Netflix (+YouTube) - what's your HTPC control solution

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mdf

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#171684 27-Apr-2015 20:23

Netflix has recently come to significantly greater prominence in our household. We have a Windows 8.1 HTPC, primarily running MediaPortal for recorded Freeview and DVDs. While this works quite happily with a traditional remote, both Netflix's browser based and Windows Metro/Modern apps seem to rely on mouse input, particularly the choose-an-episode menu tree.

I'm ideally looking for a WAF controller that will drive both Netflix and MediaPortal. Extra bonus points if it is YouTube friendly. So I think something that has a remote on one side and a keyboard on the other would be perfect. However, I do have other wireless keyboards that can be repurposed if a good non-keyboard option was out there.

Phone/tablet apps are a non-starter.

Are the el-cheapo models on TradeMe worth it (previous bad experiences there)? Do "air mice" actually work? Or is there a way to make Netflix more remote friendly on a PC? (I haven't been able to get the Netflix MCE plugin work).

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#1292498 27-Apr-2015 20:27

Ditch the PC and buy a fire tv or roku. Run a plex server and use the Plex app on the Roku/Fire TV.

mjb125b

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#1292557 27-Apr-2015 21:04

I have a Windows 8.1 HTPC as well. Primarily used for Netflix, You Tube, Plex and Spotify.

I use one of these babies. Works like a champ if you can keep the kids from spilling softdrink over it

http://www.geekzone.co.nz/content.asp?contentid=16935

turb

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#1292583 27-Apr-2015 21:36

I use the Logitech K400 which seems basically the same. I agree about the left mouse button. Simple idea but very useful.

Interests: HTPC, Web App authoring.

mdf

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#1292603 27-Apr-2015 21:47

mjb125b: I have a Windows 8.1 HTPC as well. Primarily used for Netflix, You Tube, Plex and Spotify.

I use one of these babies. Works like a champ if you can keep the kids from spilling softdrink over it

http://www.geekzone.co.nz/content.asp?contentid=16935

It would be nice if it was just for me, but keyboard only options rate low on WAF.

"How do I stop?"

"B"

"What?"

"Press B"

"What?"

"Press the key B"

"The letter B?"

"Yes"

"What's that got to do with stop!?"

Regs

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Snowflake

#1293114 28-Apr-2015 19:59

considered a "smart" TV? Netflix and YouTube usually built in. YouTube can often be used with smartphone app or web browser to browse on device but play from TV. You can get TVNZ and TV3 ondemand apps too if its a Sammy.

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Snowflake

#1293115 28-Apr-2015 20:01

btw, I use personally use Win7 + Win Media Center - does Freeview+Netflix plus browser with keyboard if needed, and an Xbox One which does Netflix, youtube, other tv on demand apps etc. a harmony 650 remote to make it all single-button switching between win7/xbox/onkyo-amp

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ech3lon

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#1293131 28-Apr-2015 20:26

Why not Chromecast? I've got an htpc hooked up but still use chromecast for YouTube / Netflix, it's so much more convenient that keyboard/mouse/touchpad combo.

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Vocus

#1293137 28-Apr-2015 20:48

Android TV box, using a MELE brand air mouse. When you flip it over, there's a keyboard (and it automatically disables the air mouse).

Quick to use and reasonably intuitive for anyone familiar with a touch screen tablet. It works like a wiimote but without the positional detection, you point it at the screen and move it like a laser pointer (but it doesn't actually care if you point it at the screen or not) - surprisingly accurate. And you can use cursor keys if you want to, but I'd never go back to a roku style remote after this.

Stu

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#1293294 29-Apr-2015 08:50

Harmony remote (something like the 650 at about $65) and a Flirc?

People often mistake me for an adult because of my age.

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reven

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#1293361 29-Apr-2015 10:00

I usually use my samsung smart TV. But I also use Netflixbmc for kodi. This works really well and I have very little issues with it. Works completely from remote. Also can use youtube from kodi well.

If a smart tv isnt an option, I would use kodi and use the mediaportal tv pvr addon in kodi and do things that way.

geekiegeek

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#1293366 29-Apr-2015 10:06

Basically a really nice single box solution doesn't exist. Personally I use an HTPC (Mediaportal) for downloaded content and TV and an Apple TV for Youtube, Netflix and Hulu.

Both have a fully remote driven interface, add a Harmony remote and its all driven by a single remote.

mdf

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#1293373 29-Apr-2015 10:24

Thanks for the suggestions.

I was in Jaycar for something else and picked up a $40-odd Digitech remote. It's not on Jaycar's website and the distributor lists it as discontinued, so I'm guessing it's end of life.

It's only okay, so I'll probably be on the lookout for other solutions.

On the pro side:

- it has a keyboard with a Blackberry 9900 style optical mouse on one side, and an ordinary remote control on the other
- the remote side will fully drive Media Portal, and playback of Netflix and Youtube. You only need the keyboard side (incl mouse) to select what you want to watch (as an aside, I've had to switch back to the browser version of Netflix. The Metro app doesn't seem to respond to any keyboard input except spacebar and volume keys. Which is a shame because it actually looked really nice on a TV).

On the down side:

- it's IR only, so not a perfect signal between remote and TV
- it's designed to drive a TV with the remote side and a PC with the keyboard side. The computer IR sensor doesn't seem to pick up the remote side commands. This is fine as we've got a FLIRC which I set up to respond to the remote side commands. Seems dumb to have two IR receivers, but there you go.
- Though in some ways the IR receiver ignoring remote commands was a good thing, as I didn't realise until I got home and actually looked at it that the remote doesn't have any playback keys (play/pause, stop, next, previous). Duh. I was able to set these up using the red/green/blue/yellow keys, which work fine.
- It took some fiddling to get it set up with FLIRC. I ended up setting the remote as a Hauppage (you enter a code from a booklet) and that worked fine, but it took a few trial and errors to get there.
- the remote seems to go to sleep. The first keypress seems to wake it up, so you're often pressing twice.

Stu: Harmony remote (something like the 650 at about $65) and a Flirc?

Does this provide mouse input? I had a look at the specs and couldn't see anything to this effect.

Sideface

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#1293383 29-Apr-2015 10:44

mdf: ... keyboard only options rate low on WAF.

"How do I stop?"

"B"

"What?"

"Press B"

"What?"

"Press the key B"

"The letter B?"

"Yes"

"What's that got to do with stop!?"

Doesn't appeal to me either ... "unintuitive" is the polite way of putting it

Sideface

Stu

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#1293400 29-Apr-2015 10:58

mdf:
Stu: Harmony remote (something like the 650 at about $65) and a Flirc?

Does this provide mouse input? I had a look at the specs and couldn't see anything to this effect.

It has up/down/left/right and a centre button to use as left click? Just have to find a way to map the buttons the way you want them.

People often mistake me for an adult because of my age.

Keep calm, and carry on posting.

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SepticSceptic

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#1294206 30-Apr-2015 12:00

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