Remote Recommendations

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sfrasernz

227 posts

Master Geek

#28090 18-Nov-2008 13:32

Does anybody have any recommendations on the type of Remote Control to control my GB-PVR HTPC with? I'm looking at spending up to around $100.

Some options I'm looking at are:

Compro Videomate K200 USB @ ~$100
http://www.comprousa.com/en/product/k200/k200.html

Genius Universal Media Centre Remote 300 @ ~$55
http://www.ascent.co.nz/productspecification.aspx?ItemID=367023

Hauppauge MCE Remote Control Kit @ ~$60
http://www.ascent.co.nz/productspecification.aspx?ItemID=343689

Thanks

nzwogboy

93 posts

Master Geek

#178732 19-Nov-2008 08:25

Have got both the Genisis and the Hauppauge, have not tride the compro. Problem I found with the genisis is the vol and power learning buttons do not learn all commands, couldn't get them to work with my panasonic, had trouble with learning philips commands as well.
I would definatly recommend the Philips MCE remote, I think PB Tech are the only ones that have them now though http://www.pbtech.co.nz/index.php?item=JOYPHS0511. You can learn comands into pretty much any button plus it has universal features, PC, STD, DVD etc. And they look nice. You should not have any problems with the learning as philips are the remote kings.

Nety

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#178782 19-Nov-2008 12:20

Have you considered one of the low end Harmony remotes? You can pick them up for $100 or less and the leave the programable remotes in the weeds.

They support basicaly any device you can think of and do macro's. ie hit the button to watch tv on the media centre. It will turn on your media centre, turn on the TV put the TV on the right input, switch the media centre to watch TV.

http://www.logitech.com/index.cfm/remotes/universal_remotes/&cl=nz,en

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hairy1

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#178793 19-Nov-2008 12:53

How would you use the Harmony for an HTPC without an IR port? Is there a cheap way around this? I am looking to get a Harmony as they look to be the best bang for buck but don't know how I am going to control XP media center without built in infrared.

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sfrasernz

227 posts

Master Geek

#178800 19-Nov-2008 13:37

Are all IR Receivers created equal? Would one of these work http://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/Listing.aspx?id=188504752 ?

nzwogboy

93 posts

Master Geek

#178802 19-Nov-2008 13:38

You would have to buy another standard MCE remote kit as well like the hauppauge one. Are you trying to control STB's from the PC or anything because if so you will have to amke sure you get one with IR blasters.

nzwogboy

93 posts

Master Geek

#178804 19-Nov-2008 13:39

sfrasernz: Are all IR Receivers created equal? Would one of these work http://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/Listing.aspx?id=188504752 ?

No I do not think this would work, and no all IR receivers are definately not created equal.

Nety

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#178812 19-Nov-2008 14:05

hairy1: How would you use the Harmony for an HTPC without an IR port? Is there a cheap way around this? I am looking to get a Harmony as they look to be the best bang for buck but don't know how I am going to control XP media center without built in infrared.

You would need to get a external IR receiver. Personally the best one I know of is the MS remote and receiver

http://pcpacific.net/product_info.php?products_id=1441

However am sure there are other options.

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nzwogboy

93 posts

Master Geek

#178814 19-Nov-2008 14:11

MS Ones have stop being made, you may find they no longer have them. If you are just going to use the external IR receiver, not the remote, I would get the Hauppage on as its IR receiver is a lot more discrete/smaller than the MS one plus it has a detachable USB cable. Plus it comes with a sticky pad to stick it to something. The benifits of the MS one are it has a really lnog USB cable but you cannot detach this. They both have two IR blaster outs. They both seem to be just as capable when it comes to quality etc.

Here is a link to Hauppauge one http://www.pbtech.co.nz/index.php?item=JOYHGA0001 Its pretty cheap from PB.

Asmodeus

1015 posts

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#178815 19-Nov-2008 14:13

Nety:
hairy1: How would you use the Harmony for an HTPC without an IR port? Is there a cheap way around this? I am looking to get a Harmony as they look to be the best bang for buck but don't know how I am going to control XP media center without built in infrared.

You would need to get a external IR receiver. Personally the best one I know of is the MS remote and receiver

http://pcpacific.net/product_info.php?products_id=1441

However am sure there are other options.

