IR remote for your computer

[superbaby]

http://www.evation.com/irman/index.html

Have you guys ever seen this? I was looking at the supporting software and there seems to be a ton of it! Being the lazy bastard that I amI would love to have a remote like this to control literally everything.

I am thinking of getting those aftermarket Sony remotes with lots and lots of buttons

Also I run Win2k, think I'll run into any compatibility issues with it?

 

[pyr]

I recall seeing something similar that you could just build yourself. still it only cost 35 and it would be about the same to do it yourself... now if only they would ditch the damn serial port!

 

[Viper GTS]

Make that with a USB connection, & you'd have a winning product, I bet...

I dunno about watching DVD's with it, my computer's so damned noisy I shut it off to even talk on the phone.

Viper GTS

 

[superbaby]

Hmmm I have a SB Live! Platinum 5.1 that comes with a remote.

Does anyone know if I can get third party support from such programs like uICE or Girder?

I would hate to waste this remote, since it does JACK now... I hate Creative's properitary programs, they are juuunk.

 

[ArkAoss]

dont most mobo's now adays support the irda header?
then its just a matter of getting the right software to run it

 

[sandorski]

Cool! I've had a PC remote for 2 years now and the software that comes with it was hard coded for specific functions. With your link I've found some customizeable software.

 

[superbaby]

Glad I helped someone

The IrDA header on the mobo is quite different from the IR devices that are standard on the market. The protocol I believe is completely different and much much faster. There are 1-2 two motherboards out there that DO receive standard IR signals but they are kinda old.

Sigh I just ordered the Irman, I hate Creative, why do they make everything so dumb? It's so useless... that remote does NOTHING!!!!

 

[jaydee]

With the Platinum's remote you can also control music and DVD's. Don't know about 3rd Party.

 

[Kuato]

If you're looking for a good remote, the x10 mouse remote is the best one I have found and it's cheap. Plus, it's RF and IR, so it doesn't need line of sight for pc and it'll control your tv/vcr/cable with IR.

The remote is here

x-10 mouse remote

There's also a great freeware program to use the remote with any software app. It's here:

Max 10 software

Sorry for sounding like an ad.. it's just one of my favorite gadgets.

Rob

 

[subhuman]

I really don't like X10, their website is all gimmicky with rebates and stuff, no straight-up prices, and THE ACTUAL PRODUCT is rather flaky/buggy. For example, they must not use debounced buttons, because the remotes I got from them don't work more than say 75% of the time, I have to keep pressing, and pressing to get it working.

I would say stay away from X10 if at all possible if you want quality stuff. THe iRMan comes highly recommended over at the AVSForums.com

Anyone know of a similiar device that comes with a remote and is RADIO FREQUENCY? (RF). And, then perhaps, a IR receiver -> RF converter so we can still use other remotes if we're in the visible radius...

 

[Workin']

I'll heartily agree with Kuato!

The x10 MouseRemote using the maX10 software has to be the coolest gadget around. I've been using mine for about 1 year, and could not be happier. In fact, I recently bought a second MouseRemote to have in reserve in case my original one breaks or wears out, I like it so much.

I looked around for a while at many of the other remotes mentioned here, and they are all really limited and expensive when compared to the MouseRemote/maX10 combo. However, the software that comes with the MouseRemote is so lame that if that's what you used, you'd think the thing was the biggest POS you've ever seen.

The MouseRemote is $25, maX10 is freeware, and it works with Win 9x and 2k, don't know about Win Me. You can control ANY software app with this combo, it's super easy to program, and it can also generate on-screen feedback for your commands. It also gives you a pad that can control your mouse cursor. And, as Kuato pointed out, it's a "universal" remote, so it can control your TV and other stuff, too.

Now I sound like a commercial!

EDIT: Subhuman sneaked in while I was writing my original post. The X10 website is certainly a sight (pun intended!) to behold, but who cares? I actually paid for about $50 worth of stuff from them and have received about $150 worth of stuff FREE using their rebates, etc. that he is complaining about! The X10 stuff I have, and it is a considerable amount (over 20 items), is as good as any other mainstream stuff out there, IMO. All my buttons work fine, nothing has broken or worn out, and it is used EVERY day. My only complaint is that after you buy something, X10 tends to send you about 4 e-mails every day, but lots of times it's for free stuff, so it's not a huge ordeal.

 

[superbaby]

Wow that x10 website is really something, looks VERY iffy if not for your recommendations. I would be very skeptical about purchasing from that place.

 

[Workin']

Yeah, their website is a virtual textbook of how not to do it. But I have ordered from them more than a dozen times, and always receive the stuff promptly and as ordered.

They are definitely not fly-by-night, there are companies out there who are independent resellers in the home-automation market who sell and install their lighting, security, and HVAC control products. X10 was (is?) the original home automation protocol, they got started making equipment to control lighting and appliances using commands carried over your AC house wiring.

