Best Remote for IR (3 Viewers)

[Brenner]

What is the best RemoteControl that will work together with the MediaPortal?

 

[EViS]

I'm using a USB-UIRT along with a Logitech Harmony 525. Absolutely lovely device!

 

[bolders]

I am using the Microsoft MCE remote which comes with 2 IR blasters. The remote works great and is very responsive as well - its much better than the standard hauppauge remote i used to use.

It has great support in MP especially when used with and-81s IR Server suite plugin. With this plugin you have great blasting capabilities as well.

The support thread for IR Server suite is here (It has to be said and-81 provides awsome support for his plugin)

https://forum.team-mediaportal.com/...-165/ir-server-suite-version-1-0-4-1-a-33512/

If you want to control a lot of devices with the same remote then a programmable remote would probably be your best bet such as the harmony 525 sugested. However the harmony is about twice the price I paid for my MS remote and it doesnt have a reciever so if ur PC hasnt already got one built in you will have to budget for this too.

I think the USB-UIRT reciever/blaster the previous poster is using costs $50 + $20 for international shipping. So the total outlay is then approx 3-4 times what I paid for my MCE remote with reciever (assuming ive done my conversion from dollars to pounds correctly ).

However if you are interested in the USB-UIRT the web site is here

USB-UIRT Web Site

bolders

 

[JDWestoby]

I spent ages looking at remotes a few years ago (see RemoteCentral).

The one I >USE< is a programmable HomeTheatre MX-500, lots of hard buttons and a small LCD screen for naming (20 per device, 10 devices) special buttons. It's a learning remote but it's the only one I have around.

I'd bought the MCE remote and "use" this configuration in MediaPortal as already noted it works well and has an IR receiver on a long string.

My main advice is to go for something you like the look and (if possible) the feel of. I avoid LCD remotes (had a Pronto amongst others) simply because you HAVE to look at them, hard buttons you can just use by touch. Programmable remotes avoid a lot of clutter and battery searching and YOU can decide what keys do what.

(My spouse used to point the pronto at the ceiling to see the screen and press the screen and complain that it didn't work very well - in absolute terms I agree! It was good fun to play with though.)

 

[AIstudio]

The one that I am currently using, and VERY impressed with is the Logitech Harmony ONE.
You set it up in there online control panel after creating an account. You then add the devices that you want to controll on a dropdown menu system (huge database of devices already).
You can then setup what activities you would like and how it is to control your equipment. Once done it then sends the data,by usb, to your remote. The romote also stores the account info

The remote has a small touch screen display and you can control devices directly, or run in activities mode.
Once in activities you can say "watch tv" this will turn on your tv to the correct input, turn on your amp to the correct input/inputs etc.

It is a fantastic peice of kit

VERY IMPRESSED so far

Kev

 

[Kenny_mp]

I also have the Harmony One, it really is a great remote...

However i dont know how to use it with my HTPC and Mediaportal, i have the USB-UIRT thing so my question is if i can use my Harmony One with a program like Girder...

 

[AIstudio]

The way I have my media remote configured at the moment is with a Microsoft receiver that came with the Microsoft remote for the hardware.
I have the pluggin Ir server and the tray launcher installed from the pluggins section. As I am running vista I disabled the media centre functions operating from the OS. I set the green button to launch media portal.

When I setup my Harmony One I added the media centre as a device and media portal is actually in the list.

When I go into my devices on the harmony one and select the media centre I can then launch media portal from start on the touch screen, or ok on the buttons in the centre of the direction arrows

works great so far, although i need to configure it to operate KMplayer etc when they are playing videos in there. A lot of the buttons work for KMplayer anyway so I haven't messed about much.
To close any application I mapped the stop button to exit (normally Alt+F4 for most applications).

Seems to work pretty well.

You can also setup activities on the Harmony One. If all your devices are of and you setup watch tv as an activity you can then set that so the pressing "watch tv" on the touch screen it will turn on the tv, turn on the av amp (and select the correct output that you specify), go to tv in media portal and in my case turn on the rear lighting behind my screen
The activities is like setting up macros really but through a nice gui.

The list of devices in the setup is huge. I had to send my arcam avr back as it wasn't working properly (another story).
I dragged out my very used kenwood av amp that is around 15yrs old. went in to the device settings for the harmony one and it was in the database. FANTASTIC

Would recommend the Harmony One to anyone.

Kev

 

[karasardelis]

I have a Harmony and it works nice... my wife prefers that. For me, I got a Gyration Media Center Remote that now i can't live without it... Go for it... it ROCKS!!!

 

[RoXoR]

I'm using a harmony 555 together with the antec fusion case.
Here you can find a tutorial: IR Server Suite to resolve Remote Control Problems - My Home Theater PC Project

 

[SpudR]

MCE - it just works! No messing about.
Cheap too:
Microsoft Windows Media Center Hardware Kit V2