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Controlling Your Computer with IR Remotes?

Posted by Cliff on from the gift-ideas-for-your-fav-couch-potato dept.

FredThompson asks: "I'm looking for information about using those cheap universal replacement IR remote controls with PCs. You know, the kind you get to work with a VCR. The unit I bought says it works with other things like VCRs, CD players, etc. I'd like to use it to control a Book PC which is part of my entertainment center. I'm running WIndows 2000 Pro and would like to make a front end for MP3,VCD,AVI, etc. It also occurred to me these remotes might be usable as gamepads which could be really cool because they work at a farther range than most game pads. That might mean moving the LED but it's still an idea. Do any of you have suggestions of where I can find information about making this work?" For Linux users, you may want to check out the LIRC Project. Is there equivalent software for Windows?

13 comments

  1. Jesus Christ by SuiteSisterMary · · Score: 4, Informative

    http://www.girder.nl. And how long until we see Google just link to 'ask slashdot.' I mean, really. Come on. Oh, and do a search for 'UIR' if you're handy with a soldering iron.

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  2. Fast enough response/action? by innocent_white_lamb · · Score: 2, Interesting

    I wonder if you would be able to get a sufficiently fast response from a remote control. They aren't designed for that purpose (of course) and any that I've ever had anything to do with seem to be pretty "klunky". Would the unit have a sufficiently fast action to be able to respond to on-screen events before your character gets eaten by the monster?

    --
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  3. I think Psion has some software by Anton+Anatopopov · · Score: 2, Informative
    A series 5 can be used as a universal infra-red controller. Don't know what the software is called though, or how good it is.

    I wonder if you could use the infra-red port on a laptop as a heat-sensitive alarm ? Point it at the door when you go to sleep, and if someone comes in it will play a loud MP3 to alert you. Or is the infra-red receptor on a laptop not heat-sensitive ?

    1. Re:I think Psion has some software by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I wonder if you could use the infra-red port on a laptop as a heat-sensitive alarm ? Point it at the door when you go to sleep, and if someone comes in it will play a loud MP3 to alert you. Or is the infra-red receptor on a laptop not heat-sensitive ?

      I don't think a laptop IR port would work well for intruder detection as the intruder would not likely put off enough heat in the very narrow band that an IR port is sensitive in. I think that IR receivers for TV remotes and IRDA are designed to be insensitive for body heat so that interference is minimized. That way the cat running in front of the TV won't switch the channel. :)

      A neat little aside here is that I saw a TV demonstration of night vision goggles where the guy was basically using a TV remote as a flashlight.

    2. Re:I think Psion has some software by morcheeba · · Score: 2

      IR Remotes use the near infrared band; heat is usually in the far infrared band. Generally, to detect heat you've got to have a detector that is cooled -- otherwise it would set itself off (kindof like the way you don't make a camera out of glow in the dark material). There is a sly alternative: Use the IR transmitter part of the port to emit light, and then detect if it is reflected back. I had a "geek detector" on my HP48 that did this. The range wasn't too good, but if you had a real reflector (instead of just a hand), it would probably be a lot better.

      Just for fun, you can see IR light in some (most?) video cameras and IR film, but usually heat doesn't show up (unless it's nearly at the point of emiting visible radiation, like an electric stove burner).

      --
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  4. WinLIRC by XRayX · · Score: 1

    One easy solution: WinLIRC
    TRY IT OUT :)

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  5. What about my PowerBook?? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    So here I am sitting on my couch with my PowerBook G4, this radio station is starting to suck and I'd like to switch to my CD player and play a CD but the remotes are sitting on top of the TV. Can I control my stereo and CD player from my IR port builtin to my computer? Can someone give me a solution soon so I don't have to leave the couch? Even better would be the ability to control my PBG4 from a remote control for the playing of my DVD collection. Then I could just hook the computer up to my A/V system and use the PBG4 just like a $200 DVD player!

  6. ir assistant by maken · · Score: 1

    i did a search on google and here is the first thing that popped up: IRAssistant
    from the page: "IRAssistant is a software for controlling your PC remotely. You can execute macros with remote controllers, joysticks"
    maken

  7. irmctl.sourceforge.net by Cyclops · · Score: 2, Informative

    In Setember 1999, I bought a non IRDA infrared receiver, irman, which wasn't at all very well supported under Linux.

    Sure there is libirman, sure there is lirc, but the goal of irmctl is to allow its users the ability to execute an arbitrary command at the touch of a couple of buttons.

    Thus, I wrote this program.

    I hope it is usefull.

    PS: once I manage to have irda working on my laptop, I'll add support for irda.

  8. My solution by bfootdav · · Score: 2, Informative

    This might be the easy way out. First, most applications use extensive keybindings like "[space]" for pause or "p" for play, whatever, and the better apps let you assign your own keybindings (Ogle, for instance). Now, get one of those IR wireless keyboards -- not a RF (radio frequency) as they won't work for this. Hopefully your remote is a learning remote. If not, they can be had for cheap, but I would recommend going with a something better like the Home Theater Master MX-500. Now you can teach the IR keyboard signals from your keyboard (keybindings from above) into the appropriate buttons on your remote and you should be able to control your apps through the IR keyboard receiver which conveniently plugs into your keyboard port. I use this setup to control xmms, Ogle, and can even play MAME Pacman (poorly as remotes aren't made for this kind of thing), or really control just about any app I need to. And if you choose a configurable window manager (Win2K should qualify) then you can control your computer pretty well from your remote (KDE, for example, has a simple mouse emulation mode that can be manipulated with this remote control setup). By the way, I found my IR kayboard recently for $29 US. This whole thing works very well for me.

  9. Keyspan Digital Media Remote by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    http://www.keyspan.com/products/usb/remote/

    The Keyspan Digital Media Remote will work on Mac and Windows computers. I can across this sometime ago when looking for a way to control my Win98 machine remotely. I ended up thinking that $49 was too much for me. A quick search on www.linux-usb.org didn't bring up any hits on the DMR, so unlikely that it works with Linux for now.

  10. Anyone ever use those old .... by robvasquez · · Score: 0

    Packard Bell computers that came with a remote? This P-75 we bought had one. It was the whole reason I told mom to get it, over the Compaq that was sitting next to it at Sears.

    I imagined using it as a game controller, etc, it just ended up being a really shitty wireless mouse, with CD player controls. Ugh.

    1. Re:Anyone ever use those old .... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Packard Bell? Bleck.... That thing still works?