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[glynor]

JRemote for iOS works very well, and the developer has been making rapid improvements.

On any Windows device, you can install MC itself and use it as a remote (in "tremote" mode, search the forum).

[Darth B]

I've just started using an inexpensive (<$100) android tablet to control my home theater system.  I'm using an app called iRule.  My TV, satellite receiver and AV receiver are all controlled using iTach IR blasters/emitters- available from iRule.  JRiver (in Theater View) is controlled through MCC commands sent through the network.  I will also try using IR commands to control JRiver later.  iRule ties everything together nicely and allows you to easily create customized GUIs.

I can also use the tablet to run Gizmo. 

I tried the Harmony Link and did not like it at all.  It does not work with android tablets (only phones).  It will work with iPad, iTouch and iPhones, but customization of GUIs was very limited at the time.  Logitech had plans to improve it, but would provide timelines.

I'm very happy I switched to iRule. 

[pcstockton]

JRemote for iOS works very well, and the developer has been making rapid improvements.

Ditto.  If getting a tablet your only question should be whether or not to wait for the iPad3.

[JimH]

Android will be better supported by JRiver.

[fitbrit]

I've just started using an inexpensive (<$100) android tablet to control my home theater system.  I'm using an app called iRule.  My TV, satellite receiver and AV receiver are all controlled using iTach IR blasters/emitters- available from iRule.  JRiver (in Theater View) is controlled through MCC commands sent through the network.  I will also try using IR commands to control JRiver later.  iRule ties everything together nicely and allows you to easily create customized GUIs.

I can also use the tablet to run Gizmo. 

I tried the Harmony Link and did not like it at all.  It does not work with android tablets (only phones).  It will work with iPad, iTouch and iPhones, but customization of GUIs was very limited at the time.  Logitech had plans to improve it, but would provide timelines.

I'm very happy I switched to iRule. 

Thanks very much for the mini-review, Darth B. I have almost every type of wireless multimedia keyboard, and several universal remotes etc. None of them seem to be exactly what I want. I've been considering iRule for some time now, and I think that I'll do what you have done, eventually.

[paul.raulerson]

I want to buy a remote tablet but unsure what to to for?

my server is windows 7 pc but always liked apples products so thinking ipad2
I like having the whole media centre on my screen not just an app, thats fine for a smart phone tho I like gizmo.

Would an ipad display media centre in a nice way?
Does it work with a windows pc as the server?

appreciate any opinions

Thanks

Just my little old opinion, but we have two Android Tablets (A Motorola and a Kindle Fire) and three iPads as well as iPhones.
The iPads and iPhones are still leaps and bounds beyond the Androids.  JRiver sometimes appears to not want to support Apple stuff, but the latest remote control for JRIver is JRemote. Runs on iPhones and iPads and does a really good job as a remote control. Excellent in fact.

-Paul

[NickF]

I have to say that the iPad is a beautifully designed device and great to use.  MyRiver works reasonably well.  I haven't tried JRemote.  I have designed my own browser based controller which uses parts of WebRemote but also interacts with Girder which is a great tool for general control of both PC based and network based components.  My amp, projector and lighting are all controlled over the network via Girder with commands from the browser.  You can't do any of that with JRemote or MyRiver or WebGizmo.  WebGizmo is a disaster on the iPad and iPhone at present and I can't get any feedback from Matt on that at present.  I am sure it will be fixed eventually.

One very neat, and important, feature on the iPad is in the cover.  What is vital with a remote is that it is instantly on when you need to send a command.  With the iPad cover, as soon as you lift it, the device is on.  Drop it back over the front and it is off.  Very nice, I assure you.  

There is also a VNC App for the iPad which is extremely useful, giving you full control of your PC or, indeed, any PCon your network.

Nick.

[SteveGoff]

I've just started using an inexpensive (<$100) android tablet to control my home theater system.  I'm using an app called iRule.  My TV, satellite receiver and AV receiver are all controlled using iTach IR blasters/emitters- available from iRule.  JRiver (in Theater View) is controlled through MCC commands sent through the network.  I will also try using IR commands to control JRiver later.  iRule ties everything together nicely and allows you to easily create customized GUIs.

