Pulse-Eight CEC device & XBMC remote

[Livin]

For those that have not seen this yet...

CEC device $47.98
RF remote w/ keyboard $63.98
http://www.pulse-eight.com/store/catego ... trols.aspx

I see a ton of possibilities with XBMC & EG. The developers are XBMC coders and are tightly integrating XBMC native code with these. They will also be posting a library so some enterprising soul could create an EG plugin - then the possibilities REALLY open up!

I'm looking forward to this... I could see these replacing my Harmony remote and making things easier and more reliable at the same time.

[eatmeimadanish]

Yeah I ordered one in June... still hasn't come yet. When I enquired about it there was a ton of conversations about "when a batch shipments comes" and "you can get out of line if you want". I left myself inline, because I would like to write config file for the remote plugin (makes life easier than writing a new plugin for every remote) but until these become available, its a pipe dream.

[hotbuddha]

Surely you have seen the HDMI-CEC plugin from RCAware using the Rainshadow Tech hardware right? Sure it is $25 more and does not include cables... but it exists and works now and once you have seen and used it you'll know where the money went. What more possibilities are there than completely exposing the entire set of CEC commands in the spec right within EG using the GUI while hiding the complexity of CEC hardware management in a nice native EG config panel (detects physical address, assigns logical, etc, and you just select your devices in the plugin actions by name using a simple drop down)? It even has an option to snag the expected responses of the CEC commands per the specification and turn them into True/False return values for EG IF/THEN macro logic (check the bottom of the Install and Users Guide here http://www.rcaware.com/uploads/PC-CEC_EG_Plugin.pdf).

Want XBMC and EG (so windows platform not Linux)? Let the RCAware plugin raise the TV remote events to the log and map them over to the existing XBMC EG plugin. Meanwhile continue to enjoy advanced features like TV remote mouse, amplifier synchronization with Windows and remotes (TV or MCE, even the windows volume slider), even has a native driver to support waking the PC from sleep...

I'm sure their product will work quite nicely with XBMC on all platforms when it is finished, they are XBMC enthusiasts that made it after all (the best point you made with this post). But I am an EG enthusiast and I made the RCAware PC-CEC plugin... you will not find a finer HDMI-CEC product for EG. I hope you will humor me, and check it out...

[Livin]

My post was not about Pulse-Eight's device being better than any other. I was simply posting it for awareness.

I've purchased many devices/gadgets in the past... often I've purchased the superior device but that is not always been the best in the end. I always weigh all the factors: quality, current functionality, likeliness of longevity and product extension - including future potential functionality, general product support - including development, etc.

It is too early to say what will happen with Pulse-Eight so I'm being patient. The remote and the CEC device together could make a lethal combo, especially with an app like EG - or if they start to extend XBMC functionality... it seems that they will at least do some basic automation for TV, etc. Don't think they will build anything extensive like EG though if they support EG fully it would be all the integration most need.

[hotbuddha]

I really wish I could use XBMC, it is a beautiful product, but I'm pinned to media center for support of cable-card.

[Livin]

I really wish I could use XBMC, it is a beautiful product, but I'm pinned to media center for support of cable-card.

I use both... with EG it is dead simple and very smooth.

[kasinator]

Hi guys,

i just created a wrapper function around the cec-client.exe to interface events to Eventghost.
Open Items:
-Reconnect if connection to dongle is lost
-error handling if dongle not found (e.g. already in use by other application)
-hide cec-client.exe window
-make location of cec-client configurable via GUI

working items (since 3 days):
-Generate Events from any Traffic going around
-Amp-Control (on, off, request power status, volume up, volume down, mute)
-TV-Control (on)

Here you can download it:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/rq24zz1v06rbhvf/libCEC.zip
Unzip to EventGhost plugin folder.

If you add features, please let me participate.

Kasinator