2011-06-12, 16:12
I heard about flirc from the wiki, but I couldn't find any mention in the forums. The product has just started shipping very recently, and I had a little trouble verifying exactly what it does from the website. After emailing back and forth with the developer (and getting super quick and helpful replies) I went ahead and ordered it.
First of all, it works exactly like you would expect. You get a little USB flash drive style dongle rather than a big receiver like the MCE remotes. For my HTPC this was a huge advantage; I just plugged in to the mobo USB header and leave it inside of my polycarbonate case. The developer has software out for OS X, Windows, and Ubuntu. There are GUIs for each, but also a command line configuration utility in Ubuntu.
So essentially you can use whatever remote you want and seamlessly integrate with the rest of your home theater setup. I've been using the universal remote from my satellite provider under one of the AV settings. If you're using the CLI it's as simple as running flirc record left and then pressing the button you want to tie to left. Flirc then sends key presses to XBMC (or whatever else you want to run) so you can use the same keymap that you use with a keyboard.
At practically the same price as most MCE remotes I feel like this is a no brainer and more people need to hear about it. Infinitely configurable and it should work with close to any IR remote. I love being able to use one remote for everything.
edit: I just saw that the developer has updated the site with a lot more information on how it works. flirc.tv
First of all, it works exactly like you would expect. You get a little USB flash drive style dongle rather than a big receiver like the MCE remotes. For my HTPC this was a huge advantage; I just plugged in to the mobo USB header and leave it inside of my polycarbonate case. The developer has software out for OS X, Windows, and Ubuntu. There are GUIs for each, but also a command line configuration utility in Ubuntu.
So essentially you can use whatever remote you want and seamlessly integrate with the rest of your home theater setup. I've been using the universal remote from my satellite provider under one of the AV settings. If you're using the CLI it's as simple as running flirc record left and then pressing the button you want to tie to left. Flirc then sends key presses to XBMC (or whatever else you want to run) so you can use the same keymap that you use with a keyboard.
At practically the same price as most MCE remotes I feel like this is a no brainer and more people need to hear about it. Infinitely configurable and it should work with close to any IR remote. I love being able to use one remote for everything.
edit: I just saw that the developer has updated the site with a lot more information on how it works. flirc.tv