XBMC with your TV’s Remote Control

[newfiend]

Use XBMC? Want CEC? Check this out..
http://www.htpc-reviews.com/xbmc-with-y ... te-control
and here: http://www.pulse-eight.com/store/produc ... apter.aspx

Now.. Windows Media Center Support Please!!
newfiend~

[hotbuddha]

Not sure if you'd seen it already and for whatever reason weren't interested, but the product to use HDMI-CEC with windows media center (or any program on Windows actually including XBMC) is right here http://shop.rcaware.com/RCAware-PC-CEC- ... C-BNDL.htm. Should work with all brands of TVs, HTS, BD, etc but for sure developed and tested to support Samsung, LG, Sony, Panasonic, Philips/Magnovox, Sharp and Onkyo.

[EmirOfGroofunkistan]

How would this be better than a harmony remote?

[newfiend]

How would this be better than a harmony remote?

HTPC's do not have this ability built in yet, so we have to use solutions like the Harmony Remotes. While these work fine, Imagine using your regular TV remote to, Turn on and off the TV,AVR and HTPC all at the same time. Pressing a button on the TV remote plays, pauses, stops, FF, RW content in TMT 5..etc.. It's not a huge difference other than it would make things much simpler.. Everything would "talk to each other" without having to program multiple pieces of equipment into a remote and then setting up Activities to control all the pieces of the puzzle. Hopefully CEC will finally make its way into HTPC components at some point. There are adapters that will make it happen but it would be nice to just buy a Video Card or Motherboard with a built in HDMI out that has CEC built into the hardware/software etc.. It would become a plug and play scenario vs. a plug, program then play scenario. More info on CEC below...

Consumer Electronics Control (CEC) is an HDMI feature designed to allow the user to command and control up-to ten CEC-enabled devices, that are connected through HDMI, by using only one of their remote controls (for example by controlling a television set, set-top box, and DVD player using only the remote control of the TV). CEC also allows for individual CEC-enabled devices to command and control each other without user intervention.
It is a one-wire bidirectional serial bus that uses the industry-standard AV.link protocol to perform remote control functions. CEC wiring is mandatory, although implementation of CEC in a product is optional. It was defined in HDMI Specification 1.0 and updated in HDMI 1.2, HDMI 1.2a and HDMI 1.3a (which added timer and audio commands to the bus). USB to CEC Adapters exist that allow a computer to control CEC enabled devices.

Trade names for CEC are Anynet+ (Samsung); Aquos Link (Sharp); BRAVIA Link and BRAVIA Sync (Sony); HDMI-CEC (Hitachi); E-link (AOC); Kuro Link (Pioneer); CE-Link and Regza Link (Toshiba); RIHD (Remote Interactive over HDMI) (Onkyo); RuncoLink (Runco International); SimpLink (LG); HDAVI Control, EZ-Sync, VIERA Link (Panasonic); EasyLink (Philips); and NetCommand for HDMI (Mitsubishi).

The following is a list of HDMI-CEC commands:
One Touch Play: the device will become active source when playback starts
System Standby: switches all connected devices to standby
Preset Transfer: transfers the tuner channel setup to another TV set
One Touch Record: start recording immediately
Timer Programming: allow one device (e.g. a TV set) to set the timer programming of another (e.g. a DVD-recorder)
System Information: checks all components for bus addresses and configuration
Deck Control: playback control
Tuner Control: control the tuner of another device
OSD Display: use the OSD of the TV set to display text
Device Menu Control: use the menus of another device
Routing Control: control the switching of signal sources
Remote Control Pass Through: pass through remote control commands
Device OSD Name Transfer: transfer the preferred device names to the TV set