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iRule - The iPhone/iPod touch/iPad remote solution
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rallymike




Joined: 18 Feb 2012
Posts: 1



PostLink    Posted: Sat Feb 18, 2012 5:43 am    Post subject: irule graphics Reply with quote


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your pages are stunning! any chance you'd like to share?! I do not like the templates or provided layouts and buttons; but yours are awesome; looks like you have the graphic skills to do it yourself. Did you use photoshop? how do we mere mortals create something like what you've done?
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kal
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Joined: 06 Mar 2006
Posts: 17850
Location: Ottawa, Canada

TV/Projector: JVC DLA-NZ7


PostLink    Posted: Sat Mar 24, 2012 1:34 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

A couple of general questions about using an iPad as a remote (which I'm considering using iRule - of course! Wink ):

- Is it possible to turn off the screen lock after X minutes of inactivity? I'm assuming yes. I like to just pick up a remote and use it by touching the screen to turn it on. I shouldn't have to always do the sideways swipe to unlock it first.

- What sort of battery life can one expect if if you only use an iPad as a remote (a few minutes/night) with nothing else running and the screen going blank fairly fast after using it (say 30 seconds). In an average evening we'd probably use the remote for 5-10 minutes total (tops). The "remote" should always be on and ready. One thing I like with my current Pronto is that it lasts for months without having to recharge.

Kal

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ecrabb
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Joined: 13 Mar 2006
Posts: 15909
Location: Utah

TV/Projector: JVC RS40, Epson 5010


PostLink    Posted: Sat Mar 24, 2012 5:54 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hi, Kal -

Awesome! I'm excited you're kicking around iRule control! I highly encourage you to try it. The iPhone is great, but since I set it up on the iPad, it's pretty much my dream remote - just like the Crestron or AMX system I always wanted, at a mere tiny fraction of the price.

On your first question... Yes, you can disable the screen lock. That capability has been in the app for quite some time. However, iRule just released a new version, and one of the features is a screen-dimming feature, optionally enabled if you've disabled screen-lock. When enabled, screen-dimming dims the screen after one minute of no interaction. Tapping the screen brightens the screen.

I don't know about long-term run-time... I think iPad run-time is in 9-10 hour territory when it's on with the backlight in full brightness mode. With it in highly-dimmed mode, I would think it would be much, much longer. You could probably use it for a remote for a week of movies every night without plugging it in. The thing is, you'll probably want to use the iPad for much more, so you'll end up plugging it in to recharge every couple of days, anyway. I use mine just like one would have a wireless touch-panel for a Crestron or AMX system. Grab it from the charger, read email, surf, play a game, watch a movie with iRule control, check email, then return it to the charger for the night.

It's certainly not like a Pronto, but of course it's massively more powerful.

One thing you could do that I've considered once I dedicate an iPad to iRule duty, so it install a charger in my chair's compartment. Shut the theater down, plug in the dock cable, and stick in the armchair compartment for the night.

Let me know if you decide to try it out, and I'll help make sure you pick out the right hardware!

Cheers,
SC
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kal
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Joined: 06 Mar 2006
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Location: Ottawa, Canada

TV/Projector: JVC DLA-NZ7


PostLink    Posted: Sat Mar 24, 2012 6:09 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

ecrabb wrote:
The thing is, you'll probably want to use the iPad for much more, so you'll end up plugging it in to recharge every couple of days, anyway. I use mine just like one would have a wireless touch-panel for a Crestron or AMX system. Grab it from the charger, read email, surf, play a game, watch a movie with iRule control, check email, then return it to the charger for the night.

Most definitely. I actually bought an iPad 2 about a month or two ago and have since then lost it the wife and kids.
I originally bought it as a remote (and occational surfing tool) for the basement once it's completed.
I probably need to buy another if I actually want to see/use it myself and not wonder where it is in the house after the kids go to bed and I want to watch a movie or something. Wink

Quote:
One thing you could do that I've considered once I dedicate an iPad to iRule duty, so it install a charger in my chair's compartment. Shut the theater down, plug in the dock cable, and stick in the armchair compartment for the night.

Makes sense. My chairs don't have compartments (just cupholders).
I figure I'll throw a little docking station in the corner of the bar or something where it sleeps at night.

Quote:
Let me know if you decide to try it out, and I'll help make sure you pick out the right hardware!

Thanks! We break ground in the basement tentatively late April so I'm in crazy design mode right now with the HT/brewery/bar/etc. Remote control's a bit further down the road since it doesn't have to be part of the original plan. I'll be pulling a bunch of low voltage wire for IR control just in case (since it's cheap/easy) and because you never know what may come in the future.

