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More => Old Versions => JRiver Media Center 20 for Windows => Topic started by: hillcreative on May 22, 2015, 12:35:05 pm
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Looking for the best hardware (handheld) remote to use with MC. Purchased the HP Media Center remote but it won't work with Windows 7 and MC 20.X. I thought I saw a simple remote for track control playback: Advance, Play, stop etc.
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I use the Harmony Ultimate Home. I like that is able to work with all of my unique equipment (plus does diming of lights, control of thermostat, etc.). However the HP remote you have should work with Win7 (its a Windows Media Center compatible remote) and its the remote JRiver sells so it will work with MC20.x too.
What issues are you having?
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The HP remote just is ignored by the W7 OS. The receiver shows up as eHome in Devices and the red LED blinks (in the USB receiver) when commands are sent from the remote. Just no joy controlling the Windows 7 OS! I must be missing something so obvious I can't see it ?
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It looks like if the eHome driver appears in Device Manager (http://support.hp.com/us-en/document/c01744910), then the remote is being detected and should be working correctly. To be clear, those remotes won't do much of anything by themselves except when in the Windows Media Center application. So, I don't know what you mean by "controlling the Windows 7 OS". It doesn't control the OS.
To use it in MC, you need to enable support. This is done under Tools > Options > Remote Control.
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The Green button should at least launch Windows Media Center. The power button put the computer in shutdown. None of the keys will do anything in W7 Ultimate. Thanks for the help!
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The troubleshooting web page I found on HP's site (linked above) for that remote seems to indicate that it works fine in Windows 7. I'm no expert.
For the record, I use a Logitech Harmony Smart Control, and I really like it:
http://www.logitech.com/en-us/product/harmony-smart-control
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The Green button should at least launch Windows Media Center. The power button put the computer in shutdown. None of the keys will do anything in W7 Ultimate. Thanks for the help!
Just to be on the safe side, try changing the batteries.
90% of remote control problems are due to low batteries.
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The troubleshooting web page I found on HP's site (linked above) for that remote seems to indicate that it works fine in Windows 7. I'm no expert.
For the record, I use a Logitech Harmony Smart Control, and I really like it:
http://www.logitech.com/en-us/product/harmony-smart-control
I've been thinking about a Harmony remote for a while now. I have the "One" on my Amazon wishlist, but, looking at that side-by-side with the Smart Control model, which I had not noticed before, it should suit my (our) needs quite nicely, and cheaper too, which is always nice.
Question, if I may, and not being able to find a straight answer has put me off so far...
I am quite enthusiastic about the 'activity' based functions of these remotes, but, does it track the on/off status of devices?
For example, we settle down for the evening and want to watch some TV. If I have understood correctly, the remote, with one button press, should switch on the TV, switch the TV to the correct HDMI output, switch on the Tivo box, and we should be good to go.
Later, TV is rubbish, so we switch to the HTPC... One button press... Switch on the TV, switch the TV to PC output, bring the HTPC out of standby and we should be good to go?
In my head though, the TV was already on, so has this second choice, to move to the HTPC, just put the TV into standby? That could get frustrating, especially for the girls, with whom that would only need to happen once, and they would refuse to use it, claiming that it was rubbish! I can just hear them now...
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I currently use the Harmony Ultimate Home…
You assign devices for each activity. So if the TV was on and is required by the next activity, it should remain on. If however you happen to manually turn off the TV (even using the remote) it will assume the state of the TV from the previous activity and act on that. There appears to be no feed-back mechanism.
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I currently use the Harmony Ultimate Home…
You assign devices for each activity. So if the TV was on and is required by the next activity, it should remain on. If however you happen to manually turn off the TV (even using the remote) it will assume the state of the TV from the previous activity and act on that. There appears to be no feed-back mechanism.
True, but you can hit the "Help" button and the remote will either "fix things itself", or you can do a "self-guide repair" where the remote goes through all the devices and asks you whether or not each device is on/off and if the input is correct or not. It works pretty well IMO. I don't usually have trouble switching between activities.
There are some issues/complaints - as with any remote. My biggest complaint is that the device goes to a "swipe mode" after the TV or HTPC starts (there is a touch screen where you swipe your finger up/down for volume or right/left to change channels) but I'd rather it stay on the TV station/channel display screen - but it doesn't seem to offer a choice.
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Hi:
The Harmony knows the state (ON/OFF, Input, etc.) of each device as he has sended that commands. So when you change to HTPC Activity it only sends a comand to change the TV input (and all the other commands you have especified) but not a TV ON command.
It is best to use a ON command and a different OFF comand to power ON/OFF the devices instead of a single power toggle command. Some devices only have a single power toggle button in the original remote but some of them also have discrete ON and OFF commands when you look in the harmony database.
Sometimes (if you move much the remote or block the infrared path with something, when the commands stream are sended) some of them may not be received correctly (for example a device is not powered ON or doesn´t change the input).
It doesn´t happens frecuently but sometimes happens.
The remote has no way to know that a device is not in the correct state. In that case, just press the HELP button in the harmony remote and it will send again all the commands sequence to assure everything is syncronized.
Then it presents a message in the display asking "Is the problem resolved?". Just press YES and continue enjoying.
If you press "NO", it will ask you sequentially if the state (ON/OFF, Input, etc.) of each device is correct to solve the problem. This can be useful in case you have a device with only a Power Toggle command, because when you press the HELP button it send again the correct ON/OFF commands to the different devices except for the ones that only have power toggle as it is impossible to know the device state if it needs to be sended.
This is the way my Harmony 555 works. I don´t know if the new remotes works the same way. I hope someone with a newer one can help.
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I have had several Harmony's over the years and the Ultimate is by far the best one I have had. That IR blaster it uses hits devices I thought it would never get. I still don't like the software for programming the remote. It assumes you are an idiot and only want to turn on a TV and cable box. Everything else can get convoluted but luckily you only have to do it once (well more than that to fine tune it, I mean we're on the JRiver board so obviously we like to mess around configuring things).
