Request for remote control functionality in client

[vsonerud]

Hello!

I wonder if the following functionality is possible in the SageTV client or if not maybe added "soon":

I would like to be able to control the playback of recorded shows from the SageTV client, but "ON" the SageTV server machine.

In other words, I do not want to have the recordings streamed from the SageTV server machine to the client machine. I just want to control the playback on the server machine.

Ok, so why do I want this:

* My potential SageTV client is a rather old laptop, with a crappy TV-out and which do not have the CPU-power by far to playback MPEG2 recordings.

* My SageTV server machine is placed in my office, 2 rooms away from the living room, but with TV-out connected to the TV in the living-room by a 15meter long SVideo-cable (same goes for audio)

* I'd love to be able to operate the SageTV software using a remote control, which is impossible now, when the SageTV server machine is sitting behind 2 walls quite far away.

* If the SageTV client would allow me to control the playback of recordings _ON_ the SageTV Server, I could press "play" on a remote control in the living room, which would be picked up by my client machine, which would communicate with my SageTV server machine which would start playback in its normal way.

I would then switch input on my TV in the living room from the client machine to the server machine (they would both be connected to the TV)

I'd just love to see this possible in the SageTV client.

My only alternative now would be to use PC Anywhere or VNC or a similiar remote control tool, on the laptop in the living room, remote controlling the SageTV Server machine. This is of course possible, but much more awkard, and not very "girlfriend-friendly" :)

--
Vidar

[jmeeks]

Wouldn't it be simpler to just have a long extension for the remote receiver connecter to your server machine?

[vsonerud]

Of course it would, but where do I find such equipment?

All IR-receiving equipment I have seen on various websites have a very limited cable length, usually a few meters. This applies to both serial and USB-cable based equipment.

Any pointers, anyone?

[rrussell]

You can also get an IR-to-RF-to-IR converter, and I believe some will plug into your home's electrical wiring. The X10 stuff should have something along those lines.

Behold:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3025708354&category=14968

[dkardatzke]

I would check out the IRMan at www.evation.com. It uses a serial cable and doesn't require a power supply. I know I saw somewhere you could use a very long cable but I don't know where. Maybe search/post on the AVS forum.

[Watter]

Have you taken a look at NetRemote:

http://www.netremote.org/

It's mainly intended to allow your PocketPC to control your HTPC over TCP/IP (not IR), but I believe they have a straight up Windows version as well, so as long as your laptop was connected to your network, it seems like this would work.

-Watter

[Lester Jacobs]

Also check out Girder (http://www.girder.nl). I know it has a mode where it can receive commands via a network connection versus directly from the remote receiver. Therefore you could set up the client machine with the remote receiver and have it send the necessary commands to the server machine. I haven't tried this personally myself since I have no need of such a solution but I'm sure if you ask over on the Girder forums they'll point you in the right direction.


Lester

[dkardatzke]

We also are working on supporting the StreamZap remote as well for the Client release. www.streamzap.com

[JasonJoel]

Yay! I have this remote, and really like it.

What I don't actually like about it is that the end user can not configure all of the buttons, you have to rely on the 3rd party (you guys) to implement the buttons in a logical fashion. So please implement them in a logical fashion. :)

Jason


Originally posted by dkardatzke
We also are working on supporting the StreamZap remote as well for the Client release. www.streamzap.com

[Narflex]

JasonJoel, we're not able to configure the 4 colored buttons at the bottom. But we can use all of the rest of them....unfortunately, I have a feeling that's what you were after.

[JasonJoel]

No, actually... I was just pointing out that END USERS can *only* configure the four colored buttons (using the Streamzap software that sites in the notification area). All of the rest of the buttons can only be assigned by the software developers (YOU).

So as an end user, if I don't like where you guys put the button mappings on every OTHER button besides the four colored ones on the remote, then I am screwed because I can't change them. I consider that a drawback of the remote itself.

I'm sure you guys will do a great job mapping the buttons to logical functions though. :)

Jason


Originally posted by Narflex
JasonJoel, we're not able to configure the 4 colored buttons at the bottom. But we can use all of the rest of them....unfortunately, I have a feeling that's what you were after.

[dkardatzke]

Jason,

Actually we will give you the option of reconfiguring the buttons on the Streamzap remote. We will do our best to assign the buttons by default but you are free to make any changes just like you can with the Hauppauge remote commands.

[JasonJoel]

Great, thanks. Definitely looking forward to it!

For the others that may be intersted in a Streamzap remote, let me clarify. I guess what I should have said was that the Streamzap software itself will not let you change the mapping of any of the buttons except the 4 colored ones. It is up to the 3rd party implementors (Frey Tech in this case) to decide if they want to allow you to remap the buttons or not, as they have to add specific capability to do so when implementing the Streamzap remote control support.

Jason Bottjen

Originally posted by dkardatzke
Jason,

Actually we will give you the option of reconfiguring the buttons on the Streamzap remote. We will do our best to assign the buttons by default but you are free to make any changes just like you can with the Hauppauge remote commands.

[Crazedz]

Originally posted by JasonJoel
Yay! I have this remote, and really like it.

What I don't actually like about it is that the end user can not configure all of the buttons, you have to rely on the 3rd party (you guys) to implement the buttons in a logical fashion. So please implement them in a logical fashion. :)

Jason

Hmm i have been looking for a new remote to use for my setup.

Jason do you have a more detailed image of the remote than what streamzap shows on their site? Sorry i just like to get a better look at the buttons. Also it would help to know what the colored buttons do exactly since they aren't remappable.

dkardatzke Any plans on supporting any other remotes like the Phillips MCE remote that can be purchased through Newegg? I kinda like the looks of that one better except for the windows logo on it but that could always be replaced with a sagetv logo hehe.