The iPad would also likely become the music station for the basement too ... eventually.

Kal

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ecrabb
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Joined: 13 Mar 2006
Posts: 15909
Location: Utah

TV/Projector: JVC RS40, Epson 5010


PostLink    Posted: Sun Mar 25, 2012 3:49 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

kal wrote:
I actually bought an iPad 2 about a month or two ago and have since then lost it the wife and kids.
I originally bought it as a remote (and occational surfing tool) for the basement once it's completed.
I probably need to buy another if I actually want to see/use it myself and not wonder where it is in the house after the kids go to bed and I want to watch a movie or something. Wink

This is a common problem that I think is driving iPad sales. Wink Seriously, same thing happened in my house. Bought one for the wife and me, and the kids have pretty much taken it over. The only time I ever get a chance to use it is after 9pm!

Getting a new one for myself that will be MINE.

ecrabb wrote:
One thing you could do that I've considered once I dedicate an iPad to iRule duty, so it install a charger in my chair's compartment. Shut the theater down, plug in the dock cable, and stick in the armchair compartment for the night.
kal wrote:
Makes sense. My chairs don't have compartments (just cupholders).
I figure I'll throw a little docking station in the corner of the bar or something where it sleeps at night.night.

Yep, exactly. Apple sells a little dock that the iPad can stand up in, or you can just lay it on a corner of the bar with the dock cable connected.

kal wrote:
The iPad would also likely become the music station for the basement too ... eventually.

One cool thing... Not sure what you're doing in the rest of the house, but just released last week with the new version is a new iTunes module. If you have a box somewhere on the network with iTunes on it, iRule can connect to an iTunes library on the network and browse by artist, album, see cover art, etc., but the cool thing is you can then send the music wirelessly to a $100 AppleTV or AirportExpress, or any other AirPlay device - wirelessly - with independent volume control for each device/zone. So, you can have an iTunes box with 100GB of music on it - even in lossless - but, use iRule to stream it to multiple devices in the house, in the theater, living room, bedroom, etc. Sort of allows you to create a pseudo whole-house a/v distribution system on the cheap.

SC
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krichter1




Joined: 21 Mar 2011
Posts: 4
Location: Chicagoland (Naperville), IL.


PostLink    Posted: Sun Mar 25, 2012 4:32 pm    Post subject: iPad mount options for ya... Reply with quote

Hi Kal/Crabb,

I'm a recent potential convert (well still trying to figure out iRule which is a tad frustrating even though I already bought Pro!), from a house full of URC remotes and while searching to find some iPad mounts I came across this highly rated solution for theaters like mine which have cupholders:



Link

I went with this gooseneck stand as well so I could have the iPad in front of my front row center console which also allows free movement (they also sell a 10ft charging cable w/ wart):




Crabb - Your contributions and creativity is nothing short of amazing and much appreciated (a bit of jealousy too I must admit)! I wish I could hire you to do all my iRule iPad stuff! Thumbs Up You'd think a 20 year techie such as myself would be able to figure out how to create even a first home page (I feel like an idiot even after going through all the tutorials! Embarassed )
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krichter1




Joined: 21 Mar 2011
Posts: 4
Location: Chicagoland (Naperville), IL.


PostLink    Posted: Sun Mar 25, 2012 4:51 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Quote:
The iPad would also likely become the music station for the basement too ... eventually.

One cool thing... Not sure what you're doing in the rest of the house, but just released last week with the new version is a new iTunes module. If you have a box somewhere on the network with iTunes on it, iRule can connect to an iTunes library on the network and browse by artist, album, see cover art, etc., but the cool thing is you can then send the music wirelessly to a $100 AppleTV or AirportExpress, or any other AirPlay device - wirelessly - with independent volume control for each device/zone. So, you can have an iTunes box with 100GB of music on it - even in lossless - but, use iRule to stream it to multiple devices in the house, in the theater, living room, bedroom, etc. Sort of allows you to create a pseudo whole-house a/v distribution system on the cheap.

SC


This sounds really cool for $25 but I wonder how I would get it to play through my theater audio system (Denon 5308ci). Would it have to support Airplay or something?