A nice thing about the touch screen is that you can name the buttons and re-order them. So you name a button "TV Off" and everyone should be able to figure out what that button does.
Your question about the power has been answered. Going activity to activity works great.
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Thank you all for the comprehensive replies. I think I will buy. Our JRiver supplied remote has a borked stop button, so we've been getting by using the tiny affair supplied with the ASRock HTPC. It's not the greatest, to say the least!
Now, to hillcreative,
I may have ever-so-slightly hijacked your thread here, so, getting back to your original question....
Looking for the best hardware (handheld) remote to use with MC. Purchased the HP Media Center remote but it won't work with Windows 7 and MC 20.X. I thought I saw a simple remote for track control playback: Advance, Play, stop etc.
One mans "best" could be anothers nightmare. What price bracket are looking at?
The fiddly affair that shipped with our HTPC, for example, looks really neat, in practice, it's not nearly all that at all. The buttons are way too small, and way too close together.
I don't know if JRiver still ship an MCE remote control, but if they do, it's good. Ours set us back $48 back in 2009. It works out of the box with MC very well indeed.
Lots of positive in the direction of the Harmony range, but are they the 'best'? I don't know. I am going to buy one though. :)
-marko
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Sorry I didn't respond... I've been sick the past two days. I like the Smart Control version (without the touch screen) because it is simple, and the batteries last forever (I've never changed them). The major "upside" to the touchscreen that I miss is the light-up keys, but (of course) that also sucks down battery. I essentially only have two "configs" though: AppleTV and HTPC. I do everything on my system through those modes.
With my TV I've had no issues at all with on/off sync. It seemed to know the built-in discreet on/off commands all on its own, and doesn't seem to get out of sync.
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Our JRiver supplied remote has a borked stop button, so ...
I've had bad button problems turn out to be caused by having food jammed in them. I suppose you tried shaking it out.
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My biggest complaint is that the device goes to a "swipe mode" after the TV or HTPC starts (there is a touch screen where you swipe your finger up/down for volume or right/left to change channels) but I'd rather it stay on the TV station/channel display screen - but it doesn't seem to offer a choice.
Odd... I only see that screen when I invoke it (via the small arrow pointer at the bottom of the screen). After I initiate the 'Watch TV' activity my 'Favourites' (channel presets) are displayed on the screen. Likewise with the other activities I have set up. Wonder what's different...
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I use a Harmony Ultimate remote and hub. No remote has ever been perfect for me, but this is probably the best yet. Reasonably configurable, and easy to set up (especially when compared with programming via a JP1 interface!)
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Had our smart control a few days now. This thing is über neat. Really easy to set up, actually had our ASRock Vision in their database, so for the most part, it was operational within 10 minutes of being unboxed. For me, this is a highly recommended all-in-one remote.
Thanks for the tip (again) glynor.
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Yep. Still very happy with mine!
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For those of you using the Harmony Ultimate with the Hub, do you notice lag? I have a USB IR receiver plugged into my PC, and the hub about 8 inches away. They are behind a cabinet door, so no line of site.
Once the receiver receives the remote command from the hub, it goes to event ghost, which translates it to something MC can understand.
It is fairly laggy. sometimes probably 300 - 500 ms or so between button press and action on the screen.
The same action using just a normal MCE remote is near instantaneous. I have reduced the inter-key delay to 0 on the remote (from the default .1 seconds), but it made no difference whatsoever.
any ideas?
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I have no lag compared to my keyboard. Just an IR receiver plugged into the HTPC without eventghost or anything else.
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Yeah...I'm specifically talking about going through the harmony hub. Are you going through the hub, or do you use the IR from the remote?
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hillcreative appears to have abandoned his/her thread as it drifts again... :)
I'm going through the hub, and my HTPC has an IR receiver built in. There is no other software in the middle, and it's snappier than a snappy thing! You know that everyone reading this is blaming event ghost, but too afraid to say so, right?
Also, keeping my MC current...
(http://www.mpw.scot/pics/ia/20/Snap-063.jpg)
Loving this thing. Wish I'd bought one earlier.
-marko.
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I will give it a try to remove event ghost...now that I am no longer using WMC netflix, I don't techncially need it. I will lose some functionality. I will post back if it is the issue. The thing is, my other remotes going through event ghost work fine, with no delay.
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(http://www.mpw.scot/pics/ia/20/Snap-063.jpg)
-marko.
That's a nice mod to the remote setup screen.
Did you actually need to go through the MC remote setup? I have two Harmony's (the Ultimate Home Control and the Smart Control) in different rooms and I did not need to setup anything via MC's remote control setup on either Harmony.
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I use mine through Girder, and it is very snappy.
I have all of the functions for which I don't need "advanced programming" (where the buttons do different things depending on the foreground application, basically) set to use Bluetooth. This includes:
* Arrows (Up/Down/Left/Right)
* OK
* Number Buttons in the numpad area
These are ungodly snappy. I can hold down the arrow buttons and Theater View screams through screens.
The other buttons I have mapped to use IR (blasting as a Media Center PC, but it doesn't really matter what you use if you'll program it with Girder or something like that). These are also very snappy, though not quite as good as the bluetooth buttons. But, Page Up/Down (the channel Up/Down keys on the remote) goes very quickly, as does volume up/down. Both of those are mapped through IR, and they're plenty responsive.
I do have the IR Emitter thing that came with the hub butted directly up against my USB-UIRT receiver (with maybe 1cm between the two). But I think it worked fine from across the room when I first set up the test config.
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I just needed to go into MC to teach it the buttons I wanted for things like turning off the OSD, restarting MC and so on. Everything else just worked, which is nice.
Does anyone know if it is possible to use MCWS to jump directly to a specific location in theater view, bearing in mind that very little of mine resembles anything that you would call 'default'.
-marko
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It's hard, Marko. There is a MCC, and I worked out once what the parameters were, but it assumes you haven't mucked with it too much. I moved my Video view to the top and added a secondary roller to it, and it doesn't work at all anymore.
I can dig it out when I have a minute though...
