Mac Mini HTPC and remotes
- From: Larry Moss <moss@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Thu, 1 Oct 2009 18:59:19 +0000 (UTC)
I've been using a Mac Mini as an HTPC for several years. It started with
the original Mini which recently got upgraded to a modern machine a couple
months ago. In that switch, I've replaced and/or retired a bunch of
components in the system. Hardware-wise, things are much simpler, but now
all the nice things that just worked with my Harmony remote are clumsy. I'm
trying to get this to work smoothly for everyone from my 6 year old to my
parents. It all works, but a single remote for everyone would be better.
It's mostly the software setup that's an issue and I'm wondering what other
people are doing.
The system (hardware and software that I think is relevant):
Intel Mini running Leopard
Harmony 670 Remote
Bluetooth keyboard w/ trackball - can't read the name any more
EyeTV Hybrid
Boxee
Hulu Desktop
Front Row
Netflix - Boxee doesn't run it real well
The harmony was great when I had a ton of devices, but now that things are
more software driven on a single device (CD, DVD, VHS, MP3 player, cable
box are all gone), there might be a better option. If an iPod Touch (or
retired first gen iPhone) could do IR to turn on the TV and stereo, that
would be awesome. I saw mention of a Griffin IR adapter for an iPhone, but
it doesn't look like it ever came to market.
So has anyone set up the above with a single remote that works smoothly? I
have my Harmony right now set up to mimic the Apple remote. One button
turns on the TV and amp and then it controls the computer as if it were an
Apple remote. But switching between the main apps that I run is hard and I
often find myself using the keyboard, which confuses the kid and guests.
(My daughter is certainly learning to do more with the keyboard, and like
most kids, if it will help watch TV, she's all over learning to read more.)
I can hit the menu button and get Front Row up and running. (There's a huge
delay after pressing menu before it starts.) From Front Row, I can now do
all the usual Apple things, plus start up Boxee or Hulu, but not EyeTV. I
read that there's a Front Row plugin for EyeTV, but I haven't looked too
hard yet. Then if I want to go back to one of the other apps, I have to
quit whatever is front most and start front row again. It wouldn't be so
bad if Front Row was basically managing everything and made sure one of
those apps was running or presented the main Front Row screen. Do I have
something set up wrong? (Once something launches from Front Row, Front Row
itself quits.) I'd like to set up different activities on the Harmony for
the different apps. Is there a package out there that will take a remote
signal from the Harmony and start up one of those primary media apps? In
other words, I'd hit an otherwise unused button on the remote that would
mean "stop whatever media app is playing, hide everything, start new app".
Does this exist? Is there a simpler way? I had hopes that Boxee would be
able to just be this app that would do everything, but it's not there yet.
If Netflix had a desktop app like Hulu, that would also help. Boxee is
great at a lot of things, but it won't show me everything that Netflix
offers for streaming. I end up in a web browser much of the time to find
things.
Thanks for any suggestions.
--
Larry Moss, http://www.airigami.com
PO Box 23523, Rochester, NY 14692, (585) 359-8695
Airigami: The fine art of folding air.
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