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Kevin

"The future's so bright, I gotta wear (3D) shades"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
click to see => The Richter Family 3D Theater
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ecrabb
Forum Moderator



Joined: 13 Mar 2006
Posts: 15909
Location: Utah

TV/Projector: JVC RS40, Epson 5010


PostLink    Posted: Mon Mar 26, 2012 4:12 am    Post subject: Re: iPad mount options for ya... Reply with quote

krichter1 wrote:
I'm a recent potential convert (well still trying to figure out iRule which is a tad frustrating even though I already bought Pro!), from a house full of URC remotes

iRule is definitely oriented toward DIY-enthusiasts and professionals. It's not at all "plug-and-play" and does take a time investment to get it all set up like you like it and working. The reward is in the end when you have something truly custom, that looks like what you want and does what you want.

krichter1 wrote:
and while searching to find some iPad mounts I came across this highly rated solution for theaters like mine which have cupholders:

I played with those at CEDIA, and they're pretty good. Only thing is I don't want to lose a cupholder!

krichter1 wrote:
I went with this gooseneck stand as well so I could have the iPad in front of my front row center console which also allows free movement (they also sell a 10ft charging cable w/ wart):

Hadn't seen this one... Interesting. Solves my cupholder problem. Kind of a smaller and lighter version of what I was thinking of for my AMX panel.

An alternative is another I saw at CEDIA, which is a beanbag mount. It's basically the part of the stand or cupholder mount that attaches to the back of the iPad, but it's stuck to a beanbag that sits on the arm of the chair. Probably would need a pretty substantial arm on the chair.

krichter1 wrote:
Crabb - Your contributions and creativity is nothing short of amazing and much appreciated (a bit of jealousy too I must admit)! I wish I could hire you to do all my iRule iPad stuff! Thumbs Up You'd think a 20 year techie such as myself would be able to figure out how to create even a first home page (I feel like an idiot even after going through all the tutorials! Embarassed )

Thanks for the praise, but consider that I've been doing UI design of some form or another for about 20 years. Interactive CD, then DVD, then Flash and web, and a little mobile app... It was the customizability and opportunity to make my own graphics from scratch that attracted me to iRule in the first place. But, making your own graphics would be pretty time-intensive for guys that aren't used to doing that kind of thing.

What are you having trouble with? Did you start with the built-in templates?

Cheers,
SC
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ecrabb
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Joined: 13 Mar 2006
Posts: 15909
Location: Utah

TV/Projector: JVC RS40, Epson 5010


PostLink    Posted: Mon Mar 26, 2012 4:15 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

krichter1 wrote:
This sounds really cool for $25 but I wonder how I would get it to play through my theater audio system (Denon 5308ci). Would it have to support Airplay or something?

Since the 5308 is a little too old to support AirPlay (I assume), you'd need to add an AppleTV or AirportExpress as a source. The AppleTV is the best buy for the money, because it's audio and video (AirportExpress is audio-only).

SC
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krichter1




Joined: 21 Mar 2011
Posts: 4
Location: Chicagoland (Naperville), IL.


PostLink    Posted: Mon Mar 26, 2012 9:53 pm    Post subject: Re: iPad mount options for ya... Reply with quote

ecrabb wrote:

iRule is definitely oriented toward DIY-enthusiasts and professionals. It's not at all "plug-and-play" and does take a time investment to get it all set up like you like it and working. The reward is in the end when you have something truly custom, that looks like what you want and does what you want.

I played with those at CEDIA, and they're pretty good. Only thing is I don't want to lose a cupholder!

Hadn't seen this one... Interesting. Solves my cupholder problem. Kind of a smaller and lighter version of what I was thinking of for my AMX panel.

An alternative is another I saw at CEDIA, which is a beanbag mount. It's basically the part of the stand or cupholder mount that attaches to the back of the iPad, but it's stuck to a beanbag that sits on the arm of the chair. Probably would need a pretty substantial arm on the chair.

Thanks for the praise, but consider that I've been doing UI design of some form or another for about 20 years. Interactive CD, then DVD, then Flash and web, and a little mobile app... It was the customizability and opportunity to make my own graphics from scratch that attracted me to iRule in the first place. But, making your own graphics would be pretty time-intensive for guys that aren't used to doing that kind of thing.

What are you having trouble with? Did you start with the built-in templates?

Cheers,
SC


Thanks SC! Truth be told I am a techie by trade and in my former life used to do some web coding and "Photoshopping" myself. Those days have past me by, now spending my days debugging Cobol code but I'm still savvy enough to get this going (I hope!) Smile

I did start with a default iPad brush panel and was working off of the Main=>Landscape=>Home panel. I finally figured out what you were saying on the drop down (couldn't see it at the bottom because my browser window was too small!).