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Yeah...I'm specifically talking about going through the harmony hub. Are you going through the hub, or do you use the IR from the remote?
Yes with the hub. I am now conditioned to never pointing the remote at the TV. That hub is like an IR explosion. It hits gear I never thought it would.
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So...as it turns out, I was wrong...I did some experimenting last night, and even when I bypass the hub, event ghost, and go straight from the remote into WMC, there is still lag...then I tried just the remote on my smart TV, controlling netflix...still lag. so, it appears that it has nothing to do with eventghost, or the hub...it's the remote itself. There is probably 250-400ms between the time I hit the remote button, and the time anything responds to the IR signal. I guess I will call Harmony and have them troubleshoot.
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THe harmony smart control is pretty expensive, how does it communicate with the computer, through RF? I actually have no need for IR-sending, as everything is controlled via the computer, is the smart control a good alternative then? It seems like i have to pay for the hub-thing which is mostly useless? Or do i misunderstand something?
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The harmony hub communicates with the computer via IR.
The remote is RF to the hub. The hub does the IR blasting.
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The harmony hub communicates with the computer via IR.
The remote is RF to the hub. The hub does the IR blasting.
Thanks for the feedback, it does sound a bit non-ideal for a setup like mine. Does anybody know of a remote of similar quality that is a bit more fitting for only sending commands to the computer?
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I use the Tivo Slide Pro on my upstairs computer, and then use Event Ghost to translate. It works extremely well. Just be sure to get the one that comes with the USB dongle.
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Thanks for the feedback, it does sound a bit non-ideal for a setup like mine. Does anybody know of a remote of similar quality that is a bit more fitting for only sending commands to the computer?
How are you getting commands into the computer if it isn't IR?
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How are you getting commands into the computer if it isn't IR?
The best solution is bluetooth or RF via dongle. IR is line of sight and a historical relic best avoided in my opinion :)
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The harmony hub communicates with the computer via IR.
The remote is RF to the hub. The hub does the IR blasting.
The Harmony Hub also does Bluetooth, and can show up like a Bluetooth Keyboard. The functions it can do in this mode are fairly fixed, but it is useful for many buttons where you just want a fixed result (I mentioned my number keys and up/down/left/right arrows earlier).
The IR blaster on it can work quite well, though, and doesn't require line of sight at all on the Harmony Hub-based remotes. The remote itself does NOT do the IR. The remote communicates with the Hub via a proprietary RF system. It only talks to the hub, and does not require line-of-sight.
The Hub blasts the IR (and communicates via Bluetooth to some devices), which you can use to control your TV, your Stereo, and your computer. Since the logical place for the hub is in the cabinet with the stereo, then line-of-sight isn't an issue (and it comes with one of those IR repeater doodads so you can have the "hub's IR blaster" in more than one spot physically). So, without the hub, the remote is utterly useless, because it can only talk to the hub. But, this avoids issues with line-of-sight, and the IR allows you to control a wide variety of existing consumer devices without needing fancy equipment.
I have my hub set up to control my PC via both Bluetooth (for some of the buttons) and IR (for others). I use the IR because I want Girder to be able to "intercept" the IR commands and then decide what to do based on conditions.
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The Harmony Hub also does Bluetooth, and can show up like a Bluetooth Keyboard. The functions it can do in this mode are fairly fixed, but it is useful for many buttons where you just want a fixed result (I mentioned my number keys and up/down/left/right arrows earlier).
The IR blaster on it can work quite well, though, and doesn't require line of sight at all on the Harmony Hub-based remotes. The remote itself does NOT do the IR. The remote communicates with the Hub via a proprietary RF system. It only talks to the hub, and does not require line-of-sight.
The Hub blasts the IR (and communicates via Bluetooth to some devices), which you can use to control your TV, your Stereo, and your computer. Since the logical place for the hub is in the cabinet with the stereo, then line-of-sight isn't an issue (and it comes with one of those IR repeater doodads so you can have the "hub's IR blaster" in more than one spot physically). So, without the hub, the remote is utterly useless, because it can only talk to the hub. But, this avoids issues with line-of-sight, and the IR allows you to control a wide variety of existing consumer devices without needing fancy equipment.
I have my hub set up to control my PC via both Bluetooth (for some of the buttons) and IR (for others). I use the IR because I want Girder to be able to "intercept" the IR commands and then decide what to do based on conditions.
I got the Harmony Hub as well and have to admit it's pretty fantastic. I had to install some PS3 Bluetooth software (tiny program) on the PC to get the flexibility I wanted, but you can essentially map anyone of a number of keys this way (http://benbarron.com/applications). I also have a Flirc IR dongle, but the only command that I send to that is to wake up the PC. For some reason I couldn't get my PC to wake up with Bluetooth, but I think many will do that. I then use a small AutoHotKey script to map some commands like left window + alt + J = MC20.exe /MCC 22001`, 1. So that way when I hit the blue key on my Harmony, it puts Theatre View up at the Audio prompt.
I had a lot of problems with the Flirc when I was trying to use a standard IR remote with it, but with the Harmony Hub's IR do'hickies, it works well.
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I've had bad experiences with "universal remotes" in the past, especially ones with task-based functions, so I have generally avoided them.
However it's got to the point that it might be useful to have one, so I think that I might give in and buy one of those Harmony remotes/hubs.
I was really hoping for something with a design more relevant to a modern HTPC (a nice slim remote with a fraction of the buttons (http://abload.de/img/51hikbxfwfl._sl1200_6orll.jpg)) but it doesn't seem like that is going to happen.
As I understand it, the Harmony Hub only receives RF commands, so it's not possible to program it to use another remote.
There are two things which would get me to switch over if they work well:
- Can the Harmony Hub be used as an IR Blaster with Media Center?
- Is Media Center able to issue IR commands when playback is started/stopped in a zone?
To be clear, I am not looking for: Press a button on the remote to start playback in Zone X, Y, or Z.
I am looking for: Playback was started in Zone X, Y, or Z - switch the device on and select the correct input.
