All this talk about Windows 7 Media Center and how good it is, but does anyone know if Microsoft are going to start making Media Center Remotes again?
good question, I can't remeber seeing any at CES
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Thanks Ian for the reply
I am surprsied that this has not been memetioned before the hunt for MC Remotes has many discussion threads on the Aust Medai Center Forumns.
Personally I think that this is a pretty serious issue, my rule is that no keyboard is allowed in the lounge room. I do not want the Media Centre Experience to be a computer experience, I see it as a consumer device so I have a philospoipcal position. (Although I use a Logitech DiNovo Mini for maintenace)
Fact is that I am yet to find a replacement for the MS Remote. The MS remote was just a pleasure to use, all the buttons were in right spot, ergonomically nice to hold and it is back lit.
As mine failed I replaced it with this http://www.hauppauge.co.uk/site/products/data_mcremote.html The buttons are too small and there is no back light. It is just not as good as the MS model.
Then I got a one of these Speed Remotes
http://www.shoppingsquare.com.au/p_6414_SPEED__REMOTE_CONTROL_FOR_XP_MCE__VISTA
which I thought was worse than the Hauppage one.
People are hunting around for MS remotes and they bring good money on ebay when they have been used even more than the new ones.
So what was wrong with the MS product? Was it too good. What do people use now when they set up a Media Center.
Really like your show.
Harmony universal remotes, I own 5 and they rock.. all are controlling either a media center or an extender. If you just want a basic media center remote this should work for you. http://www.s1digital.com/Media_Center_IR_Remote_Control_p/mcrem.htm
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I see this as two separate challenges:
1. IR receiver hardware
2. IR remote control hardware
The latter can be handled by a lot of the universal remotes, of which Harmonys are very popular. The former seems to be quite hard to come by - particularly MS compatible IR receiver hardware.
I agree that MS need to re-release their own remote control hardware. They need to have a standard by which other manufacturers can take their lead. As it is, I'm struggling to find someone in the UK who is selling a Vista certified remote control with IR receiver.
--Philip
I managed to find a new MS Media Center remote and I paid good money for this as they all went fairly quickly. Of the two other 3 rd party remotes as well as some of the others I have seen they are just not as good as the MS remote. They suffer from the following failures
- They are not backlit
- The button layout is not as good
- The buttons are too small
- The dont support the alpha keys so that you can quickly jump to your content
Each one of the other remotes I have used fails in one or more of these areas.
Now I just listened to the Media Center Show 212, and the MS guys were saying how they designed the inteface to be used with a remote, and yet MS are not making them anymore!!!
I have a view that I do not want a keyboard mouse in the living room to use the TV, it must be remote control like any other consumer device. To me the remote is a key part of the user experience
Ian, if you are reading this I wish you would ask these MS folks about this.
i have a harmony 995 , 3 MC remotes but my fav is the free one which came with my HTPC , its a MC remote but it is RF instead of IR ... best invention ever RF
my point is if i had to replace any one of the remotes i would never buy IR again , its RF all the way for me , works in any room and you dont have to point at anything, brilliant