[jitterjames]

Yes, finding the right microphone is a challenge, especially if you listen to loud music or watch videos loud. The ideal solution from the point of view of the software is a wired noise cancelling headset, but obviously this is not very practical unless you are sitting at a computer. A wireless microphone of some kind would be good but stay away from bluetooth because the results will almost certainly be bad.

If you are using an open microphone that is some distance from you, you will probably need to use a remote to pause / mute and get VC to listen to you.

In some cases using "acoustic echo cancellation" can help.

There is a section of the VoxCommando forum for microphones:
http://voxcommando.com/forum/index.php?board=8.0

and also some discussion on the mediaMonkey forum recently:
http://www.mediamonkey.com/forum/viewtop...69d74f6d65

[HenryFord]

So...is there any way to use this with an android mobile? I know, of course, about the android remote app, but it would be simply amazin to just speak into your cellphone and the XBMC reacts upon it...

[htpc guy]

So is there by chance a linux version of this, or at least something comparable?

[jitterjames]

So...is there any way to use this with an android mobile? I know, of course, about the android remote app, but it would be simply amazin to just speak into your cellphone and the XBMC reacts upon it...

the only way to do this with VoxCommando (which must run on either Windows7 or Vista) would be to use your Android as a microphone for your PC. There is an app for ipod that allows you to do this, although there is some lag which is a bit off putting. There may also be one for Android, but I don't have an android so I cannot say.

[jitterjames]

So is there by chance a linux version of this, or at least something comparable?

not by me. I think the problem with linux is that there is no speech recognition api that comes with the OS so the program would have to include its own. The speech api that comes with windows Vista and Win7 is actually very good.

It won't help most people, but you can run VoxCommando on a PC and have it send the commands to XBMC running on another machine since it uses the http interface anyway. So you could run XBMC on a linux box, but send it commands from VoxCommando running on a PC via the network.

[jitterjames]

What would be a good microphone to use for something like this? It seems like you'd have to have it right next to your mouth so it would pick up your voice commands rather than whatever media was playing.

I just got an Amulet Remote and it works extremely well, if you don't mind spending the $$. It is a WMC IR remote (very nice) with a built in microphone that only turns on when you hold it up to your mouth. Given that you probably want to have a remote anyway for browsing, it is very close to being the perfect solution.

I will be posting a full review and demonstration of the remote on the VoxCommando forum soon.

here is the company site for the remote:

http://www.amuletdevices.com

[Seoras]

I got VoxCommando working using my old iPhone 3G as a mic. Essentially it uses Skype between the iPhone and the PC and a Virtual Audio Cable (similar to stereo mixing) to transfer the audio into VoxCommando. Works pretty well

I got the idea from http://badros.blogspot.com/2010/05/skype...eless.html

Still poking around with it, but wanted to say it is a good 'cheap' solution since I use the iPhone with the XBMC remote software anyway and it works via Wifi so range is not a problem.

[HenryFord]

the only way to do this with VoxCommando (which must run on either Windows7 or Vista) would be to use your Android as a microphone for your PC. There is an app for ipod that allows you to do this, although there is some lag which is a bit off putting. There may also be one for Android, but I don't have an android so I cannot say.

Yeah, I searched endless hours, but no luck. Currently no such thing is available...

I keep looking and will inform you...

Edit:
It is working via Skype, but its a little bit tricky:
1. SetUp Skype (with own account) on PC
2. SetUp Skype (with own account) on android
3. Install Virtual Cable
4. Set Skype-Audiooutput do digital line in (via virtual cables)
5. Set the VoxCommando Input to the virtual line in
6. Call the Skype-PC-Account from android
7. That's all...

Of course this demands a high battery-usage and it's not filtering anything...
Will keep looking...

[jitterjames]

a new version (0.851), preconfigured for XBMC is available at voxCommando.com on the download page.

[jitterjames]

Here's a demo of the latest version of VoxCommando using the Amulet Remote as a wireless microphone. The skin is Aeon MQ.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2kR2C6IeaPw

[jitterjames]

as promised. Here is a demo using the Amulet Remote with VoxCommando to voice control XBMC. The amulet is also a learning remote so you can use it to control your AV equipment, and with the MCE plugin for eventghost and an ir receiver you can use it to control xbmc with button presses.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2kR2C6IeaPw

[LoL]

I got VoxCommando working using my old iPhone 3G as a mic. Essentially it uses Skype between the iPhone and the PC and a Virtual Audio Cable (similar to stereo mixing) to transfer the audio into VoxCommando. Works pretty well

I got the idea from http://badros.blogspot.com/2010/05/skype...eless.html

Still poking around with it, but wanted to say it is a good 'cheap' solution since I use the iPhone with the XBMC remote software anyway and it works via Wifi so range is not a problem.

Hey man this sounds great, could you explain how you managed to set it up in more detail?

Thx Man!

PS @jitterjames: thx for the great package!

[jitterjames]

I just wanted to add a couple of notes regarding Skype and audio inputs and outputs with VC.

1st - Using skype works with VoxCommando, but because of the compression used by skype the fidelity of the sounds is less than optimal, so your recognition accuracy will not be as good as with a proper microphone. If you choose your commands carefully it should still work reliably, but you may have trouble with more open ended dictation commands or with requesting songs by name etc.

2nd - I finally figured out how to choose whatever recording and playback device you want to use with VoxCommando. It is not necessary to use the defaults.
- To change the input go to windows speech control panel, click "advanced speech options" (on the left), then click the "advanced" button (on the bottom).

-To change the output device for TTS go to windows speech control panel, click "advanced speech options" (on the left), go to the "text to speech" tab, then click the "advanced" button (on the bottom).

[jitterjames]

Hey man this sounds great, could you explain how you managed to set it up in more detail?

Thx Man!

PS @jitterjames: thx for the great package!

are you asking for details on setting up VoxCommando with XBMC or on setting up the virtual audio cable (VIC) with skype?

note that the free trial version of virtual audio cable has an annoying female voice saying "trial" every few seconds, that could also cause problems with VoxCommando.

[HenryFord]

1st - Using skype works with VoxCommando, but because of the compression used by skype the fidelity of the sounds is less than optimal, so your recognition accuracy will not be as good as with a proper microphone. If you choose your commands carefully it should still work reliably, but you may have trouble with more open ended dictation commands or with requesting songs by name etc.

Yeah, that is true.
As mentioned above I'm using my android phone to call my pc's-skype - the quality is average (do not try to phone yourself while on speaker - you will end up in a feedback-loop), but the main problem is with the noise around you. You have to speak very loud and clear...