[Freestyler]

Hello to all!

I'm seeking for a remote control for my XBMC/Boxee HTPC. I see in the forum that they're a pain, sorry for opening another remote topic, but I just don't like the idea that I could throw away 30-40-50 euros for nothing.

I'm seeking for something that's not too much expensive, with a decent design and possibly with a mouse joystick. I've found the "FRACTAL DESIGN SHAPE", I really like it! But it acts like a HID keyboard + mouse. Someone in the forum uses remotes like this without a problem, other people are experiencing big problems and I don't know what to think...

What do you think about this remote, should I choose it or not? If no, could you suggest me a remote control that is known that it works?

I don't have problems if I have to do some extra configuration steps, I just want that the remote at the end WORKS, because, as I said before, throwing away 30-40-50 euros for a remote that doesn't work with XBMC is really a waste.

Many many thanks, this is the last step to make my HTPC fully operational

[Freestyler]

OK, I've found a MCE remotes list in the XBMC wiki, so nevermind about the second question

The first question still remains: do you think that I would have much problems with the configuration of this remote? I would like to buy it because I like it's design, but only if it works with XBMC

[gobbledigook]

if it a MCE remote and you are using camelot then it should work "out of the box" i purchased a generic brand MCE remote from Maplin in the UK and it worked great on my ubuntu box hosting xbmc

[furii]

personally i love my dinovo mini. it works out of the box and since it's just a mini keyboard with trackpad you can configure it however you like. i've also got a harmony 550 which i've set up with the mce profile using a generic IR receiver that is pretty gf friendly

[Freestyler]

Thanks for the info! Yes, I have Camelot too!

The mini keyboard is too expensive for me, and it's too complicated to use for my parents

I was looking for a harmony remote too, but I can't find a generic IR receiver here or in the EU (or I didn't sought well ).

The Remote that I would like to buy is seen from the PC as a keyboard and a mouse, so it sends key combinations for every button pressed. (e.g. the play button should be ctrl+shift+P, if I remember well). This is written in the remote specifics ( http://hets.altervista.org/files/000148.htm ): "The remote is specifically designed to be used with Windows MCE and have a big setup of practical hot keys such as recording, start up of MCE, channel changes etc. [...] Through this IR-receiver the remote control will simulate both a mouse and a keyboard. Thus, every key on the remote control corresponds to a certain key combination on the keyboard."

@gobble: Your remote is like the one above?

[furii]

Thanks for the info! Yes, I have Camelot too!

The mini keyboard is too expensive for me, and it's too complicated to use for my parents

I was looking for a harmony remote too, but I can't find a generic IR receiver here or in the EU (or I didn't sought well ).

The Remote that I would like to buy is seen from the PC as a keyboard and a mouse, so it sends key combinations for every button pressed. (e.g. the play button should be ctrl+shift+P, if I remember well). This is written in the remote specifics ( http://hets.altervista.org/files/000148.htm ): "The remote is specifically designed to be used with Windows MCE and have a big setup of practical hot keys such as recording, start up of MCE, channel changes etc. [...] Through this IR-receiver the remote control will simulate both a mouse and a keyboard. Thus, every key on the remote control corresponds to a certain key combination on the keyboard."

@gobble: Your remote is like the one above?

with a little registry hacking you can change the keys to do whatever you want: http://wiki.xbmc.org/?title=Using_a_Micr...in_Windows

edit: also, the IR receiver you have with your mce remote should work fine with a harmony.

[Freestyler]

Registry? We're in the Linux section

Anyway I can't recycle this receiver, as it's stated in the specs: "Note that since the IR-controller is a special mouse- and keyboard simulating solution, you cannot use other types of IR-receivers for this product."

