Best option for remotely controlling HTPC? (1 Viewer)

[Trenton McNeil]

I am having some trouble finding the ATI Remote Wonder to control the PC, and wanted to know if there are any better solutions out there before I pay full price for this thing from ATI...

I'm a relative n00b in this area, and need some advice!

Using Radeon 9000 card
Do not need PVR, this will just be used for DVD/DiVX/SVCD/Winamp
Using SB Audigy for digital audio output.

 

[Brian Ruth]

Trenton: The Remote Wonder is PROBABLY the best idea out there for controlling your computer -- its RF, so you don't have to have line-of-sight to the computer to watch. I have it set up this way in my room (I use my computer monitor as my TV), and I've been quite happy with it.

The All-In-Wonder series has the remote included with it. If you don't mind waiting a little while and spending a LOT of money, an All-In-Wonder 9700 will be out very soon. It's $500, so if you just bought that 9000 it might not be the best of ideas. It IS full clock speed though, so you're pretty much spending an extra $100 for the Tivo capability and for the remote. Something to consider.

I think the Audigy Premium has an IR remote, but that requries a front drive bay.

 

[Trenton McNeil]

I already have a DirecTivo I use daily, and I'm *very* happy with that.

Any idea where you can find a Remote Wonder to buy at a local store? ATI charges 15 bucks for shipping on top of the full $50 retail price!

 

[Vince Maskeeper]

1) Buy an IR keyboard like AIRBOARD and a programmable remote. Teach IR learning remote whatever keystrokes needed (I do this, works great).

2) Buy IRman and learn GIRDER. This is what is really popular with serious HTPC types. I plan to do it eventually as well- but haven't found time to learn girder...

 

[JoelO]

Vince,
So if you have IRman and learn Girder, you can basically use any IR Remote, such as the Home Theater MX-500, to control your PC? I'm still new at this, and still very unfamiliar w/ all the gadgets that comes w/ HTPC.

Joel

 

[Vince Maskeeper]

Yep. Girder is basically a seriel control interface- you basically say "When this happens, you do that"- so you can send it a command from an IR remote to IR man, and say "When you see that signal, send this command to this wndow (which you can target specific applications, even if they're not on top, which is something I can't do with my current config).

THe only issue is GIRDER is a bit of a pain to learn- serious learning curve from what I've read. Once you get the hang of it however, it seems that there is very little it cannot do in terms of control.

-Vince

 

[Trenton McNeil]

Hmmm. Too difficult. :p

I'm building up the PC tomorrow! wooooot.