Hello,

I was wondering if anyone had any information on controlling a home theater system with a HTPC. I have a rack full of equipment and am not finding the remote control of the equipment that I can work with. All the good control (AMX, Crestron, RTI, etc.) have software that is difficult to obtain and requires extensive tutoring. What I would like to do is find some sort of RS232 & IR control that I can program from my HTPC (also located in the rack). Any suggestion?

Thanks,

Marty

If you just need IR control from a windows HTPC you could download AIVMS (http://home.comcast.net/*********/0D3.htm)and then grab a USB-UIRT (http://www.usbuirt.com/order.htm). Its certainly the least expensive solution and it does more than costly software like Girder while still remaining quite easy to use. You can create windows desktop shortcuts that send IR signals, and control an entire AV system with your mouse, keyboard, or even an old remote you have laying around.

Thanks for the reply.

I have a fairly flexible setup and was hoping to utilize some of the equipment to control the entire system. My htpc is located in the rack with a receiver, dvd 400 disc changer, dvd player, cd changer and russound distributed house audio system. As part of the htpc, I have a Viewsonic smart panel connected to the htpc. I can use the smart panel for IR as a remote control, but it is still not reliable. What I was hoping was that there was some type of "add-on" to the computer via rs232 or usb that I could program commands through RS232 (5 of the equip have rs232 control) and ir on the rest for a more stable control.

Marty

A typical PC will have at most 2 serial ports, and some newer systems have no serial port at all. With USB to serial adapters, the cost and wiring can become a nightmare. Unless you actually need two-way communication, IR is usually the best way to go. If you are having issues with IR signal reliability, then the real solution there may require using external IR emitters (blasters) positioned in optimal locations. The IR signal from the USB-UIRT is extremely strong all by itself, and I have never needed an external emitter.
You can pretty much throw "ease of use" out the window when you enter serial AV control, as there are very few standards there. You might get lucky and find some software or hardware that supports all of your equipment without having to create serial interfacing criteria yourself, but that is not normally the case, and it certainly wont be inexpensive. You may want to check to see if you can find serial control applications for each of your components, smart developers usually supply some means to interface with their software externally from another application such as AIVMS.

I believe I have found the perfect answer for those who want more than a programmable universal remote but still cannot afford or do not want to delve into the high end control environment.

It took a little research but I was able to come up with Cinemar's HomeLobby and MLServer. This combo is the perfect solution and I already have control over three serial devices and will be working on the ir devices going forward. The DVD plug in is amazing and the neighbors are amazed and I am only beginning.

For what a high end remote would cost, a person can have complete control over the AV equipment and most any other thing around the house. The interface is totally customizabe and there are plug ins for many of the equipment types available.

I can't say enough good about the Cinemar software. Only your imagination is the limitation. Small learning curve, but well worth the effort.

Thanks for your suggestions.

Yeah, tons of options in the HTPC-software-control space.

I like my setup too, esp as you're not locked into a single UI, and can design your own PPC interface to boot. I setup mine so that I can control it over the Cingular network, turning on the stereo, starting a TV show or DVD. I use it when my wife's parents are babysitting, and they can just call me to start up something for the kids.

Screenshots in the site in my sig.