[BrianinColorado]

I've got a Mac setup in my home theater. This Mac does not have IR. I also have a projector and receiver to control. I need to be able to switch inputs on the projector and the receiver with one click. I also need to be able to control Plex and EyeTV. Assuming I add IR with Mira, can I control all this with a standard Harmony remote? Thanks for any insight. -Brian

 

[Further]

If you use the "search this forum" function on the main forum page (upper right), you will find much discussion of this topic. Some of it will certainly be helpful to you.

 

[BrianinColorado]

I did an extensive search on the topic. Thanks! What I'm looking for is info on using the Harmony to switch between apps, and use different HT apps such as Plex, EyeTV, Front Row, etc. Almost all the threads are related to Apple Remote emulation only. Will Mira or Remote Buddy help me do all this? Anyone have experience with this? Right now I have a Mac, Receiver, Projector, Subwoofer to control. Thanks! -Brian

 

[Tweeg]

The Plex developers have worked with Logitech to get a device set up in the Harmony database that combines buttons from 10 different Apple Remotes (every remote has a remote id which is sent as part of the IR code with each button press - this is how Apple accomplishes "remote pairing"). This gives the equivalent of a 60-button remote using the built-in IR receiver. It works well, and controls nearly every aspect of Plex. It's in the database as a Media Center PC with manufacturer "Plex".


Now, Remote Buddy is also capable of differentiating between multiple Apple Remotes, so you can use the same Harmony device entry with it and have 60 buttons to define in each application it controls. You could also set up buttons to act as hot keys to go to a specific app.


The only catch is that right now, you can't do both at the same time. Remote Buddy takes control of the IR receiver and interferes with Plex's native support. Remote Buddy can send "virtual remote" button presses to apps with native support, but they all come across as a single remote id, so Plex can't tell which button is which. Supposedly the next update of Remote Buddy will be able to pass the correct remote id to Plex.

 

[porkozone]

What about Mira? How does that work in real usage?


For instance, I'd like to have a Mac HTPC running eyeTV and Plex, and have it be controlled completely by a harmony remote for normal usage (by my wife). I sorta understand what is being said about the conflict between Remote buddy mentioned above, and am wondering as well about Mira.


Does Mirra handle the controlling of all apps, or is it just an additional app that is controlled by the remote, that just includes an application switcher? What I mean is if I use my remote to launch Mirra, then select Plex...is Mirra contolling Plex via the remote, or would the system now be using the built-in plex remote functionality. If Plex takes over, then how would you "activate" Mira once you've switched to a new app.

 

[scram]



Quote:
Originally Posted by BrianinColorado /forum/post/15523944


I did an extensive search on the topic. Thanks! What I'm looking for is info on using the Harmony to switch between apps, and use different HT apps such as Plex, EyeTV, Front Row, etc. Almost all the threads are related to Apple Remote emulation only. Will Mira or Remote Buddy help me do all this? Anyone have experience with this? Right now I have a Mac, Receiver, Projector, Subwoofer to control. Thanks! -Brian

My experience has been using Remote Buddy and a Harmony 550 to switch between and control various apps (itunes, Mythfrontend, firefox, MAME OSX, Google Earth, etc) as well as control the standard AV stuff on my receiver. Using the two-button trick (hold down "-" and "menu"? you should double check that one) I used 6 different instances of the mac IR remote to teach the harmony 36 unique IR commands. I could then use remote buddy to map those commands to various functions within applications.


The biggest advantage, IMO, is having a single button on the remote that when you are done watching/surfing/listening, puts the mac to sleep, powers off the TV, and powers off the receiver. I think this alone has paid for the price of the remote and software in savings on my electric bill.


So I think Remote Buddy will do what you are asking. I don't have any experience with Plex, but I do see a number of threads on the RB forum discussing building custom behaviors for Plex. You might want to browse through those.