I am in the process of setting up a MythTV box (frontend & backend). I am looking for any recommendations for a good keyboard/mouse and/or remote control to work with it. I will be running either MythDora or Ubuntu (haven't decided yet).

Any suggestions as to what does or doesn't work well would be appreciated.

Thanks!

Bill

I got 2 MythDora boxes and I use a RF Keyboard with the builtin mouse.

Product # N82E16823130006 at newegg.com

I got 2 MythDora boxes and I use a RF Keyboard with the builtin mouse.

Product # N82E16823130006 at newegg

Thank You. I will check it out!

If you are looking for remotes, or universal remotes to control EVERYTHING, I use the Harmony 880 and I am happy with it. I can control my TV, receiver, Xbox360 and HTPC all from that remote. Takes some fine tweaking to get everything acting the way you want it to, but once that is done, it is awesome. It uses basically the same commands as a Microsoft Media Center remote, so the support in Myth for it is quite good. Logitech also makes some less expensive models that do more or less the same thing (like the 680 - I think a few folks on here uses that one) but I got a good deal on the 880, so I decided to go with that one.

I have heard that the 880 can be used in MythTV before. What no one mentions, is what they use for the receiver.

I have a Harmony 880. I use it for my Sony TV, Sony DVD Player, Sony Surround Sound system and my Samsung HDTV tuner. Each of these come with a remote, so substituting the 880 was no problem.

Do I need to buy a Windows Media Center Remote and Receiver, and throw the remote away? :rolleyes:

I'm using the windows mce usb2 receiver, but any ir receiver will work for the 880

I apologize for not mentioning the receiver, waterhead. I also use the usb mce ir receiver (after trying to use the IR receiver on my HD HomeRun, but that is a different story for a different day). Someone made a page on the mythtv wiki that includes lircd and lircrc files, which makes setup a snap (although I did modify his configurations slightly):

Harmony 880 Remote (http://www.mythtv.org/wiki/index.php/Harmony_880_Remote)

I use an MCE USB IR receiver as well, with a harmony 680 emulating an MCE remote

Thanks.

It looks like if I want to use the 880 with MythTV, I have to get the remote/receiver set. Too bad you can't get the receiver separately.

Paul

Thanks.

It looks like if I want to use the 880 with MythTV, I have to get the remote/receiver set. Too bad you can't get the receiver separately.

Paul

You can use any receiver you want, you would just have to configure lirc for the kind of receiver you got. There are Serial and USB ones that you can get for cheap (I found some on eBay when I was looking), and occasionally you can find an MCE USB IR receiver w.o the remote on there as well. Also, you can score a used remote/receiver combo for pretty cheap on there, pretty close to the cost of the receiver. I got my receiver on eBay, and it came with a remote, and the whole thing was about $20 new. It is an OEM version, but works exactly the same as the M$ one and it recognizes all the keypresses, even the ones that were on the Harmony but were not on the remote that came with it.

Until a cellphone/pda sized wireless PS2/USB "thumb" keyboard with integrated mouse pointer hits the market, my philosophy is to use an IR keyboard with integrated mouse plus a programmable remote for media-specific control.

I highly recommend this IR keyboard/mouse:
http://pckeyboards.stores.yahoo.net/sk7500wireless.html

It is IR-compatible with the legendary Airboard, known on these forums since the late 1990's. You can teach a learning IR remote keystrokes.

You should also look into JP1 based IR remotes:
http://www.hifi-remote.com/forums/

JP1 is the open source philosophy applied to IR remotes.

I just bought one of these to use with my appletv for occasional management duties:

http://images10.newegg.com/NeweggImage/productimage/23-157-024-06.jpg
http://images10.newegg.com/NeweggImage/productimage/23-157-024-05.jpg

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16823157024

Not wireless, but for limited use I think it will be fine. The extra usb port is what I was really looking for. I'll report back when it arrives.

I also have the mce keyboard that I use for my mce box and I actually like it. I only use it for upgrades/management and it is fine for that, but I couldn't see using it everyday. The big reason I bought it was because it works with the mce ir receiver so I don't need any extra hardware plugged into the htpc. It doesn't work outside of windows, though (bios, boot menu, etc.).

For the remotes, I use a mx-700 in the living room and a mx-500 in the bedroom. Both remotes work with the mce ir rx. I prefer combo lcd/hard buttons remotes and I think htm makes the best. Unfortunately their customer support change of policy sucks and I will not buy another htm remote again.

Good luck!

Anyone tried the Logitech Dinovo Edge? Just wondering, since it is bluetooth, how well it would work w Ubuntu. It is expensive

Anyone tried the Logitech Dinovo Edge? Just wondering, since it is bluetooth, how well it would work w Ubuntu. It is expensive

the big wireless keyboard/mouse thread has a few posts from people with the dinovo. I think the general consensus is they like it but it is expansive.

