[mythtv-users] IR receiver and remote, Adesso ARC-1100

[faginbagin]

Well, I've created my first MythTV wiki page to describe my experience configuring MythTV to use the Adesso ARC-1100 IR receiver and remote. The following copy of the intro might help you decide whether this receiver/remote solution is for you:

The Adesso ARC-1100 has two parts: an IR receiver with USB cable and a remote control that is like many other Media Center remotes. What distinguishes this product from other remote control solutions is it looks like a USB keyboard and mouse to the computer. As a result: 

* It can interact with a boot menu. 
* It is more responsive than LIRC based remote control solutions. Multiple key presses don’t get lost like they tend to with LIRC solutions, so you can more quickly navigate through lists using cursor and paging (Ch+/-) keys and increase fast forward and rewind speeds, for example. 
* If some dialog pops up when you least expect it, like Update Manager or a warning about pressing the eject button on your DVD burner, you can dismiss the dialog using the remote's keys, or you can raise Mythfrontend's window by clicking on it using the remote’s mouse functionality. 
* It is affordable. I got it on sale from newegg in October, 2009, along with a 10% off coupon, for less than $25 USD (that includes shipping). 
* It can be used to train a learning remote. I use the Sony RM-VL710 and RM-VL600, which replaced the 710. According to Sony’s web site, the 600 was retailing for $24.99 USD in November, 2009. 

There are some drawbacks: 

* Configuring this remote is a little more complicated than configuring an LIRC based remote. That’s because you need to use two different mechanisms (xmodmap and editing MythTV key bindings) to get full use of the remote, as opposed to editing a single LIRC configuration file. 
* Some keys are duplicates of others, like Play and Pause. 
* Some keys are effectively duplicates because they generate Ctrl+Shift sequences and because MythTV ignores the Shift state. 
* You will lose your xmodmap configured keys if you plugin/unplug the IR receiver or a USB keyboard and will need to execute the xmodmap command to restore those keys.

If I've got your attention, I welcome you to read the wiki entry:
http://www.mythtv.org/wiki/Adesso_ARC-1100

If you get that far, feedback is most welcome.

HTH
Helen