I can also use the tablet to run Gizmo. 

I tried the Harmony Link and did not like it at all.  It does not work with android tablets (only phones).  It will work with iPad, iTouch and iPhones, but customization of GUIs was very limited at the time.  Logitech had plans to improve it, but would provide timelines.

I'm very happy I switched to iRule. 

Hi Darth,

I got an email saying you'd sent me a message about iRule, but could not directly access the message. So I sent you a message answering yours, which I hope you can access. It should be easy for you to make page up and page down commands work in iRule, as I detail in my message.

[HiFiTubes]

Very pertinent thread given all the tabs in development.

I have all Windows PCs, (2) iPhone 4S, and an ASUS Transformer 101.

I'm trying to figure out which direction to take in adding another tablet.

I like Gizmo on the Transformer but the kids may inherit that device. I'd like to have something robust enough to use as a remote but double duty for viewing videos via Gizmo/Webplay.

iPad3 could be interesting - I have tested MyRiver in the last few days and found some bugs and performance is pretty good overall. Will have to install JRemote tonight. I already like the interface more than MyRiver - from what little I can see.

Maybe we'll add an iPad3 with keyboard, mouse, and stand for our laptop office area and my wife can use it - I do plan on picking up a Lenovo Yoga tablet this Summer to have a dedicated laptop to run MC on and do some remote tagging or video streaming from the couch.

[pcstockton]

iPad2/3 with JRemote is all you need.  Plus you get an iPad...

Very nice.  Nothing can touch the iOS devices.  I have played with everything.

my 2 cents,
patrick

[shAf]

iPad2/3 with JRemote is all you need.  Plus you get an iPad...

Very nice.  Nothing can touch the iOS devices.  I have played with everything.

I agree!  Even while Android appears to be the more popular mobile OS, if you throw tablets and 3rd-party hardware into the same comparison iOS wins going away.  IMHO, JRiver is missing out ...   ?

[InflatableMouse]

Android will be better supported by JRiver.

huh what? 

From the lack of responses to this comment I take it I'm the only one wondering what this means exactly?

[JimH]

It's an open platform.  Android also has more market share than iOS.

[fitbrit]

I do believe that this stance on iDevices is isolating many users, and hurting sales. Not just with Gizmo, but with the whole sync'ing thing too. I understand the reasons for the stance; I'm just not sure how compelling or relevant they are now. Apple seems to have found its identity and stabilized its own stance in the iWorld.

[pcstockton]

It's an open platform.  

Not to be a smart ass but what advantage does this "open platform" have vis-a-vis applications, remotes etc.  Apps still need to be vetted and approved etc.  I am not being pejorative here.  I am seriously not understanding.

It being an open platform seems to only entail that (like upnp) some apps wont work with certain Android builds.  

LesPaul doesn't seem to have an issue with developing JRemote within the iOS "closed" system.

Dont get me wrong, I dont like the Mac OS but ...

Thanks,
Patrick

[Hendrik]

Being an open platform means that developing those apps is just easier. You're not extremely limited by the platform itself, like it is on iOS. If you don't do something the Apple way, good luck with your app.

[rjm]

On this forum I see more requests for better iOS support than I do for better Android support. That's all that matters.

[Hendrik]

On this forum I see more requests for better iOS support than I do for better Android support. That's all that matters.

Because there is good Android support with Gizmo?

[rjm]

I should clarify so I don't sound more disappointed than I am. I am happy and have everything I want except I want JRiver to duplicate what AirVideo has done with of course the ability to use MC to navigate our video library.

[fitbrit]

I should clarify so I don't sound more disappointed than I am. I am happy and have everything I want except I want JRiver to duplicate what AirVideo has done with of course the ability to use MC to navigate our video library.

+10,000.

AirVideo is the epitome of convenience. It practically makes it unnecessary to buy the higher storage iDevices. Why pay more for a 32GB iPhone over a 16GB one when I can have access to 20+TB of video form home. The exception, of course is while flying, but even then we're seeing plane-friendly wifi starting these days.