How should Home & Activity under "Main" be used from a proper device flow perspective because I also see "Activity" and "Watch Movie" along with "Watch TV". Do I put all my device panels under the Landscape folder under the "Main" Home section? I'm so confused but maybe my techie mind is overcomplicating all this.

Also is there a place I can find blank brushed Source tabs (both On & Off) so I can add in my Oppo & older Kenwood Sovereign Entre DVD system? Or can they be exported out of builder?

Again thanks a ton for the help SC!!

(Oh and Ps . . . I bought that iPad beanbag for my wife last year and it blows! Very cumbersome unless directly on your lap. I'm getting the floor mount tomorrow so I'll let you know how it feels and take some pics for you guys!) Wink

Kevin

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Kevin

"The future's so bright, I gotta wear (3D) shades"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
click to see => The Richter Family 3D Theater
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krichter1




Joined: 21 Mar 2011
Posts: 4
Location: Chicagoland (Naperville), IL.


PostLink    Posted: Tue Mar 27, 2012 12:58 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Oh and I thought this was pretty cool for making quick selections without mucking up the screen when it's "buttered popcorn time". . . Thumbs Up




Looks like its magnetic strip for the covers work well which mean it'll be conveniently located at the bottom of the mount when in landscape mode...


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Kevin

"The future's so bright, I gotta wear (3D) shades"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
click to see => The Richter Family 3D Theater
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ecrabb
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Joined: 13 Mar 2006
Posts: 15909
Location: Utah

TV/Projector: JVC RS40, Epson 5010


PostLink    Posted: Tue Mar 27, 2012 10:33 pm    Post subject: Re: iPad mount options for ya... Reply with quote

krichter1 wrote:
Thanks SC! Truth be told I am a techie by trade and in my former life used to do some web coding and "Photoshopping" myself. Those days have past me by, now spending my days debugging Cobol code but I'm still savvy enough to get this going (I hope!) Smile

You'll get it working. There's a bit of a learning curve, but it'll all start making sense. I know why you're having trouble... There's no coding involved! Wink

krichter1 wrote:
How should Home & Activity under "Main" be used from a proper device flow perspective because I also see "Activity" and "Watch Movie" along with "Watch TV". Do I put all my device panels under the Landscape folder under the "Main" Home section? I'm so confused but maybe my techie mind is overcomplicating all this.

Yes, you're overcomplicating it. Wink

In all seriousness, the main panel is like a 'home'. You've got links to your activities/inputs/sources, lights, tools/utilities, and volume and mute buttons. You can also put a big graphic there, ala "Welcome to Kevin's Home Theater". From there, you link out to the other panels/pages for each device.

krichter1 wrote:
Also is there a place I can find blank brushed Source tabs (both On & Off) so I can add in my Oppo & older Kenwood Sovereign Entre DVD system? Or can they be exported out of builder?

You can get them out of the Builder, but it's pretty convoluted. You should be able to grab whatever you need here:
http://www.iruleathome.com/support/downloads.html

I just updated the PSDs, but all the blank PNGs are available for download any time.

krichter1 wrote:
Again thanks a ton for the help SC!!

No problem! Happy to help.

krichter1 wrote:
(Oh and Ps . . . I bought that iPad beanbag for my wife last year and it blows! Very cumbersome unless directly on your lap. I'm getting the floor mount tomorrow so I'll let you know how it feels and take some pics for you guys!) Wink

Thanks for the feedback on the beanbag mount. Seemed pretty decent at CEDIA, but that was just looking at it empty. Glad to have some real user input on it. I'd definitely like to see the floor stand mount once you get it set up. Thanks!

SC
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ecrabb
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Joined: 13 Mar 2006
Posts: 15909
Location: Utah

TV/Projector: JVC RS40, Epson 5010


PostLink    Posted: Tue Mar 27, 2012 10:36 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

krichter1 wrote:
Oh and I thought this was pretty cool for making quick selections without mucking up the screen when it's "buttered popcorn time". . . Thumbs Up

No worries! Unlike a hard-button remote or even some of the other touch screens, an iPad (or Kindle Fire or iPhone or Transformer) is just a piece of glass, so just keep some wipes or windex and paper towels handy and just wipe it clean!