Cool, so to use the blaster with it, you just program the harmony with the mce/hauppauge remote commands and you're off?

nzwogboy

93 posts

Master Geek

#178817 19-Nov-2008 14:17

Also whichever one you get make sure it has IR blasters even if you are not control STB's as you can use them with software such as LM remote. I don't have a universal remote, just a standard MS one. To watch TV I simply press the green button on my remote, it turns my TV on, switches it to the right input and Im away. To play XBo i simply press one of the Teletext butons on my remote, this turns TV on if it is not on and switches the TV to the right input, really cool software. Google LM remote.

Nety

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#178820 19-Nov-2008 14:21

Asmodeus: Cool, so you just program the harmony with the mce/hauppauge remote commands and you're off?

Somewhat stealing the OPers thread here but yes. When you set up the harmony you tell it what equipment you have (MS media centre in this case) It then sends out the correct commands to the receiver.

Asmodeus

1015 posts

Uber Geek

#178836 19-Nov-2008 15:00

Nety:
Asmodeus: Cool, so you just program the harmony with the mce/hauppauge remote commands and you're off?

Somewhat stealing the OPers thread here but yes. When you set up the harmony you tell it what equipment you have (MS media centre in this case) It then sends out the correct commands to the receiver.

Cheers! Not trying to thread hijack, I am looking for remote solutions at the moment too. Was gona start a thread about it today but it had already been done

nzwogboy: I would definatly recommend the Philips MCE remote, I think PB Tech are the only ones that have them now though http://www.pbtech.co.nz/index.php?item=JOYPHS0511. You can learn comands into pretty much any button plus it has universal features, PC, STD, DVD etc. And they look nice. You should not have any problems with the learning as philips are the remote kings.

Now that looks nice and seems like a good product. Is there a way to combine that with an IR blaster to control an stb? Same method as with the harmonys?

nzwogboy

93 posts

Master Geek

#178840 19-Nov-2008 15:14

Asmodeus:
Nety:
Asmodeus: Cool, so you just program the harmony with the mce/hauppauge remote commands and you're off?

Somewhat stealing the OPers thread here but yes. When you set up the harmony you tell it what equipment you have (MS media centre in this case) It then sends out the correct commands to the receiver.

Cheers! Not trying to thread hijack, I am looking for remote solutions at the moment too. Was gona start a thread about it today but it had already been done

nzwogboy: I would definatly recommend the Philips MCE remote, I think PB Tech are the only ones that have them now though http://www.pbtech.co.nz/index.php?item=JOYPHS0511. You can learn comands into pretty much any button plus it has universal features, PC, STD, DVD etc. And they look nice. You should not have any problems with the learning as philips are the remote kings.

Now that looks nice and seems like a good product. Is there a way to combine that with an IR blaster to control an stb? Same method as with the harmonys?

The philips one is a proper MCE remote, so it just works with any MCE receiver. But the Ir receiver that comes with it does not have blaster functions (there other models do but they are not coming into the country). So if you need to blast, the best to di is buy one of those and one of the hauppauge kits and then sell the hauppauge remote and the philips IR receiver as a kit. They work fine to gether as they are all porper MCE remotes and blasters, though I think they may only work with vista.

sfrasernz

227 posts

Master Geek

#180203 25-Nov-2008 13:58

After some deliberation over the last week or so I went out and bought a Philips SRM 7500 remote control from PB Tech for $100. Info here: http://www.pbtech.co.nz/index.php?item=JOYPHS0750

This is a pretty cool unit. It uses RF to talk to the HTPC but also IR for talking to other boxes in the living room. It also has an LCD screen and interfaces into iTunes or WMP so you can control your music using the LCD screen. And because its RF you don't need to have line of sight to your PC. My HTPC is in the wardrobe so this is a good thing.

Some of the buttons weren't mapped properly because I'm using GBPVR so I found some software called Intelliremote to fix this. (http://melloware.com/products/intelliremote/) This software is cool and is the only program I could find that supports the SRM7500 (most other remote mapping software like HIP only support IR remotes). Whats really nice about this software is that it detects the program you are running and can load a different profile and change the button mappings. So if I'm running GBPVR the button mappings can be different than if I was running iTunes.

The buttons are nice and responsive and ten times better than my more expensive Harmony 885.

All in all I'm very happy with the remote. Now just need to spend some time getting the buttons mapped correctly.