What is the best remote control application / solution ???? (for both Mediabrowser and XMBC ? ) - Page 3

You need the RFX-250. The 150 was for the older MRF-300. The RFX-250i is for a different RF band. You need a basic RFX-250 (search eBay for examples). Your dad may still have it somewhere, have to just find the other end of that cable. The green connector next to it is also an RF input where you use the raw wires instead of the 3.5mm jack. It can all be connected with CAT cable as well. Otherwise you are good to go.

Notice the shiny smooth plastic front face? The MRF-350 can act as an IR blaster so you don't need any IR emitters for testing.

If they goal is to send keyboard commands from a remote to a pc, then run a long USB extension from your PC to wherever your remote happens to be

Then comes flirc (yes flirc.tv)

It's ridiculously easy to setup. Once configured it can be moved to any other computer as well and settings are stored. I set it up to send the WMC keyboard commands for most buttons, and since XBMC supports MCE remotes it acknowledges the same commands. I only had to add "m" and "c" to other buttons for XBMC

I also mapped Alt+F4, Shift+F10, tab, backspace, and Alt+Tab for conventional computer use along with Win+1, Win+2, Win+3, etc for pinned application launching from the taskbar

I use this remote since I already owned it for my PS3 http://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0172/7870/products/blu-link9_medium.png?3269

I also picked up a basic learning universal for $5 at microcenter for my second flirc

My living room AVR and TV have HDMI-CEC. Samsung calls this Anynet, and the onkyo receiver just calls it HDMI-CEC. I set them up to stay powered together, i.e. when the TV power button is pressed it relays the same command to the receiver. I also had the option to let the TV volume buttons control the receiver volume. Then I used a cablebox code for the universal so it would allow almost every button to send an IR command. I changed the power and volume buttons by "learning" the appropriate commands from the TV manufacturer remote. Everything else got mapped in the Flirc config software to it's appropriate WMC keyboard shortcut



I like buttons. I've always thought the downside to expensive remotes was the "screen." Once WMC/MB or XBMC is set up properly, I don't need macros for "Watch a Video" "Watch TV" or "Listen to Music." It's pretty obvious from the menu options on the screen. I mostly need up, down, left, right, enter, back, and exit

The only thing that would truly ice the cake would be rechargability. Only the built-in screen remotes seem to come with a charger. The other thing that annoys me is the "TV" "Sat" "Cbl" "Aux" buttons. What was obvious to me at the age of 5 seems to have baffled older generation relatives of mine for years, and they really are a nuissance since we should really only need power/volume with an appropriately setup HTPC. If I had one remote that was rechargeable, had one power button (which it could learn), had learnable volume buttons, and looked nice I would be happy. Until then I just make sure to press the "Cbl" button at the top often. I'm very fortunate that the wife ALSO knows what to do when the buttons don't work

I don't know if it's the best, I'm sure there are plenty of good IR -> USB devices

I also have Asrock Mobos, but I'm not sure how well that IR receiver learns other remotes IR commands. Also the included remote doesn't appear to control anything but the HTPC. If it could learn volume commands or power commands for a tv or receiver it would be what you need.

I like the simplicity. It looks very similar to the Ceton Echo remote, which I also like. I'm extremely minimalist for remotes. I want every button to be useful and nothing that could be mistaken or duplicate should be present. This is all just my personal preference of course.

Flirc will work with any IR remote. It captures the remote's command and writes it to a keystroke stored within non-volatile memory.

There is a beta firmware that allows a flirc to wake your computer from sleep assuming you have a motherboard that supports wake from a usb keyboard

The remote you choose to pair with the flirc shouldn't really control much else since this would interfere with what you're doing. i.e. if pressing menu brings up a TV menu, it will still do this. For this reason, I just enter an incorrect device code into my universals, like a motorola cable box (which I don't have). That way the buttons don't do anything until I map them in the flirc config. Afterwards, all I need is the ability to control the TV/Receiver power/volume. My previous post describes this, but a "learning remote" should let you override a specific command. For example, I use a "Motorola Cablebox" template for the commands. Map all the buttons to something useful in flirc config. Then I want to override the "Power" button, because I would rather have "Power" turn my TV on and off. I take the manufacturer TV remote, point it at the learning universal, and press power so that the universal remote copies the TV remote's IR code for Power. From then on, "power" is the same command for either remote and either one will turn the TV on/off. Now I throw the tv remote in a drawer and just use the universal remote

I have a Flirc guide for you to check out if you want to see it in action. It works very well.