SC
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jcwhite57




Joined: 30 Apr 2011
Posts: 25
Location: Maryville, TN


PostLink    Posted: Sat Apr 28, 2012 12:50 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Got a Global Cache GC-100-12/18. I already have an iPhone 4 and an iPad 2. Waiting on buying the iRule pc software until I get an IR blaster to control the G90. My question; will any IR blaster with the correct plug work? At $60, the GC-BL2 IR blaster is a bit too pricey I think.
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Lundmark




Joined: 29 Apr 2012
Posts: 2
Location: Sweden


PostLink    Posted: Sun Apr 29, 2012 3:43 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Ecrabb,

Thanks a lot for this thread. I discovered iRule reading it. I've always disliked Harmony because they are so slow. The screens are usually slow navigating, but what's worse is the response. No universal remote I've ever used is as quick as the original remote. I don't know why, but that's the case no matter how much I fiddle with the latency settings in the Harmony setup. Also, they're a mess to set up and they're buggy. That's why I dislike them.

I have a few questions:

1) How quick is the response? Compared to Harmony remotes and the original remote.

2) Provided you have a reliable Wi-Fi, how reliable is the iRule solution? Do you have any connection issues?

3) Does iRule support retina graphics? I've been toying around with the trial and while I like how the buttons look, they are low-res on the iPhone 4S (probably on the new iPad as well). Makes it look terrible compared to the crisp text.

4) Where can I find good graphics resources to use in the app? There are a few buttons not included in your otherwise splendid set of buttons, namely a standard Watch TV button graphic and one for Plex. Also I would like to make my own channel logos for Swedish channels.

I'm not terrible at photoshop, but I'm not good at it either and everything I do takes time. Would be great to have a graphics resource for this kind of thing. I guess all Pronto owners have the same need.

Again, thanks for your inspiring thread! I might get the necessary hardware and buy iRule sooner than I thought.
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ecrabb
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Joined: 13 Mar 2006
Posts: 15909
Location: Utah

TV/Projector: JVC RS40, Epson 5010


PostLink    Posted: Mon Apr 30, 2012 3:57 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hi Lundmark,

Welcome to the forum! Glad you found the thread and that you're interested!

1) For all practical purposes, response is instantaneous. I'm sure with some network latency, there is a small delay in the milliseconds, but it's indistinguishable from the factory remote. In fact, in terms of responsiveness, I can tell no difference between my preamp (connected RS-232) and my PS3 or satellite box (connected via IR), or my lighting server (connected via IP).

2) Very, very rarely do I ever have connection issues. I'd say once out of every 30-40 times I wake up the iPhone and open iRule, I might have to press the "home" button and tap iRule again. The gateway connection time is very fast - less than one a second. It's all about the WiFi router. For the few people who do have connection issues, replacing the WiFi router solves the problem in every case. Generally anything less than a few years old will work fine. Older than that, and some cause connection issues. You wouldn't notice the issue with normal computer/phone/tablet use, but using the WiFi connection as a remote control will expose any issues. Luckly, it's an easy fix if you're one of the few who do run into issues.

3) The Retina display on the iPhone and iPod touch are supported; the new iPad is not yet supported, but undoubtedly will be. You can't do it with the trial, but with the full version, you can add a Retina iPhone/iPod handset, and import pre-built panels using Retina versions of all the default layout.

4) You can download blank buttons from the iRule site at:
http://www.iruleathome.com/support/downloads.html

From there, you can use Photoshop, Gimp, or some other graphics editor to modify buttons. I can't point you to any specific resources, but there are hundreds of websites, blogs, and YouTube videos on using Photoshop and many other graphics editors. Adding logos or other graphics is pretty easy; google compositing or layering in whatever editor you choose to use.

The best recommendation I can make is to use the trial and play around to see if you like it. I'd recommend getting a gateway; it's inexpensive and easy to re-sell if you decide to do something different. If you already started the trial, you can start a new trial with a different email address once you have a gateway.

iRule is pretty much my dream remote. It takes quite a bit of work getting set up and all working correctly, so it's not for everybody; but the reward is a remote that's exactly what YOU want!

Regards,
SC
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Lundmark




Joined: 29 Apr 2012
Posts: 2
Location: Sweden


PostLink    Posted: Tue May 01, 2012 8:10 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks a lot for your reply. I think it's great that you're so supportive of this app and though I don't remember exactly how I found this thread, I do know I was searching for iPad remote solutions.

Speaking of those, there are a whole bunch available now, none of which I've tried myself. After some research, I've concluded that none of them match my needs. Peel, Harmony Link, Gear4 Remote and RedEye among others, of which the latter seems to be the best out of those.

