Anyone using Snaptream Remote?

[WannaTheater]

So I have been using used XLobby for awhile (free version), controlled by thin client on PPC (Dell axim). This single PPC gets moved from room to room in the house, as I have different audio zones, and video split onto 4 TVs. It has been great, albeit a bit quirky (if you push buttons too fast it can freeze, when PPC suspends it takes awhile for wireless to reacquire, etc). But recently I purchased a USB wireless keyboard which I have been using to control XLobby directly on my media center PC. Pretty cool, but a bit clumsy. But I am now thinking a RF wireless control would be great. So can I accomplish the following with a Snapstream Firefly remote?

1) Control Xlobby (move up-down-right-left and select/enter)
2) Once video is playing (Zommplayer or QuicktimeAlternative) control it (menu actions, FF, chapter skip, etc)
3) Once audio is playing (WinAmp), control it?

Are there additional plugins required? Would girder be required?

Thanks!
-Greg

[dalanik]

Hi, I'm using FireFly (and been using it for a couple of years), and ofcourse, you have total control of Xlobby (inc. winamp) and Zoomplayer. I am very satisfied with it. I tried various things, including Axim, but it was just too impractica, and I'll never understand why people use it (battery life to short on WiFi, feedback/reaction time is awful, screen doesn't repaint correctly, etc). I also got me a Harmony 555 which I never use because it is total crap, the philosophy of this remote is totaly wrong, LCD hard to read, it is reacting so slow and buttons are crap when you need to navigate fast (left-left-left-left-left i.e. it works pretty bad, so sloooow and sluggish)... FireFly is IMHO a real winner, and I use it all the time.

Anyway

You need Girder (last free version will do, i.e. I have 4.x Girder licence but I still use version 3.x - because it works so well!!! and there's nothing to improve), then Firefly plugin for Girder (included on the CD with FireFly) and... that's it.

If you need any more help, pleas don't hesitate to ask.

Regards,
Dalibor

[WannaTheater]

Thank you for the reply. I think it is time for me to start shopping for a new remote!

[jji666]

You can also just buy a $55 USBUIRT, use the plugin, and then use any old remote you have laying around the house, or even the firefly remote. You can program any key on any remote to do any xlobby command via USBUIRT. I think this is easier than Girder.

[WannaTheater]

Thanks. Unfortunately, I need an RF remote, as I will be going through a wall.

[jlr2000]

Fyi - I used Girder (both free and I bought it) and found it difficult. Not a fault of the program, mostly just me. I have done everything you are looking to do with the Snapstream remote and "LM Remote Keymap" which is free. If you make a donation you get added functionality like mouse mode and the ability to download pre-configured setups (ie BeyondTV). Here's the link:

http://www.lmgestion.net/@en-us/4/22/60/article.asp

I personally found this software very easy to use and I can remap any and every button on the remote.

Good Luck.

[S Pittaway]

its not your faultgirder sucks from a end user perspective!

i would recomend eventghost tho, i figured what to do in a few miniutes and i have to say for a free bit of software its very good.

i now have stopped using the build in usb-uirt support and d it all via evebntghost...

[Jay]

Thanks. Unfortunately, I need an RF remote, as I will be going through a wall.

Why not just use an IR repeater?

[WannaTheater]

That would mean purchaing an IR repeater, running cable from one room to another and also some king of IR distribution system, wouldn't it?
(not sure, as I have not tackled IR distribution yet). From what I can tell, USB-UIRT is the only way to generate IR signals from XLobby?

[jlr2000]

its not your faultgirder sucks from a end user perspective!

i would recomend eventghost tho, i figured what to do in a few miniutes and i have to say for a free bit of software its very good.

i now have stopped using the build in usb-uirt support and d it all via evebntghost...

Thanks so much for your recommendation of eventghost. I haven't done anything but reading but it looks like this might be the answer to incorporating a new remote I just bought, a Gyration MCE remote. Great RF remote with gyro mouse, plus ability to map 3 IR remotes (TV, CABLE, RECEIVER). I couldn't find anything that would allow me to remap the buttons for use with Xlobby, BeyondTV, etc. but so far the reading (in other forums) says they have used EventGhost successfully (with MediaPortal) so my hopes are high that I can use it for my setup.

Thanks again.

[S Pittaway]

it works well, you just use the sendmessage function to trigger an event in xlobby.

yu have to send a wm_user message to xlobby, this doesent show in the eventghost popup, but you can simply enter 1024 and it works fine.

it also does some other nice things, like having buttons that "speed up" the longer they are pressed.

the main thing was that it was very easy to pick up.