If I'm browsing a list of movies, I don't know if that particular one is stereo or multichannel (those play in separate zones to different audio devices) so it has to be triggered by playback starting in that Zone.
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I've had bad experiences with "universal remotes" in the past, especially ones with task-based functions, so I have generally avoided them.
However it's got to the point that it might be useful to have one, so I think that I might give in and buy one of those Harmony remotes/hubs.
I was really hoping for something with a design more relevant to a modern HTPC (a nice slim remote with a fraction of the buttons (http://abload.de/img/51hikbxfwfl._sl1200_6orll.jpg)) but it doesn't seem like that is going to happen.
As I understand it, the Harmony Hub only receives RF commands, so it's not possible to program it to use another remote.
There are two things which would get me to switch over if they work well:
- Can the Harmony Hub be used as an IR Blaster with Media Center?
- Is Media Center able to issue IR commands when playback is started/stopped in a zone?
To be clear, I am not looking for: Press a button on the remote to start playback in Zone X, Y, or Z.
I am looking for: Playback was started in Zone X, Y, or Z - switch the device on and select the correct input.
If I'm browsing a list of movies, I don't know if that particular one is stereo or multichannel (those play in separate zones to different audio devices) so it has to be triggered by playback starting in that Zone.
When It comes to the latter, you can look at the thread I started on a similar topic (if you can ignore my somewhat clumsy attempt at explaining what i mean :)):
http://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php?topic=95579
Let me know if you find a "HTPC-remote" i am interested in the same, and i have worked with getting all my equipment able to be controlled by lan/rs232, so i don't need the IR-blasting.
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1. Can the Harmony Hub be used as an IR Blaster with Media Center?
Yes. You can set any button up on the remote to blast using standard Windows Media Center IR commands, which MC will recognize without needing any third-party software.
If you want to control other software on the computer (I control Firefox on mine, for example) then you need something 3rd party like Girder or EventGhost.
2. Is Media Center able to issue IR commands when playback is started/stopped in a zone?
No. Well, it doesn't do that. The hub only "talks to" the computer. The computer doesn't talk back to the hub in any way. This isn't really needed, though. If the PC can blast IR, you can blast it directly to the devices, and the hub isn't needed. Basically, the hub is a way to translate the buttons you press on the remote into "actions" on the hub (which might be Bluetooth, but are generally IR). In most other universal remotes, this function was built directly into the remote itself.
But having it in the hub means it doesn't move, and so you eliminate line-of-sight problems (and can easily wire up little IR extender nubbins). That's the main benefit.
There are downsides to the Smart Remote. The software is easy, but somewhat limited. It doesn't do things "conditionally" in essentially any way other than what "action" is currently selected. You can program each "action" (which are basically just modes for the remote) to do different commands when it starts up (and shuts down), on a per-button basis. However, you can't easily copy these sets of commands from action to action, so there is no way to duplicate and then slightly modify a setup (other than manually recreating it for each action). The remote also has no sense of "state" (other than what action is currently selected). So, in your setup, the remote itself would not, and could not, "know" what was happening on the PC.
The latter might not matter. The remote, for me, is just pretty dumb. It blasts essentially the same commands to the PC all the time (IR "representations" of the buttons I pressed). Then the computer interprets these differently depending on state (what app is foreground, mostly, but also what is currently happening).
It is not a total room control system. Just a remote, designed to get commands to the PC (and turn the TV and amp on). It is handy that it can also control other consumer electronics devices, though, without basically any reprogramming (other than selecting a pre-built action for one of the Action buttons). It works great as an AppleTV remote, for example, and I expect the same with an XBox or PlayStation.
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Oh hold on a minute.
Though it has a USB port on the back, is that just for power?
I thought that the PC would be able to receive commands from the remote and the hub would act as an IR blaster when connected via USB.
Is there an RF/Bluetooth dongle that lets you hook up the hub to the PC at all?
If the PC can blast IR, you can blast it directly to the devices, and the hub isn't needed.
OK, but can Media Center send commands when playback is started in a zone? (e.g. to select the correct input on a device)
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The USB port is mostly just for power. That's also how you program the remote if you use a PC to do the programming (instead of a mobile device), but after that it isn't used.
It has Bluetooth. So if your computer has Bluetooth (needs to be v4+ I discovered) then it can connect to the PC as a Bluetooth keyboard. But it is really just a keyboard then sending keyboard commands (you can choose from a set of A-Z, 0-9, special keys, etc and assign them to buttons).
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That might work. I already have a Bluetooth 4 dongle to use DualShock 4 controllers with the PC, and Media Center can be completely controlled via keyboard commands.
But I suppose that's still only a one-way communication?
I'm not especially happy about adding the hub to my setup, and it sounds like I'd need the hub and another IR blaster for the PC to send commands to other devices. (if MC can even do it?)
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I was really hoping for something with a design more relevant to a modern HTPC
You might find this interesting... http://www.neeo.com/ (http://www.neeo.com/)
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some of them also have discrete ON and OFF commands when you look in the harmony database.
Anyone has a good link for browsing that Harmony database ?
I have a Harmony One, I had no problem to set it up for basic functionality, but I never found "browsable" device info.
And I have a few hiccups with MC, for instance I have no PageUp/PageDown functionality in the MC TV guide, but three different pairs of buttons will give me a LineUp/LineDown...
Cheers.
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You might find this interesting... http://www.neeo.com/ (http://www.neeo.com/)
Interesting, yes. Of value, no.
There is nothing at that link to describe the technology or what it offers. It just sounds like Harmony Hub remote clone.
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There is more product information available at that link but it’s not readily apparent… Here’s some more info… https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1227115988/neeo-the-thinking-remote/description
I was simply responding to 6233638’s desire to find a remote to his liking… (a nice slim remote with a fraction of the buttons)
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Anyone has a good link for browsing that Harmony database ?
I have a Harmony One, I had no problem to set it up for basic functionality, but I never found "browsable" device info.
And I have a few hiccups with MC, for instance I have no PageUp/PageDown functionality in the MC TV guide, but three different pairs of buttons will give me a LineUp/LineDown...
