Apple iPhone Web-Based Remote

Beechus · 2008-02-02, 14:02

Started on: 2008-02-02
last update: 2008-02-02

Summary:
Apple iPhone / iPod Touch Web Based Interface

The XBMC have a web interface so that people can log access their entire library via their PC, just like a really cool remote control. Someone devloped(using lots of java) an iPhone plugin for this web-interface, which uses the iPhones nice interface to control XBMC over wifi!

Description:

Functionality would be:
Native application for interfacing (over Wi-Fi) with HTPC(s) around your home running media portal.
Ability to browse library and start playing anything
Ability to navigate around like a standard remote control (i can imagine this being difficult)
To see what is currently playing
Stop / Pause / Resume / Control Volume
Start TV, change channels, set new recordings...

+ ability to connect remotley over EDGE / Wi-Fi to your HTPC.. HOWEVER, it would be intelligent enough to realise that it's not on the same network as the HTPC, so you would get reduced functionality, such as:
-Set new recordings
-Other suggestions?

I would love to be able to use my iPhone as a remote control for my HTPC... And with the Official iPhone SDK just around the corner.. it could be a nice new feature for MediaPoortal..

What do you guys think?

The_Stig · 2008-02-02, 14:07

Damnit...that would be ultra-cool!!!

Beechus · 2008-02-02, 15:02

There are two ways of implementing this feature:

1) Via a web-server on the HTPC, which has a client front end in Mobile Safari

http://developer.apple.com/iphone/de...ngcontent.html
http://stepchange.typepad.com/blog/2...ping-an-i.html

2) Via a web-server on the HTPC, which has a native iPhone app client front end

Not sure on what our rules are for devloping native apps with an open SDK... So if anyone is interested in devloping a native app, i'll let you google that info...

wurmi · 2008-02-08, 12:01

Using a ipod touch as a mediaportal remote control would be just great.

Beechus · 2008-02-08, 12:06

iPod Touch and iPhone share the exact same software.

I dont have the skills to write this software, but i would love to help and learn, so come on ppz, if you want this feature, lets get it developed!

MoPhat · 2008-02-08, 12:09

Why not creating a small frontend for any smartphone/pda with wireless access?

MoPhat

Beechus · 2008-02-08, 12:37

That could be done via the use of a web-server, using java... but one of the ideas here was to write a native application for the iphone. This would mean no loading time for web-pages (which is a big problem for XBMCs remote)

wurmi · 2008-02-10, 11:52

Hi,

Quote:

Originally Posted by MoPhat

Why not creating a small frontend for any smartphone/pda with wireless access?

That would be an idea.

I tried the 2 existing "webinterfaces" for mediaportal. none of them were running smoothly. Both didn't cover the main functionalities of mediaportal (browsing your media files), they focussed (only) on tv (recording).

I think both projects aren't updated anymore for a long time. Is anyone still working at such a webapp?

TranceManNZ · 2008-02-10, 18:15

You guys have read my mind. This would be a very nice idea indeed.
Look forward to seeing the result.

FlyinWhee · 2008-03-09, 19:12

This is a really interesting feature I'd be interested on working on. I have no previous experience developing for MediaPortal, but I'm currently reading up on what it would imply.

I wonder if anyone from the MediaPortal could help me here, I need some info on how to make this work - what kind of info I can fetch from MediaPortal, how a plugin can control MediaPortal.

The way I see it, all I really need to work on this is a way to extract all the media info (basically read every Sqlite DB) and mostly have a "server-side" script taking in the "orders" from the websever and sending them to MediaPortal.

Anyway, I'd like to give this a shot - anyone competent with MediaPortal willing to help would be great.

