Htpc

Hi guys and gals,

Does anybody have any experience about this IMON VFD thing:

http://www.soundgraph.com/pr/e_pr_11.asp?m1d=1&m2d=11

It looks cool combination of VFD, IR-remote and volume knob. Most of all im interested how customizable VFD is and is it plastic or aluminium.

I was thinking that VFD would be really cool to play with beside touchscreen but sadly case i had in mind... didnt had space to accomodate that so i found new case silverstone Lascala 18 something... and my girl made a mockup with that one IMON atached too... Sadly i think its aestheticly lightyears behind other case, i posted earlier... well and more expensive too... but tell me what do u think, about looks, and looks vs. functionality issue...

Dude, if you are going to go all-out on a case, that IR and Remote suck! ...and why do you need a VFD if you have a 7" touch-screen?

You want a USB-UIRT and a cool universal remote like the Logitech 880 or the Harman Kardon TC-30.

Volume is controlled by a reciever, not the PC. PC volume should be locked at max always (same for CarPCs with a Head-Unit). If you really want a knob, get a Griffen Powermate and you can glue it to the front of the case :).

(BTW: I am currently building a system like this too: The first case you posted, HK TC-30, SnapStream /w PVR-500, Meedio, Girder /w USB-UIRT, 3x 200GB HDDs, DVD +/-RW DL, Logitech DiNovo Keyboard, etc., etc.)

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Originally Posted by RPM_VR4

Dude, if you are going to go all-out on a case, that IR and Remote suck! ...and why do you need a VFD if you have a 7" touch-screen?

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Yes it doesn't make like lot of sense... but thing is i like to experiment and tinker with different things. But im very interested to hear excatly why it sucks? do u have personal experience or did u find review somewhere?

And then again u can actually invent scenarios when it would be advantageous to have them both. Lets say im playing music... projector would of course be off. Touchscreen could display visualization and VFD could show track info. While tablet screen would present options.

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You want a USB-UIRT and a cool universal remote like the Logitech 880 or the Harman Kardon TC-30.

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Ofcourse i wasnt planning to use remote which comes with it. But something nice like philips Pronto (as far as i know some of the models can control X10 too).

Oh and mainly ill be using my tablet as remote... with TCP/IP Over WIFI. though i still think getting ir remote too... preferably that pronto.

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Volume is controlled by a reciever, not the PC. PC volume should be locked at max always (same for CarPCs with a Head-Unit). If you really want a knob, get a Griffen Powermate and you can glue it to the front of the case :).

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Yes ofcourse with receiver or preamp. but locking it up to max doesnt make any sense... u'll just have distortions... especially in carPC where equibment usually aint that HIFI.

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(BTW: I am currently building a system like this too: The first case you posted, HK TC-30, SnapStream /w PVR-500, Meedio, Girder /w USB-UIRT, 3x 200GB HDDs, DVD +/-RW DL, Logitech DiNovo Keyboard, etc., etc.)

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Nice to hear... let me hear about the box, since u will be getting it earlier... cause im like 80% likely to go with that... is so much better looking. But like i said ill buy it only when i return from brazil after upcoming carneval :P so ill have time to hear your feedback... and weight possible choiges. Actually i have third casing choige too... but its rather complicated... to divide HTPC in two different cases... but mayby ill let u know more about that if its feasible.

I have not tried that IR/Remote specifically. However, in my experience, most of those type of solutions do not really receive ANY remote, they only work well with the remote they come with (or a learning remote). Now I know you can program your pronto to work with it, but I would rather the PC have the ability to work with any remote. The USB-UIRT allows the PC to read ANY ir signal, plus it can send ir signals to one of 3 independent outputs.

I like your tablet PC idea. I have wanted to do that for a long time, but I haven't been willing to spend money on a Tablet. The best solution would be to have a controller app that is always displayed on the 7" case LCD, plus you can bring the same (mirrored) interface to your tablet.

