HD Homerun and WMC remote

The homerun is just a tuner that works in the background so it doesn't really have anything to do with the remote. Depends on what you want to spend. I don't have a fancy harmony. But I have had a couple wmc remotes. I love my hp one. Here is a link. I have a rosewill and like it a lot less. The HP was very easy to get used to and use without looking. The rosewill not so much.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/HP-PLUG-N-PL...#ht_500wt_1413

The generic Media Center remotes that can be purchased for sometimes less than $20 work fine with the HDHomeRun tuners. The remote is really controlling Media Center and it deals with the tuners. Later if you want to update to a Harmony remote, the IR receiver included with the Media Center remote will work with the Harmony remotes. The Logitech Harmony remote software includes a device for a MC PC.

Make sure the generic remote has the Media Center "Green Button" on it.

What's the real need for the green button because when I hit LiveTV on my harmony 300 it opens WMC and goes, live.

It will take you straight to media center. Half the time I want to open media browser instead of watching live tv. So green button is needed.

As the 1st stated, the tuner is not controlled by the remote, WMC is. There are several MCE Remote Control kits available in the sub- $20 range that work great. And, if you want a more integrated solution** the Harmony remote is really cool - I bought 2 refurbished 300's last year and they perform as expected!

**are you running just the PC or is this WMC a part of a TV, AVR, game-box setup?

Is there a button on the 300 that simulates the WMC green button?

Also any idea what the difference is between the 3oo and the 300i. It looks like one is shiny and one is not. I can't find any difference.

Since I can open WMC with LiveTV it wasn't something I could confirm although I have found you can "pin" an app to the taskbar and open it by assigning a Win-1, Win-2, Win-3 key sequence to a button on the Harmony! The Harmony forum is full of interesting discussion, and it's the Media Center SE code set you assign to get MCE functions. (Personally I use the 5 buttons up top that surround the TV-Input button for my custom needs.)

And you are correct - the difference is only cosmetic... 300 is matte gray/black while the 300i is hi-gloss (reflective & smooth) black in appearance.

It just insures that the "cheap" remote is a Media Center remote. If it has a USB IR receiver chances are it is. The Harmony 1 uses a "soft" touch key as the "green button".

If you just use a wireless mouse that has decent range, you don't have these issues.

A mouse controlling WMC? No. It works like crap. Watching tv with a mouse? Why.

Because it does everything you need to do.

Because it everything it with only two buttons.

Because it does everything without needing to take your eyes off the screen.

Because it doesn't require any additional equipment to buy or to attach to your computer.

Because it's a Windows computer program and all Windows computer programs are designed to be used with mice.

Because it doesn't require any additional setup.

I really don't understand why anyone uses a remote. To me that's just totally nuts unless you want to justify having wasted money on expensive remotes.

Most people don't use windows explorer to watch movies. They use a front end. And WMC is NOT designed to be used with a mouse. It actually works much worse with a mouse compared to a remote or even keyboard.

Don't state falsities as fact. That's total nonsense. It works just fine with a mouse and WMC7 had changes in design which make it work even better than prior versions. Do you think that was just accidental?

Just because you're use to something else because you think watching TV requires a remote, does not mean a remote is required.

Also, I'm not suggesting doing without a keyboard.

I agree. A mouse works fine with WMC. I use both because I had to wean my wife off the Tivo Peanut she was used to for the last 10 years but the mouse is the easier and more intuitive of the two.

Go use a mouse with mediabrowser and things will be scrolling all over the place. And now your recommending using a keyboard as well? Who really wants to sit at their couch with all that? Sure I have them around for doing updates and what not but for normal use its not practical.

The WAF is apparently very high with WMC and mice.

Who is talking about mediabrowser? We're talking about the HDHR and WMC.

But whatever. Go to your favorite program and then try to jump forward or back to any point in a program (e.g. 25% into it, 50% into it, 75% into it, almost at the end, etc.) with a remote. You can't do it. You couldn't do that with WMC for Vista either (which was the reference I made to that improvement using a mouse probably not being accidental).

How often do you think a keyboard is necessary? It's not even once a week, so it's not sitting on the couch.

This is going no where so I will just leave it alone.

In other words, you can't do that with a remote.

To be fair I will disclose the one thing that cannot be done with a mouse is some BR menus at the beginning of movies. Hitting "play." DVDs not an issue.

I knew you were going to have something smart to say. I can set MPC-HC to jump forward and back whatever length I want. So 30 minute jumps or whatever would be just as good as what you are talking about.

Anyways I have no reason to jump to 50%. The file will resume where I left off. Or I watch it from the beginning. I never had a reason to start a movie from 50 or 75% in.

Not the same thing, because you'd have to change the interval of the jumps to suit the needs of the particular program you're watching. And a 30 minute jump would make commercial hopping impossible.

I do that all the time, and it really bugged me with WMC couldn't do that with the prior version. For example, after the monologue in Saturday Night Live I use it to jump to the News. If a football game I'm watching has gotten totally out of hand, I'll jump ahead in about 10-15 minute increments. If I don't want to watch the interview on The Daily Show, but would like to see the Moment of Zen, I can jump over the interview. If I saw a part of a program the wife would like, I can jump back there after the show has ended.

I understand. There are two skip buttons on a standard MCE remote. I have one set for 30 seconds. And one set for 5 minutes. This works perfectly for me.

But you are correct when using the wmc player it only does 30 second jumps. Which can lag if you need to jump towards the end of something. Still beats messing with a mouse

You can jump to any time with the remote. For example, if you want to jump 6 minutes ahead, all you need to do is press "6-0-0-FFWD".
If you want to jump to the 15th minute of the recording, you press "1-5-0-0-PLAY".

Works pretty well.

CFC

Yep, works great. Actually easier than using a mouse. I already have a remote at my side for controlling volume while watching TV or movies on the computer. Why do I want a mouse also? And like was said above, a mouse is next to impossible to use with Media Browser, things do not stop scrolling!
I have a Rii keyboard/trackpad for use when I need one for updates, browsing, etc. But it NEVER comes out for TV or Movies.

There's no way that locating and hitting 4 different buttons on a remote is easier than using a mouse to just click one of two buttons to go where you want to go.

If I was willing to use a remote I'd have a DVR instead of a HTPC.

Whatever floats your boat I suppose. Keep fighting that fight...

CFC