Cheers.
I haven't found anything browsable. They have this site https://support.myharmony.com/en/compatibility where you enter the brand and model and it tells you if it is compatible. But its not very helpful if you just want to scan the list of products to see what products are compatible/available.
Harmony support isn't very helpful either - for example, I was trying to find out if there was a specific (or any) brand of remote ceiling fan control that would work (i.e. such as fansync - which uses Bluetooth) so I asked on the Harmony support forum, but they replied that the Harmony Ultimate Home does not work with Bluetooth devices. What? It works with the Amazon FireTv and PS3 via Bluetooth.
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I do a lot of installs.
Best bang for the buck is Universal Remote MX900 and MRF350 base station (although a few bucks).
Tons and tons of IR codes in database. Well laid out. Screen easy to read (I think the simple text backlit LCD display is infinity easier to read and more functional than the more "sexy" multi color graphic displays. Standard AAA batteries last almost a year (nothing more annoying than a remote that always needs to be charged and finds itself often out juice at inconvenient times).
Most equipment has dedicated ON and OFF commands as opposed to POWER TOGGLE commands. Use of discrete commands eliminates confusion scenarios where equipment is being turn ON or OFF when it should not be.
DVRs are one of the few pieces of equipment lacking discrete ON/OFF IR commands (however that is starting to change).
These are generally sold to professionals however they can be purchased online.
There is a Universal Remote URC-RFS200 which is a RF remote and base station bundle which while is a little more challenging to program (as there is no computer software interface) can be set up very effectively to control home theater systems and has a layout similar to the more expensive offerings. These are not available at the moment (I suspect the firmware is being updated in the next production). The bundle could be purchased for about $125-$150. Hopefully they will be returning to production.
For Xfinity users out there their newer X1 boxes do not work with older universal remotes of any brand (one nice thing about remotes that that use software that is updated - not a problem).
I programmed a Harmony remote and almost tore my hair out waiting for their "cloud" to accept programming changes (much prefer software that is loaded on computer locally).
My 2 cents.
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twb1000, thanks for the tip.
I see they've got smart phone options as well. Looks like URC are keeping up with user trends.
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I do a lot of installs.
Best bang for the buck is Universal Remote MX900.
That remote has 50% negative reviews on Amazon and is listed as discontinued there. Some of those negative reviews seem to be about the fact that the company only supports installers and not end users, so your experience as an installer may be different than what a normal person would have.
I have used all kinds of different remotes, and as much as I hate what Logitech has done to the once great Harmony brand they are still the only thing I have found that is simple and easy to use by the non-technical members of the household for their price range. The two features that keep me using them are:
1 - State memory. As long as you use the remote to change things, it remembers the state of the equipment and does what is needed when an action is pressed. This prevents things from ending up 'wrong' when an action or macro is run.
2 - The 'help' button for when things do go wrong that tries to solve the problem and then takes the user step by step to a solution. This solves 99% of problems and has prevented countless calls from the family when it just isn't working.
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I would like the "take away" from my post to be that using discrete ON/OFF IR codes and discrete INPUT selection IR codes greatly enhances the reliability and function of the remote. When the remote is properly set up with the discrete codes, if there is every a hiccup, the only thing required is to return to the home page and repeat the command. Also adding delays when required is very important (sometimes a device needs a second to initialize before receiving an input change command). Any remote is only as good as the program that is in it. A lot of people purchase these things expecting them to program themselves (like that is ever going to happen). Anyone purchasing a universal remote and wishing to implement MACROS to improve ease of operation needs to be a bit of a tinkerer and possess an analytical mind. The main thing I like about the URC is the button layout, the screen, and backlighting, when set up properly, easy to see and easy to use (also the IR and RF transmissions are very robust). I did call URC about the URC-RFS200 Power Pak bundle and it is discontinued. Frankly the PC programmable MX900 and the MRF260 base for the extra money are the way to go (in my humble opinion). I see them online for $200 for the remote and $60 for the base station. These are super easy to save different templates and load them onto other remotes or have backups (I know you can do the same with Harmony).
I know Harmony is more a "wizard" type program which frankly I find annoying. I know what I want it to do and I like writing the command directly to the buttons without being "asked" what I want to do. As I had said before, I was also really annoyed with Harmony's cloud response time (hopefully they improved it since the last time I was there). Frankly I hate implementing programming that depends on the remote having to "remember" the "state" of the equipment (these programming scenarios always tend to be buggy and glitchy). Kudos to Harmony for having the "check status" feature on there remote; it is my contention that well programmed remote should not need a "check status" feature in the first place. I am happy that Harmony remote is working well for you, and with that said, I would stick with it.
My 2 cents + another 2 cents
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I have no interest in any remote with a screen. If I was going to do that, I'd use an iPad, and get a Crestron Series 3 for room control.
I like the Smart Control because:
* I only use it to control my PC (and turn on the amp and TV). It doesn't have to do anything else, 90% of the time. The only other action I even have programmed is my AppleTV, which basically only gets used for AirPlay.
* It is small and very, very simple. Battery is a watch-style battery, and I think they're designed to last 2 years or so.
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I have no interest in any remote with a screen. If I was going to do that, I'd use an iPad, and get a Crestron Series 3 for room control.
I like the Smart Control because:
* I only use it to control my PC (and turn on the amp and TV). It doesn't have to do anything else, 90% of the time. The only other action I even have programmed is my AppleTV, which basically only gets used for AirPlay.
* It is small and very, very simple. Battery is a watch-style battery, and I think they're designed to last 2 years or so.
It does look like a small and simple control, but it costs 150 dollars with the must-have base, right? :(
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The screen has hard buttons that are located adjacent the screen is merely for "labels". I like hard button remote myself compared to the ones that have LCD touch screens, they just seem to be easier to operate. if you want to get really creative the other thing you can do with the remote like this is have multiple home screens for multiple zone locations (just have to have a navigation button to whichever zone you wish to go to) and have the same remote work anywhere in the house with any piece of equipment. One thing that is always confusing I find, is having the same button do different things in different modes of operation, it gets hard remembering what buttons do what when. That is where the button labels on the screen come in handy.
