ryan.tollefson:

Can you explain this a little more?  Do you mean how it kinda skips numbers?  For example, it will go vol 30, vol 33, vol 36... instead of being a smooth 30,31,32,33,34...

If you hold down the vol button (up or down), the vol will change 1 or 2 positions then stop, when you release, it will take a couple of seconds to update. Here's an example. current volume = 48. Press & hold vol-, vol changes to 46... then stops as the vol- is held. After release 3-4 sec later vol jumps from 46 to 19...

Also, during testing the response, it caused the MCE Controller to stop responding. On restarting the remote, it says Server not available. Controller showed client connected even though client had been shut-down. On restart of controller, remote started working again.

Ok, thanks for the info.  It seems to work on mine (well it doesn't crash the MCE Controller), but it does get a little choppy when holding the volume up/down (like what I described earlier).  I'll start testing sending the signal a little slower - I think it's just sending too fast and overloading the MCE Controller (or maybe the server computer itself).

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Just my $0.02.

scuffs:

wow

oh and why use slingbox.  Orb is a much better solution since you have access to everything, TV, movies, pictures, music, whatever.  Oh and its free.

 

If you didnt have an MCE machine slingbox would be the way to go but since you do why not use it.

WebGuide is another option that is even better, IMHO, at least if you are using MCE since it nicely integrates into MCE and allows remote scheduling, etc.

chmlm-

I tried playing with the volume timing, but I'm not sure if that will fix this problem... As it is right now, my app sends volume up/down much slower than the normal ir remote (it currently sends once every 100ms). 

Just thinking outloud here, but I'm starting to think that the problem you are having might have something to do with the network.  Perhaps the command it is getting delayed somewhere because of network traffic, lost packets, something like that... If that's the case I'm not sure if I could change anything with my app to help this (other than setting the volume up/down commands to send painfully slow).  If this is what is happening, then the MCE Controller program might need to be modified so that it would send commands more smoothly to Media Center.

A question for you though chmlm-

Is your Media Center computer (the server) on a wireless connection?  Also can you give me any other specs for it - processor & ram? 

Also, is anyone else having this problem with the MCE Controller program crashing?

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Just my $0.02.

Tried this on my laptop, works great..., Ryan ...can you add all other controls that are on a MCE remote? I'm mainly interested in Channel +/- and keyboard 0-9 so that I can change TV channels. May in a advanced control tray that slides out and makes the Virtual Remote bigger with all control...

rakf1:

...May in a advanced control tray that slides out and makes the Virtual Remote bigger with all control...

Funny you should mention that...

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Just my $0.02.

wayner9:

WebGuide is another option that is even better, IMHO, at least if you are using MCE since it nicely integrates into MCE and allows remote scheduling, etc.

I looked at webguide, but frankly it wasnt different enough to spend money on.

ryan.tollefson:

A question for you though chmlm-

Is your Media Center computer (the server) on a wireless connection?  Also can you give me any other specs for it - processor & ram? 

No wireless... everything is on a wired 100mbps switch. MCE is a Athlon XP 2500+ 1.83GHz w/ 1 GB RAM.

Don't burn a lot of cycles on this... it's not bothering me. I just mentioned it in case a lot of other people were seeing the same thing. Regarding the crash, the only time it locked was when I was really holding the vol for a long time to try and test it's response to give you some feedback.

chmlm:

MCE is a Athlon XP 2500+ 1.83GHz w/ 1 GB RAM.

My wife has that exact processor/amount of ram - maybe I'll try it on there later, after she's asleep - she has gotten sick of me testing things on her computer

chmlm:

...Regarding the crash, the only time it locked was when I was really holding the vol for a long time to try and test it's response to give you some feedback.

That's good to know.  Thanks for the feedback so far.

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Just my $0.02.

Updated to a new version.  Link on first page has been updated.

Sorry to anyone who liked the smaller size more, but I am making this to be used mainly on an Origami, and this version works much better for that.

In the future I might make it where you can go to a slim version, but there is a lot of other stuff I want to do with it first, and again, no promises .

Changes:

4-25-07 v0.12 release
 Made the interface bigger - now much better for touchscreens
 Improved reconnect - now less likely to have the app. hang for a few seconds
 Improved all press and hold buttons
 Fixed improper button handleing on some touchscreen devices
 Added a few basic tips to the troubleshooting
 
4-24-07 v0.11 release.
 Added press and hold for volume buttons
 Added press and hold for arrows
 Added reconnect option on failed login
 Added reconnect option from taskbar
 Script now makes a seperate folder for the icons (still make a folder as per. instructions)
 You can replace the button icons with your own pictures
  - if you screw this up, just delete any icon file that is messed up and
  - it will be recreated the next time you run.

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Just my $0.02.

This is sweet.

I agree with the gadget idea.

Just wondering why I can't get it to work though if I install it and mce controller on same m/c.

It starts up VMC, but then the ui doesn't respond to the keystrokes, though the controller says it's getting them.

The reason I want to do this before anyone asks, is because it's a pain to disconnect the real ir receivers from my main systems and plug into my laptop for testing my apps I'm developing. This seems a great way of testing how my apps respond to the remote.

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Gordon
VMC1:CM4, i855-GMEm-LFS, PeM 1.6, 2g 333, 200g+400g PATA, Rad9600, NovaT500(+PVR150MCE), s/c TB Riviera, VGA-SCRT+PStrp (3.4)

VMC2:Shuttle SD11G5(915GM), P M 740 1.73, 2g 533, 300+500gPATA, NvidGForceNX7300GT (256 ddr2), Terratec2400iDT (3.6)

Gordon Moore:

Just wondering why I can't get it to work though if I install it and mce controller on same m/c...

This won't work on the same computer becuase the MCE Controller program will just send the commands to the window that has focus.  This means that if you open the virtual remote and press buttons, the commands are actually sent to the virtual remote (other than "Green Button" because that launches Media Center no matter what is open).

Gordon, if you are feeling ambitious you could try to change the MCE Controller program so that it will only send commands to Media Center (sourcecode is available on sourceforge).

*Edit* - Versions v0.17+ use a new controller program, and they support this functionality.

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Just my $0.02.

Good idea! and thanks for the explanation. Now if I can just tear myself away from mcml... :()

Oh and another suggestion. Could you add an option to switch between hostname/port - as I have two vmcs, ni diubt some have more...

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Gordon
VMC1:CM4, i855-GMEm-LFS, PeM 1.6, 2g 333, 200g+400g PATA, Rad9600, NovaT500(+PVR150MCE), s/c TB Riviera, VGA-SCRT+PStrp (3.4)

VMC2:Shuttle SD11G5(915GM), P M 740 1.73, 2g 533, 300+500gPATA, NvidGForceNX7300GT (256 ddr2), Terratec2400iDT (3.6)

Gordon Moore:

Oh and another suggestion. Could you add an option to switch between hostname/port - as I have two vmcs, ni diubt some have more...

I was thinking about that... Right now you can right click and choose edit config - then you can edit the ip/hostname in the settings.ini file, but I know that is a little round-about, and not a great solution if you are switching between two computers a lot. 

There are a few other things I would like to do to the remote first, but then I will try to add a better way to change between vmcs.

*Edit - this is now done*

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Just my $0.02.

This is cool.......... no wait its soo awsome. This is the sconond best app i have seen that many ppl could use in their MCE. Thanks for app..I wonder if you could put this on a PSP, i could see that.