[Android] Remote Control Design (1 Viewer)

[DieBagger]

Hi guys,

I'd like to have your opinion on how an android remote should be implemented.

So let's discuss:

• Which buttons are needed most
• which layout
• keyboard
• mouse

I would like to propose that the user can choose the layout he wants. So we could have a lightweight remote with just a few buttons (arrows, enter, back, info) like the apple remote and another one with more options in the style of wmc remote.

Attached are screenshots of a few existing remote controls, I also added the psd if someone wants to add additional ones (maybe design his own.

 

[Mike Lowrey]

I really question myself whether an application which works like each basic remote control is really reasonable.

I would the say main advantage of a smartphone remote control is that you are independent from an running tv or am i wrong?

 

[DieBagger]

I would argue that for many people this would be an important part of an android remote for mp (Not the only part o.c.). We can still discuss other options (browse Movie/Music collection, now playing, Remote Recording, etc.) but this thread is for the remote control part.

 

[kiwijunglist]

hmmm for the basic remote part I would have

up/down/left/right
enter
back
info

stop/rec/play/pause
rew/skip back/ffwd/skip fwd
ch+ / ch-

jump to home screen

power toggle (?send wake on lan signal if possible)

and maybe vol+/vol-/mute

maybe press keybd button that brings up a qwerty keyboard or numpad for typing.

if you make the remote server application emulate HID signals then people can use their existing microsoftmce.xml remote mappings + they can use the existing remote mappings editor. you can also use conditional properties eg. a key can have a different function depending on the active window id.

Quick mockup 800x400 but i forgot Ch+/- ;-P - lol also i think it should be 800x480 oppps

 

[joz]

if you make the remote server application emulate HID signals then people can use their existing microsoftmce.xml remote mappings + they can use the existing remote mappings editor. you can also use conditional properties eg. a key can have a different function depending on the active window id.

If you do that you might as well just use Eventghost and the webserver and create a skin for that...
I personally do not really need the remote part of the remote since I already have this setup. Stuff like nowplaying and music library browsing would be awesome though.

 

[kiwijunglist]

yup i agree music browsing on the phone and then queueing onto the client much more important to me too as I already have an IR remote.

 

[DieBagger]

Guys, this thread isn't about nowplaying or music browsing but remote control. Just open a new thread where we can discuss layout/functions/design of these features.

Complaining that "we don't want this but we want something else" will not motivate any dev to invest time in this. Making constructive suggestions/mockups/use cases will help your case far more.

 

[zicoz]

I'm thinking of this myself, but what I'd really love to see is a 3-screen remote, one with the basic remote functions, one with a keyboard, and one with a "mousepad".

 

[kiwijunglist]

I'm thinking of this myself, but what I'd really love to see is a 3-screen remote, one with the basic remote functions, one with a keyboard, and one with a "mousepad".

gmote already does exactly this. you can create custom skin for MP (actually lots of users have already done this so you can DL a premade one) also has keyboard and mousepad

 

[kiwijunglist]

see attached mug shots

the other idea is too have a custom remote display depending on where you are within mediaportal and what mediaportal is viewing.
eg. when viewing the tv guide the CH +/- button is actually zoom in / out etc etc etc.