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=451856

I use the newer MCE remote (mceusb2 driver). From the posts above it seems that people don't like the remote itself, though I like the layout and the backlight. For the price of buying one new, I think that the receiver itself is worth the price, because it comes with 2 adhesive IR blasters for controlling other devices. LIRC setup is pretty simple for the whole thing, one driver gets you the receiver and the blaster.

I received my wired keyboard/trackball that I posted above and have had a chance to use it for a few days.

The keyboard and trackball work well with my appletv. The feel of the keyboard is a little mushy, but overall not too bad. The trackball is somewhat rough in texture and doesn't move freely, which I actually like. This seems to prevent the trackball from moving around when your finger isn't on it. The shape of the enter key is bizarre - I'm not quite sure what they were thinking when they designed it.

I haven't had a chance to try the media buttons or scroll wheel, so I can't report about those. The extra usb port works too, which is why I bought this keyboard. The overall build quality is pretty good. It doesn't seem flimsy.

Overall it isn't too bad. I'd buy it again if I had to. I give it 4 out of 5 stars.

UPDATE:

the usb port doesn't appear to work that well after all. For some reason if I plug my mce ir receiver into the hub on the keyboard, the computer doesn't see it. I'm still looking into the problem.

UPDATE 2:

the usb port now works fine. It was a problem with my kernel.

http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/I/41CM3KRG4ML._SS500_.jpg

Belkin 2.4 MultiMedia Keyboard w/IR

Works great with mythtv. The Keyboard detaches from the base. I've had it for over a month and I've only had to charge it once. It also has a toggle switch on the keyboard that goes from rf to ir. You have to use Windows or a mac to setup the ir commands. The tracking of the mouse is not perfect, it sort of like a giant (rubber nub mouse) found on the Thinkpads and Dells.

I have heard that the 880 can be used in MythTV before. What no one mentions, is what they use for the receiver.Some tuner cards like the Hauppauge PVR-xxx and the DVICO Fusion (not Lite) come with an IR receiver built in. Otherwise you can do as I did and buy a separate IR receiver that plugs into a serial port; IIRC the cost with shipping was about $20.

As for remotes, you can really use anything that has all the buttons you want - you just have to spend an hour or so building a LIRC configuration file that matches the buttons to their proper names in Myth. The advantage of something like the MCE remote is that someone has already done that work. Or you can use a Harmony remote and tell it that you are controlling an MCE box and use the MCE configuration file for LIRC.

I use the Dinovo edge, I got a version of it onsale for less than a benjamin, The version I have has a very basic mouse that takes AA batteries. but overall it does what I need, the keyboard,mouse and numberpad fit nicely in the drawer of my ottoman/coffee table with my other 7 remotes, the range is good as well, so far it has worked "out of the box" with every oprerating system I have tried (Sabayon/Gentoo,Mythdora/Fedora,Ubuntu/Kbuntu,Vista/XP). Unfortunately it has worked so well it currently resides in my "work" laptop bag at work,I took it with me on a week long training session and have not brought it/left it at home yet. As far as remote receiver/blaster goes I use what came with my Hauppage pvr-150, I also have one of the early Harmony remotes (before they were bought by Logitech), It and my cell phone at least justify semi learning XML

As far as I can tell, the microsoft mce remote and receiver only work with MCE 2005 or windows vista. Anyone have success with it in xp home?

I have a Lite-On SK7551:
http://img.shopping.com/cctool/PrdImg/images/pr/177X150/00/01/5b/73/bd/22770621.JPG

I think I paid $17 two years ago. No drivers are required since it has a PS2 receiver. It has a little joystick for the mouse functions. I picked up the M$ remote and receiver/blaster. I paid $38 at newegg but this place has it for $29:
http://www.pcalchemy.com/product_info.php/pName/microsoft-mce-remote-control-for-windows-xp-mce/cName/remote-controls

The remote isn't bad but I'd like to pick up a Harmony in the future to cleanup the remote clutter. I hear the Harmony remotes work well with the Microsoft unit.

I have a Logitech EX110 keyboard/mouse that works great. They're pretty cheap. Works with either USB or PS2. I rarely use it though, as I can do all everyday stuff with the remote.

For the remote I just went with a cheap Philips Tivo remote. You can get them on ebay in the $10 range. I had to get a little creative with button assignments, but I really like it. I use it along with this serial IR receiver and lirc_serial (the one with the 6' cord):

http://www.irblaster.info/receiver.html#RS232_IR

All pretty cheap and I'm happy with all of it.

Tom