[mythtv-users] need suggestions for remote for frontend

[Jarod Wilson]

On Oct 20, 2010, at 3:53 PM, Robert Shields wrote:

> On Wed, Oct 20, 2010 at 3:46 PM, Jarod Wilson <jarod at wilsonet.com> wrote:
> On Oct 20, 2010, at 2:02 PM, Ryan Duffy wrote:
> 
> > ok, ok. You win ;)
> >
> > I did mention I'm in the UK, but you've given me a link to the US amazon site. However a search by model number gave me this one for the UK, which looks the same:
> >
> > http://www.amazon.co.uk/Noah-Company-MediaGate-GP-IR02BK-Ultimate/dp/B000W5GK5C/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1287581416&sr=8-1
> >
> > I'm a bit miffed that it costs 1.6x as much as the US one, but such is life.
> 
> Didn't realize you were in the UK.  It is odd how prices are so different over there.
> 
> Back on topic though - as an FYI to other looking at remotes, I had previously ordered this one: http://www.amazon.com/Windows-Control-Infrared-Receiver-Ultimate/dp/B00224ZDFY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1287604325&sr=8-1
> 
> However it was a knockoff of the real remote (or version 1) so it would almost work, but many buttons would not function as intended despite a fair amount of time configuring it.

One thing I'd like to clarify: the bundled remote does not matter. The part that matters is the receiver.

True mceusb devices pass raw IR data, which we decode into keypresses, either in the kernel or in lircd. You can use these receivers with pretty much *any* IR remote you want.

Many of the knockoffs decode the IR data in hardware and pass HID events (keycodes). These things will usually *only* work with their bundled remotes or one taught to send the same signals, and we're at the mercy of whatever they decided the decoder should translate the buttons into (can be remapped, if the keys actually come through okay, but that's not always the case, for various reasons).

-- 
Jarod Wilson
jarod at wilsonet.com