Control SageTV from PC/PPC via WiFI

[netseraph]

I would like to sit in the couch and control SageTV with my Axim 50v or ThinkPad . I did not see any out-of-box solution for this. So I wrote one and would like to hear any feedback from you guys. The application is far from polished. I might create a installer for it in the future but now, please be patient to follow my installation instruction.
The idea is pretty simple: To leverage the Windows Message SageTV listens on.
The components of the solution include:

1. A Web Service which broadcasts event codes to SageTv.
2. A .Net client (PC or Pocket PC) to send out event codes to the web service.

To install:

1. Extract SageWiFiControl.zip to a folder (c:\SageWiFiControl).
2. Modify c:\SageWiFiControl\WiFiRemoteControl\WiFiRemoteControl.config
   • RemoteHost is the ip address which SageTV is running from.
   • RemotePort is 8001 or the port you choose.
3. Double click c:\SageWiFiControl\startService.bat (you have to modify it if you don't use port 8100).
4. Copy everything under c:\SageWiFiControl\WiFiRemoteControl to your the PC or Pocket PC you want to control SageTV from.
5. Double click WiFiRemoteControl.exe from the control machine and enjoy.

Prerequisite:
OS: Windows XP with SP2 or Windows 2003
.NET: .NET (compact) framwork 2.0 beta or above.

[Naylia]

You may want to check out XLobbyMC below. XLobby has a client that can run on PPCs. I built PPC screens in my skin that match the style of SageMC. If you don't want to use the rest of XLobby, just minimize it so it's out of the way and there you go! I've been contemplating stripping out just the ppc screens for a minimalist version. You won't even need to configure XLobby if you only want to use the PPC controls, just unzip Xlobby, unzip my skin into the skins folder and you should be good to go. Drop me a pm if you need a hand, or I also monitor the skin thread over there if you have any questions.

[acrowe]

there is a web remote built into the webserver too... I use that for the couple times I don't want to get up and get the remote from the other side of the couch

[Kanati]

But it's definitely nice to know there are other options NetSeraph! Good goin.

[xpmagician]

Why dont' you just buy mediamvp?

[that_kid]

Originally Posted by xpmagician

Why dont' you just buy mediamvp?

How would that solve his problem? Anyhow I'm going to give this a try, It would be nice to remotely control sage from my device.

[AndyS]

CQC has a driver that works well with Sage. You can create your own interface that will run on your PC (and now .NET-enabled PDAs). I use this solution with an AirPanel to control Sage and it works really nicely.

http://www.charmedquark.com

Andy.

[wbarber69]

why does the server program ask me to install .net I have the latest version installed so why would it ask me this

[wbarber69]

nevermind,

hey is it possible to make this skinnable

[dagar]

Skin what? Xlobby? Yep Press the Pause/Break key to mod the current skin. Naylia is a pro at it though

[Humanzee]

What about net remote? I am getting digital cable today, so I need a way to control the new box, so I was looking at USB UIRT / Girder and saw the net remote thing there at http://www.promixis.com/. Wont that do the same thing via wifi, and it is skinable? But you'd have to buy it, I guess. Anybody running net remote?

[Naylia]

Originally Posted by dagar

Skin what? Xlobby? Yep Press the Pause/Break key to mod the current skin. Naylia is a pro at it though

Thanks dagar! an XLobbyMC-Lite is still on my todo list to strip it down to bare bones sage controlling stuff only.

[bbroerman]

Which remote options also include access to the EPG and scheduling, as well as controlling the program that is running?

Can I set up a recording while the system is playing a show?


Thanks!

[Naylia]

I don't think any can do that, because I don't think Sage can do that. These all send commands to Sage to do something, if I tell Sage I want to be on the guide screen than the HTPC will go to the guide screen. Sage doesn't have the ability to display the guide somewhere and the video somewhere else as far as I know. If it did you could possible set up a touch screen to do one while sage handles the others, but the ppc clients all use sendmessage or something similar (keypress or other) to tell Sage to do something. Whatever you do, isn't done locally on the ppc.

[Humanzee]

bbroerman, that sounds almost like a ppc sagetv client, that would be pretty sweet, but I imagine that you'd have to have some sort of live transcoding to stream video to your ppc at a more manageable bit rate/ screen resolution.

Of course a Sage PPC client isnt a remote control, but I think you'd need some sort of client like programing to be able to change your favorites and view the guide independant of what you are currently viewing on your TV. You'd need two modes, remote mode, and client mode. Or some hybrid of the two.

It would only then be a small leap to make your content/ sage control accessable across the internet from where ever you have net access with your PDA. www.orb.com does this already but it doesnt interact with sage. There is an api for it, however, and I did see a plug in for tivo. but I don't know anything else about that.

If Sage/someone developed such an extra, I'd gladdly pay a few more bucks for it. It seems like many of the componenets for something like this already exist, its just a matter of the right people having the right amount of interest to make it happen.

[nielm]

My webserver can remote control Sage (webremote page) and has access to the guide... If you have a PDA with a web browser you should be able to do what you need.

[Naylia]

cool!

[kevpriest]

If you're running Sage and a Client, you should also be able to use the remote software on the server, while using the client to watch a show, that way you could schedule the programs you want without interupting what you're watching. You'd lose control over the Client though (unless you could have two different connections).