Browse the web within MP remote controlled (user experiences, tricks, etc)

[userjan]

Hi all...

Coming from "Windows MCE 2005" MediaPortal has bien a breath of fresh air to me, love how the community has bien able to create a outstanding Media center.

Theres just one thing i'm missing in the way of options and that is a good way of browsing the internet from within MP controlled by a remote control.

I've tride lots and lots of things, from converting webpages to RSS feeds, mashing webpages and so on, that with me having no coding skills at all had gotten me nowhere.

The best (simple) solution i've found so far i will explain under here, but i have no doubt more people have bien playing wth this and have found better solutions, so i hope we can share it here...


Browser: Firefox v3 Firefox web browser | Faster, more secure, & customizable
Add on: Mouseless Browsing https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/879
Launcing trough "My Programs" in MP

This way i can launch/close firefox from within MP, the mouseless plugin gives numbers to links in a webpage, that way it's very easy to jump links just by pressing the number given to the link.



Downsides: not all links show up with number, lack of jumping into text fields to enter search strings, no way of selecting favorits or history

[Spragleknas]

There were plugins for Web browsing earlier (both IE and FF based), but they were a bit "buggy" and has not been updated or maintained for a long time.

Thank you for sharing, and hopefully more Tips&Tricks will follow. (I remember having some ideas about the layout etc., but my mind is blank ATM )

[clanmackenzi]

Not the solution your looking for I know... but I use a Logitech Air Mouse (diNovo) and it works a dream. The diNovo mini keyboard also has a number of hot keys that make browsing a breeze - back, zoom in-out and scrolling. I use both but its the air mouse that I find most useful.

Can't wait unti this is integrated into a remote!!!

[userjan]

In adition to my first post

Found a way to enter a search string trough a phone keyboard script, you will need "greasemonkey" in firefox to run the script.(install the script into greasemonkey)

Greasemonkey: https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/748
Phone Keyboard script: Cellphone Keyboard – Userscripts.org

The "search box" will get a number (mousless browsing plug) , you press that number to enter the"search box", then you can enter a search string like you would on a phone, pressing ok/enter will start the search.

0 = space - 0
1 = . / : " 1
2 = a b c 2
3 = d e f 3
4 = g h i 4
5 = j k l 5
6 = m n o 6
7 = p q r s 7
8 = t u v 8
9 = w x y z 9

So coming down pretty well so far, now working on a custom banner on top of every webpage to give me acces to the other needed webbrowsing controles.
This banner will be inserted into every webpage trough greasemonkey and also numberd by the "mouseless browsing" plugin, and with that it can be selected with the remote by pressing the corresponding number.

Im able to get a "Back button" in the banner working, I found a script for that, this works fine.

I still need buttons in this banner for "favorits/bookmarks" and "history", i thought this would be done easely by linking it to keystrokes.

Pressing the "favorits" banner button resulting in keystrokes "alt+b" to expand the bookmarks menu and "alt+s" to expand the history menu.

I havent found a way to get this done tho, i have no coding skills but maybe someone else here knows how to deal with that.

(hope this all makes sence couse it is way to late for me to work on shit like this )


ThX for the reply's guys, my goal is to browse the web just with the remote control

Peace

Not a nice banner, just to get an idea

[johngc]

Just found this post and have managed to set my media portal to open firefox as I want to be able to browse the BBC iPlayer site. The only thing is, I can't find a way (other than set it as a home page) to open the site direct. I would like a few icons ultimately to my favorite links. Any suggestions?

On another note, have you seen this? RemoteKC - use the Media Center Remote as a mouse, keyboard

It lets you use the MCE remote as a mouse and keyboard - it really is very good! I have only played with it for a few minutes to check how it works but so far so good.

[userjan]

@johngc Your the master "RemoteKC" is exact the functionality i was looking for.

If you want to launch the "BBC iPlayer site" just make a shortcut to the page and save it somewhere.
Then go into Myprograms configuration, create a "Application Launcher" and set it to launch your browser,
in the "argument" box copy the location of the hyperlink (like "C:\Program Files\Team MediaPortal\MediaPortal\Bookmarks\BBC.html")

Ones again really good find "RemoteKC" , i noticed it's also helpfull when MP is loosing focus, just select the mouse function and bring it back, i can imagen there are more situation im happy i got this option.

ThX

[Smitty2k1]

Originally Posted by johngc

Just found this post and have managed to set my media portal to open firefox as I want to be able to browse the BBC iPlayer site. The only thing is, I can't find a way (other than set it as a home page) to open the site direct. I would like a few icons ultimately to my favorite links. Any suggestions?

On another note, have you seen this? RemoteKC - use the Media Center Remote as a mouse, keyboard

It lets you use the MCE remote as a mouse and keyboard - it really is very good! I have only played with it for a few minutes to check how it works but so far so good.

Thanks, I've been trying to do this FOREVER! With my Harmony remote and my Antec Fusion's built in IR sensor I am able to close MP and open a browser, but I've never been able to type in the browser! Hopefully this will work like a breeze when I set it up tonight!