Initial install, my orbiter is my tv, what remote to use?

[drjenk]

Hi,
I do have a USB-UIRT installed, and it is receiving, because I can train codes for AV equipment (can't transmit, but that is another post, which I have found a fix for).  But I have not purchased a fiire or any other remote yet, is there a remote that might perhaps work?  I do have a xbox media center remote, and I think I recall reading somewhere that this would work, but it doesn't.  I see the usb-uirt blink though.
I know that you assign IR codes for AV equipment in the home page for functions, but where do you tell linux mce what remote to recognize?  Are there predefined ones somewhere? 

I have browsed around the interfaces page on the admin screen, and I do see the usb-uirt.  Down below there is a "device pipes used", is this where I assign a "remote"?  I am still wrapping my head around this "pipes" thing.

Thanks

[tschak909]

There is a page in the wiki for training a new remote for the USB UIRT, but I can't remember the page title.

As for the "pipes", this is for a different use entirely. They are used to tell LinuxMCE how your audio and video equipment are connected together so that LMCE can figure out which devices to turn on and off, and manipulate in response to things like changing volume, etc.

-Thom

[darrenmason]

drjenk,

When the USB-UIRT installs it adds support for a Windows MCE remote as default - so I guess the initial answer to your question is that this would be the easiest one to support. Pretty much all keys are mapped to logical functions withing linuxMCE.

Additionally, as thom mentioned any infrared remote can be used by training it.
See http://wiki.linuxmce.com/index.php/Add_support_for_new_remote_controls
You basically press a button on it, the log file says that it doesn't recognise a particular code so you map a function to that code. I did one the other day and it took a little time but worked fine. So if you have a remote of some sort already then you can use it.

Regards
Darren

[drjenk]

Is this the page?

http://wiki.linuxmce.org/index.php/Add_support_for_new_remote_controls

Is there a different way that uses the automatic code capturing like the AV remote training windows do?

[drjenk]

Wow we must have been typing at the same time.

Ok I'll have to brush up on my vi it appears.  It's been years.  hjkl, i for insert (?), esc :wq! for write.  I shall give it a shot.

Thanks

[drjenk]

So if I were to buy one of the popular remotes I see mentioned, such as the fiire chief or the gyro mouse (forget what it is called), is that supported out of the box, plug and play?

[tschak909]

both the gyration go mouse and the fiire chief are supported natively.

-Thom

[drjenk]

Ok,
The gyro go mouse has limited buttons.  I imagine that if I want a single remote to control all of my gear, such as a pvr, receiver etc, I'd need the buttons (volume, channels, menu etc) that the fiire chief provides.  Is this a correct assumption?

Thanks

[Zaerc]

Ok,
The gyro go mouse has limited buttons.  I imagine that if I want a single remote to control all of my gear, such as a pvr, receiver etc, I'd need the buttons (volume, channels, menu etc) that the fiire chief provides.  Is this a correct assumption?

Thanks

No it isn't.

[drjenk]

Please elaborate

[tschak909]

UI2 was designed to be able to be controlled entirely by the Gyration Go Mouse, initially.

Features like volume control, channel changes are accessed by the grey buttons on the bottom, and hand gestures are used to manipulate them.

-Thom

[skeptic]

I'll add my impressions as well. 

The easiest and most convenient IMHO is a plain old remote that has the 4 colored buttons.  On the down side, you can't use an IR remote and have LMCE control the volume of some TVs via USB UIRT.  It appears the IR signals from both interfere or confuse the TV and the volume doesn't change.  I'm not sure how common this problem with volume is, but it affects me and I know at least one other person has the same issue.

I also have a gyration go mouse.  It's kinda cool, and surprisingly enough my wife really likes it.  It works great for general navigation, picking videos to watch, etc.  It also controls the volume just fine.  To me it's a bit clunky for things like changing volume or fast forward/rewinding a video.  With a regular remote you just push the appropriate button.  With the GoMouse you press a button to pull up a block of icons, then hand gesture over to the item you want to control, then hand gesture left or right to control it.  I guess it's all personal preference, but there are two big drawbacks.  The mouse pointer disappears in Myth, so if you watch TV, watch recorded shows, or schedule things to record from within Myth then  you need another remote.  The second drawback is battery life.  A plain old remote goes for months on a new set of batteries, probably once a week my GoMouse has been left off the charger for too long and it's dead.  In the next version of LMCE Myth stuff is being changed to be more integrated in LMCE, so it may be possible to use the GoMouse for everything at that time.

The fiire remote or the gyration remote (not the go mouse) would probably be pretty good options.  Not IR so no issues with volume.  Buttons for quick access to volume/channel/fast forward/etc. and air mouse functionality for menu navigation.  If I could get one cheap I would, but I just can't bring myself to pay $150 for a remote.

Mobile Orbiter on an iPaq, Nokia pad, etc.  Easily the coolest remote.  Not sure about battery life or if you have to go through some boot/load process before you see the remote each and every time you use it, or if it just goes into a sleep mode.  I just found out there is a JavaMO (java mobile orbiter) and it SHOULD work with my phone if I get a blue tooth dongle, so I may try that out. 

[seth]

 
I use a Gyration Remote (Non-Fiire), Windows MCE remotes, Logitech 880 (Set as MCE remote) , and laptop orbiters. As my gyration remote is not loaded with Fiire's custom firmware, I use xev and xmodmap (I have a wiki for this) to enable features like play/pause. I do mostly use the Gyration mouse feature for just about everything. However, I like having the numeric keypad, as it is sometimes faster just to put the channel number in manually, rather than fire up the cube, which is extremely cool, but sometimes it is easier to hit in the numbers.

Just as a test case, my Gyration remote can also learn codes, so I first programmed the "TV" button keys to run my TV, then I learned every key on the  MCE remote over top of it, leaving only the power button still mapped to the TV. This was just because I was bored though, and wanted to see how much useability I could get out of the remote.

MCE remotes, Gyration Air Mice, and the Fiire remote work out of the box.

Regards,

Seth

[drjenk]

[quote Logitech 880 (Set as MCE remote)
[/quote]

I actually own a harmony 880.  So to set it as an MCE remote, I see I can add a windows media center device, is that all I do?  I can try it out when I get my box back (another post).

Thanks