I've spent a little more time on this, and I made a new server app (no longer uses MCE Controller).  The remote looks pretty much the same, and there isn't a lot of added functionality over previous versions, but there are some things that I think are kinda neat...

Summary of features:

• Virtual Remote Server
  • Server will try to pass all commands to Media Center (not gloablly) if the Virtual Remote and server are running on the same computer.
  • Server will ping client app ~every 30sec to check for connection & automatically disconnect an inactive client
• Remote will check to make sure commands were received
  • if they weren't, it will try to reconnect to the server.
• Friendly names for better right-click selections
• While MCE Virtual Remote is active, you can press up/down/left/right/enter/backspace on the client, and they are passed to the server 
• A few other minor bug fixes

Please note that this version is not compatable with MCE Controller, or previous versions of MCE Virtual Remote.

I'm releasing v0.17 as a Beta - please test it out and report any problems that you find.  And of course feel free to ask any questions.

Download Beta version 0.17 here.

*Edit* - This version is no longer current.  Please see the first page for the current version.

could make it so you can password the server so the client has to login?

it's just ne1 can controll my media center! even on the internet!
(though i could block the internet bit with the firewall)

G’day Ryan ,

 

Another successful program release thanks mate.

 

I was going to post a wish list but you guys with your northern summer I thought I would leave it, oh well you have surprised me.

Anyway my wish list isn’t very big, you’ve already done part of it, enabling the keyboard when Virtual Remote is the active window. Mainly because when sorting through music or video’s while trying to look at my notebook screen & the TV at the same time is an exercise in contortionism of the eyes. Remember the way the way I have to use the computer with my head pointer (Smartnav). I’m just lucky I don’t want to listen to ZZ Tops very often.

 

I thought the server pinging every 30 sec or so would cause more network overhead even though it’s ever so slight & I’m always looking to cut down any overheads at all but I have to say the remote checking commands sent is a winner. I have to reboot my MCE box very regularly & I found the right click on the task bar to connect a pain, now I just click twice on the Remote.

 

Thanks again Ryan

Cheers STEVE

aaronsace:

could make it so you can password the server so the client has to login?

it's just ne1 can controll my media center! even on the internet!
(though i could block the internet bit with the firewall)

No promises, but I'll see what I can do for a future release .

sBucko:

...I have to reboot my MCE box very regularly & I found the right click on the task bar to connect a pain, now I just click twice on the Remote.

I got really sick of right clicking too .  It would be cool if it could repeat the last command on a reconnect - the only down side to this is then I'd have to queue all of the commands, and that would create more overhead, maybe I'll give this some more thought and try to make it even easier in the future.

Also for the keyboard - it only passes some of the keys, but I'm thinking I'll make it so it can pass most keys while the remote is active.

ryan.tollefson:

It would be cool if it could repeat the last command on a reconnect - the only down side to this is then I'd have to queue all of the commands, and that would create more overhead, maybe I'll give this some more thought and try to make it even easier in the future.

I don't think anybody would complain about have'n to push a button twice after all it offen happens when using Infered.

Cheers STEVE

Version 0.18 of MCE Virtual Remote is out!  Please see the first page for the download.

Quick Summary:

• No longer uses MCE Controller.
• Uses a new backend server.
• New backend server lets you run MCE Virtual Remote on the same machine as the server app.
• Can pass most keystrokes on client machine to the host machine (while MCE Virtual Remote is active) - very usefull for typing album names for music .
• All Media Buttons on client machine (Volume +/-, Play/Pause, Stop, Skip, Prev, Mute) are passed to the server (while MCE Virtual Remote is active)
• Several minor bug fixes

Please note that the new version is no longer compatible with MCE Controller.

 

G’day Ryan ,

Unreal,   I’m like a pig in MUD!

 

Does anyone know how I can get the Server portion of this to startup when an extender logs in?  If I can get the server portion to run with extender credentials, then I might be able to get it to control extender sessions as well.  If anyone has other ideas for how to do this let me know.

I have no clue how you do it, but I too would love to know the answer to that question if you figure it out.

interesting :)  webguide has e-remote for the pda but everytime you enter a command it reloads the browser page making it a slow process.

will check it out.  keep up the great work. Always good to see enterprising coders having a go at new things.  :)

astro

Hi there,

 

Ryan : Nice peace of app !

Actually I have been working on a quite similar app dedicated to Nokia Tablet owners (Nokia 770 or n800) which acts as a remote for VMC with feedback (http://www.mceguru.com for those interested).

Perhaps we can exchange some ideas !

Did you find out how to control extenders ? Would be a really great feature top be able to control all Media Extenders in a home from a single point.

 

Best regards,

Hey xoubir, and thanks for the feedback.

Your program looks pretty cool.

Is that something that something you are going to be selling, or is it freeware?  Also are you planning on doing any other platforms (windows/smartphone/etc.)? 

I still haven't gotten it to control the extender, though I really haven't had much time to work on it recently.  I'm gonna be releasing a new version in the near future that has some minor updates (passwords for servers/less annoying errors/a few other minor things), but no major feature changes.

Hey, any interest in making a Windows Mobile client for PDA's?  I could probably write a WM client pretty easily if your interested.  I have an HP IPaq (with Windows Mobile 5.0), a Vista MCE machine, and Visual Studio 2005.  Let me know if you're interested.

Hi Ryan,

There is still a long development time to spend on mceguru, so the next step is to make it a public beta (currently closed beta) freely availoable for everyone.

About other platforms, I'd like to do it but, because of lack of time, I'll concentrate on finalizing it for Nokia Tablets (Linux). Anyway, after that, it would be interesting to make it work on windows (TabletPC/UMPC would be great).

 

See ya !