iRule - Page 266

Blaster is just like a mini-remote. Instead of a point-to-point (sticker), it is a small pen like thing that blast out IR to multiple devices. The range usually around a few feet.

Ah okay. Since this is going to be behind a closed closet door I think the sticker type of emitters would be best for me to just place right on the device.

I think I may order the 6" version of the one I posted earlier and then get some dual IR emitters and run those.

Thanks for the pointers.

Not sure of your equipment but some devices have IR inputs in which case you can plug in directly and save an emitter.

Sorry if I am not clear enough. The blaster can work on a closed closet door as well. You need to place it just a bit in front of your device.
However, I do feel like emitter works better as it tends to be faster and more responsive.

I have no problem using a blaster off the IP2IR to control units ten or twelve feet away, including a projector, a TV, and a blu-ray player using just one blaster in the front of the room. I get no lag compared to the other emitters.

I just wasn't sure if it would have the range to control devices on different shelves. Here is a pic of my shelf with my stuff on it right now.



I'm going to have a cable box next to the 360 shortly once I get one from Verizon. I finished getting all of my stuff setup this weekend in the closet now that my in-wall wiring is done, so I'm ready to be able to control it with it in the closet.

Would 1 blaster be able to hit all of the devices on the top 2 levels there? My AVR works without an adapter so it is only the consoles and eventual cable box. And yes I know I need some kind of BT2IR device for my PS3 to work with these things.

I think it also depends on your device sensitivity to IR.... If I have a choice, I will always go with emitter, especially you only have a few (a 2-way or 3-way on each port should do perfect). In my case, I had 8 devices including a Lutron light... I was not able to use the blaster on my Lutron light controller (it is not quite really at line of sight), and one of my NMP is not receiving well, so I use 2 IR emitter and 1 blaster (all included as part of the IP2IR package). The blaster works most of the time, but my dish VIP722 sometime is not responsive enough so I might ditch the blaster and get a 6-head emitter... will see.

Okay well cool man thanks for the input. I think I may order the 6 inch version of the one I posted above and get some of the 2 or 3-head emitters, just in case.

Sv: iRule

Well guys, we are talking about infrared LIGHT - at 300,000 kilometers per second distances measured in feet aren't going to have much effect on device reaction times.

My IP2IR blaster is taped to the top of the equipment rack, which aims it toward the ceiling at a 45 degree angle. It controls 3 devices. Projector is in direct line of sight but the other 2 (TV and screen) are effectively behind the blaster so they require the signal to bounce back, off walls and ceiling, to reach them.

Works 100%


Skickat från min LT18i via Tapatalk 2

Does iRule support any of the HDMI-CEC adaptors out there currently. I have a Samsung, and I would love to use IP control to issue commands to the HDMI adaptor to be able to (finally) control my TV.

Here are the ones I found:

http://mattroche.bo.lt/pulse8
http://mattroche.bo.lt/kwikwai

I suspect there may be others

Would irule owners consider irule an improvement over a pronto 9600?

You are correct that there's no effective time difference between sending IR via a blaster or emitter in theoretical terms. However, in practice, there is a significant difference.

iRule can send IR commands out very fast. With a blaster, every device in the rack "sees" every IR command. Generally, this isn't a problem, but there are times when a succession of IR commands (in a macro for instance) can flood the input buffer of a device and make it unresponsive. The net effect is that with a blaster (or if you're feeding an IR distribution system), you'll probably end up with some significantly longer delays (several seconds in some cases) to make the macros work reliably. Again, this isn't typically a problem, but just something to be aware of. If your commands work individually, but you're having trouble with macros, you're probably using a blaster or IR distribution, and you need to increase your delays.

This can sometimes be the source of the "responsiveness" comments with regard to blaster vs. emitter.

Cheers,
SC
Edited by ecrabb - 1/23/13 at 6:41am

Segregate your blasters so they don't broadcast all commands to all devices.

I sold my 9600 and accessories in Aug 2010 and have been super happy with the switch to iRule.

I wouldn't hesitate to recommend the same move today.
Clam

Yup! I had a Pronto NG for years. IMO, iRule is far superior. You can't argue with that beautiful iPad sized screen. I could never go back.

Thank you for the feedback. One last question. I was looking at the hardware and how do I determine what to get? I want to be able to control my equipment through ir and wifi were I can. Thank you everyone.

