Media Center Edition 2005 Remote Control Dysfunctions

[Jason Dunn]

If you have an MCE 2005, I want to know if you're having this problem. I have one of the generic OEM remote controls (http://www2.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16880100851), and it works...most of the time. It has a nice big IR sensor that plugins into the USB port, and because the sensor is so big it can pick up the IR blasts from the remote at all sorts of odd angles and a long range. When I press a button on the remote, I can see the LED on the IR sensor come on to indicate that it has received the signal. Now here's the problem: even though I can tell that the sensor is getting a signal, when the remote is in low angles, such as when it's sitting on my desk, I'm unable to control the MCE interface. I hit the pause button, the IR sensor blinks indicating it has received the signal, but MCE doesn't pause. So is this the IR sensor getting a weak signal and not responding to it? Or a software problem with MCE 2005?

I just performed a quick test that makes me lean towards it being a problem with MCE 2005 - I put the remote on my desk in a "trouble spot" where I often have this problem. I press pause and several other buttons - no effect. Then, leaving the remote exactly where it is, I rebooted the computer and logged into Windows. Without moving the remote from it's place, I pushed the green button and MCE launched. I navigated to my TV show and resumed watching it, still having full control over the play/pause buttons. So what's the deal here? Does MCE 2005 have some sort of intermittent glitch whereby it starts to ignore IR signals below a certain threshold? Or is something else going on here? I freely admit I'm no expert on IR signals, so I welcome any and all opinions on the matter.

[rzanology]

hmmmm...i use that remote as well and i havn't seen that issue as yet. Try unplugging the receiver. reboot the pc. plug it back it....reboot again. lets see what happens.

[yada88]

I have the same remote and ocassionally experience the same problem. I myself have wondered what may cause the problem. I never did the sort of reboot test that you did. I figured the obstruction stopped part of the IR transmission. However, yes, I can confirm that this is a problem.

Jeff

[ChrisL01]

This might prove to be helpful
http://www.thegreenbutton.com/community/shwmessage.aspx?ForumID=50&MessageID=103577

-Chris

[yada88]

That website isn't very helpful. They suggest taking batteries out for 30+ minutes in order to fix an inoperative remote. This is ridiculous. You get the exact same effect from reversing the polarity of both batteries. This only needs to be done for a couple seconds, and has the same result.

Jeffrey Rubin

[Jason Dunn]

This might prove to be helpful...

Hmm - nope, that seems to be a different problem. I'm still seeing the light on the IR reciever, which means the remote itself hasn't locked up. This is a different problem.