2008-02-02, 14:02	#1 (permalink)
Beechus Portal Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Middlands Age: 22 Posts: 61 Thanks: 2 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post Country: My System	Apple iPhone Web-Based Remote Started on: 2008-02-02 last update: 2008-02-02 Summary: Apple iPhone / iPod Touch Web Based Interface The XBMC have a web interface so that people can log access their entire library via their PC, just like a really cool remote control. Someone devloped(using lots of java) an iPhone plugin for this web-interface, which uses the iPhones nice interface to control XBMC over wifi! Description: Functionality would be: Native application for interfacing (over Wi-Fi) with HTPC(s) around your home running media portal. Ability to browse library and start playing anything Ability to navigate around like a standard remote control (i can imagine this being difficult) To see what is currently playing Stop / Pause / Resume / Control Volume Start TV, change channels, set new recordings... + ability to connect remotley over EDGE / Wi-Fi to your HTPC.. HOWEVER, it would be intelligent enough to realise that it's not on the same network as the HTPC, so you would get reduced functionality, such as: -Set new recordings -Other suggestions? I would love to be able to use my iPhone as a remote control for my HTPC... And with the Official iPhone SDK just around the corner.. it could be a nice new feature for MediaPoortal.. What do you guys think? Last edited by Beechus; 2008-02-02 at 14:18. Reason: Added remote connection comment

2008-02-02, 14:07	#2 (permalink)
The_Stig Portal Tester Join Date: Apr 2005 Posts: 702 Thanks: 14 Thanked 2 Times in 2 Posts My System	Damnit...that would be ultra-cool!!! __________________ Some say he works as a tester for Team Mediaportal and some say that he smells bugs, even before they are written into the Code. All we know is, he's called The Stig.

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2008-02-02, 15:02	#3 (permalink)
Beechus Portal Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Middlands Age: 22 Posts: 61 Thanks: 2 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post Country: My System	There are two ways of implementing this feature: 1) Via a web-server on the HTPC, which has a client front end in Mobile Safari http://developer.apple.com/iphone/de...ngcontent.html http://stepchange.typepad.com/blog/2...ping-an-i.html 2) Via a web-server on the HTPC, which has a native iPhone app client front end Not sure on what our rules are for devloping native apps with an open SDK... So if anyone is interested in devloping a native app, i'll let you google that info...

2008-02-08, 12:01	#4 (permalink)
wurmi Portal User Join Date: Jan 2008 Posts: 2 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts Country:	Using a ipod touch as a mediaportal remote control would be just great.

2008-02-08, 12:06	#5 (permalink)
Beechus Portal Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Middlands Age: 22 Posts: 61 Thanks: 2 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post Country: My System	iPod Touch and iPhone share the exact same software. I dont have the skills to write this software, but i would love to help and learn, so come on ppz, if you want this feature, lets get it developed!

2008-02-08, 12:09	#6 (permalink)
MoPhat MP Donator Join Date: Jun 2007 Age: 35 Posts: 638 Thanks: 4 Thanked 40 Times in 10 Posts Country: My System	Why not creating a small frontend for any smartphone/pda with wireless access? MoPhat

2008-02-08, 12:37	#7 (permalink)
Beechus Portal Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Middlands Age: 22 Posts: 61 Thanks: 2 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post Country: My System	That could be done via the use of a web-server, using java... but one of the ideas here was to write a native application for the iphone. This would mean no loading time for web-pages (which is a big problem for XBMCs remote)

2008-02-10, 18:15	#9 (permalink)
TranceManNZ Portal Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 48 Thanks: 1 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post	You guys have read my mind. This would be a very nice idea indeed. Look forward to seeing the result.

2008-03-09, 19:12	#10 (permalink)
FlyinWhee Portal Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: Joliette Age: 24 Posts: 10 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts Country: My System	This is a really interesting feature I'd be interested on working on. I have no previous experience developing for MediaPortal, but I'm currently reading up on what it would imply. I wonder if anyone from the MediaPortal could help me here, I need some info on how to make this work - what kind of info I can fetch from MediaPortal, how a plugin can control MediaPortal. The way I see it, all I really need to work on this is a way to extract all the media info (basically read every Sqlite DB) and mostly have a "server-side" script taking in the "orders" from the websever and sending them to MediaPortal. Anyway, I'd like to give this a shot - anyone competent with MediaPortal willing to help would be great.