Bluetooth remote control using Sony Ericsson phone - anyone interested?

[cheetah05]

I was thinking of writing a guide in the wiki for using a Sony Ericsson bluetooth enabled phone as a remote within MP.

Advantages:

• Uses pre-established software so it pretty much 100% guaranteed to work as long as you have a supported phone.
• Easy to setup (relatively) - no software to install on your phone, only 1 *OPTIONAL* plugin to enable in MP (no config needed).

Disadvantages:

• Only works with sony erricson bluetooth phones.
• Need a bluetooth enabled dongle/inbuilt bluetooth in pc.
• No further development - there is nothing to develop, it can only ever be used as a remote, so it won't show things like what's currently playing etc.....Search the forums for "Bluetooth Remote" if you are looking for that.

Supported Phones:
K700, S700, V800/Z800, W800, W700, K600, K750, W550/W600, Z525, Z520, W900, W810, K618, Z610, K610, K510, Z550/Z558, Z530, W300, K800, K790, W710, Z710, W830/W850, W880, K810, W610, K550, K320, Z750, W660, W580, K530, K850, W910, K770

This also includes all models (of the above phones) with an [i] on the end (eg. K750i) and all SE (second edition models) of the above phones.

....so before I spend a few hours writing the guide, would anyone actually be interested in this?

[dukus]

I am, i have a w810.

[cheetah05]

Since i don't have much time because something has come up and i don't have a clue how to add to/edit the (Tell me how and i will), i will do a quick guide here.

What you need:

• Supported Sony Erricson Phone.
• Bluetooth on your PC (Either via Dongle or inbuilt).
• Shortcut'er Plugin *OPTIONAL*
• Sony Ericsson Bluetooth Remote Control HID creator application.

Choose what you want the keys to do:

On most phones you will have 14 keys that you can actually assign something too. Those 14 keys don't need to include:

• Up
• Down
• Left
• Right
• Select
• Volume Up
• Volume Down

...as these keys are for the navigational stick/panel and the volume keys on the side of the phone.

Once you have chosen what you want your keys to do, you need to find what the keyboard shortcuts are for those actions, the ones I usually choose are:

• Home Menu
• Back
• Rewind
• Play/Pause
• Fast Forward
• Previous Chapter
• Stop
• Next Chapter
• Mute

Once you have your list, remember it/write it down including the keybaord shortcuts.

Create HID Remote Profile

You may want to install and enable the plugin for MP here (Shortcut'er), which enables you more navigation functions within MP

Install the sony developer program and open it. Choose your phone by selection File->Change Phone.

On the right hand side you will see the keys you can assign. Click in the box and press a key, that key will then be assigned to that phone key. For instance if you wanted [1] key to go to the home menu, then you would click in the combo box next to the [1] and press [H]....and so on.

Then you can create an image which will show while the remote is open on your phone so you know what the keys do...totally optional. You then import that image and save the hid profile.

Pair the phone with the computer:

Next, you need to pair the phone with the computer by whatever software you use, be it Bluesoleil or the inbuilt microsoft bluetooth stack - it shouldn't matter.

Once paired, you need to send the HID profile to the phone, the phone will then put the profile in the right place.

Optimize settings on phone:

To save battery on your phone, I would go into the bluetooth options and set the "Power Mode" to save.

Also, you don't need the bluetooth switched on all the time, so i would switch it off. When you open the remote control application, it automatically switches on the bluetooth and switches it off when you are finished.

Try the remote

Open media portal, then on your phone goto Main Menu->Entertainment->Remote Control and select the HID profile you just sent to your phone. You may have to select which device you want to control the first time you use it, but from then on, it will automatically connect to the last device.


------------------

N.B. when i actually figure out how to create the wiki guide i will post some HID profiles for phones as they get requested so you can skip that whole section out

[Marcusb]

hey, this looks good, thanks.
I use the default HID on me SE for controlling MP, but the button config sucks.
I'll check out the SE HID app, it may be quite useful.

Cheers,
Marcus.

[MikeGTi]

This would be ideal for me but i have a problem.....

I have plugged in a USB Bluetooth dongle and windows has installed it etc and i have paired the pc to the phone exchanging a Passkey etc. I can send & recieve pics between the two but when i try to connect the phone to the pc as a remote it just keeps saying "Bluetooth connection failed"

When i have had a look on the net it seems other people have had this problem but i cant find any solutions. So i was just wondering if anyone had any ideas.

Im using a Sony Ericsson K750i

Any help would be much appreciated.

Cheers

[cheetah05]

Originally Posted by MikeGTi

This would be ideal for me but i have a problem.....

I have plugged in a USB Bluetooth dongle and windows has installed it etc and i have paired the pc to the phone exchanging a Passkey etc. I can send & recieve pics between the two but when i try to connect the phone to the pc as a remote it just keeps saying "Bluetooth connection failed"

When i have had a look on the net it seems other people have had this problem but i cant find any solutions. So i was just wondering if anyone had any ideas.

Im using a Sony Ericsson K750i

Any help would be much appreciated.

Cheers

What bluetooth software are you using? ....or are you using the inbuilt microsoft software?

[MikeGTi]

Originally Posted by cheetah05

What bluetooth software are you using? ....or are you using the inbuilt microsoft software?

Microsoft i think mate

[cheetah05]

Delete the phone from the Devices in the Bluetooth Stack (software). Then click on "Add Device", select the phone, typ e in a passkey, let it pair and then leave your computer for 5 minutes (don't do anything).....you should see a load of drivers install if its done it properly and detected all the services properly.

[MikeGTi]

Originally Posted by cheetah05

Delete the phone from the Devices in the Bluetooth Stack (software). Then click on "Add Device", select the phone, typ e in a passkey, let it pair and then leave your computer for 5 minutes (don't do anything).....you should see a load of drivers install if its done it properly and detected all the services properly.

I have done that and it came up in the bottom right corner of the screen saying the hardware is fully installed and ready to use. It also came up on the phone asking for permission for the computer to use the phone as a remote, to which i said Yes. However when i try to connect the phone as remote it still says "Bluetooth connection failed"

[cheetah05]

Ah wait....sorry, I know why it won't work (i think).....its because you are using the stunted version (default version) of the microsoft bluetooth stack (software) which doesn't support the remote control profile......possibly anyways.

What bluetooth dongle/adapter have you got?.

.........Also open up the bluetooth stack (software) and click on the "options" tab and print screen and upload it.