User

26.10.2010 03:55:51

I've been building a HTPC based off a 2010 Mac Mini with the main plan to run Plex & EyeTV. 
When I first started the process I assumed I was limited to only an Apple Remote or that I would need a second IR receiver to get more button support. Certainly reading the RemoteBuddy supported hardware page (http://www.iospirit.com/products/remotebuddy/hardware/) that looks like the only option.

But over time I started seeing people posting that they were using Harmony remotes on their mac WITHOUT a second receiver. After more reading and more tutorials I found that using RemoteBuddy along with the Plex device on the Harmony we could have all sorts of buttons mapped by sending multiple Apple remotes with different ID's. 
For those reading this and not knowing how to do this I blogged the full process here - http://blog.lotech.co.nz/2010/10/mac-mini-with-harmony-remote/

So my request is - is there plan to, or can you please plan to include basic support for the Harmony/Plex remote setup in RemoteBuddy. I've thought it through and this is how I imagine it would work best -

At the moment when a user points the Plex Harmony setup at the Mac, it detects the 10 different remote ID's and shows a listing of 10 remotes (http://blog.lotech.co.nz/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/RB01.png). For an end user this is confusing as hell (especially once you hit the mapping section). I understand that really all that's happening is the Harmony is pretending to be 10 different Apple remotes but we don't need to see this complexity.

If you standardize your support based elusively on the Plex Harmony remote map surely you could add a check box 'treat multiple IDs as single remote / AKA Harmony Mode' then on the mapping screen instead of 10 remotes you see a picture of a Harmony remote (I believe almost all of them have the same buttons except for the Harmony 1100).

Even if what I ask is more work than you're interested in at the very least you should add Logitech Harmony to your supported hardware page (with an asterisk saying involves more work but is possible). 
One reason I never downloaded RB was that from reading your page I assumed it just wouldn't work - of course I now know it is actually supported and brought RB straight away (and from what I can tell your is still the only app that will do this).

Other RemoteBuddy users doing this please standup and be heard - this is an obvious and would be surely a welcome addition. 

User

05.11.2010 18:51:30

+1 for this. I'm using a Harmony 880 to control Plex, EyeTV, and Hulu Desktop. Remote Buddy gives me the option to make some complex mappings that otherwise would not be possible (ie. one button press to close EyeTV if nothing is recording, open Plex, goto Unwatched Movies). Actually getting everything to work takes forever unfortunately. Plus I seem to lose the excellent support for Harmony remotes within Plex itself. 

User

06.11.2010 09:45:47

Thanks to all for sharing your thoughts and experience with the Harmony. Your input and feedback is truly appreciated.

 
You can use Plex' support for Harmony remotes just fine with minimum setup. Please see the following article from the blog for details:

http://www.iospirit.com/blog/article/131/Remote-Buddy-and-Boxee-Plex-and-XBMC/ 
(Q: I'd like to use the Harmony remote mode of Plex.)

Best regards, 
Felix Schwarz 

User

16.11.2010 09:29:18

I'm not sure if those steps give a "full" harmony support in plex using remote buddy (as opposed to being in plex without remote buddy but using the plexplayer setting)

For instance - the stop button on my harmony doesn't seem to function when using remote buddy as it does without, the back button does nothing etc. Also the fast forward seems to act in a different way.

It really seems as if the remote buddy is just emulating the apple remote button possibilities and not all the harmony remote buttons (of course of which there are a lot more button options) - or am I missing a complete step?

edit - looks like I found the step! will give this a try - http://www.iospirit.com/support/forums/remotebuddy/thread/13495/ - 3/4 down form Ryan - so I assume this makes every button on your harmony do something (eg pressing stop will do a stop)?

Last edited: 17.11.2010 07:44:41 

User

26.11.2010 11:05:47

Has anyone tried using the PS3-remote that uses BlueTooth (http://www.iospirit.com/products/remotebuddy/hardware/ almost 1/2 way down)?

I like that remote :)

User

03.12.2010 05:38:39

completely agree!! Nicer/official support for harmony would be great. I purchased RemoteBuddy before I got my Harmony and seeing that it can be mapped to 10 logical apple remotes was great. But of course, the mapping is pain in the a$$...

PS mine is Harmony 900, so please include it in supported list ;) 

User

07.01.2011 16:14:00

Hi,

I'm sure that implementing Harmony support is not as straight forward as one may think. First off, the configuration of the Harmony remote itself determines what IR commands are being sent to RB. This begs the question: what config would RB support: Plex, Microsoft Media Center or another flavor of remote. The Harmony setup is also something ioSpirit does not control and any problems on Logitech's end with regards to erroneous configs would end up on IOSPIRIT's plate to support or work around in RB. Once we've crossed that barrier then there's the mapping exercise. All the apps now need to be remapped for this specific remote, that's another job with potential pitfalls. And needless to say we'd need a good way to manage the remote in RB.

Barring all of this there are some suggestions that I think could help along the way: 
- ability to quickly unset (set to nothing) all button/action configurations for a given remote in a given behaviour. 
This would help anyone reconfiguring their mappings to support a Harmony or other device to get a clean slate to start mapping from. It's not sexy but clicking 3000 times is also not fun. 
- ability to copy/paste the button/action configurations from one remote to another. 
This would help in case you want to copy say a complete "virtual button press: xxx" mapping from one remote to another. 
- ability to rename a remote's buttons and group several remotes together. 
Having the ability to rename remote's button and grouping remotes (or buttons) together would make it far easier for someone to create their mappings logically instead of always looking things up in an Excel table for mapping. 
- All of the above could be toggled with an "show advanced menus" so as to hide it from other users.

I'm bringing forward these suggestions as I believe these are some basic tools that would help any user configure their "non apple remotes" in a faster way while not imposing the burden of supporting specific Harmony configurations on iOSpirit.

That being said, if IOSPIRIT were able to get a harmony configuration logged with the Logitech database that would of course be awesome.

Kind regards, 
Thomas V.

User

08.01.2011 00:37:55

The points you list would go a lot closer to at least making it simpler for those of us with Harmonys. 
Particularly "ability to rename a remote's buttons and group several remotes together. " 
Add to this the ability of importing templates of those groups - we could all help the process by submitting button layouts and groups for the various remotes - not just harmonies.

If you did go nuts and add Harmony remotes so the end user pretty much thinks it built in, I still think using an established remote config (like the Plex config) is just as ideal - it also means that when users inevitably switch to XBMC/Plex the remote support is already completely mapped in the app and ready to go.

I can understand not wanting to rely on Logitech that they don't exactly update/change current remote codes - but is this really an issue? If a new remote comes out Logitech surely adds another remote code and name - or else they would have all the same support issues when things break.

Anyway thanks for coming back on this - I really think any work on this area only makes RemoteBuddy more appealing. 

User

08.01.2011 17:44:18

 
Having given this some more thoughts I put together a couple of mock ups: 
- Assigning button names: 
http://img600.imageshack.us/img600/9048/assignbuttonnames.jpg 
- Grouping of remotes 
http://img152.imageshack.us/img152/2672/grouping.jpg

It's far from elegant but hopefully it conveys the idea.

Rgds 
Thomas V.

User

27.04.2011 17:52:05

+1 Please implemant true Harmony One support.