So besides my MouseRemote controlling a PC for DVD and mp3 playback through my big-screen TV and audio system, it also (via X10 modules) controls all the lighting in my home theater (i.e., family) room, my garage door opener, and garage lights.

 

[Madcowz]

I'm sure there is a way to hack the Creative RemoteManager software to allow you to control 3rd-party software or even customize it however you want. I see it as very possible in fact, I just don't have the programming skills to do it. I'm sure if you look hard enough, someone will have that type of software out

 

[superbaby]

Perhaps one of us capable web monkeys could go and redesign their site, it looks absolutely horrid, something like those scams you get in your e-mail. In any case I like the customizing ability of the Irman more, and the ability to choose your own remote, I'm thinking something with a lot of buttons

Creative's RemoteCenter is a piece of crap. It controls nothing but it's own programs, and those are crap too. I tried loading it to see if it was halfway decent... nope, I specified a directory where all my MP3s where, it spent the next 5 minutes thrashing my HDD, then crashed. It was totally useless. I have uninstalled all Creative software with the exception of the programs that actually control the SB Live! 5.1. The Creative remote is sitting on my desk now looking real pretty, and I bet it's a non-standard remote too... won't be able to use it with Irman... SIGH

I doubt third party software would come out anytime soon, the IR port goes through the LiveDrive IR, which in turn goes through the SB Live! card. You would have to figure out the interface for the SB Live!, then figure out whether or not it supports LiveDrive IR... then with all the different flavors of SB Live!... they could support the LiveDrive IR too, even thinking about it gives me a headache. I don't understand why companies release useless stuff, I mean if you are gonna release it, why not do it right? But I guess there's just some things I don't understand.

Products should be rated on their usefulness, not their features or specs or FPS... :disgust:

 

[subhuman]

What I'm saying about X10 is, if I want a $20 gadget, I shouldn't have to pay $50 for it, just so I can get "$150 worth of stuff for 'free.'"

Be very wary of quality. From my experiences, my girlfriends experiences, and from those of the AVSForums experiences.

 

[superbaby]

I agree, usually paying for cheap things will end up costing you more as you need to repair/replace them. It's sometimes not even worth the time. Pay for quality and that's what you get

 

[Workin']

<< What I'm saying about X10 is, if I want a $20 gadget, I shouldn't have to pay $50 for it, just so I can get &quot;$150 worth of stuff for 'free.'&quot; >>

subhuman, I know what you are saying, but in my experience that has not been the case. The only thing I &quot;bought&quot; from them was an I/R extender, and it was $39.95. The EXACT SAME item is sold at Radio Shack under the RS name and at many electronics stores under the X10 name for $49.95! After that one purchase, everything else has been FREE. And it has all been working flawlessly for nearly a year of every day usage. Obviously your mileage may vary, just like with anything else. But I'm not sure where you see you are paying $50 for a $20 gadget.

I looked at the $38!! (plus remote unit!) IRman and as far as controlling your PC goes, the $25 X10/maX10 combo is FAR FAR FAR more &quot;customizeable&quot;, without hacks or hunting for software and remotes that will work with it. But I understand if someone has different preferences, that's why there is more than one choice. I just wanted to share my extermely positive experience with this item.

The AVSforums have lots of good information but plenty of &quot;snake oil&quot;, too. Just like these forums and everywhere else in life, I guess.

 

[ArkAoss]

hey if you want infra red easy control, I have a heyboard, touchpad thing by abit or asus or some body, its the same size as (but slimmer than) the ir keyboard for the websurfer things, i get killer range, and with mirrors or pictures, i can control my pc from a few rooms away, up close their's some tricky acuracy problems, but from a distance it's impecable, but those remotes your talking about sound worth giving a try, doesnt x10 make some web cam's too? i hear their cams are real good too

 

[bigjon]

I've ordered several hundred dollars' worth of stuff from X10 over the years, and have never been ripped off. They've been around for over 20 years. Granted, their website looks like a circus, but the company behind the site is very real.

I have 2 mouse remotes, it uses a serial connection so it's very easy to write a program that will read from the COM port so you can interpret the remote commands yourself. I installed X10's software a while back, but wasn't impressed with it (the mouse part is not very functional - too hard to use effectively). I wrote an MP3 jukebox program that allows playlist changes from the remote. And since it's RF, it works from the living room (the output of my sound card goes to the living room too).

All in all, the hardware part of the MouseRemote is excellent, but the software support is a little lacking.

 

[superbaby]

You can control the lights and stuff with the X10 as well right?

I would actually be interested in that if my mom wouldn't go ballistic if I started tearing up the wiring in the house. LOL actually I'd wire her bathroom... turn out the lights when she's in there... muahahaha...

I think that I lean towards the Irman because you can use literally any aftermarket universal remote. I was browsing through some this morning and they have many many buttons, but the X10 MouseRemote only has a couple.

You can also program aftermarket remotes to do other things as well.

I think that's the versatility I want because I have so many IR devices in my room, I currently have 4 remotes on my desk and I keep losing them.