Hi everyone,

Our company has developed an iPhone application which will be released very shortly on the AppStore which allows you to create a custom GUI and control any hardware or software that can communicate via TCP Sockets.

Would someone be willing to create a plugin for Media Center that works with our software protocol to control Media Center from an iPhone?

The protocol is very simple, and can be found here:
http://groups.google.com/group/commandfusion/files

The GUI for the iPhone app can be created using our guiDesigner software, which will soon be available from our website. But a demo of it in action can be found here: http://www.commandfusion.com/products/view/guidesigner

All this software is free (iViewer app and the guiDesigner software), so long as you only need a single page GUI (well, two pages, one in portrait mode and one in landscape mode, swapped by rotating the iPhone/iPod Touch).

So if someone is interested in working with us to create a Media Center plugin, please contact me either via email or reply to this post.

Thanks,

This looks very interesting...

Are you looking for feedback from Media Center as well?

When is the software going to be available?  I would love to play with it. 

Yes feedback from media center would be very possible - so long as the plugin conforms to our protocol standards.

I havent had any response from anyone willing to help with the plugin development, so might have to add it to my huge list of things to develop, but it will be up near the top of the list.

If anyone can lend a hand, im sure the media center community would be very greatful!

Thanks,

I found this project: http://www.codeplex.com/VmcController

And after speaking with the developer (who no longer has time to devote to the project) I believe it can be quite easily modified to suit the needs of our iPhone app.

Basically at the moment the VmcController addin uses 2 ports, one for control the other for feedback. Our iPhone app can only use one port for two-way control and feedback. So the VmcController project needs to be modified to pipe all feedback through to the command port.

Also the protocol VmcController uses is quite easily modified (as far as I can tell by having a browse through the source) so I think any decent C# developers would be able to easily get this happening.

Are there any C# developers out there interested in this at all? Should I post in another area of the forum to get some attention?

Thanks,

Jarrod,

I'm sure you've seen http://www.touchpadpro.com, yes?

'sodo

Cacasodo:

Jarrod,

I'm sure you've seen http://www.touchpadpro.com, yes?

'sodo

I hadn't seen that before... it looks like things are getting really close.

CommandFusion:

I found this project: http://www.codeplex.com/VmcController And after speaking with the developer (who no longer has time to devote to the project) I believe it can be quite easily modified to suit the needs of our iPhone app. Basically at the moment the VmcController addin uses 2 ports, one for control the other for feedback. Our iPhone app can only use one port for two-way control and feedback. So the VmcController project needs to be modified to pipe all feedback through to the command port. Also the protocol VmcController uses is quite easily modified (as far as I can tell by having a browse through the source) so I think any decent C# developers would be able to easily get this happening. Are there any C# developers out there interested in this at all? Should I post in another area of the forum to get some attention? Thanks,

Please note that vmcController won't work with the newly released TV Pack 2008 for VMC. I'm sure it could with some modification, but I just wanted it known that there will be some modification needed in order to get it to work with all versions of VMC.

Granted this was my experience in the short time I had the TV Pack installed.

I have indeed seen the TouchPad Pro product, but as I understand it only sends 'Multimedia Keyboard' actions and from what I've seen isn't very glamorous.

I have had some interested developers contact me, so hopefully we get something working soon.

SirMeili:

Please note that vmcController won't work with the newly released TV Pack 2008 for VMC. I'm sure it could with some modification, but I just wanted it known that there will be some modification needed in order to get it to work with all versions of VMC.

Granted this was my experience in the short time I had the TV Pack installed.

It doesn't work because of the changes to the guide structure. If the guide stuff is removed/commented out it works.

You could also try our new product released on the AppStore yesterday....

Intelliremote Client for iPhone/iPod Touch is a native iPhone application that allows you to control your home theatre PC running Windows. Since the iPhone uses a network connection it does not need "line-of-sight" like traditional infrared remotes and you can use it anywhere in or out of your house!

The purpose of this program is simple: to allow complete control of your Home Theatre PC from your iPhone with the touch of a finger. While Apple has provided an iPhone remote for ITunes...what about the rest of us that don't use ITunes?