[TroySKI]

Crazedz,

I agree I would love to use the Phillips remote control with SageTV. (Note to Sage... the system I am building now will have two 250's installed.) :)

For those that are interested in the Phillips remote, take a look here: Phillips Remote Control (for windows media center) (http://www.newegg.com/app/Showimage.asp?image=80-100-201-02.JPG/80-100-201-01.jpg).

Troy

[JasonJoel]

Shoot. Apparently I didn't clear things up as nicely as I thought.

Every button EXCEPT the 4 colored buttons: Configured in the 3rd party software itself (SageTV in this case). There is no way with the Streamzap software alone to configure these buttons, period. So for instance if you use Streamzaps native Windows Media Player saupport, you can not remap any of the main buttons as the capability is not in WMP itself. Luckily in the SageTV implementation you will be able to remap them to your hearts content. :)

The 4 colored buttons: These buttons ARE configurable to the end user through the Streamzap software itself. In fact, the software developers (Frey Tech in this case) can not directly remap the colored buttons without doing some workaround stuff. Those 4 were intended to be only for the end user (you).

I'll try to find a better picture tonight, I think I actually have a good closeup of it. Maybe I'll post it as a separate thread with some screen shots (there is only one/two pages) of the actual Streamzap configuration software.

Jason


Originally posted by Crazedz
Hmm i have been looking for a new remote to use for my setup.

Jason do you have a more detailed image of the remote than what streamzap shows on their site? Sorry i just like to get a better look at the buttons. Also it would help to know what the colored buttons do exactly since they aren't remappable.

dkardatzke Any plans on supporting any other remotes like the Phillips MCE remote that can be purchased through Newegg? I kinda like the looks of that one better except for the windows logo on it but that could always be replaced with a sagetv logo hehe.

[dkardatzke]

I have the streamzap remote and I'll try to take a close up of it today and post it here. I programmed the four color buttons to do the following:

1. Switches to mouse mode where I can use the remote as a mouse
2. Launches WMP
3. Launches one my playlists in WMP
4. Launches another playlist in WMP

From what I tried, the colored buttons can only be linked to exe or other files on your system so we can't link them to commands in SageTV. Unless you were able to use them through Girder which I've never tried. Then the remote takes over for whatever application is in the active window. If you program one button to launch SageTV then the remote is used for SageTV. If you program another one to launch WMP, then it controls that and vice versa.

I also guess you could use the Phillips remote through Girder???

[dkardatzke]

http://www.streamzap.com/downloads/girder/index.html

The link for Girder support for the streamzap remote.

Also attached a close up of the remote.

[rrussell]

All this talk about remotes got me thinking. I have the hauppauge remote hooked up right now, but I'd love to be able to use my system remote (sony) with it instead. Can I use the hauppauge receiver and IR program to reassign functions to IR signals from my sony universal when it's set to, say, Video3 or something?

[Watter]

Originally posted by rrussell
Can I use the hauppauge receiver and IR program to reassign functions to IR signals from my sony universal when it's set to, say, Video3 or something?
I tried to do this exact thing but with no luck. I eventually went with an IrMan and Girder, and I'm quite glad I did. The IrMan is MUCH more sensative than the Hauppauge setup. I can be pointing my remote in the opposite direction and still have the signal picked up.

Girder is pretty nice too, although it took me a while to finally figure out how to get things working. Once I did, though, it has been flawless and I have a tremendous amount of flexibility with what each button on my remote can do.

-Watter

[dkardatzke]

rrussell,

You can either teach your Sony remote the Hauppauge remote and it will work fine or I know there are files available with the Hauppauge remote codes floating around on SHS's forum

Watter,

SageTV recognizes the IRMan directly throught the application so if you don't want to use the IRMan for anything other than Sage, you don't need Girder. You just program it through Detailed Setup in Sage.

[Watter]

Originally posted by dkardatzke
SageTV recognizes the IRMan directly throught the application so if you don't want to use the IRMan for anything other than Sage, you don't need Girder. You just program it through Detailed Setup in Sage.
Yes, I tried it out and it worked quite well, however I like the macroing ability in Girder.

-Watter

[Crazedz]

Originally posted by dkardatzke
http://www.streamzap.com/downloads/girder/index.html

The link for Girder support for the streamzap remote.

Also attached a close up of the remote.


Hmm nice.

The button layout looks better than the phillips remote but the phillips remote looks a bit better and has more buttons. Though im really not pleased with the play pause buttons being up at the top of the phillips remote, I guess im used to them being on the bottom of my remote. Hmm i'll have to think about it some more i guess.

Anyway thanks for the picture and the clearer explination i was under the impression that the colored buttons were set to specific streamzap features that couldn't be changed. The only thing i need now is for the power button to be able to turn on and off the TV and switch video modes. That would make for a complete htpc remote for a living room tv only tivo like setup.

Is this even possible at all or am i dreaming?

[rrussell]

Originally posted by dkardatzke
rrussell,

You can either teach your Sony remote the Hauppauge remote and it will work fine or I know there are files available with the Hauppauge remote codes floating around on SHS's forum

Nah, my sony is advanced, but it doesn't seem to have a learning ability. I think that's odd, considering it came with a fairly high-end receiver, but oh well.

To be honest, the Hauppauge remote is working okaaaay, but the reception is sketchy. Sometimes I have to stick my arm way up in the air and sometimes I don't. Besides - if I use the hauppauge IR receiver, that's not a generic Serial or USB - don't I need the Hauppauge IR driver/utility/whatever running to handle it - and then, it only knows to handle the Hauppauge remote's transmissions?

My brain hurts...