VB-PC Remote Quick Start

The VB-PC Remote is a universal remote controller that can be used with different VBrick applications. It is a handheld infrared device that can be used to control live or stored streaming content. Some buttons on the remote controller are common to all VBrick applications; some may be mapped for specific functionality. See the corresponding manual (for example the Portal Server User Guide) for details about how to use the remote with a specific VBrick application. The VB-PC Remote can be used with all VBrick-supported streams (MPEG, Windows Media, and H.264) and has a line‑of‑sight range of approximately 40 feet. The VB-PC Remote includes the following components:

●	VB-PC Remote Control – handheld infrared device with batteries.

●	VB-PC IR Remote Receiver – USB cable with an infrared receiver at one end. The PC must have an available (1.1 or 2.0) USB port.

●	Product CD – includes the driver software and this documentation.

 

Installing the Software

The VB-PC Remote software is compatible with Microsoft Windows 2000, Microsoft Windows XP (Service Pack 3), and Vista. Install the device driver as explained below. Once you install the driver there is no additional software configuration.

To install the VB-PC Remote software

1.	Open the box containing the VB-PC Remote and inspect the components.

2.	Do not plug the IR remote infrared receiver into the PC until you are prompted.

3.	Install the batteries in the VB-PC Remote.

4.	Turn your PC on and wait for it to reboot.

5.	Insert the VB-PC Remote Product CD in the computer's CD drive.

a. If the installation starts automatically, go to Step 6.

b. Otherwise, use the Windows Explorer to browse to your CD drive and double-click on

VBPCRemote_setup.exe

6.	Follow the on-screen instructions and plug in the USB infrared receiver when prompted.

 

        

 

 

7.	Wait until Windows detects the new hardware and installs the device driver. This can take up to a minute or more depending on your computer. (If prompted to connect to Windows Update, click No, not this time. If prompted to install software, click Install the software automatically.)

If installing on Vista, and you get a "Found New Hardware" popup, click Locate and install driver software. If Vista displays a "Windows Security" popup, click Install this driver software anyway.

8.	When finished, remove the Product CD and you are done.

Uninstalling the Software

To uninstall the VB-PC Remote software

1.	Go to Start > Control Panel > Add or Remove Programs.

2.	Select VBPCRemote and click Change/Remove.

Using the VB-PC Remote

When the remote is working properly, there is a red VBrick Remote icon  in the system tray at the lower-right corner of the screen. To use the remote, point the device at the IR receiver and press the buttons. The red light on top of the IR receiver will flash whenever it gets a signal from the controller. As noted, some buttons on the remote controller (for example Vol+) are common to all supported VBrick applications; others may be mapped for specific functionality. See the corresponding VBrick application User Guide for details about how to use the remote with each supported application. Note also how the Volume and Full Screen buttons behave:

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Use the Vol+ or Vol- buttons on the remote control to adjust the volume but you can't go any higher than the PC setting. Your PC has the primary volume controls. For best results, set the PC volume to an intermediate level using the mouse, then use your VB-PC Remote to fine-tune the volume as desired.

●	Use the Full Screen button to go full screen at any time and hide any application controls. Then press Full Screen again on the remote (or Esc on the keyboard) to exit full screen and resume normal operation.

●	Right-click on the VB-PC Remote icon in the system tray to display this help page or to shutdown the VB-PC-Remote software. This can be used to prevent any IR devices from communicating with the receiver. Alternately, you can simply unplug the USB connector.

Troubleshooting

If you have problems installing or using your remote, here are some things to check:

●	If your IR receiver is plugged in and your PC is on, the red light on top of the IR receiver will flash whenever it gets an infrared signal from the controller. If it doesn't flash, make sure it's plugged in properly and the remote control has fresh batteries.

●	When using the remote, don't hold it too close to the receiver. If you're closer than a few inches, you will likely get a bad signal.

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When the remote is working properly, there is a red icon  in the system tray at the lower right corner of your screen. This means your infrared receiver is plugged in and the drivers are properly installed. If the icon is greyed out, the infrared receiver is not plugged in or the drivers are not installed. If you don't see either of these icons, try rebooting your computer. If that doesn’t work, re-install the software.

support@vbrick.com