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It does look like a small and simple control, but it costs 150 dollars with the must-have base, right? :(
I don't know on what planet that is a simple remote. I wish I could eliminate around half the buttons on the Smart Control (mostly the number pad, which I've never used for anything real).
To each their own. Obviously if you want something to control a whole bunch of devices, then you have to have more stuff. I don't. My TV in the living room is connected to two devices:
* HTPC
* AppleTV
That's it. I'd remove the AppleTV as well, and just use AirServer if I could get it to work with all video playback reliably (it mostly works, and is much better than Reflector, but still not perfect). So, I don't need a bunch of modes and stuff.
If I did, I'd do it with a custom programmed UI on a touchscreen (which is still easier than modes on a remote).
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I don't know on what planet that is a simple remote. I wish I could eliminate around half the buttons on the Smart Control (mostly the number pad, which I've never used for anything real).
To each their own. Obviously if you want something to control a whole bunch of devices, then you have to have more stuff. I don't. My TV in the living room is connected to two devices:
* HTPC
* AppleTV
That's it. I'd remove the AppleTV as well, and just use AirServer if I could get it to work with all video playback reliably (it mostly works, and is much better than Reflector, but still not perfect). So, I don't need a bunch of modes and stuff.
If I did, I'd do it with a custom programmed UI on a touchscreen (which is still easier than modes on a remote).
Hmm, I am not sure, the same planet where you said: "I like the Smart Control because: * It is small and very, very simple. Battery is a watch-style battery, and I think they're designed to last 2 years or so." I guess? :)
I have the same needs as you, but the smart control doesn't seem like a great fit for me, as the whole base-thing makes its expensive and somewhat of a hassle (I think, based on the posts in this thread, haven't tried it)
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To each their own, but when I was talking about a "simple remote" the antithesis of what I was talking about looks like that one.
Like I said, I don't think the Logitech one is a perfect solution. There are things about it that annoy me. But overall it is pretty good, and was reasonably easy to set up.
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To each their own, but when I was talking about a "simple remote" the antithesis of what I was talking about looks like that one.
Like I said, I don't think the Logitech one is a perfect solution. There are things about it that annoy me. But overall it is pretty good, and was reasonably easy to set up.
Now I am thoroughly confused ? Do you think the Smart Control remote is simple or not? (I am not trying to be difficult, I am genuinely confused now)
A perfect solution probably won't show up, but a 150 dollar "simple" remote that doesn't connect directly to the computer(?) makes the smart control seem like it is a bit too far from perfect for my needs. But thank you for the tip :)
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Do you think the Smart Control remote is simple or not?
I'm not talking about setup complexity, I'm talking about whether my four-year old can use it without instruction. Yes, I think the Smart Control remote is relatively simple, because it doesn't have very many buttons. It is smaller than my phone.
If it had even fewer buttons, it would be even better. The one that is the antithesis of my idea of a simple remote is this one:
(http://www.hometheatersound.com/equipment/pics/200705_urc_mx900_b.jpg)
(Which, as far as I can tell, has basically the same limitations, and more, by the way.)
Complexity of setup is an issue, though the Smart Control wasn't that bad to set up. It was a bit more annoying than it could have been, because my needs are pretty specific, but it still wasn't too bad. It took me about three hours to set up, almost a year ago, and I've never touched the setup again even once.
For years and years before, I used a Snapstream Firefly. It was good that it connected via USB directly to my computer and was a true HTPC remote, but getting it to turn my amp on, select the right input, and turn my TV on was super-annoying (each of which took literally seconds to set up on the Logitech Smart Control), so it had "setup" tradeoffs too. But, even then, once it was done it was done. The main reason I abandoned it was that:
* They were cheaply made. I went through three of them in probably 6 years.
* Snapstream changed their business model and stopped selling them, so it became increasingly difficult to find replacements.
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If you want simple and inexpensive - only controls the PC - even emulates the mouse:
http://www.amazon.com/Ortek-Windows-Infrared-Receiver-Ultimate/dp/B00224ZDFY/
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/31sIeXVXRcL.jpg)
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Yeah, but it is IR, which is a complete dealbreaker for me. It is also still pretty big.
Like I said, though. To each their own. Options are good.
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They work pretty well unless you're a long way away.
I use an MC Remote a lot. If I'm not on the couch, I use Gizmo. I prefer a remote with buttons if I'm in the dark.
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I have no interest in any remote with a screen.
Agreed.
I just want a "dumb" remote which consolidates the features of the handful of remotes I have sitting around into a single device.
I don't have any need for macros, I would just selectively program a few commands from multiple remotes onto a single one.
I don't want another device to charge because it has a screen, just something that runs off a regular battery for years on end.
And I agree that the Harmony remote is far too cluttered/complex.
It's still a lot simpler than the remotes which require screens, but it can still be simpler than those devices, while being too complex at the same time.
The one other thing I'd really like to have in my setup, which I initially thought the Harmony could handle, is for Media Center to be switching to the correct inputs on the DAC/AVR when playback starts/resumes in certain zones.
I thought the Harmony Hub would interface with the PC and could be used as a PC-controlled IR blaster, while also allowing the remote to control the PC.
But it looks like the only "PC functionality" it has is for programming the remote via Logitech's database of IR codes.
And I'm still not sure whether Media Center can trigger IR commands when playback starts/resumes in a Zone either.
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I prefer a remote with buttons if I'm in the dark.
That. Exactly that, is the only shortcoming for the Smart Control, in my opinion. Sure, the smartphone app offers haptic feedback, but what am I pressing? With the remote in my hand, I can feel my way around the remote, from the 'OK' button and hit just about everything I need without looking at it. That's impossible on the smartphone. On the other hand, the wife is really getting into controlling eveything from her iPhone, and trust me, if she's happy, well, then I'm delirious ;)
We use the Harmony to control the Tivo, the TV and the HTPC. We don't need the repeater. Basic setup was all done on the PC in very short order indeed. Some MC macro stuff keyed over the first few days of use as I learned the possibilities available to us, and now, eveything is so simple, and just works, via remote, and/or smartphone.
