JP1 Control of PC Media Apps: VLC & SlingPlayer

Kruskal · Post by **Kruskal** » Thu Jun 04, 2009 9:47 pm

I have a PC with a IR transceiver intended to transfer files between computers or printers. I've been thinking about how great it would be to have my JP1 universal remote use this IR receiver (in this case) to control media application playing on my PC.

Does anyone know of software which could be used to do this?

A few, probably irrelevant, details:

My PC: ThinkPad T43
My remote: URC-8811
My apps: VLC & SlingPlayer

Much thanks for any help -- Vincent

PS Please let me know if there is a better forum to address this.

Post by **The Robman** » Thu Jun 04, 2009 9:59 pm

Are you sure it's an IR transceiver, and not an IRDa transceiver?

To control apps on your PC using your JP1 remote, you could use something like this...
http://www.streamzap.com/

You can get it for $20 at amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/product/dp/B00008XETO?tag=j0df-20

or maybe less on ebay

Kruskal · Post by **Kruskal** » Thu Jun 04, 2009 10:24 pm

The Robman wrote:Are you sure it's an IR transceiver, and not an IRDa transceiver?

To control apps on your PC using your JP1 remote, you could use something like this...
http://www.streamzap.com/

You can get it for $20 at amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/product/dp/B00008XETO?tag=j0df-20

or maybe less on ebay

"IRDa" sounds familiar, but I don't know what that is. How is it different than an IR transceiver?

The Device Manager calls it:

IBM ThinkPad Fast Infrared Port
National Semiconductor
Microsoft Windows Component Publisher

The Streamzap seems like just what I want -- assuming that I can get the JP1 codes for it -- EXCEPT it needs a dongle on my Notebook. I was hoping to avoid that.

Thanks -- Vincent

Kruskal · Post by **Kruskal** » Thu Jun 04, 2009 10:39 pm

The Robman wrote:IRDa

Let me guess. Is it the case that IRDa has some hardware between the raw IR transceiver and the PC driver so that it can only be used for its intended use. That the hardware requires a data transfer protocol so that a PC driver cannot get at the raw IR input? So I can't expect someone to have written the driver that would be required to accept IR signals from a normal IR remote control?

Vincent

Kruskal · Post by **Kruskal** » Fri Jun 05, 2009 12:18 am

Does anyone have experience with IrDA Remote Control by Sphinx Software? http://www.sphinx-soft.com/IrRC/index.html

It seems like what I want.

Vincent

Post by **The Robman** » Fri Jun 05, 2009 6:49 am

Kruskal wrote:The Streamzap seems like just what I want -- assuming that I can get the JP1 codes for it --

http://www.hifi-remote.com/forums/dload ... le_id=1009

Kruskal wrote:The Streamzap seems like just what I want -- assuming that I can get the JP1 codes for it -- EXCEPT it needs a dongle on my Notebook. I was hoping to avoid that.

You didn't mention a Notebook before, I don't think it's compatible with Mac, but you can use it with the PC that you mentioned in the first post, you just plug it into the USB port, there's no need for a dongle.

Kruskal · Post by **Kruskal** » Fri Jun 05, 2009 9:34 am

Kruskal wrote:Does anyone have experience with IrDA Remote Control by Sphinx Software? http://www.sphinx-soft.com/IrRC/index.html

It seems like what I want.

Vincent

Well, I downloaded the Lite version. Lite only lets you train nine buttons. (Full costs $20.)

I trained a few buttons on my URC-8811 with a little trouble. The buttons I trained didn't emit a continuous signal when held down, which the training instructions specify. (Not sure how this is programmed in JP1.). So the training initially failed. Then I tapped the button rapidly and it trained. I got a very peculiar warning message which I ignored.

The trained buttons controlled the Windows Media Player just as advertised. But now, I have to figure out how to remap the resulting key-codes to control VLC and SlingPlayer -- work in progress.

Vincent

Kruskal · Post by **Kruskal** » Fri Jun 05, 2009 9:39 am

The Robman wrote:
Kruskal wrote:The Streamzap seems like just what I want -- assuming that I can get the JP1 codes for it --
http://www.hifi-remote.com/forums/dload ... le_id=1009

Kruskal wrote:The Streamzap seems like just what I want -- assuming that I can get the JP1 codes for it -- EXCEPT it needs a dongle on my Notebook. I was hoping to avoid that.
You didn't mention a Notebook before, I don't think it's compatible with Mac, but you can use it with the PC that you mentioned in the first post, you just plug it into the USB port, there's no need for a dongle.

Well, I guess, I don't know what a "dongle" is then. However it does required a "dangle" -- something additional hanging off my notebook

Looks like I can avoid that with IrDA Remote Control Lite.

Thanks -- Vincent

Kruskal · Post by **Kruskal** » Thu Jun 11, 2009 5:00 pm

Kruskal wrote:The trained buttons controlled the Windows Media Player just as advertised. But now, I have to figure out how to remap the resulting key-codes to control VLC and SlingPlayer -- work in progress.

Well the buttons can't be remapped because it directly controls WMP. Support was very helpful in telling me how to patch there code and Registry entries, but I thought I'd try switching to WMP and see how that goes.

Vincent