what remote is everyone using for Linux Home Theater?

Dev Community Apps & Creations
1

I thought about using an MCE remote anyone got any pointers that might help?

2

I'm using the Plex app for iPhone.  It includes a remote control for any Plex client you happen to have running.

3

I'm using the Plex app for iPhone.  It includes a remote control for any Plex client you happen to have running.

Actually, I am having trouble controlling my plex home theater in Ubuntu as well. I've tried using an ipad and the iphone app, and I think the arrow keys worked, but the feature to browse in the app and then control the client running in linux is not working well at all.

I think about 5% of my commands actually work remotely.

Edit: After upgrading my ubuntu package, it works now.

I noticed a bug in the iphone app, It was closed and after some time listening to music I started it again, and after connecting remotely to the linux client, the now playing item was gone, and the only way to stop the music was to start a different song and then hit stop.

I wish there was an easier way to access the currently playing media.

4

I like flirc: http://flirc.tv/

Sine I rebuild my frontend'd often all I have to do is plug in the adapter... all the config is stored in the IP receiver then it does a keyboard strike for matching commands.  Saves me a significant amount of time when tinkering.

5

I use my Boxee remote. It works great. I has a little USB plug that is the RF receiver. It's not Bluetooth or infrared, so the computer can be hidden. The keyboard on the back is a little hard so see in a dark room, but it works if you have to use it. 

6

I'm using a Logitech Harmony remote. I set it up to mimic a MCE remote as the profile for that already existed in LIRC. Initially I tried to record a LIRC config for the "Plex" device that already exists s in the Harmony database but I failed miserably, so I was happy to find the MCE config worked and have been using it for a month.

7

I use the imon that came with my case... silverstone LC-20M... works fantastic

8

I use my Boxee remote. It works great. I has a little USB plug that is the RF receiver. It's not Bluetooth or infrared, so the computer can be hidden. The keyboard on the back is a little hard so see in a dark room, but it works if you have to use it. 

Could you tell us which USB RF receiver you use with your Boxee remote?  Thanks.

9

I'm using a Logitech Harmony remote. I set it up to mimic a MCE remote as the profile for that already existed in LIRC. Initially I tried to record a LIRC config for the "Plex" device that already exists s in the Harmony database but I failed miserably, so I was happy to find the MCE config worked and have been using it for a month.

+1.

Harmony with MCE profile. Works spot on. Running a 2820 NUC with oE PHT. Get power on from IR too!
10

Logitech mini dinovo 2. Its awesome for those times I need to get out of the plex environment and do something on the OS.

11

Flirc with a URC-WR7 remote.  Works well with Plex and MythTV

12

I use my TV's remote, by way of Pulse Eight's USB CEC adapter, and Lirc.

13

I use my TV's remote, by way of Pulse Eight's USB CEC adapter, and Lirc.

I have a LG TV that has a mouse type remote. would this sort of setup work with that kind of remote?

14

Roomie Remote on iOS. Controls everything in my house. Lights, Thermostat, Receiver, TV, Plex, Apple TV etc. Does macro actions and supports just about every piece of hardware I've thrown at it. With a GlobalCache iTach IR unit, you are even able to teach the app IR commands. Plug RS232 into an iTach and you can get two-way communication with devices that have RS232, like my older TV and receiver for example.

http://www.roomieremote.com

15

Harmony One, for an Intel NUC with Celeron N2820 and Ubuntu 14.04. (The Harmony also controls the TV, receiver, cable box, an Apple TV and a Playstation 3.)

It was a bit of a struggle to get it to work, but after several failed attempts: Setting Harmony to the Intel NUC profile, installing Lirc on the NUC, setting Lirc to "Windows Media Center Transceivers/Remotes".

I made two customizations in Harmony: The "pause" button was changed to "play" (it's a toggle), and the NUC was set to be always on; otherwise the power toggle would quit PHT when I switched activity. 

Lirc install for the next person who needs it: http://kodi.wiki/view/HOW-TO:Setup_an_MCE_remote_control_in_Linux

16

NUC 2820 and Harmony using MCE and MCE Keyboard protocols, which means the same settings work for OpenELEC and Windows PHTs in my house. (I'm more likely to be carrying my Harmony around in my pocket than my iPhone!)

17

I am currently using the mce remote and ir sensor.

Works ok, but alot of keys are mapped badly.

If I stay with it, I will do remaps to correct keys.

I use a roomie remote at the end, so I can actually remap to the fake remote with roomie remote anytime

18

Apple Remote + LIRC.

Minimalist and works great.

I tried the Xbox One Media Remote (a chinese knockoff actually), it's OK but there are too many buttons.

I'm not sure which functions Plex understands. I tried and things like this, some works, some does not.

19

Long time viewer first time responder.  Just setup my first PHT using the little Chrome Box yesterday. Pretty impressed for most part. 

I have a Harmony One remote along with the IR receiver that's bluetooth for the PS3. I was able to get it to pair to the Chrome box and the PS3 profile actually controls A LOT of the plex server. Worked out of the box with no configurations on the OpenELEC or PHT end. Was fairly impressed. 

I'm going to mess around today with setting up custom profiles and seeing if I can get all the keys mapped properly. Only one I couldn't find being programmed properly was the "next button". I do 2 movie trailers and wanted the "next chapter" to skip to the next trailer. Only can fast forward from what I can tell with the PS3 profile so far. My Gyration MCE combo does work so going to get into the Harmony App and try to reconfigure it. 

**Edit - Was able to mess with the PS3 profile and found one of the "R buttons" would skip to the next item in the playlist. So I am using a Harmony One remote with a PS3 profile successfully to control the PHT on a chromebox. 

20

Wiimote

WAY easier to setup than an IR remote using LIRC and no line of sight is needed.  And refurbished Wiimotes are pretty inexpensive.

I use the Bluez bluetooth suite to connect to the Wiimote.  

For the Xorg driver, I use the xf86-input-xwiimote module, which is configured to map the button presses to keyboard keys. (See the xorg.conf snippet below).

Running on a minimalist Arch Linux install, with a custom systemd unit file to start Xorg and the Plex Home Theater client automatically at boot up.

File:

Wiimote Xorg configuration
/etc/X11/xorg.conf.d/60-xwiimote.conf

Section "InputClass"
        Identifier "Nintendo Wii Remote"
        MatchProduct "Nintendo Wii Remote"
        MatchDevicePath "/dev/input/event*"
        Option "Ignore" "off"
        Option "MapLeft"       "KEY_LEFT"
        Option "MapRight"      "KEY_RIGHT"
        Option "MapUp"         "KEY_UP"
        Option "MapDown"       "KEY_DOWN"
        Option "MapA"          "KEY_ENTER"
        Option "MapB"          "KEY_ESC"
        Option "MapPlus"       "KEY_M"
        Option "MapMinus"      "KEY_C"
        Option "MapHome"       "KEY_H"
        Option "MapOne"        "KEY_PAGEUP"
        Option "MapTwo"        "KEY_PAGEDOWN"
        Driver "xwiimote"
EndSection

systemd unit file

[Unit]
Description = Starts instance of Plex Home Theater using xinit
After = systemd-user-sessions.service network.target sound.target mysqld.service
Conflicts=getty@tty7.service

[Service]

User = plexht

Group = plexht

PAMName=login

Type = simple

TTYPath=/dev/tty7

ExecStart = /usr/bin/xinit /usr/bin/dbus-launch --exit-with-session /usr/bin/plexhometheater.sh – :0 -nolisten tcp vt7

Restart = always


[Install]

WantedBy = multi-user.target