XBMC Community Forum
VoxCommando - Speech recognition and command utility (control XBMC by voice commands) - Printable Version

+- XBMC Community Forum (http://forum.xbmc.org)
+-- Forum: Help and Support (/forumdisplay.php?fid=33)
+--- Forum: Supplementary Tools for XBMC (/forumdisplay.php?fid=116)
+--- Thread: VoxCommando - Speech recognition and command utility (control XBMC by voice commands) (/showthread.php?tid=73006)

Pages: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

- dallasnights - 2011-02-25 20:59

how can you make this work with the ATV, I am using XBMC on my ATV and would love to use this great new app

Thanks

- jitterjames - 2011-02-25 21:08

running either XBMC or VoxCommando on an all terrain vehicle would be very dangerous and is not recommended.Rofl

If you mean Apple TV then you can run XBMC on the Apple TV but you still need to run VoxCommando on a computer running Windows 7 or Vista. Commands can be sent from VoxCommando to XBMC through your LAN

- dallasnights - 2011-02-25 21:19

very interesting, do you have a write up on how to that via your Windows PC to the Apple TV

Thanks so much

- jitterjames - 2011-02-25 21:24

You would just do everything the same as in the tutorial, but set the VC options to use the ip address of your Apple TV instead of 127.0.0.1, I mentioned this in the video. You probably also need to select "allow other computers to control xbmc" in XBMC's network settings. I don't have an Apple TV so I can't test this but it certainly works from one Windows PC to another. I am also pretty sure others have done with with XBMC running on linux.

- e2zippo - 2011-02-26 14:28

This looks really interesting indeed, will download and try it out!

Edit: worked really good, amazing piece of software!

Although i wonder how good it'll work once a movie is playing at high volume?

- jitterjames - 2011-03-02 21:03

You have to apply various strategies to avoid having VoxCommando listen to the output of your movie or other sounds from your computer.

The amulet remote solves this problem. If you are using a noise cancelling headset microphone it is usually not much of an issue either.

If you want to use an open air microphone you need to be able to switch it off when you are not using it, or it will most likely pick up unintentional commands. You can use a prefix so that commands will only be issued it you say the "magic" word first. This can reduce false commands dramatically but is still not perfect in a very loud environment, especially with voices coming from your computer.

Microphone arrays have some potential, although the array on the ps3eye proves to be only decent, not great. I am hoping that the Kinect microphone will do a good job of separating our voices from background sounds but we're still waiting for Microsoft to release the drivers.

You can switch modes (on, off, standby) easily with a remote to tell it when to listen. This can also combined with a function to reduce the output on your pc at the same time, so you push a button to talk, and your volume also gets cut down to say 25%, then when your command is complete, the volume is restored and VoxCommando stops listening.

Some people will argue that there is no point in using voice commands if you have to push a button on a remote, but that is not really true, because we have 100 times the power when using voices commands, over what is available on a remote. I personally still use the remote for adjusting volume, pushing play/pause, and generally browsing, but when I want to access a wider array of commands, open a new program, rate a song, start a certain playlist, or jump directly to the movie or TV show I want, I use voice commands. It is also very handy if you are not in front of a TV, lets say, just listening to music on your patio. It is much easier to control your music with voice in this case.

There is a fair amount of discussino on different microphone options on the VoxCommando forum here:
http://voxcommando.com/forum/index.php?board=8.0

xbmc voxcommander iphone - iorifly - 2011-03-03 17:37

I would like help on how to use voxcommander through the iphone?
Anyway wanted to control the xbmc voxcommander and through the iphone.

- jitterjames - 2011-03-03 17:50

you can try pocket audio to turn your iphone (or ipod touch) into a microphone for your windows PC. Must be on the same wifi lan an your PC running win7 or vista.

http://www.senstic.com/iphone/pocketaudio/pocketaudio.aspx

note that in some cases there is a conflict that crashes the windows speech engine when using pocket audio. Also if it does work, there is a delay of about 2-3 seconds which can be a bit annoying.

Amulet Remote Control & VoxCommando Review - steppedup - 2011-03-26 01:09

If you don't want to read further - two thumbs up - way up!

My setup - Nvidia ION HTPC, Windows 7, 64 bit, VoxCommano .875b (most current at this time), and the on-sale for $149 Amulet Remote. *(Normal remote is a fully customized Logitech Harmony One).

Purpose for the Amulet - primarily to handle my 21,000+ music library. *Using a normal remote blows goats quite frankly.

Physical design:
    [li]A little too bottom heavy for my taste - but it has a very handy groove in the back of the remote that stops it from sliding down when you tilt it up to your mouth to use the microphone. * I'd like to see it a little more curvy at the top so it fits in your hand more like a microphone - which is the main reason everyone's going to buy this remote. [/li]
    [li]The directional section that surrounds the Ok button is a little too ridged for my taste - almost sharp.

    [Image: IMG_0285.jpg] [/li]

    [li]The red light that lights up when the microphone is very cool looking.[/li]
*

Usability out of the box with MCE - flawless. *If you like MCE, which I don't.

Usability out of the box with XBMC and VoxCommando - I wasn't happy with it at first - but after following the following tips and tricks it's working awesome.

TIPS AND TRICKS!!!!

1. *Follow this excellent guide - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2JBI6FIh-bU for setting it all up. *When you find as I did that the voice recognition accuracy was not good enough to run XBMC - have no fear.

2. *Open up Amulet's speech training - Start/ All Programs/ Amulet Devices/ Speech Setup/ Speech Training. *

If, like me, you have lots of visitors to the house, Click on New *and create a new profile with your name. *Then select it, and Train that profile.

Or don't and just use the default profile. *That way when people go to use your remote, you can just laugh *at them, and tell them that they have to be smarter than the computer.....

Anyway - you'll then find that voxcommando works FLAWLESSLY in XBMC. *Two big thumbs up!

Even with the volume cranked up pretty high, the Amulet works very well to capture what you say - and VoxCommando handles XBMC.


On a side note - I was getting an error when I open VoxCommando: *

error creating group: *XBMC Request Music by Name - VoxCommando will continue to load, but commands in this group will not be available.

- So the command "Play hits by" artist wasn't working....since this is key to my original purpose of handling my music library, I had to get it fixed.

EDIT: *with JitterJames' help, I removed the Play Song command, and voxcommando started working. *Link to fix here: *
http://voxcommando.com/forum/index.php?topic=438.msg3008#msg3008

I very happily just paid for the license and am now LOVING both of them!

- Alethenorio - 2011-03-28 22:39

I thought I might add some thoughts here.

First I am looking into getting a amulet remote but am a bit disappointed the buttons require IR because that means I will need a looooong USB cable to drag a IR receiver all the way to the other side of my room (Where the TV is). I hope future versions come with full RF.

Secondly just when I am about to finally get around trying voxcommando, it goes into license mode Sad, well I guess any good software deserves it however I am confused as to why there are 2 different licenses, does that mean that if I skip on 10$ I will no get any future updates to the product?

Regards
Alethenorio