My wife is a self-confessed technophobe. She hates anything 'gadgety' unles it 'does what she wants when she wants it to do it', every time. If she is coping with a Harmony Smart Control, anyone can.
6233638
I'm not sure. Initially, I thought I had to set up the HTPC as a PC in the Harmony setup, and that wasn't going so well, but, I then found that they had our ASRock in their database, and well, but for very minor tweaking, we were good to go.
-marko.
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Where the URC shines is in macro programming and controlling lots of different equipment efficiently with one device. I am not sure about how you make a generic media remote turn on and off a TV, Bluray player, cable/TiVo box or an AV receiver. I am sure there are work arounds that can be accomplished by the computer itself. I just like dealing with it all in one program. Fewer buttons are great when you have an onscreen GUI to work with; a lot of equipment does not work that way. Having buttons with LCD text labels allows you to put the functions right where you need them clearly on Page 1 of the device you are operating.
The way I like to set up my remotes Home page with various devices and or activities, when you select any device activity all associated equipment is turned on and imputs selected as needed (one button press). If I want go to a different device/activity I navigate directly to the HOME page and select new Device/Activity. From any Device/Activity page I am in, I program the OFF button to turn off all equipment and navigate back to the HOME page. One button press in and one button press out (very simple). If you have discrete ON and OFF IR codes it does not matter if you send an ON blast to something that is already on, conversely if you send an OFF blast to equipment that is already off, the command is ignored. This is the reason why remotes with more extensive IR data bases and Screens work so much better than the "simpler" and dumber remotes. When these things are set up right they work very, very predictably.
By the way Glynor; nice picture. I love that remote.
My customers always say: I just want to push a button to watch TV or I just want to push a button to watch a DVD. That is what I give them. When you have 5 or more pieces of equipment that all need the correct marching orders, it gets a little more complicated.
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I'm going to jump in on the side of the Harmony 1. The only thing I have plugged into the TV are my Wii (which is bluetooth so not controlable) and the HTPC, and the activities work a charm with MC.
As an earlier poster said, the setup is a bit clunky (web based, so can take some time) but once set it up it's great.
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The only thing I have plugged into the TV are my Wii (which is bluetooth so not controlable) and the HTPC, and the activities work a charm with MC.
The Harmony hub-based remotes (any of them) can pair with a Wii (https://support.myharmony.com/en/how-to-bluetooth-pair-with-playstation-3-or-wii). You might want to check it out.
The Bluetooth on my Smart Control works with my AppleTV perfectly via Bluetooth.
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I'm not talking about setup complexity, I'm talking about whether my four-year old can use it without instruction. Yes, I think the Smart Control remote is relatively simple, because it doesn't have very many buttons. It is smaller than my phone.
Ok, then i think we agree, the smart control is a small an simple remote. However you do need the expensive base right? And the base communicates with he computer via IR?
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If you want simple and inexpensive - only controls the PC - even emulates the mouse:
Well, it doesn't have to be inexpensive, it just feels a bit bad to pay 150 dollars for a 30 dollar remote, and a 120 dollar base I don't really need :)
I will check out the ortek, but as stated by glynor, it is a bit big, and IR is a drawback.
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Ok, then i think we agree, the smart control is a small an simple remote. However you do need the expensive base right? And the base communicates with he computer via IR?
The Logitech Harmony Smart Control includes the remote and the hub. It is $130 on Amazon (http://www.amazon.com/Logitech-Harmony-Control-Smartphone-Simple/dp/B00BQ5RYI4).
The only other thing you might need is an IR Receiver for your computer. Those are a dime-a-dozen, but if you want it to be able to blast too, and maybe have multiple zones, I really like my USB-UIRT (http://www.usbuirt.com/). The remote will also talk to the computer via Bluetooth, though. If you do this, by default it shows up as a keyboard, and you can't modify how the computer interprets the keypresses (with EventGhost or Girder). If you just want them to be regular keyboard buttons (including multimedia keys and whatnot), it'll control MC fine by itself in this mode.
If you want more flexibility so that buttons do one thing in MC, and something else in Firefox (or different things in MC depending on the state of the computer at the moment), then you need to use EventGhost or Girder. This is easiest if you blast IR from the hub and use a IR Receiver on the computer to "listen" to the commands. But, you can do this via BlueTooth too, if you want. As someone mentioned earlier in this thread, though, there is a free application you can install that intercepts the Bluetooth commands (if you pair it as though the computer is a PS3, instead of a computer) and then you can route the button presses to EventGhost or Girder.
I didn't go this route because I didn't want yet another little software application to manage on my computer, so I decided to try IR first. I thought it would be non-responsive, and that I'd have to switch to Bluetooth for everything, but it works perfectly and is super-responsive, so my concerns were unfounded.
When you have 5 or more pieces of equipment that all need the correct marching orders, it gets a little more complicated.
I've done a ton of fancy room-control systems. If I was doing something like this, I'd use a Crestron DMPS3-200-C (http://www.crestron.com/resources/product_and_programming_resources/catalogs_and_brochures/online_catalog/default.asp?cat=1008&subcat=1514&id=2614#) (or 300-C, depending on how many inputs and outputs I needed), and use a combination of:
* Crestron's Mobile Apps (http://www.crestron.com/products/crestron_mobile_apps/): I use the iOS app heavily at work and it is pretty fantastic
* The Crestron HR-100 (http://www.crestron.com/resources/product_and_programming_resources/catalogs_and_brochures/online_catalog/default.asp?jump=1&model=HR-100) or HR-150 (http://www.crestron.com/resources/product_and_programming_resources/catalogs_and_brochures/online_catalog/default.asp?jump=1&model=HR-150) for the standard living room remote.