Personally, I like this remote much better than all-touch-screen remotes like the Pronto: http://www.onecall.com/ProductDetail...=true&id=29759

Oh, also you can lock your PC to "optimal stereo" instead of max. The point is the volume should be locked and only controlled by the receiver. For me, I have M/B on-board audio going to line-in on my Pioneer HU in the car, and M/B on-board SPDIF going to my JVC receiver. I always have both my CarPC and HTPC volume locked at max and I do not get distortion/clipping. PC output is designed to go at max. Most people use PCs with volume at max all the time and use their desktop speakers to control volume.

Oh, about the box... I got the black one. It looks great, but the way the DVD face plate attaches is with double-stick tape LOL. I wish they just had a smaller slot so I could use a laptop-slot-load with it. Also, the video connection for the LCD is VooDoo style... There's a card bracket with a VGA in plug, and then a short cable to connect that plug to the VGA out plug on your graphics card. I wonder if you could get a graphics card with a VGA pin-header so that you could keep all the connections inside the box?

RPM or P3 you guys are right on topic of what im thinking about doing, my main concern was that i didnt want 2 remotes(one for my AV setup, and the other for my HTPC)

I think im going with the new Phillips Pronto 7500 , but i was just wondering if this would work with the USB-UIRT, im just confused on how would the pronto learn the commands, or do i buy a MCE remote and make the pronto learn that..not sure. I would mainly want the pronto just to control the frontend like meedio or MCE

Answer: Girder! (http://www.promixis.com/products.php?section=girder)

To set up a good HTPC where all your input devices play friendly with each other (as well as with all of your different software), you have to create an extensive Girder file. Since Girder /w USB-UIRT is fully programmable, plus you have a fully programmable remote, you can choose the remote to emulate any IR signal you want (just choose a device that you do not own and that uses all the buttons on the remote).

I don't know why people like those Pronto's... I must have a remote with hard-buttons. I like the Logitech / Harmony remotes.

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Originally Posted by RPM_VR4

I have not tried that IR/Remote specifically. However, in my experience, most of those type of solutions do not really receive ANY remote, they only work well with the remote they come with (or a learning remote). Now I know you can program your pronto to work with it, but I would rather the PC have the ability to work with any remote. The USB-UIRT allows the PC to read ANY ir signal, plus it can send ir signals to one of 3 independent outputs.

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I really have to familiarize me self with IR i dont know too much... I just know tha i wanna avoid it as much as possible and rather implement everything trough RS-232 control ports. however i have some legacy equibment without it an i quess i need infrared to control those. Mainly however infrared wuold just be used learning remote to htpc communication.

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I like your tablet PC idea. I have wanted to do that for a long time, but I haven't been willing to spend money on a Tablet. The best solution would be to have a controller app that is always displayed on the 7" case LCD, plus you can bring the same (mirrored) interface to your tablet.

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Yes that is exactly implementation im being thinking about... tablet and htpc touchscreen would display same screen all the time... which is used to control theatre (that could have visualization "screen saver" while listening music), and all video would go automaticly to projector. I have feeling this is going to rock!!

Anyway id like wholeheartedly recommend tablet cause u wouldnt be just spending money for remote, but most versatile computer u have. I once counted that im doing computing in 12 different context, or modalities (like carputing, wearable, HTPC, E-BOOK...) and with right accessories and 3rd party equibment. My tablet works to some degree in 8 of those purposes.
Forexample i doubt i would have made initial leap to carputing any time soon without tablet. Now if i wouldnt had so much fighting over warranty... i would actually love it.

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Personally, I like this remote much better than all-touch-screen remotes like the Pronto: http://www.onecall.com/ProductDetail...=true&id=29759

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I just read pronto being industry de-facto standard or ipod of remotes... so is highly likely i get that. I have to say touchscreen apeals to me much more than button, altough it doesnt have tactile feedback.

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Oh, also you can lock your PC to "optimal stereo" instead of max. The point is the volume should be locked and only controlled by the receiver. For me, I have M/B on-board audio going to line-in on my Pioneer HU in the car, and M/B on-board SPDIF going to my JVC receiver. I always have both my CarPC and HTPC volume locked at max and I do not get distortion/clipping. PC output is designed to go at max. Most people use PCs with volume at max all the time and use their desktop speakers to control volume.

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Yeah, sadly i have bit noise/distortion issue in my car... i really need to play with volume button to get it right.