[mythtv-users] low-cost low-grief remote

[Stroller]

(attributions corrected)

On 27 Mar 2007, at 20:17, jedi at mishnet.org wrote:
> On 27 Mar 2007, at 17:11, Rod Smith wrote:
>>>>
>>>> Others have posted some good comments, but I'd like to clarify some
>>>> important
>>>> facts and distinctions:
>>>>
>>>> 1) MythTV is a keyboard-controlled application. MythTV itself has,
>>> AFAIK,
>>>>    no awareness of remote controls. To use a remote with MythTV,  
>>>> you
>>>>    must have a way to make the remote "look" like a keyboard to
>>> MythTV.
>>>>    Typically, this is the job of LIRC, but there are other options.
>>>
>>> MythTV is very much a remote control aware application.
>>>
>>> It accepts messages passed from lirc just fine. No shenanigans like
>>> converting button events to keyboard events is required.
>>
>>
>> You made two conflicting statements there.  MythTV is NOT remote  
>> aware.
>
>     There's no conflict. LIRC is the Linux remote control
> subsystem just as alsa is the Linux sound subsystem & video4linux
> is the vidcap subsystem.
>
>     If an app isn't aware of any of those subsystems it won't be able
> to use any of them and you will have to cobble the data into them via
> some other means.
>
>> MythTV is LIRC aware.  The two are very different.  Unfortunately  
>> LIRC is
>> a
>
>     Not really.

You seem to be missing Mr Smith's point here - MythTV doesn't care  
WHICH kind of remote you use, as long as it receives keyboard  
presses. I don't know the ins & outs of LIRC, but if you want to  
bring alsa & video4linux into the equation then saying "MythTV is  
very much a remote control aware application" is like saying "MythTV  
is very much a speaker-aware application".

As far as the original poster is concerned it doesn't matter whether  
he connects Creative Labs, Dell or Logitech speakers to his PC. His  
remote doesn't have to be "Myth-compatible" as much as it does  
somehow have to simulate the press of a keyboard button. This can be  
done by using a programmable remote that pretends to be a standard  
keyboard (I think there may be some about that do this directly,  
without LIRC??) _or alternatively_ by using one of the many _LIRC- 
compatible_ remotes & sensors.

The OP of this thread really doesn't benefit from us arguing the  
semantics of whether LIRC-aware is the same as being remote-aware. He  
would probably be better off ignoring our petty bickering, reading  
all of <http://www.lirc.org/faq.html> and <http://www.lirc.org/html/ 
table.html> then buying the cheapest remote receiver he can find in  
order to learn by experience.

The <http://www.lirc.org/receivers.html> section goes into more  
detail over component part numbers than many people will wish, but he  
should note:
   Most of these receivers come in variations adapted to a specific
   carrier frequency. You should choose the 38kHz types because most
   remote control standards use this frequency. 36kHz types should
   work as well. The receiver won't stop working if your remote uses
   another frequency but the range will decrease.

IE: most PC remote control receivers see the signals given off by  
most remote controls. The details are in the configuration files  
<http://lirc.sourceforge.net/remotes/>.

Stroller.