Windows Media Center IR Hardware not detected

Anonymous

Hi, I'm getting stuck at the "IR Hardward not detected" when trying to set up TV.

I'm in Australia and have a wireless component receiving my digital signal from another room. www.cocoonsystems.com.au I'm running a Haupaggue (spell?) TV tuner. The TV tuner can view the signal coming from my cocoon via their product called WinTV. It is viewed on the Composite connection. (PC is a new Dell desktop with Vista loaded)

So, when I go to set up Media Center to see the signal also I conduct the following:

1. Set up TV Signals

2. Region Australia

3. Choose Antenna

4. Select Digital Terrestrial

5. Select Yes (to view through a set top box, because the other option doesn't find my signal)

6. It finds picture and sound playing through Composite 1, so I select this

7. IR Hardware not detected.

Media Center will not let me by-pass step 7 if I don't have an IR connection. I don't need my PC to change channels because I use the digital tv remote to change channels through the cocoon system.

Is there any way anyone knows that I can by-pass this annoying question of IR Hardware not detected? I can only assume if I had my Video Camera connected through the Composite connection I would have the same problem also, as that doesn't have a remote either.

Anything I can do?

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Anonymous

Balibooblue,

Thank you for visiting the Microsoft Answers community forum.

The only way I know to get around the need for an IR hardware device during the setup of Media Center for TV viewing is to use a "virtual" IR device. There is one called "Vista MCE IR Blaster" that is a file you download from the Internet that simulates an IR device. You will have to do a search for it. Or you can buy the hardware that Media Center is asking for relatively inexpensively online, about $20 USD.

Using Third Party Software, including hardware drivers can cause serious problems that may prevent your computer from booting properly. Microsoft cannot guarantee that any problems resulting from the use of Third Party Software can be solved. Using Third Party Software is at your own risk.

Let us know if this information was helpful or if you need additional help.

Thank you,

Gloria

Microsoft Answers Support Engineer

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48 additional answers

Anonymous

2009-12-15T05:09:21+00:00

Hey Maddogcr, yeah I select "Let me configure my TV signal manually", then it would only give me the option of Cable and Satellite. Now tonight it's giving me the (3rd) Antenna option. Before it wouldn't give me the third option of Antenna, so I couldn't select analog. Whatever. Spent an hour plus on that one.

One of the main purpopses of that system is to run a TV. The Aver G2 card (White Box) only works with Media Center, not their own proprietary software...another whatever. I went online to buy the $50 remote with IR blaster so I can get through setup. Of course tonight it's working again for some reason so I'm back to not needing the $50 upgrade.
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Anonymous

2009-12-14T03:27:42+00:00

GTex62, did you pick the Antenna option first? If I remember right, I picked antenna then was able to pick analog. I accepted the search, then went went to main settings and in the guide I added channel 3. Maybe a Windows update did you in!

I just thought to check my setup and it is still working. I still don't understand why we can't just type any channel we would like to view and see with our own two eyes if it has signal or not.
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Anonymous

2009-12-14T01:41:55+00:00

Well this is yet another great example of a 1 step forward, 2 steps back FAIL with microsoft! I can't understand how NONE of the designers realized how many real people use their equipment, and also don't listen to beta tester and then consumer feedback. Shame on ms and all similar companies, really.

For years since switching to digital cable, I connect my setbox outputs to the s-video of my tuner card and line-in of my sound card, and when I want to record something in my tv app I set a schedule there and set a "vcr reminder" on the setbox (tht auto changes the channel and prevents changing channels). I have no problem doing this two-step process on seperate things, because I don't record all that much.

So why doesn't anyone at MS care about how a good number of folks work with stuff? I just can't believe they wouldn't add the option of not having Media Center change setbox channels for you.

STUPID, EPIC FAIL, MS!!! I hope this gets addressed eventually. (yeh sure)

You're lucky 7 is at least better than Vista!
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Anonymous

2009-12-13T19:42:36+00:00

Your welcome. I don't often post solutions to problems but research many. This one took many many hours to figure out since each time you try, you have to wait a long time for the channel search to finish.fail and try again.

Yes we should be able to skip that IR thing. We should also be able to type in ANY channel we want on our keyboards without the guide blocking us! ARE YOU LISTENING MICROSOFT????

What if your cable company added channels. Will you have to run the setup again? Give us a break!

I guess they want Windows to control you, not you control Windows. If I wanted that I would use a Mac.

If MS actually posted on here to use a 3rd party vitrual driver as a work around, why not include a MS version with Windows 7? By the way the recommended "Vista MCE IR Blaster" does not work with Windows 7.

The workaround has failed for some reason. It worked for 2 days, and now when I launch WMC it can't detect a TV signal. I ran setup again and there is no analog option. The only option is a digital signal. Adding a channel in the guide won't add channel 3.

I'd really like a power user interface to setup this app. This setup is for a beginner with no idea what is going on.

Since people have been complaining about this since Vista, there is no reason to believe MS will do anything about these problems.

I've wasted enough time with WMC.
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