My gripe is that all these apps either have ugly UIs or too bloated UIs that takes away from actually using the equipment. I don't want to watch my remote's screen more than necessary. I want to watch what's on TV. Peel and Harmony Link for example focuses too much on interactive TV guides and RedEye doesn't seem to be customizable enough to actually be any better than a Harmony remote. I think an iOS remote app must be really, really good to be worth the trouble of swiping to unlock the screen and keeping the iDevices charged. Do you have any experience with RedEye or any of the other alternatives?

The Harmony 1000 I had came the closest in matching my needs, namely I could get rid of all the crap commands I never use and just line up the ones I need on screen. The problem is that the buttons were text-only (i.e. no icons) and that the OS was excruciatingly slow. With some time, it looks like I can get iRule to display only the commands I need in a way that's both beautiful and easy to use.

I have no experience in Pronto, Nevo, RTI or similar remotes, but they all seem to require professional programming, which is something I don't want to afford or be bothered with. I actually quite like tinkering with nerdy software as long as the results are worth it. Since I sold my Harmony a long time ago, I guess I must have concluded that it wasn't worth it. Smile

That said, I'm now using the very ugly and plasticky remote of my Yamaha receiver to operate all my equipment so I don't think I've evolved in terms of how I use it. At least with the Harmony, my girlfriend could watch TV on her own.

I got a good price on a brand new Harmony 1100 (150 euros) which I will probably try to see whether all the bugs of the 1000 have been squished. The touchscreen is still terrible though. I can't seem to find any issues with iRule (aside from the tedious procedure of drawing my own graphics) so while the Harmony might do the job in the meantime, I will also embark on my quest of creating the perfect remote control in iRule.
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VideoGrabber




Joined: 09 Apr 2006
Posts: 933
Location: Michigan


PostLink    Posted: Wed May 09, 2012 8:15 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Kal inquired:

> - What sort of battery life can one expect if if you only use an iPad as a remote (a few minutes/night) with nothing else running and the screen going blank fairly fast after using it (say 30 seconds). In an average evening we'd probably use the remote for 5-10 minutes total (tops). The "remote" should always be on and ready. One thing I like with my current Pronto is that it lasts for months without having to recharge. <

You can get close enough to that, that I believe you would be satisfied. See below.

And Steve replied:

> I don't know about long-term run-time... I think iPad run-time is in 9-10 hour territory when it's on with the backlight in full brightness mode. <

Not quite. That life-span is in half-brightness mode. Full-up would actually drag it down quite a bit. But that's moot, since he won't be using it outside, at the beach, in strong sunlight. Wink

> With it in highly-dimmed mode, I would think it would be much, much longer. <

Highly dimmed is definitely longer. It's possible it would go as much as 12 hours that way, with BT turned off. However, that's only one component of the effective lifespan. You have to figure in the idle-mode (standby) current draw.

> You could probably use it for a remote for a week of movies every night without plugging it in. <

In the use-mode as Kal has described it, I'd estimate more like a month between charges. Thus my comment that I think he'd be OK with it.

> The thing is, you'll probably want to use the iPad for much more, so you'll end up plugging it in to recharge every couple of days, anyway. <

Yep. You definitely got this one right. It's a very flexible device, which he'll likely wind up using for much more. Still, even if he winds up having to charge it every week, that's not too bad. The older iPads could fully charge from empty in 3-4 hours. The new one takes about 6 hours. The price you pay for going from a 25 Wh to 42 Wh battery, necessitated by the retina-display (and backlighting, and GPU to drive it).

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jcwhite57




Joined: 30 Apr 2011
Posts: 25
Location: Maryville, TN


PostLink    Posted: Sun May 20, 2012 9:47 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

jcwhite57 wrote:
Got a Global Cache GC-100-12/18. I already have an iPhone 4 and an iPad 2. Waiting on buying the iRule pc software until I get an IR blaster to control the G90. My question; will any IR blaster with the correct plug work? At $60, the GC-BL2 IR blaster is a bit too pricey I think.


Okay so maybe knew the answer to this question, MAYBE.

The reply to the question "will any IR blaster with the correct plug work?' is yes. Well maybe not any but I had some extras from another project and they control my equipment without issue. No reason to purchase the GC-BL2 for my application. Maybe for some other setup it may be necessay, I don't know.
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ecrabb
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Joined: 13 Mar 2006
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Location: Utah

TV/Projector: JVC RS40, Epson 5010


PostLink    Posted: Thu May 24, 2012 9:14 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hey, guys -

I've been away from this thread for awhile! For whatever reason, the site's email notifications aren't working at all for me (not for subscribed threads, or even for PMs), so I hadn't even noticed this thread had some posts in it!

SC
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