Sounds just like EventGhost. You let it receive any IR signal (1982 Sony Betamax Play button) and then make it trigger the MCE Play command.

If you want to have some real IR "fun" you should try Homeseer. I send my lighting commands from my remote via RF that gets converted it IR, runs through 35' of CAT cable, into a USB-UIRT connected to my server, that is received into Homeseer and triggers an event to send the proper Z-wave lighting command from the attached USB Z-wave controller. You can also use Homeseer with the USB-UIRT to transmit IR from IP signals sent from iRule.

Yes and no

The beauty of flirc is that you can pair it to ANY remote. Meaning a remote that can control your other stuff (TV, Receiver, lights, ??)

I've never used the Asrock remote. I looked at it's spec, and I couldn't find anything that indicated it could control anything other than your PC

If you go that way, you have to get a TV or Receiver remote and sit it next to you for Power and Volume commands. Then you grab the asrock remote for everything else. This is 1999 all over again.

If you go with something like I suggested you'll have 1 remote. If the asrock remote can learn the IR command to turn your TV on and off and adjust receiver volume then it could work just as well

Just get a MCE IR receiver. Not sure why you think you need flirc. You can program or learn the WMC codes into the MX-900 so no need to map alternates with flirc.

Just get the HP MCE IR receiver. It works well, has a transmitter, and is cheap.

The headphone like jack on the IR sensor is only needed if you are going to transmit IR. You connect an IR emitter to the jack.

Since you are going RF you will just slap an emitter onto the face of the IR sensor and can hide it behind/under something. Looks shouldn't matter.

Just find the cheapest USB IR receiver. It doesn't matter if it comes with a remote or not. Just don't get one of the Antec solutions... I just don't see the need for FLIRC when just starting out. You'll need the IR receiver anyway to use it so just see how things go without it at first.

If you have access to a Harmony you can program in the Window Media Center SE device and learn all these commands which are compatible with a standard MCE IR receiver

http://forums.logitech.com/t5/Harmony-Remotes-Programming/Expanded-control-for-Windows-Media-Center-now-available-in-our/td-p/374844

Win + - (plus or minus key) Zoom in or out.

Win-

Win+

Win+Up: Maximize

Win+Down: Restore / Minimize

Win+Left: Snap to left

Win+Right: Snap to right

Win+Home: Minimize / Restore all other windows

Win+T: Focus the first taskbar entry

Win+F: Open Windows search

Win+E: Open Windows Explorer

Win+Space: Peek at the desktop

Win+G: Bring gadgets to the top of the Z-order

Win+P: External display options (mirror, extend desktop, etc)

Win+M: Minimize all open windows

Win+1 / Win+2 / Win+3 etc (Hotkeys for programs added to the Quicklaunch)

Win+M: Minimize all open windows

Win+Tab: Flip 3D

Win+Shift+M: Undo all window minimization

Win+Home: Minimize all but the current window

Win + L: Lock the computer

Win + R: Open ‘Run’ command



Alt+1 / Alt+2 Alt+3 etc (Hotkeys for Video card display settings)

Alt+Esc: Cycle through all open windows

Alt+Tab: Switch to previous active window

Alt+Enter: Display properties for the selected item

Alt+Space: Pop up window menu

Alt+F4: Shutdown current window





Ctrl+A: Select all items in a document or window

Ctrl+C: Copy the selected item

Ctrl+X: Cut the selected item

Ctrl+V: Paste the selected item

Ctrl+Z: Undo an action

Ctrl+W Closes the tabs for most web browsers

Ctrl+Shift+Tab: Left Navigation through the web browser tabs

Ctrl+Tab: Right Navigation though the web browser tabs

Ctrl+ESC: Opens the Start menu

Shift+Del: Permently deletes an item and bypasses the recycle bin

Shift+F10: Opens Shortcut Menu

The rosewill controller I bought was just a usb dongle. I use it with my RF20 and I use Eventghost to map the buttons to anything I want. Keyboard commands seem more useful to me than mce commands.

An MCE remote would be easier in that you don't have to program anything though.

The Imon Ir receivers can be nice b/c some of them connect to your 24-pin motherboard connector so they can power on/off the machine. Not worth the extra money though.

Sounds like a plan. Just need a USB IR receiver and a RFX-250.

For someone like you a gc-100 could be very interesting. I plan on picking up something similar eventually.

^^^ LOL, you beat me to it

First result, BTW.

The GC-100 is IP to IR. Sort of backwards when not using a WiFi remote.

I didn't mean it as a suggestion for his current project.