How's your remote's response time?

[stanger89]

Hey all, got another poll for you. Been using Sage for a long time with my Streamzap and girder, and never gave much thought to response time when using my remote, just assumed it was normal. Anyway after watching the Bill Gates CES keynote and all the comments about the speed at which MCE navigates it got me thinking. The other day I tried navigating Sage with a keyboard instead, and wow, it's way faster.

So the question of the day is, how is your remote's response time?

Please post the model of your remote, and more importantly remote receiver, and anything else pertinent, like if you're using Girder.

Thanks.

[stanger89]

FWIW, I use a Streamzap via Girder, and it's noticeably slower than using the keyboard.

[ToxMox]

I'll vote after I've tested when I get home but my remote response time has always been pretty much instant.
Using HTM MX-700 remote with USB-UIRT.

[Blue]

Using the Niveus remote with THR software, and it's slower than the keyboard.

[Outvit]

Slower...

USB-UIRT + Phillips MCE Remote.

[JUC]

ATI remote wonder with actisys---noticeably slower. I recently tried the demo of sage client on my laptop and used the keyboard for the first time and was amazed at how responsive and quick the keyboard on my laptop was compared to my remote.

[Cayars]

I stopped using Girder when i noticed how much slower it was. I went back to using the IR hardware/software that came with the Hauppauge boards and it's noticable faster.

[rich_l]

Slower with the regular hauppage remote. But its not surprising that the remote is slower.

[thatdude90210]

That was my thought too for a while now, that the keyboard was faster. With the keyboard (logitech wireless), it's always instantaneous. With my Hauppauge silver remote before, and now with an X10 lola + girder, I can feel a slight lag.

[Opus4]

It wouldn't surprise me if the remote input is slower -- the keyboard input may still be interrupt driven (I don't remember that part of internal Widows), so Windows gets it & can process it almost immediately. Plus, the keyboard repeat rate is probably faster.

With a remote, you are adding extra layers to deal with. I don't know about the other remote software, but the Hauppauge IR code, I believe, is poll driven, so it only checks for remote input every so often, then it processes it & finally either sends a key code or event message to SageTV. If you hold the button down, there will be a delay as it skips a few polls before entering repeat mode. Once in repeat mode, it can only process repeats as often as it polls the IR receiver. The poll rate time can be adjusted, as can the repeat delay, but even if it could poll every millisecond, the remote will still emit its code at some rate that isn't that fast.

- Andy

[ToxMox]

OK so I just got home and tested. Other than the obvious delay between commands due to the built in delay to avoid double presses my setup is the same speed as using a keyboard.

[sudipto]

MX500 + IRMan

Speed is slower than the keyboard, but I have deliberately set it that way so that it is comfortable to use without having to worry about double presses of a remote key.

[nielm]

Same as keyboard (using Girder with ATI RW (X10 plugin), and Igor generic serial IR receiver on a 600Mhz P3 equivalent EPIA M10000).

If you are using girder, part of the responsiveness depends on how (whether) you have your GML set up to handle multiple programs...

If you have (pseudocode)

Remote Event->
  if ( sageTV window has focus )
     send event to sage
  if ( other program has focus ) 
     send event to other program

Then girder could be slower at passing the event as it has to query active windows before sending events. I have seen some other GML which could be even slower with double event processing:

Remote event ->
  if ( sageTV window has focus )
     generate Girder event  xyz
  if ( other program has focus ) 
     generate other Girder event abc
Girder event xyz->
    send event to Sage

The more performant alternative in Girder is to use the Task Switch plugin to enable and disable whole groups in Girder depending on which program is active, then in the enabled/disabled groups just have simple RC event->command mappings which require minimal processing.

Task switch event ->
  disable all program-specific groups
  if ( sageTV has focus )
    enable SageTV group
  if ( other program has focus)
    enable othet program group

SageTV group {
  Remote Event ->
    send event to SageTV
}

[stanger89]

My GML is roughly like your example 3, but I'd have to look at it again and see if there's any optomization I can do. Of course before I do that, I'll probably just try disabling girder and see if it helps.

[stanger89]

Originally Posted by ToxMox

OK so I just got home and tested. Other than the obvious delay between commands due to the built in delay to avoid double presses my setup is the same speed as using a keyboard.

Yeah, it's a rather complicated issue. I wrote this with the thought in my head that the Sage UI "feels" slower when using my remote vs the keyboard, so I'll have to do some experimentation and see what I figure out.

[Wakecrash]

On a client PC I use an Imon remote that sends KB commands and have not noticed any delays, certainly none compared to say using a remote to directly control a TV. Now on the MVP their is a delay, something less than 1 second, perhaps 1/2 second.
My client PC is an T-bird 1400
My server running MVP client is a AMD Sempron 2500.
Both 512Meg

[g808]

Firefly is instant (just as fast as keyboard).

My Harmony remote with USB-UIRT is much slower.

Is there any setting on the USB-UIRT, so the Harmony's signals are interpretted faster?

I love using my Harmony to control everything, but I find myself going back to the Firefly since it's so much faster.

[turak]

I get instant response from Tivo remotes with USB-UIRT on my server and one of my clients.

[jptaz]

My StreamZap remotes are slower at times (Using the built in software), where as my ATI Remote Wonder is very fast and responsive or at least as fast as I allow it in Girder to prevent repeat presses. I spent a lot of time trying to find a happy medium between too slow and too prone to double hits.

At some point I may use Girder for my Streamzaps that way I can allow some buttons to repeat faster than others.

John

[taltman]

Seems about the same as the remote - maybe a touch slower. I'm using the Streamzap remote with the bundled hardware. My usb-uirt isn't being used yet....need more software...

My system is hidden around my tv so i don't use a keyboard enough to notice how "slow" it might be...its rather annoying to do tasks with the keyboard. Maybe I need a good wireless keyboard and mouse...

/Tdogg