Introduction

Congratulations!

You are the privileged owner of IR Server Suite, a PC remote control suite of applications and plugins designed for MediaPortal.
If used and maintained in accordance with normal operating practices, IR Server Suite will provide many months of trouble-free operation._

The original reason for developing this system was to extend the capabilities of the MCE Replacement Plugin for MediaPortal. The project was started only a few short weeks after the MCE Replacement Plugin was started when limitations of that implementation became obvious. However, IR Server Suite is now a fully-featured PC remote control suite.

How does this work?

You install Input Service on a computer that has an IR Device attached to it. Input Service then provides access to that IR Device for all the plugins and applications in the suite, no matter where those applications and plugins are running on your network. You don't have to have a LAN (Network) to use IR Server Suite, because all the applications and plugins can operate on the one machine too. By having one point of access to the IR Device, Input Service regulates the communications with the IR Device. This means that multiple plugins and applications can be accessing the device at effectively the same time without interfering with each other. This means, for example, the MediaPortal TV Server as well as the MediaPortal client can share the device. And by using other applications in the suite you can control your whole PC.
 

System requirements

• Windows XP or Vista
• Microsoft .net 2.0
• A supported remote control or input device

Suite Overview

Input Service Input Service is the centre-piece of the system. As the name suggests, it is a windows service that provides access to the IR device. Other applications and plugins communicate with the Input Service to receive button press notification and to blast (transmit) or learn IR commands.

Translator

This is a program in the same style as HIP and to a lesser extent Girder. It is designed to control your whole PC by Remote Control.

Tray Launcher
This application loads into the system tray and waits for a user defined button to be pressed and then launches an application of your choosing. It's function is duplicated by Translator, but in some cases people just want a simple application to do this.

Virtual Remote

Virtual Remote is a software remote control, styled as an Infrared remote control. It lets you simulate remote control commands either locally or over a network. It also includes Web Remote that hosts the Virtual Remote as a web page.

MP Control Plugin

This MediaPortal plugin is the equivalent of theMediaPortal MCE Replacement Plugin, it is used to control MediaPortal .

MP Blast Zone Plugin

This MediaPortal plugin lets you control your IR devices from within the MediaPortal GUI. By organising a menu structure inside the plugin you can blast IR commands, execute macros, launch applications, send windows messages, and jump to other screens within MediaPortal.

TV3 Blaster Plugin

This MediaPortal TV Server plugin is for tuning external channels (on Set Top Boxes) for the TV Engine 3 (the MediaPortal TV Server).