[pcstockton]

Being an open platform means that developing those apps is just easier. You're not extremely limited by the platform itself, like it is on iOS.

Are you sure about that?  They both have "rules" dont they?  I asked a buddy who developed an app for both and he said that the SDKs were different of course but on the surface of things, i.e. on a level I would understand, things were basically the same.

He did say there are some restrictions on the Apple side that they have in place to ensure their devices platform and apps run with as few problems as possible.  One of these stipulations is that an app cannot change settings in the device.  This came up when I asked him if he could write an app that would easily toggle wifi and bluetooth on and off.

I am fine with all of that.  I like that their apps aren't crashtacular.  When I owned an Android it was a total crapshoot.  Some apps worked as advertised, some didn't, some didn't even work on my version of phone regardless of OS version.  Ice cream sandwich, cinnebonne turkey neck...  it is all very confusing to me.  If I want to do something beyond the Apple world I can always jailbreak my phone and do whatever I want. 

This is in direction opposition to how I feel about computers.  In that world I want ultimate flexibility at the cost of stability, speed or whatever.

To a real world example, and maybe LesPaul could chime in, is it that much more difficult for LesPaul to develop the JRemote app than Gizmo?  If so, why do all of the iOS offerings appear to be far superior?  Also, what is hamstringing LesPaul and other iOS devs on that platform?  What could they potentially do on Android that they cannot on iOS?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MvA8Hdmit-U

and

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UAOtC9QfXac&feature=relmfu

both hilarious and true. Both extremes are so silly.

Sincerely curious,

[JimH]

This is the kind of thing that makes Apple unattractive for some developers.  Apple continues to reject software for competitive reasons:
http://www.theverge.com/2012/5/2/2993027/dropbox-confirms-apple-rejecting-apps-use-sdk

and the reaction to it on Dropbox's forum:
http://forums.dropbox.com/topic.php?id=59350

[InflatableMouse]

This is the kind of thing that makes Apple unattractive for some developers.  Apple continues to reject software for competitive reasons:
http://www.theverge.com/2012/5/2/2993027/dropbox-confirms-apple-rejecting-apps-use-sdk

and the reaction to it on Dropbox's forum:
http://forums.dropbox.com/topic.php?id=59350

To balance things out a bit, its unattractive for developers to develop on android because they never know on what kind of hardware their software will be running. They never know what a phone supplier did to android, what skin, what tweaks, customizations. Stability can be a nuicance on android. Screen resolutions differ and its up to each phone company to supply patches and updates. Not to mention the malware thats coming down hard on android and all the security issues that come with it.

There's pros and cons to both I suppose and thats why I tend to agree more with this than with anything else in this thread:

On this forum I see more requests for better iOS support than I do for better Android support. That's all that matters.

[221bBS]

Not to mention the malware thats coming down hard on android and all the security issues that come with it.

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2012/05/02/kaspersky_apple_flashback_microsoft/

http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/05/01/malware-for-macs-lucrative-security-researchers-say/

[221bBS]

http://www.tomshardware.com/news/Malware-Backdoor-OS-X-Snow-Leopard-launch-hse,15515.html#xtor=RSS-181

Just ran into this today

[InflatableMouse]

Oh I agree that Mac OS X is not as safe as their user base beliefs or pretends it to be and being unaware/ignorant of the security risks today is not very smart.

However, we are talking mobile OS's here, none of the above affects iOS. Although iOS is based on the same kernel as its bigger brother, there has been no reports of malware/viruses/trojans *in the wild* and reports for Mac OS X do not neccesarily mean anything for iOS. That doesn't make it safe and protection/security should still not be neglected. People should not make the same mistake on iOS that was made on OS X.

People can say what they will about Apple's app approval process, it does filter a lot of junk (doesn't justify Apple's partial and biassed approvals though). And unless you hack your iOS device, there is typically no way to install/run programs but from the Apple Appstore. Another thing that might help in this repsect is the fact that you need to sign up and pay Apple for developer access. I'm not sure but I don't think you can submit apps without it? If it really works that way submitting apps would become harder to do anonymously, which is pretty much a requirement if you want to steal creditcard info. But again, that's speculation as Im not sure how that works exactly.