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At $6,600.00 the Crestron DMPS3-200-C might be a little out of reach for many. I also use iRule which is pretty powerful (does not have handheld remote or integration - which kind of sucks). The Clobal Cache devices that work with iRule are great and inexpensive. One thing I do like about RF/IR systems (like URC) is that the response is instantaneous which is more of an issue with DVR and fast forwarding through commercials (is to over shoot). I am going to say it again, can't tell you how much more functional a remote with a page system and smart navigation to the required page is (it opens up all kinds of possibilities). The Harmony simple remote does look like a "big bang for the buck". For me I would like to if has discrete IR codes for devices and how the programing works; I like to choose my own IR code as opposed to a "wizard" set up. Does the Harmony Simple Remote force you to use the "wizard" programming?
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For me I would like to if has discrete IR codes for devices
It does.
Does the Harmony Simple Remote force you to use the "wizard" programming?
Sort of. You have to go through a short wizard to select the devices you want to control for each action. But then you can assign each button individually (the wizard pre-sets them, but then you can modify them). The wizard is basically three pages (the first of which is essentially just naming the action and then picking an icon for it).
I've never used the older Harmony-1 style systems, but it isn't too bad. Obnoxious, and somewhat limited, but not too bad.
At $6,600.00 the Crestron DMPS3-200-C might be a little out of reach for many.
Obviously. Their MSRP prices are not realistic though. I pay around $2100 for our DMPS3-200's from our AV vendor, I believe. I'd have to pull out my latest invoice to be sure.
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With all of the Harmony 'sort of' love in this thread, one thing to be aware of - the tools to program the remote all require a connection to the mother ship to work. I had to reprogram/upate one of mine right after Christmas once and their servers were overloaded due to everyone who got one as a present trying to set it up at once. Servers down/overloaded = no ability to program the remote for a day or two.
I have a love/hate relationship with them. When they were an independent company they were wonderful and support was great. You could call them up and get other user's custom setups transferred to your account or have missing commands (like discrete on/off) added to devices in their database. Since Logitech bought them, the support has gone way downhill and they only provide free help for a short window. Add a new device after the initial window and need their help, expect to pay.
I also had the issue with the poorly designed battery slot in the Harmony One where if the battery swells up (and the ones they were using for that remote at first did), then it jammed in the slot. Now they are fixing that for free, but when I had the issue their 'solution' was to offer me a new one from their web store at a 'discount' which made the final price more than what I could get it for new on Amazon at the time.
Bottom line is that Harmony remotes/service are far from perfect - but having used all types, they are the only ones the whole family can use without having to call me for help every-time I leave the house because something wasn't working right.
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The Logitech Harmony Smart Control includes the remote and the hub. It is $130 on Amazon (http://www.amazon.com/Logitech-Harmony-Control-Smartphone-Simple/dp/B00BQ5RYI4).
The only other thing you might need is an IR Receiver for your computer. Those are a dime-a-dozen, but if you want it to be able to blast too, and maybe have multiple zones, I really like my USB-UIRT (http://www.usbuirt.com/). The remote will also talk to the computer via Bluetooth, though. If you do this, by default it shows up as a keyboard, and you can't modify how the computer interprets the keypresses (with EventGhost or Girder). If you just want them to be regular keyboard buttons (including multimedia keys and whatnot), it'll control MC fine by itself in this mode.
If you want more flexibility so that buttons do one thing in MC, and something else in Firefox (or different things in MC depending on the state of the computer at the moment), then you need to use EventGhost or Girder. This is easiest if you blast IR from the hub and use a IR Receiver on the computer to "listen" to the commands. But, you can do this via BlueTooth too, if you want. As someone mentioned earlier in this thread, though, there is a free application you can install that intercepts the Bluetooth commands (if you pair it as though the computer is a PS3, instead of a computer) and then you can route the button presses to EventGhost or Girder.
Hmm, ok, so i can actually just buy only the remote (without a hub), an communicate directly with the computer via bluetooth? If so it might be a good alternative.
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Is the communication on the simple remote RF or Blutooth? Blutooth is kind of a "deal breaker" for me (the communication is too unreliable). The other nice thing about the URC is that you can isolate IR blasters to specific devices and the bases are addressable so you can have them in different locations in different zones and all play nice together.
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The Harmony hub-based remotes (any of them) can pair with a Wii (https://support.myharmony.com/en/how-to-bluetooth-pair-with-playstation-3-or-wii). You might want to check it out.
The Bluetooth on my Smart Control works with my AppleTV perfectly via Bluetooth.
Thanks Glynor.
New remote isn't high on list of things to buy right now, but will be eventually, and a hub based remote will probably be the one we go with.
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Hmm, ok, so i can actually just buy only the remote (without a hub), an communicate directly with the computer via bluetooth? If so it might be a good alternative.
Read above again more carefully, as this has already been addressed. The remote does not, and cannot, do anything without the hub (which is the part that has Bluetooth and the IR blaster). The hub comes with the remote, though. The price above is for both the remote and the hub.
The price for the remote alone is $30 or so, if you want to add one to one of the other Hub-based remotes (or replace a lost/broken one I suppose). But it would be useless without one of the hubs, as it couldn't do anything.
Is the communication on the simple remote RF or Blutooth? Blutooth is kind of a "deal breaker" for me (the communication is too unreliable).
Proprietary RF. I imagine the same kind they use for their remote slide advancer doohickies.
The other nice thing about the URC is that you can isolate IR blasters to specific devices and the bases are addressable so you can have them in different locations in different zones and all play nice together.
You can do the same with the Smart Remotes. They can be "locked" to their particular hub, if you want to (or not, if you don't want to).
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the tools to program the remote all require a connection to the mother ship to work.
I agree. This is super-dumb. I never had trouble with it going down, though. Of course, my experience with the reliability of their servers is limited, as I really only programmed it a few times over a handful of days, and then never touched it again since.
I'm not sure you can't do it without logging into your account now (since it worked for me), but it does want to log into an account whether you program it via a mobile device or on your computer via USB. The limitation makes sense for the mobile device programming (because people can't figure out IP addresses and stuff), but for the direct USB connection it is stupid.