[furii]

Registry? We're in the Linux section

Anyway I can't recycle this receiver, as it's stated in the specs: "Note that since the IR-controller is a special mouse- and keyboard simulating solution, you cannot use other types of IR-receivers for this product."

woops, brain fart too much browsing through different sub-forums apparently.

this is the remote i bought: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.as...6880121001
the remote itself worked well enough out of the box. almost every button worked fine without needing to be remapped. there were a few exceptions where i needed to make a custom keymap.xml for, but 95% of it was fine. that said, i switched out this remote for the harmony but kept using the same receiver. works flawlessly. the one problem i could foresee is if you don't have access to a windows box to set up the harmony remote on. as far as i know logitech doesn't have the harmony software for linux. also, it's seems that you're in the EU(?) so you'd have to find a vendor there that carries it.

[Freestyler]

Yep, I (unfortunately ) live in Italy.

I suppose you're using XBMC on Windows... do you know if your AVS Gear remote sends key combinations (e.g. ctrl+shift+P) or uses other techniques? So even in Linux a remote like the Fractal Design Shape should work flawlessly out-of-the-box?

I know that I'm appearing a moron (and actually I AM ) but I have to clarify my doubts: I've found "too much" walkthroughs (everyone totally different from the other) that I had to open this topic, I don't know if you understand what I mean. :p

I officially allow you to call me a n00b

[furii]

Yep, I (unfortunately ) live in Italy.

I suppose you're using XBMC on Windows... do you know if your AVS Gear remote sends key combinations (e.g. ctrl+shift+P) or uses other techniques? So even in Linux a remote like the Fractal Design Shape should work flawlessly out-of-the-box?

I know that I'm appearing a moron (and actually I AM ) but I have to clarify my doubts: I've found "too much" walkthroughs (everyone totally different from the other) that I had to open this topic, I don't know if you understand what I mean. :p

I officially allow you to call me a n00b

no, it's actually on xbmc live. unfortunately it's at my parents' house, i set it up for my dad, so i can't check to see exactly how it is sending keypresses. it's been a few months since i've messed with his setup at all.

i believe it is sending remote codes, not keyboard info. http://trac.xbmc.org/browser/trunk/syste...remote.xml
is there a reason you specifically want one that sends keyboard presses? if you're just looking for something that works it seems like an unnecessary stipulation.

i'd be a little wary of the fractal design shape though. this post seems to indicate that even if the remote is ok the IR receiver that it comes with is not very good: http://forum.xbmc.org/showthread.php?tid=55843

edit: i think i might have misunderstood your question about my remote. thinking about it more i'm almost positive that it does not send key combinations and instead sends a scancode that corresponds to play, pause, etc. this is the type of remote that seems to be easiest to set up. the fractal design shape seems to send the key combinations and does not use unique scancodes making it harder to set up. http://forum.xbmc.org/showthread.php?tid...sign+shape basically i'd stay away from that one.

[Freestyler]

Hi again!

No, there's no practical reason for choosing this remote: I just like it's design (99% of the various mce remotes are really ugly) and it's relatively cheap (about 30 euros, shipping included). About the IR receiver, it's stated in the remote's specs that the receiver isn't a general receiver (but a HID device) and that it won't work with other remotes.

I've also seen the thread about the guy that couldn't use this remote (sorry for not quoting you, I'm replying with my cell phone and it's unpractical), but it's more than one year old. In the wiki (I'll find the link when I'll have a PC in front of me ) is stated that in the latest builds of XBMC this type of remotes is (should be?) supported, but there's not much information about Linux...

[Freestyler]

Back in black!

I have some useful info: http://wiki.xbmc.org/index.php?title=Usi..._with_XBMC There are some infos about the upcoming XBMC version: the remotes that simulates the standard Media Center keyboard shortcuts are finally supported

Remotes of type 3 and 4 will probably work on Linux out of the box, provided Linux sees the remote as a keyboard sending MCE keys. Some brief testing with a handful of cheap remotes showed they all work.[...]

The key handler in XBMC v9.11 and earlier cannot process the key modifiers so it can't process the simulated key presses sent by the type 4 remotes. The later builds include support for key modifiers and add the Media Center keyboard shortcuts to the key mapping file.

The remote controller support described above will be included in XBMC version 10.05. If you can't wait that long you'll need to use a development (pre-10.05) version of XBMC. Builds of the latest version are available at http://mirrors.xbmc.org/nightlies/.

The new version should come out in 3 weeks...