assistance would be much appreciated.
The customcontroller.Harmony.xml file is a keymap, already active, and there is no need to copy it to your userdata folder. Is this “Universal (Harmony)” remote bluetooth? If so then there is no conf file needed as it would be picked up by the system similar to a keyboard and not go through lircd.
These are IR remotes, thus would require a conf file.
KODI for Mac, has 3 Apple IR remote options selectable on its Settings System/Input screen - 1. Standard Remote (like the white/silver remotes that are available in Vero), 2. Universal Remote, & 3. Harmony Remote. (In older versions of KODI, I believe there was a combined “Universal (Harmony) Remote” option.) I’m currently using a generic programmable IR remote that is configured as the ‘Harmony Remote’. I’m still using KODI for Mac on another TV, and prefer to use the same remote for both KODI systems. The Harmony (and Universal) remotes in KODI are preferred over the simple Apple standard remotes as they offer more features. I’m looking for a conf file for the KODI Apple ‘Harmony’ remote.
I’m familiar with Harmony as a brand name of a programmable remote, but not as a name of any ir code set. Have you tried enabling different conf files in the My OSMC add-on to see if one of them works? I would think that either lircd-full or rc6-mce-lircd would be the most likely suspects.
I have tried all the conf settings currently available in the Vero MyOSMC. The Apple white remote conf file works with my remote, but with limited functionality (compared to the KODI Apple harmony or Apple universal remote functionality). The Apple silver remote conf file has some overlap with the Apple white remote, thus works somewhat. None of the other conf files work with my remote. (Again, this is the same remote used for KODI on the Mac with a ‘Harmony’ IR remote setting under the system/input menu).
Just a bit more information…After doing some research, I believe KODI (for Mac) assumed the ‘Harmony’ universal remote was using IR codes from a Plex Media Player. (In other words, if you were programming your Harmony remote, you were supposed to pick the Plex Media Player as the source for your codes.) If this is the case, I would need a lirc conf file that has IR codes for the Plex Player, or just the IR codes that the Harmony was using to control the Plex Player. Does this help?
Here’s a link to the instructions for programming a Harmony remote to control the Plex Media Player: HTPC - Getting Started | Plex Support
Per those instructions: Apple TV Remote Emulation - If you prefer not to use keyboard emulation, it is still possible to use the Harmony Remote with Plex Media Player by setting up a “Plex Media Player” activity and include the Apple TV device in that activity which will give you the possibility to map 14 buttons.
KODI (when you selected Apple Remote = Harmony in settings) must have assumed it was a Harmony remote programed to control the Plex Player.
I originally started with a Harmony universal remote pre-2010 (and recall selecting Plex Media Player as my ‘Source’)…I have long abandoned the Harmony remote, but have re-learned/transferred those codes from one universal remote to the next (as they provide much more functionality than the standard 6-7 button Apple remotes). Now if I can just get the same ‘Harmony’ remote I use to operate KODI on my Mac, and still do, to work with the Vero 4K…
I hope this info provides some insight in what codes/conf file is needed. Thanks.
By your description the codes you are using are for a apple remote, and you just went the long way around getting them into your current remote. When I can find some time I can try to come up with a solution but from your earlier response it sounds like you have codes programed from several versions of apple remotes. If the two existing conf files that you say both partially work actually cover all the keys you need you could probably just grab the working codes from them and combine them into a new conf file for your fairly unique remote setup.
I programed my harmony remote with both a Apple media player and an Apple 3rd gen Apple TV and they both worked as expected. With the apple-silver-A1294-lircd.conf selected I had all seven buttons working that should have…
begin codes
KEY_UP 0xD0
KEY_RIGHT 0xE0
KEY_DOWN 0xB0
KEY_LEFT 0x10
KEY_ENTER 0xBA 0x20
KEY_MENU 0x40
KEY_PLAYPAUSE 0x7A 0x20
end codes
I looked around and wasn’t seeing that anyone had gotten the extra long-press buttons to work with lircd and I really don’t know where Plex was getting a total of 14 buttons. Perhaps they just looked at the harmony profile and didn’t test to find out that even though menu, exit, and back were being shown as three different buttons in fact they are all sending out the same code. Play and pause was the same deal.
Honestly I don’t see the point in sticking with this Apple remote programing since you are using a universal remote. If you reprogrammed it to be a MCE or Xbox remote you would have a lot more buttons available to you (assuming your universal remote has more than seven buttons).
My universal remote (programmed with the Harmony ‘Plex Media Player’ codes) is able to control all the following on KODI for the Mac (with KODI remote setting = ‘Harmony’):
That’s 14 buttons. Without the Plex Media Player (source) codes that Harmony was using, I think I’m out of luck. I was hoping to use this same remote for control of KODI (on the Mac) and the Vero 4k+. I might just have to setup separate codes for the Vero 4k+ operations.
On the mac i’m sure it has its own special driver with it being an Apple remote being used on an Apple OS. From what I gathered doing a bit of reading here and there those remotes are quite unlike any other IR remote out there with a multitude of possible codes for each button and long-presses sending out a distinct code unique from the short press. I guess there is some limitations getting a generic lircd configuration file.