Do you use VLC to watch videos? Do you use GBPVR, DVBViewer, MediaCenter, XBMC, or SageTV for DVR? Maybe Winamp, MediaMonkey, BSPlayer, or ITunes for music? Control them all from the comfort of your iPhone or iPod Touch!

http://melloware.com/products/intelliphone/

Melloware:

You could also try our new product released on the AppStore yesterday....

Intelliremote Client for iPhone/iPod Touch is a native iPhone application that allows you to control your home theatre PC running Windows. Since the iPhone uses a network connection it does not need "line-of-sight" like traditional infrared remotes and you can use it anywhere in or out of your house!

The purpose of this program is simple: to allow complete control of your Home Theatre PC from your iPhone with the touch of a finger. While Apple has provided an iPhone remote for ITunes...what about the rest of us that don't use ITunes?

Do you use VLC to watch videos? Do you use GBPVR, DVBViewer, MediaCenter, XBMC, or SageTV for DVR? Maybe Winamp, MediaMonkey, BSPlayer, or ITunes for music? Control them all from the comfort of your iPhone or iPod Touch!

http://melloware.com/products/intelliphone/

No offense, but that looks pretty ugly for a $24.99 remote app for the iPhone.  Talk about not using the iPhone to it's full potential... You could have at least done something like copying my app. here: http://thegreenbutton.com/forums/thread/207519.aspx for a way to change from one set of buttons to another... I would actually port my (admittidly simple) app. to the iPhone and give it away free if anyone felt like donating a copy of Leopard so I could run the SDK.

 

*Edit* - I misread the post, I was under the impression that it was $24.99 for only the iPhone app.  I take back the price comment since it includes intelliremote (which is a great app.) with it.  I still stand by my ugly UI for the iPhone comment on it though. 

ryan.tollefson:

No offense, but that looks pretty ugly for a $24.99 remote app for the iPhone.  Talk about not using the iPhone to it's full potential... You could have at least done something like copying my app. here: http://thegreenbutton.com/forums/thread/207519.aspx for a way to change from one set of buttons to another... I would actually port my (admittidly simple) app. to the iPhone and give it away free if anyone felt like donating a copy of Leopard so I could run the SDK.

Ummm yeah but maybe you missed the point.  My application not only lets you control with your iPhone but with  over 40 different infrared remotes and 2 bluetooth remotes like the Sony PS3 Remote.  Does your app do that?   Does your application also allow IR Blasting with a USB-UIRT so you could say turn your stereo or TV off with your iPhone or any other remote?  Sof if you are sitting on your sofa and wanted from your iPhone or iPod Touch to turn on your TV, DVD Player and stereo could your app do that?   Can your app control anything besides Vista MCE?  MediaMonkey? Winamp? VLC?    If your application does all those things for Free i would be impressed...but my guess is it doesn't.     So before you spout off something isn't worth 24$ you might want to do some research....just my opion and "no offense". :)

Ummm yeah but maybe you missed the point.  My application not only lets you control with your iPhone but with  over 40 different infrared remotes and 2 Bluetooth remotes like the Sony PS3 Remote.  Does your app do that?   Does your application also allow IR Blasting with a USB-UIRT so you could say turn your stereo or TV off with your iPhone or any other remote?  So if you are sitting on your sofa and wanted from your iPhone or iPod Touch to turn on your TV, DVD Player and stereo could your app do that?   Can your app control anything besides Vista MCE?  MediaMonkey? Winamp? VLC?    If your application does all those things for Free i would be impressed...but my guess is it doesn't.     So before you spout off something isn't worth 24$ you might want to do some research....just my opinion and "no offense". :)

Yeah thats fine and dandy that it can control all that stuff but can I as the end user configure the button arrangement, because if the screen shot is how the app looks I will fat finger almost every command that I would want to do the screen is way to busy. I thinks thats what the other post was trying to imply.

Or perhaps you could have included our iViewer protocol (documentation available in the Developers Manual at www.commandfusion.com/downloads) within your PC application and been able to create fully custom GUI's with the exact same control functionality you currently have....just a thought :)