Again, pros and cons to both. I don't like Apple/iOS but I dislike Google/Android even more .

[Theogenes]

Disclaimer: Just my $.02.

I work extensively every day with iOS and Android devices (I work in the wireless industry), and in general, my feelings on each can be summed up in brief contrasting lists:

iOS:
Easiest to use (simplest interface)
Most stable
Far more restrictive
More aesthetically pleasing UI
Better average app quality
Further from the cutting edge of mobile technology
Most pleasing for those who value ease
Most frustrating for those who value customization and/or openness
Far fewer device options
Values integrity of user experience and operating system over user choice

Android:
More difficult/convoluted to use
Less stable, more crashes
Far more open, particularly to developers
Less "polished" or pleasing UI (although ICS is a HUGE step forward here)
Lower average app quality
Much closer to cutting edge of mobile technology
Most frustrating for those who value ease
Most pleasing for those who value customization and/or openness
Far more device options
Values user choice over integrity of user experience and operating system

Obviously, these are simply my impressions from having dealt with each of these over the past few years. Personally, I choose Android every single time, and make a point of never spending money with Apple, as I have serious disagreements with several key tenets of their various company and design philosophies (the link from JimH on the draconian restrictions on revenue drivers that don't directly help Apple over independent developers is a solid example). I do, however, think the marketplace is vastly better as a result of having Apple here-- their focus on the user experience above all other things has really driven the other competitors in the market to do things that would not have been accomplished otherwise. (At one point, I carried a Motorola Q running Windows Mobile-- if ever you wanted definitive proof that mobile operating systems needed a LOT of additional focus on the user experience, look no further. A total trainwreck of an OS IMO.)

As a fan of many subgenres of metal, the progression of Apple in the marketplace reminds me a bit of the hair metal bands in the 80s-- they offered a far more palatable, if generally less musically satisfying, version of metal that opened the door for a LOT of people to get into a form of music they likely would not have encountered otherwise. This can be (and very frequently is) viewed as strongly positive or negative, depending on your personal leanings.

Overall, I think that what I value in a mobile operating system most closely (although not perfectly by any means) aligns with Android. Apple is a completely valid choice for people who appreciate and value their products and business decisions-- I just am not one of them.

Hope this contributes to the conversation!

[JimH]

I've used Androids since the beginning and haven't seen many stability problems at all.

[Theogenes]

I've used Androids since the beginning and haven't seen many stability problems at all.

That lines up with the experiences of a lot of people I know. I've seen my share of Force Closes, random reboots, shoddy firmware updates (*cough* SAMSUNG *cough*), and poorly written apps (Rhapsody being a particularly annoying example IME). I won't say that Android doesn't have issues at times (although ICS seems to have addressed a LOT of this), but I will still say that I overall feel that I strongly prefer Android to iOS, and that the reputation iOS has for "never" having trouble is simply untrue. At this point, I fix more iPhone issues than Android issues-- although part of that I believe is a function of sales volume.

Maybe I've overstated the case of Android stability issues in my pursuit of even-handedness. If it crashed all the time or constantly caused issues, I wouldn't use it. It's quite rare that I deal with actual problems, and a large percentage of the issues I see are user caused, not OS caused. I think it's much more difficult to build a rock-solid OS when you open it up to absolutely anyone as Google has done with Android. I have the sneaking suspicion that if Apple were to suddenly remove their vice-like control on iOS, they would have MANY more issues than Android. Of course, just my opinion.

So in summary: keep those Android updates a-comin'!!! 

[bidders]

I don't know what IOS is. At the moment I'm using kernal streaming to an omnifi which then uses aux input to a B&O stereo. All very old hat technology but it worked. Unfortunately my B&O stopped functioning but the speakers still work fine. I thought maybe I could use a tablet with an android operating system to replace the omnifi and send the output to the B&O speakers via the AUX input on my B&O(that part still works). Can I do that?