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Posted this in a different section of the forum apparently. Is anyone else using an aftermarket BT remote? Looking for a remote I can use to turn on and off my TV, but also has a keyboard on it that works. What are you guys using?
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I don't know of any easily available remote that is both bluetooth and has IR buttons for TV on/off.
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Actually started reading up on flirc. Going to try that.
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I've been using the Harmony Smart Control remote with my FTVs and absolutely love them! The remote is strictly Bluetooth but has a hub with a built in IR blaster. It has a large database of both IR and Bluetooth remotes, including the FireTV and can learn IR commands as well.
I've used a large number of programmable remotes and IR blasters over the years, and this is far and away the best I've found.
It's limited to 6 activities and 8 devices, which for some folks may not be enough, but is plenty for me. It also isn't backlit, which is mildly annoying. But the responsiveness, flexibility and ease of use more than make up for the minor drawbacks for me.
With 1 button I can turn on my TV and AV amplifier/switcher and change the input to the FireTV (or something else if I prefer). I''ve programmed the DVR button to go to my PVR recordings folder when using the FTV, but go to my DVR recorder on my Motorola/Comcast DVR when watching cable. Likewise, Guide button brings up the TV Guide add-on in XBMC, but also brings up the Comcast Guide when watching cable. It's really very slick.
It does take a little bit of effort to get it all magically integrated, but once you've done it, it's super easy to use. First remote my wife actually LOVES.
BTW, I tried the Flirc, and found it to be extremely flakey. YMMV.
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Well damn. I was hoping the flirc would allow me to use my keyboard. The harmony smart control costs around 100, right? Only problem is I would have to buy one for downstairs and upstairs. Whomp whomp.
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Yep, the price is high, esp since I'm rapidly using fewer devices and consolidating everything into XBMC, but it's so convenient I'm willing to overpay.
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That's true. If flirc doesn't work well for me I will probably be going that route.
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While I don't have the Harmony setup that ChipsAhoy has, I have a Harmony One that I bought in 2008.
I absolutely love the thing. I'm considering a new one with BT to use with my FireTV stick.
One thing that's very important for me is that the remote is backlit, which my current one is.
BTW, for anyone who may not know, there's a website where you can download icons for your favorite channels.
iconharmony.com
Pick the Harmony model you have, and then select the icons you want. They download in a zip file.
Hundreds of icons, and they're terrific (and free).
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After banging my head against the wall for awhile, I finally discovered an oddity in using the Harmony Smart Control with a FireTV Stick. Fast Forward/Rewind assignments to the Channel Up/Down worked perfectly on the FireTV to scroll through long lists quickly, and to FF/FR when in fullscreen video. However on the Stick, they did nothing. I finally deleted the Stick as a device and set it up as if it were a regular Fire TV. As if by magic everything worked perfectly. It seems Harmony has a different profile for the Stick, even though it's essentially identical to a regular FireTV.
The other thing is, by default, they set a lot of buttons to act as a home button. So unless you want to exit XBMC unexpectedly a lot, you might want to change those assignments.
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Does the keyboard on the fire tv app not work?
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