Remote control choice

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greg latimer

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Remote control choice

#1

Post by greg latimer » Tue Feb 19, 2013 4:07 am

What remote would you experts choose for controlling WMC, a Sony XBR, and an Onkyo AV receiver? I'm tired of all these remotes! (and my wife can't watch TV....

mdavej

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#2

Post by mdavej » Tue Feb 19, 2013 2:53 pm

Harmony 650

greg latimer

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#3

Post by greg latimer » Wed Feb 20, 2013 1:54 am

That remote is compatible with windows media center? I don't see the infamous green button on it…

richard1980

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#4

Post by richard1980 » Wed Feb 20, 2013 3:17 am

The "green button" itself is just a button that executes a specific function and also includes a logo. The logo is a trademark of Microsoft, and must be licensed to be used. The absence of the logo only means the vendor did not license the logo. It does not mean the remote won't work with WMC.

mdavej

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#5

Post by mdavej » Wed Feb 20, 2013 3:20 am

Like most universal remotes, it's fully programmable, so you can assign any function to any button or to any place on the screen. Most people put it on the screen. There is also a small green button if you want to use that.

Cheaper universals work fine as well. I like the $9 RCA RCRP05BR. The URC WR7 is also popular. With any universal remote, you'll also need to get an IR receiver for your PC. Most come with their own remote, but you'll only use that for learning purposes.

If you want a remote that looks exactly like an MCE remote out of the box and is universal (multiple devices, learning, macros, etc.), then you have your work cut out for you.

greg latimer

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#6

Post by greg latimer » Wed Feb 20, 2013 1:50 pm

That sounds great! Thanks for your help!

barnabas1969

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#7

Post by barnabas1969 » Thu Feb 21, 2013 9:41 pm

mdavej wrote:Like most universal remotes, it's fully programmable, so you can assign any function to any button or to any place on the screen. Most people put it on the screen. There is also a small green button if you want to use that.
I wouldn't put it on the touch screen. Just use the "menu" button to send the same IR command as the green button. It makes sense.

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#8

Post by mdavej » Thu Feb 21, 2013 10:05 pm

Good suggestion.

I personally never use the green button because WMC starts automatically on my PC and my extenders. On my extender remotes, I use Menu for the xbox menu, which does get used on occasion. I don't use harmony myself, but I guess on a 650, I'd still prefer green button on the green button, and some big skip forward and big skip back macros on the blue and red buttons. If I assign anything else to them, I usually forget what it was.

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#9

Post by barnabas1969 » Thu Feb 21, 2013 10:14 pm

My PC starts in Media Center also. But when you're not at the home screen in Media Center, and you want to get there quickly, you can press the green button instead of pressing the "back" button multiple times. That's why I have it mapped to the "menu" button.

greg latimer

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#10

Post by greg latimer » Wed Feb 27, 2013 2:08 am

How do you control function within WMC on the Harmony? I can't choose WMC as a device to control cuz it's just software. I synced my WMC remote with the Harmony 650, but it controls my TV instead! I'm frustrated or stupid, or both!
Can someone please give me some guidance?

foxwood

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#11

Post by foxwood » Wed Feb 27, 2013 3:32 am

greg latimer wrote:How do you control function within WMC on the Harmony? I can't choose WMC as a device to control cuz it's just software.
Of course you can choose WMC as a device - there are a number of entries for Media Center listed in the Harmony database.

Everything you can control with a remote is running some worth of software!

greg latimer

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#12

Post by greg latimer » Wed Feb 27, 2013 4:49 am

Please explain how that's done. There is no device called WMC or anything like it. What am i missing?

foxwood

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#13

Post by foxwood » Wed Feb 27, 2013 5:09 am


greg latimer

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#14

Post by greg latimer » Wed Feb 27, 2013 5:16 am

Now that's what I call help! Thanks for your efforts.

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