USB UIRT? or USB-CEC? Where to start?

I want to be able to control my HTPC with my TV remote control via the use of EventGhost and I've come here because I'm a huge fan of xbmc and know this forum to be a wealth of knowledge - which I'm counting on. please guys!!

My reasons for this are that I have a much better chance of passing the girlfriend test if she only has to use the one remote, and I find EventGhost as flexible as I need it to be.

My setup is just a Zotac ZBOX and a 32" LCD at the moment but I would like the flexibility to add an amp into this in the future.

I've looked at both USB-UIRT and USB-CEC and really don't know which to go for as I am still trying to understand their full possibilities.

From my understanding the USB-UIRT allows EventGhost (through the use of a plugin) to isolate each button press, which can then be assigned to a macro allowing the control of the PC. The USB-CEC is a little more unknown to me, as far as I can find out there is no EventGhost support as yet but there is something in the pipeline, but I don't know when. Would the USB-CEC allow the remote commands to reach the PC via the IR receiver in the TV.

From what I think I know above the USB-UIRB it would allow the integration of other equipment more easily than USB-CEC, and
The USB-CEC may have compatibility issues as it relies on the CEC commands of the individual manufacturers.

Can anyone with experience of either of these bits of experience offer their opinions and guidance. Also, I'm in the UK so if anyone knows of stockists of products for the UK that would be a huge help, so far I found ebay, redrat and pulse-eight.

Thanks in advance everyone.

The CEC adapter uses your TV remote and the TV's IR sensor, and the keypresses are passed on to your HTPC over HDMI.

Note that your TV needs to support CEC and you have to use HDMI.

Also note that the CEC adapter currently doesn't work with the official builds, you either have to use a build from pulse-eight, or wait for the fixes to be merged, which will most likelly happen at the start of next month.

Does that mean that the use of the USB-CEC is limited to within XBMC itself, and cannot be integrated into EventGhost ever?

I haven't used EventGhost so I don't know

Okay sialivi, thanks for your help. In terms of xbmc, does the pulse eight have the HD Audio codes built into it also?

Look into flirc - can use any remote and it appears to the device as a usb keyboard.
Though anything you press on remote would act of the tv and flirc at the same time.

(2012-06-21 21:47)simonsullivan Wrote:  Okay sialivi, thanks for your help. In terms of xbmc, does the pulse eight have the HD Audio codes built into it also?

I think the current pulse eight builds are Eden final, so no. But there's only 2 weeks left until the next batch of updates will be merged, so hopfully the updated CEC support will make it into the official builds then.

Thanks sialivi, that would be of huge benefit as I have other xbmc builds and use a mysql database to connect them, but they all have to be the same build for the database to work - so hopefully I can have HD audio and USB-CEC.

@Chris - Flirc looks like a good solution thank you. Is it something you use yourself?

Does anyone have any experience with USB-UIRT at all. I'm just trying to get as much input as possible.

Cheers

While waiting for the fixes to be merged I've been using this little tray application, https://sites.google.com/site/chir21/home/CEC-Tray

It works with the monthly/nightly builds, though not all keys seem to work. I'm not sure if it's a limitation of the tray application or something else.

Thank you sialvi that looks like a great little help.