[Livin]

Well I think you've pretty much sold it to me. Sounds like the exact functionality and reliability that I'd want. Your point about the low end IR receiver has made me think too, as the one I have is built into my Zalman HD503 case - I'm thinking that disabling it and using a USB-UIRT would result it the "multiple pressing behaviour" stopping - lets hope!

It could be that MCE remote codes are dual codes. Depending on what software you are using it might be taking each of the commands separately. In EventGhost, the XBMC plugin handles this for you. But, no guarantees, you could be seeing a different problem.

Lastly, can I assume correctly that the frequencies used in US remotes are the same as the EU remotes (I live in the UK). I would have thought they would be as they are all made in the same places and then shipped around the world - the only thing that would cause them to be different is different regulations around the world. Do you think I'd have any issues in area? I have struggled to find suppliers in the UK so may be getting one shipped from the above mentioned website.

I'm in the USA so I don't know... but, you can email Jon Rees and/or post on the forum (which is still active!)... http://65.36.202.170/phpBB2/ ... you will find MANY people there using Harmony & XBMC. Just ignore advocates of IRSS software... I tried it several times... total PITA and EG does TONS more.[/quote]

Thanks for all your help Livin, I'd looked online for a week but still wasn't sure, you've put my mind at ease and made the decision so much easier for me!

One thing I forgot to mention... the UIRT comes with a pretty long USB cable and made to sit on a flat surface (unlike most of the other devices)... the benefit here is that you can move it anywhere and aim it for your specific needs... unlike the "dongle" style devices made to plug/hang off the USB port itself. So, my HTPC is actually 'hiding' in a cubby 15" below my UIRT, which is on a shelf next to my Onkyo. It gives me total freedom to change the physical layout (which I have done 4 times in 10 years). Plus, it has an IR blaster... so you can use it to control other devices via EG, etc when using your iPhone/Android apps.

[simonsullivan]

Well I took the plunge and ordered a USB-UIRT from Jon Rees and it arrived this week. I've set it up on my Zotac ZBOX AD04 with EventGhost and I am so impressed with it!!!!

I had lent a Microsoft Transceiver and thought I had found a cheaper solution as with the EG pluggin it was recognising my TV remote signals. Unfortunately I soon realised that it was receiving double presses and there was no way to adjust the delay on the new plugin - so that was a no go.

Then the USB-UIRT arrived and straight away it was apparent that I weasn't going to get the double taps that I had experienced with my harmony one remote or my Panasonic TV remote with the MCE receiver - Fantastic - Great News!! So after about 15 mins I had mapped all the keys that I needed to my Panasonic TV remote via the USB-UIRT and the EG pluggin for it.

Straight from my TV remote I can now;
1) launch xbmc
2) Control all the functionality I need with xbmc
3) Shutdown xbmc, and
4) either put my unit to sleep or shut it down completely

Lastly, I need to configure it to wake my unit up from S3 but looks like there is a handy little utility called Lrnhelper that allows you to configure the USB-UIRT to wake from S3 - you teach it a particular IR code to respond to and as long as your mobo allows wakes via USB then it should be great.

As you can see the USB-UIRT works fine on US and UK TV remotes - guessing that means it will for the rest of the world too. I have tried it with a few remotes around the house and they all work just as well with it too.

I haven't really used anything other than EG with the USB-UIRT so I can't recommend which is best, all I can say it that for someone who wanted a streamlined solution to using xbmc (and one that gets the WAF - which lets be honest, it all helps) with the one remote, then USB-UIRT and the xbmc2 EG pluggin are a must and the best combination of hardware and software that I have come across.

Thanks to Livin, and all the other posters too for giving me the final bits of info and reassurance I needed to go ahead and order my USB-UIRT.

Lastly, I am still keeping an eye on USB-CEC, it's clear that it is still in it infancy at the moment but I definitely see it as being the icing on the cake in a HTPC set-up that is streamlined and automated. For example - if you have a Sony equipment set-up at home where your amp switches input channels and so on automatically for you when you turn your bluray player on then why should you not benefit from your HTPC doing the same..... I guess we'll have to wait and see what developments there are over the next few months I guess.

If anyone has any questions about my set-up then please go ahead, always happy to help.

[Livin]

glad to hear you are happy with the setup. enjoy