Xbmc: Official Android TV Remote app not working in 18.0

[Gustav0ar]

Bug report

Describe the bug

Here is a clear and concise description of what the problem is:
Official Android TV Remote App for Android (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.android.tv.remote) doesn't work with Kodi 18.0 (stable) on both Nvidia Shield TV devices that I have (one 2015 model and the other 2017). The directional buttons, and back button don't work while I'm in Kodi, but works fine otherwise. It used to work fine with Kodi 17.6, but stopped working as soon as updated to 18.0 yesterday. The only buttons that work are the play and pause button and the home button, all others are unresponsive.
This problem doesn't occur if I use the official Nvidia Shield Remote app and hardware controllers.

Expected Behavior

Here is a clear and concise description of what was expected to happen:
For it work normally

Actual Behavior

Possible Fix

To Reproduce

Steps to reproduce the behavior:

1. Connect Android TV Remote app to Nvidia Shield TV
2. Use it in default homescreen
3. Enter Kodi 18.0 Stable
4. Try to navigate using the app

Debuglog

http://paste.kodi.tv/owozazamef

Screenshots

Additional context or screenshots (if appropriate)

Your Environment

Used Operating system:

• [ x] Android
• [ ] iOS
• [ ] Linux
• [ ] OSX
• [ ] Raspberry-Pi
• [ ] Windows
• [ ] Windows UWP

• Operating system version/name:
  Android TV 8.0
• Kodi version:
  18.0 Stable

[ATGardner]

I have the exact same problem on my Nexus Player

[da-anda]

@Gustav0ar please provide a debug log as stated in the issue template. So enable debug logging, restart KODI, press a few buttons on the not working remote and then upload the debug log by using the debuglog uploader add-on (which is the easiest way to do it on Android).

@garbear any idea?

[Gustav0ar]

Ok, I'll do that when I get home

[Gustav0ar]

I gathered the logs. I can see that it registers all the key presses that I made. Just one correction, the back button does work, the only ones that don't work are the D-PADs and center key (enter).
http://paste.kodi.tv/owozazamef

[garbear]

Try configuring controllers and see if the non working buttons can be mapped to controller buttons

[da-anda]

if it's working after you mapped the buttons as controller, please share your button map so that we can ship it. See https://kodi.wiki/view/HOW-TO:Share_button_maps

[Gustav0ar]

I got it working with the following button map:

virtual-remote_23b.zip

[jas-jas]

Thanks, this worked immediately for me.
Full path here: \your.nvidia.shield.ip.goes.here\internal\Android\data\org.xbmc.kodi\files.kodi\userdata\addon_data\peripheral.joystick\resources\buttonmapsxml\
^ drop the file Gustav0ar linked to above there. Thanks Gustav0ar and da-anda
Hopefully this gets updated in future releases.

[garbear]

Hopefully this gets updated in future releases.

If you send a PR it will get into 18.1. I wrote a small guide:

https://github.com/xbmc/peripheral.joystick/blob/master/docs/CONTRIBUTING.md