The advantage of pronto is there are hard switches


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

You can't control your equipment with wifi. The communication protocol with a hand held device is wifi only between it and your router. The equipment is actually controlled by a controller that is attached to your LAN. There are several factors in choosing a controller (gateway).

1. How many components do you have that need to be controlled?
2. Where are the components located? If they're in several locations, you may need several controllers.
3. How many handsets will ultimately be used to control everything?
4. How many of your components can be controlled through their Ethernet port? If all of them can be controlled through IP, you will need no hardware at all.

I have a pretty simple system. All of my components are in one location and all of them are controlled via IR, except my DirecTV box, which is IP.
I use a single iTach IP2IR and at the time, it was less than $100. The iTach only has 3 IR ports but I'm using dual emitters so it can control 6 components, and probably more. When using the IR blaster on the iTach, the number of components that can be controlled with IR are almost unlimited, the only determining factor being location of the components.

I have completely retired IR with a combination of IP and RS232. I use my Nexus 7 with iRule, my wife uses her iPhone with roomie. Previously I was using Net Remote 2 and Girder. Anybody need a USBUIRT?

Willie

I can't speak for all devices, but I have found the Denon AVR-3311c to be exceptional and very easy with iRule

What is your component stack?

My needs are pretty simple:

Denon 4311>Lumagen Mini 3D>JVC RS4810
Into the Denon:
Roku HD
Oppo 103
2 PCs (I use MCE Controller for each one)

I am using a GC-100-12 for RS232.

I just found this at Walmart for Cdn$129 and I thought "what a great solution for iRule !"

It's an Android 4.0 tablet with a d-pad, joystick, and gamer buttons. It would be awesome to use the d-pad for navigation (something you like to do without looking down at the remote) and the touchscreen for all the other iRule goodness!

Does anyone know anything about this unit ? Any way to capture the buttons in iRule builder ?

What do you mean by segregate the blasters?

I see where you say that you use MCE Controller. I used to use that and it was a descent program. I would like to say that Event Ghost is MUCH better. I know there is a learning curve, but once you get the hang of it, there is no comparison. Several things that I tried to do with MCE Controller were not possible, but with Event Ghost, EVERYTHING works flawlessly. If you have any desire to learn about Event Ghost, there are a few videos posted on youtube that can assist you in defeating that learning curve.


What exactly do you do with the RokuHD? I use XBMC for my entertainment center. Is it similar but in a hardware format?

Andy's post got me thinking...

I'm going to be using a 7" tablet for irule and only for irule, so no other apps, surfing, etc. Do I really need to drop $200+ on a Samsung, Nexus or ipad mini??? Or can I use one of the cheap no name tablets that are well under $100?

That is what I am trying to optimize. I did have a cheap-o 7" tablet that I picked up for C$89 and it worked quite well with iRule .... except the WiFi sensitivity was inconsistent. It was frequently losing the wifi even though it is only 10' away from the AP. Not a good thing for a remote.

That's what I am afraid of with the cheaper ones. I'm still in the budget and planning stages of irule and want to make sure I get the right equipment.

Make sure you don't get a cheap tablet with a Resistive touch screen. Those suck and you pretty much need to use your fingernail instead of your finger.

I got the kids a super cheap android tablet on a black friday deal for $49. Some of these tablets, including the ones I got my kids, are not registered with google so have no native access to the playstore. they have their own ways to get apps on them or you can download the apks from various spots on the web (irule has theirs available at their site).

I found a way through the android development community to root these tablets and install the playstore. But, as others mentioned above, these low end tablets tend to have poor resolution, very poor wifi and short batter life. All of which make using them for dedicated remotes less than ideal.

The original Kindle Fire is what I am using as my main remote and it serves me nicely. It has a screen resolution of 1024x600, all day battery life and excellent wifi reception. Available new for $159 it is hard to beat. I rooted it and installed Android Jelly Bean and am very happy with the results. My wife liked the original Kindle interface and uses irule on hers too.

I keep eyeing the $199 Google Nexus 7 and Kindle Fire HD though.


I keep toying with adding some iRule pages to my kids' tablets to see how they go. I already have a headset designed for my HTC Incredible that has the same resolution. 3in phone with the same res as a 7in tablet. You can really see how cheap those tablets are.

I don't think there is any reason to break the bank to get a nice table experience with iRule but going ultra cheap probably isn't the way to go either.