[mythtv-users] (no subject)

[Greg Oliver]

On Tue, Nov 9, 2010 at 6:00 PM, Matt Emmott <memmott at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>
> On Tue, Nov 9, 2010 at 6:41 PM, Richard Morton <richard.e.morton at gmail.com>
> wrote:
>>
>> This is where remote controls on phones should be, review what media
>> you have available on the remote device, playback on the big screen.
>> While playback is occurring allow the remote device user to continue
>> to browse media wihtout interrupting playback.
>>
>> Also the remote device user can control the normal media controls such
>> as volume, pause, fast forward etc.
>>
>> Google has just attempted it with "leanback".
>>
>>
>> http://www.engadget.com/2010/11/09/youtube-remote-app-released-brings-android-phones-and-google-tvs/
>> _______________________________________________
>
> I've used a ton of phone-based remotes on my iPod and HTC Evo. I've used
> remotes for media players such as MythTV, Boxee, XBMC, Plex, as well as PC
> remote controls like RemoTux(I think that's the name? My iPod's at home),
> Gmote, and various VNC clients.
>
> I completely agree that this is a step in the right direction. IIRC at least
> one of the Boxee remotes gives the feedback on the device showing what's
> currently playing and lets you bounce around while your stuff is playing on
> the big screen. But I haven't found one killer app yet that does everything
> we need or want from such a device. MythDroid seems to be decent at two-way
> communication by telling you what recordings are where, but it's been so
> buggy for me that I haven't been able to use it to its full potential.
>
> I think we're at the point where the technology is there, both on the media
> player and the power of the phones we're using; what we need is somebody to
> take the reins and put everything together into one usable, slick package.
> I'm not so sure if or when this will happen, with all the fragmentation of
> media players and aggregators that are out there (Boxee? Plex? Roku? WD?
> Sonos? Google TV? Myth?).
>
> Off the top of my head, to be a truly great remote, we need, in no
> particular order:
>
> 1) Two way communication. Show screenshots or album arts on the remote

Sony and Phillips have been doing this for quite a while.  Maybe
others?  Not graphics per se, but 2-way comms..

> 2) A truly dynamic interface - I think MythMote on my iPod changes its
> available control buttons based on what type of media I'm playing and what
> menu I'm in on Myth
> 3) Launch-and-go usability - Right now it's still a little dodgy to
> configure your remote for the correct device. It should be maybe three
> clicks to launch the remote, pick your frontend of choice, and launch your
> content.
> 4) A killer app - Something amazing that blows the others out of the water.
> For Myth, it could be a transcode button that 'sucks' the content to the
> mobile device to watch on the road. For the aggregators like Boxee, it could
> be a personal dashboard that recommends other things to watch based on what
> you're watching with a one-click launcher to the new content. For the geeks,
> a great remote control for Linux / Windows / whatever that's part VLC, part
> portable trackpad or keyboard. For anything with a microphone, voice input
> would be nice.

The only thing I can instantly think of that would probably gain
instant traction is to make a touch-screen remote have feelable
buttons.

I have several high end remotes that will almost wash the dishes if I
tell them to, but honestly I prefer the cheaper reomtes with buttons.
Having no touch feedback on a touchscreen remote is a huge drawback.
Granted, I can do much more sophisticated things with them, but for
usual TV items, I will always grab a remote with buttons over a remote
with a touchscreen.

> 4) A nice front-end to a web interface that makes scheduling recordings or
> setting up playlists super easy, perhaps even when not on the local LAN. How
> cool would it be to set up recordings and queue up playlists that launch
> when you get home?

It is already possible.

> 5) Use of the existing technology - Why isn't there a bluetooth proximity
> detector? Pause the show when I walk out of the room! Know that I want to
> control my kitchen HTPC when I'm near it, and play back the show where I
> left off in the living room! Things like this aren't too technically complex
> (from a 5000 foot view) yet nobody's doing anything about them!

There are a lot of thees already.  Search for voip and bluetooth..
The same techniques can be applied...

> I haven't paid much attention to Google TV yet. I'm heavily invested in
> MythTV and Boxee (My Boxee Box ships tomorrow!) and I just don't want to get
> involved with yet another media player at this point. But I've spent a lot
> of time daydreaming about the perfect system, which would include the
> perfect remote, so this is a topic I like to talk about. We have all this
> great technology with our mobile devices and a clean slate with the big
> touchscreen phones (Don't get me started about tablets) and yet nobody has
> taken the ball and run with it

I think everything you described is possible with today's feature sets.