Are there any good solutions for using some sort of simple, useful remote to control a XBMC install on a HTPC far, far away, like in the other end of the house, say, 20m away? Getting HDMI from there to the theater room doesn't seem to be a big deal, but what about the ability to use a handy-dandy remote to fast-forward, pause and flick through movies? A simple local BT/IR receiver passing the signals along over ethernet or something along those lines?
2011-01-06, 19:19
Have you considered an iPhone / Android app for that? They use the wifi network so range shouldn't be a problem.
2011-01-06, 20:03
maxinc Wrote:Have you considered an iPhone / Android app for that? They use the wifi network so range shouldn't be a problem.I would prefer something simpler, we don't all have the same phone in the household and leaving mine behind for everyone else to use, yeah, not gonna happen.
2011-01-06, 20:07
Two ways I can think of to achieve what I percieve as your end result:
1) Use an IR Extender like this one. I put one of these into my parents' house to relay IR command into a wooden cabinet. Works a treat, and it'd really just be a case of extending the cables (or hooking them up to RJ45 plugs to put through deactivated ethernet lines).
2) Move the HTPC into the theatre room. I'm assuming the biggest obstacle are the size/ugliness of the box, and the noise it makes. These aren't exactly insurmountable and you can make a silent HTPC if you want to. Then you can just transfer the video over the network for that range. Strikes me as more logical than trying to run HDMI that far.
Of course your circumstances may mean that neither of these options work for you - I'm just thinking how I use mine.
1) Use an IR Extender like this one. I put one of these into my parents' house to relay IR command into a wooden cabinet. Works a treat, and it'd really just be a case of extending the cables (or hooking them up to RJ45 plugs to put through deactivated ethernet lines).
2) Move the HTPC into the theatre room. I'm assuming the biggest obstacle are the size/ugliness of the box, and the noise it makes. These aren't exactly insurmountable and you can make a silent HTPC if you want to. Then you can just transfer the video over the network for that range. Strikes me as more logical than trying to run HDMI that far.
Of course your circumstances may mean that neither of these options work for you - I'm just thinking how I use mine.
2011-01-06, 20:16
why not a rf remote? See this: http://bulkzooi.wordpress.com/2010/04/17...our-media/
2011-01-06, 20:51
Robotica Wrote:why not a rf remote? See this: http://bulkzooi.wordpress.com/2010/04/17...our-media/
Not sure about the rest but I have both diNovo Mini and Rii and they both struggle over a 3m distance once the batteries get a bit soft.
2011-01-06, 20:55
yes, you bought the worst products from that list. But RF's are still a niche market and the firefly poofy mention is the best option (cheap and working).
2011-01-06, 21:07
defiler Wrote:Two ways I can think of to achieve what I percieve as your end result:This could actually be a really good alternative. Like 20m of 3.5mm leading from an IR-receiver to an IR-sender and finally into the machine. Ugly hack, but as long as the xantech gear isn't too picky about long cables..
1) Use an IR Extender like this one. I put one of these into my parents' house to relay IR command into a wooden cabinet. Works a treat, and it'd really just be a case of extending the cables (or hooking them up to RJ45 plugs to put through deactivated ethernet lines).
defiler Wrote:2) Move the HTPC into the theatre room. I'm assuming the biggest obstacle are the size/ugliness of the box, and the noise it makes. These aren't exactly insurmountable and you can make a silent HTPC if you want to. Then you can just transfer the video over the network for that range. Strikes me as more logical than trying to run HDMI that far.Yeah, that is the alternative, but I'd rather avoid the expense of building and maintaining an extra special-purpose machine when I'm going to be running my other linux box in that closet anyway. From what I've read, 20m and beyond shouldn't be too hard to achieve with an active HDMI cable or one of the other solutions, but then of course what I save in not building an extra HTPC-box I lose in buying fancier long cables..
Of course your circumstances may mean that neither of these options work for you - I'm just thinking how I use mine.
Robotica Wrote:why not a rf remote? See this: http://bulkzooi.wordpress.com/2010/04/17...our-media/
poofyhairguy Wrote:This is what I would do:
http://forum.xbmc.org/showthread.php?tid=31546
maxinc Wrote:Not sure about the rest but I have both diNovo Mini and Rii and they both struggle over a 3m distance once the batteries get a bit soft.I considered this, but the signal would have to travel through 3 walls, of which 2 are concrete, and a door. If I could try it out to reassure myself it would work, maybe, but right now I'm just assuming the signal would get nuked from orbit. It's too bad, because I had already been making eyes at the diNovo mini. :/
2011-01-06, 21:14
Erik_ Wrote:I considered this, but the signal would have to travel through 3 walls, of which 2 are concrete, and a door. If I could try it out to reassure myself it would work, maybe, but right now I'm just assuming the signal would get nuked from orbit. It's too bad, because I had already been making eyes at the diNovo mini. :/
Yep. That is too much. Start to budget for a dedicated frontend, don't even waste money on long cables.
2011-01-06, 21:15
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Marmitek-PowerMid-infrared-extender
Maybe a wireless infrared extender. I played quite a few years back with some and they did pretty well through walls and stuff.
And don't feel sorry about the diNovo, the cursor keys have given up on my 13 months after purchase. Pretty looks but sihtty build quality.
Maybe a wireless infrared extender. I played quite a few years back with some and they did pretty well through walls and stuff.
And don't feel sorry about the diNovo, the cursor keys have given up on my 13 months after purchase. Pretty looks but sihtty build quality.
2011-01-06, 22:10
This is gonna take some serious thought, either I do costly thing A or costly thing B, hehe.
2011-01-08, 00:40
If your already running the HDMI cable then why not just run a bit of coax or smaller with it?
