Archive:VRC-1100

VRC-1100

Windows Configuration

See also How-to:Configure VRC-1100 remote for Ubuntu

There is no manufacturer's name on this remote or the manual, but they appear to be from Ortek (http://www.ortek.com/html/pdt_view.asp?area=25&cat=154&sn=65). They are widely available on eBay. Maplin UK also sell an own-brand remote control (product code N18HC) that seems to be identical, and it is also sold as Hama 52451. The remote simulates the MS Media Center keypresses and will work out of the box on Windows, Linux and probably OSX. It also simulates a mouse, although it's no match for a proper mouse or trackpad.

Note that the the i button sends a right mouse click, which isn't much use in XBMC as the right click can't be mapped to an action. There is no way round this without using some helper app like Eventghost, but the Info action could be mapped to one of the other buttons.

If you want to add mappings for the four colored keys and the four keys below them here are the entries you need in keyboard.xml. The top left (Internet Explorer) key can't be trapped through keyboard.xml, but in appcommand.xml this button is <browser_home>.

<t mod="ctrl,shift">Notification(Key, Yellow, 3)</t> <!-- Yellow button -->
<m mod="ctrl">Notification(Key, Blue, 3)</m>         <!-- Blue button -->
<i mod="ctrl">Notification(Key, Green, 3)</i>        <!-- Green button -->
<e mod="ctrl">Notification(Key, Red, 3)</e>          <!-- Red button -->
<o mod="ctrl">Notification(Key, u/Yellow, 3)</o>     <!-- Button under Yellow -->
<g mod="ctrl">Notification(Key, u/Blue, 3)</g>       <!-- Button under Blue -->
<t mod="ctrl">Notification(Key, u/Green, 3)</t>      <!-- Button under Green -->
<m mod="ctrl,shift">Notification(Key, u/Red, 3)</m>  <!-- Button under Red -->

The * button sends a numpad-* keypress. XBMC v10.1 sees this as <eight>. XBMC v11.0 sees it as <numpadtimes>.

The # button sends a sequence of keypresses: numlock, alt, numpad-three, numpad-five, numlock. This generates a keypress with the ascii value 35 i.e. '#'. In v10.1 you can map this using <five mod="alt">.

For full Linux support see http://trac.kodi.tv/ticket/8827

Ubuntu Configuration

Note from Archive Wiki: It appears that (at least) Ubuntu 14.04.1 LTS and beyond, the VRC-1100 is fully supported by the OS for use with XBMC/Kodi out of the box, however with one important caveat: Ubuntu's default desktop environment, Unity, with its default settings, greedily grabs some of the key presses from the VRC-1100 before they even make it to XBMC/Kodi. The results is that the big round mouse thingy and many/most of the keys on the VRC-1100 will appear to work OK, but others, such as STOP and NEXT (chapter) won't do anything at all. Fortunately, there is a simple solution: In the Ubuntu desktop, go to System Settings > Keyboard > Shortcuts > Sound and Media and disable each of the relevant shortcuts by selecting them then pressing backspace. Your VRC-1100 should now be fully functional with XBMC/Kodi. No reboot required. (Credit to Memphiz and denz13 for this solution.)

Here is the file that describes all the buttons (except the mouse keys) on the VRC-1100 remote. Place this file into the following location:

~/.kodi/userdata/keymaps/keyboard.xml

<keymap>
  <global>
    <keyboard>
      <!-- ****************************************************** -->
      <!-- MS Media Center keyboard shortcuts sent by MCE remotes -->
      <!-- See http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb189249.aspx -->
      <!-- But, Ubuntu renames a lot of key combinations listed above. See wiki notes on VRC-1100 -->

      <browser_home>ActivateWindow(Home)</browser_home>       <!-- Explorer -->
      <!-- Power button will sleep Ubuntu computer by default.  And will not wake it up -->
      <!-- Doesn't work.  Try Alt + Power button to observe it in Debug log -->
      <sleep>ActivateWindow(shutdownmenu)</sleep>             <!-- Power -->

      <t mod="ctrl,shift">ActivateWindow(TVChannels)</t>      <!-- My TV -->
      <m mod="ctrl">ShowSubtitles</m>                         <!-- My music -->
      <i mod="ctrl">ActivateWindow(Videos,videodb://tvshows/titles/)</i>          <!-- My pictures -->
      <e mod="ctrl">Delete</e>                                <!-- My videos -->

      <o mod="ctrl">ActivateWindow(TVRecordings)</o>          <!-- Recorded TV -->
      <g mod="ctrl">ActivateWindow(TVGuide)</g>               <!-- Guide -->
      <t mod="ctrl">ActivateWindow(TVChannels)</t>            <!-- Live TV  -->
      <m mod="ctrl,shift">ContextMenu</m>                     <!-- DVD menu -->

      <f mod="ctrl,shift">FastForward</f>                     <!-- Fwd -->
      <b mod="ctrl,shift">Rewind</b>                          <!-- Rew -->

      <prev_track>PreviousScene</prev_track>                  <!-- Replay -->
      <play_pause>PlayPause</play_pause>                      <!-- Play -->
      <next_track>NextScene</next_track>                      <!-- Skip -->

      <stop>Stop</stop>                                       <!-- Stop -->
      <!-- Pause button sends play_pause -->                  <!-- Pause -->
      <r mod="ctrl">Record</r>                                <!-- Record -->

      <backspace>Back</backspace>                             <!-- Backspace -->
      <!-- Info is the same as Mouse Right Click -->          <!-- Info -->

      <up>Up</up>                                             <!-- Up -->
      <left>Left</left>                                       <!-- Left-->
      <return>Select</return>                                 <!-- OK -->
      <right>Right</right>                                    <!-- Right-->
      <down>Down</down>                                       <!-- Down-->

      <f10>VolumeUp</f10>                                     <!-- Vol up -->
      <f9>VolumeDown</f9>                                     <!-- Vol down -->
      <f8>Mute</f8>                                           <!-- Mute -->

      <pageup>PageUp</pageup>                                 <!-- Channel Up -->
      <pagedown>PageDown</pagedown>                           <!-- Channel Down -->


      <return mod="alt">ActivateWindow(Favourites)</return>   <!-- Start -->

      <!-- Number keys -->
      <numpadone>Number1</numpadone>                          <!-- 1 --> 
      <numpadtwo>Number2</numpadtwo>                          <!-- 2 --> 
      <numpadthree>Number3</numpadthree>                      <!-- 3 -->
      <numpadfour>Number4</numpadfour>                        <!-- 4 -->
      <numpadfive>Number5</numpadfive>                        <!-- 5 -->
      <numpadsix>Number6</numpadsix>                          <!-- 6 -->
      <numpadseven>Number7</numpadseven>                      <!-- 7 -->
      <numpadeight>Number8</numpadeight>                      <!-- 8 -->
      <numpadnine>Number9</numpadnine>                        <!-- 9 -->
      <numpadtimes>CreateBookmark</numpadtimes>               <!-- * -->
      <numpadzero>Number0</numpadzero>                        <!-- 0 -->
      <!-- # Sends Alt, 3, 5, so it the same as "5" key -->   <!-- # -->
      <five mod="alt">reloadkeymaps</five>

      <!--Close will exit Kodi (or any other Ubuntu window)--> <!-- close -->
      <!-- Sometimes f4 and sometimes alt+f4 is detected by Kodi -->
      <f4 mod="alt">ToggleDebug</f4>
      <f4>ToggleDebug</f4>
      <escape>PreviousMenu</escape>                           <!-- clear -->
      <return>Select</return>                                 <!-- return -->

    </keyboard>
  </global>
</keymap>