Hi all,

I built a HTPC a few months ago, which is working just great. I've got a wireless HTPC keyboard that works well enough, but I'd also like to add the ability to control Windows 7 Media Center via my universal remote control. My question has two two parts:

Will I be able to "wake up" my HTPC from Sleep Mode via a command from my remote control, and
if so, can my HTPC somehow recognize IR commands that relate specifically to the HTPC (versus IR commands meant for other devices like my cable box, TV,e tc.), and only "wake up" when a HTPC-specific IR transmission is sent?
In other words, I'd like to know if I can wake up my HTPC with my remote, but I don't want the HTPC to wake up by 'intercepting' IR tranmissions that aren't meant for the HTPC.

If it's of any importance, my motherboard is a Gigabyte GA-MA785GT-UD3H.

Thanks very much!

~Geoff

The short answer is yes. You can do what you want.

The longer answer is more complicated because HOW you do it will determine that. I leave my HTPC on 24/7 since it is running a Folding client and it also is the iTunes server so I don't use the wakeup.

For control of the applications via IR remote I use a USB-UIRT dongle and control it with my programmable remote. I just mapped the IR codes from a manufacturer that I don't use, Denon in the case, using Girder to the appropriate keyboard controls.

If you get a Media center remote/receiver those can also work and there are other programs that do the same things as Girder such as Event Ghost.

Thanks for the reply, jvincent.

I get you regarding using an IR receiver and something like Girder or Event Ghost to translate IR commands into equivelent keyboard commands.

I've yet to come across anything on the web yet about the "wake up" functionality -- in particular whether my HTPC can be programmed to not wake up unless it receives an IR command specific to the HTPC (and to ignore everything else).

There seems to be a surprising lack of information on these sorts of things out there! I would've thought that dealing with IR receivers and HTPCs would be more and more common these days.


~Geoff

D- on reading comprehension for me. I just realized you want it to ignore all IR commands except for specific ones.

I don't know that I've ever seen that done. I'm pretty sure that most implementations use the "Wake on USB" functionality of the BIOS and at that level the IR receiver won't have enough smarts to filter out non-HTPC codes.

The wake up issue is an ongoing problem that I haven't solved yet. USB devices will typically only work from S1 or S3 sleep modes. Hibernation or full standby (S4) does not usually work with USB devices. PS2 devices such as a keyboard or mouse will wake many motherboards. Soundgraph makes an internally connected remote called the iMon that hooks into the start button to start the PC. It's a pretty bad remote otherwise and is not fully compatible with universal remotes. Wake on LAN (WOL) is another possibility but requires another PC to accomplish. Some routers can also send WOL signals.