Kodi Community Forum

You can achieve some pretty neat things with software remotes. I've customized the Kodi remote of Unified Remote to suit my use and have automated some stuff by additionally using Tasker on the phone and also some simple batch files and scripts on the PC's end.

So for example, just ONE single tap on a widget straight from my smartphone's home screen automates all of the following (yes, you do have to unlock the phablet first via the fingerprint scanner, which adds maybe ~2 sec to the whole):

- Wake up HTPC from sleep
- Launch Kodi (I can't let Kodi run on the background non-stop due to certain issues with the other software I use)
- Set Kodi volume to a safe base level (so that I don't accidentally blow up my ears if I've got headphones plugged in)
- Power on TV, receiver, DAC and bias backlight from the LAN-controlled Energenie powerstrip
- Switch the smartphone view to my customized Kodi remote

When I'm done watching, a single tap on the off button from the remote quits Kodi, sleeps the PC and powers off all the other peripherals (again via the LAN powerstrip). Also, in case Kodi decides to freeze and hang for whatever reason, Unified Remote has a Quick Switch which you can configure to access Task Manager for example to force close the Kodi process..

Sure, software control lacks button feel which is a huge plus on the physical remotes BUT on the other hand I can label, resize, reshape and recolor my special buttons ("madVR stats, Stats reset, Language, Chapter list, Subs, Playlist, Add to Playlist, Screen mode, Context menu, Info, Exit Kodi, Wake-On-LAN"... phew! )

A hint for anyone wishing to integrate Kodi and MPC remotes in as hassle-free a way as possible: When I briefly tried using MPC-HC, I customized my Unified Remote remote so that I could easily switch between Kodi and MPC remotes by creating a tab onto the remote interface. So both remotes were accessible from within the same remote view at the touch of just one button.

And a warning too: as the automation/customization possibilities are basically limited by your imagination, going the software remote route can be a bottomless time-consuming pit and a loop of endless trial and error, haha (especially with Unified Remote as it's rather poorly documented)!

(2016-09-21, 13:45)stoolzo Wrote: [ -> ]the problem I find with all controller apps is you cant just pick it up and use it, you have to unlock your phone, open the app, wait for it to connect, then use it, a standard remote it far better as you never need to look at it, after a while you remember where the buttons are by touch. The remote I posted is defo the best of both words, PC / MOUSE and IR controller, all for £15.

I do also use an app for me Denon receiver but only when I want to dig deeper into the settings.

You owe to yourself to look seriously at EventGhost. There's pretty much no limit with what you can do with it when paired with a regular MCE remote.

yeah I keep meaning to, i have two many windows 10 woes at the moment i'm working though, my latest is a PC stuck at spinning blue circle, its been like that for hours, i'm looking into fixes whilst massively regretting the decision to put the anniversary update on it.

Oh, and dont start me on DPI / 4K resolution / permissions / elevation issues, windows 10 is great in some areas and outright terrible in others, if Windows 7 could do MVC 3D playback with lav filters i'd have stayed on that as it just worked with the minmum of fuss. I hate windows 10 now.

Guys,

Do you happen to find a good alternative for dsplayer? Are there any player that would support play, pause & stop OSD during FSE? And of course madvr

(2016-09-24, 14:40)MagikMark Wrote: [ -> ]Guys,

Do you happen to find a good alternative for dsplayer? Are there any player that would support play, pause & stop OSD during FSE? And of course madvr

MPC-HC or another external player is the only alternative if you want to use Kodi.

This guide covers configuration. I would rather use this combination than regular Kodi, even if the OSD is less than ideal.

(2016-09-21, 13:45)stoolzo Wrote: [ -> ]the problem I find with all controller apps is you cant just pick it up and use it, you have to unlock your phone, open the app, wait for it to connect, then use it, a standard remote it far better as you never need to look at it, after a while you remember where the buttons are by touch. The remote I posted is defo the best of both words, PC / MOUSE and IR controller, all for £15.

I do also use an app for me Denon receiver but only when I want to dig deeper into the settings.

Your hardware remote is interesting, I could maybe use it as backup system (and maybe main system for the rest of the family).
One question though : is it possible to use the power on button to send both at the same time an IR command and a magic packet?

i doubt it but I really wouldn't know to be honest, this remote just records the output signal of another remote and then transmits it, for IR.

stoolzo, to give you an idea of EventGhost's flexibility: http://forum.kodi.tv/showthread.php?tid=...pid2134870

MPC-HC would work fine as a substitute to DSPlayer. Two things discourage me:

1) Filter selection according to file properties makes the DSPlayer implementation the most powerful I've seen for this and for some things I need it (for instance to select between vsfilter and xysubfilter according to aspect ratio).

2) The absence of a proper subtitles plugin.

I would pay 100 Dollars/Euros, right now, for somebody to port DSPlayer to Krypton.

if someone does port this to Kryton its worth waiting for the first full stable release, I still find it buggy which is to be expected at this stage.

I also find this version of DS problematic, its stopped playing 3D MVC files in frame packed 3D mode, it just outputs in 2D, I cant work it out, MPC-HC still plays them fine with MADV so it must be something in DS itself but I cant find anything wrong. I also reinstalled it, still no joy, then a created a new portable version, still nothing, its like DS just refused to output frame packed 3D.

(2016-09-26, 14:59)stoolzo Wrote: [ -> ]if someone does port this to Kryton its worth waiting for the first full stable release, I still find it buggy which is to be expected at this stage.

It will be not easy bacause Krypton has a lot of changes into core video player. Only developer with good knowledge DS and new VideoPlayer can do that.

I couldn't get it to do reclock in exclusive mode. I can't understand why ds and video player can't just be options on Windows version

(2016-09-26, 16:17)robl45 Wrote: [ -> ]I can't understand why ds and video player can't just be options on Windows version

Because no one in Team Kodi wants to support DS.

To be more clear. No current team member wants to support it. If any developer is interested in supporting it now and in the future and follows the correct implementation it might be considered.

JFMI: Is there a link somewhere which explains what has changed in VideoPlayer?

I'm not sure that the list exists. But you can read about some changes here http://forum.kodi.tv/forumdisplay.php?fid=240 and take a look at repo history https://github.com/xbmc/xbmc/