No Longer Tethered To My Computer [I've Got the Music In My Computer W/O]
Written: Aug 02 '02
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Product Rating:
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Pros: A great way to control multimedia applications from anywhere in the room.
Cons: It let's me be far more lazy than I should be.
The Bottom Line: Keyspan has produced a great peripheral product for my computer. No longer do I actually have to sit within reach of my computer while listening to music or watching DVD's.
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| DrFaustus's Full Review: Keyspan Digital Media Remote |
This review is part of Opalman's I've Got the Music in my Computer write-off, co-hosted by Lambchops and Opinionated3. All of us taking part are to write about some computer product that we use in conjunction with music. A list of all participants can be found at the bottom of the review.
I'll admit it without beating around the bush at all. I'm hooked on music. I'm a big believer in the idea that everyone has a soundtrack for their life and all that malarkey. But anyway, being the music maven that I am, I love anything that can somehow enhance my listening experience. When MP3's really hit it big a few years ago, I went into some sort blissful Nirvana state. In the previous dark ages, I was always fumbling with CD going into and out of my stereo. Having only a single disk stereo I had to get up and change things by hand once an hour or so. With MP3 software on my computer, I simply loaded a few thousand songs onto my hard drive, sat back, and played whatever struck my fancy with just the simply click of a mouse.
But therein lay the problem. If I wanted to fire up my MP3 software and listen for a while, I had two choices: sit at my desk and skip from song to song that I felt like hearing, or work on something else while the computer shuffled from song to song with no input from me. I felt tethered to my computer like Prometheus was chained to his rock. (Okay, maybe that's a bit of an exaggeration. At least I got to listen to music I like instead of having my liver pecked out.)
Fortunately, I happened across a review in a magazine for a product that sounded like it might solve all my woes: the Keyspan Digital Media Remote. (I should point out here, before I get too much further, that I'm a Mac user and will approach some of the technical aspects from that angle. The device in question is also compatible with Windows based machines, but I have no experience using it as such. I'm sure much, if not all of what I have to say here will apply equally to Windows users, but I can't be absolutely certain.)
As the name implies, the Keyspan Digital Media Remote is a remote control designed to operate multimedia applications on your computer. The device consists of two basic items: a small infra-red receiver and a hand-held remote control.
The Device
First, let's look at the simpler of the two components. The receiver is a small, roundish piece of plastic with an infra-red window on its front side. It is about two inches wide, two-and-a-half inches deep, and one-and-a-half inches high. As you can see, it doesn't take up much room at all. The bottom side is adorned with four small rubber "feet" that both keep it from sliding around and protect whatever surface you would wish to set it upon. The backside has a standard USB interface port, which it will use to communicate with your computer. (A three-foot USB cable is included with the product, but should you wish to place the receiver farther away from your computer, you can substitute any standard USB cable.) Lastly, there is a slot in the top of the receiver which serves as an excellent spot to store the remote controller itself when you aren't using it and don't want it to get lost.
The other component is the actual remote control. This remote is much smaller than what you would use for a standard television or VCR. Taking a quick look at it right now, I can see that it's about half the size if my palm. (My palms are pretty standard in size. If your hands are unusually large or small, adjust your mental picture accordingly.) It's less than half an inch thick, and slides easily into and out of a shirt pocket whenever you need to use it. Weighing in at just over one ounce, it's not cumbersome at all.
The remote sports a variety of buttons, most notably the standard play/stop/fast-forward/rewind combo you expect, volume up and down buttons, and up/down/left/right buttons as you would find on a DVD remote control. An extra button marked with an asterict also proves to be quite useful, allowing you to easily cycle through all of the computer's open applications.
The Software
The remote works in a very simple manner. Suppose that to fast-forward to another song in your MP3 software, you would normally press the right arrow key. When you press the fast-forward button on the remote, the receiver sends the computer the exact same signal as if you had pressed the right arrow key. The remote basically works as a wireless keyboard (albeit one with only fifteen keys). Any function in a program that can be operated with a keyboard shortcut can be duplicated with the Keyspan Digital Media Remote.
The software that interprets the signals from the remote comes preset with templates for controlling some of the more common multimedia applications, such as iTunes, SoundJam, Apple DVD player, PowerPoint, Quicktime, and Real Player. Each of these have preset keyboard functions for each of the remote buttons, but these functions can be easily customized through the Keyspan control panel, should you find the need. Furthermore, you can easily add new programs to the list of those that remote can control, and defining what each button does in these new programs takes no time at all.
Support
Keyspan has been very good about updating the drivers and support software every few months. Updates have not only fixed bugs, but have added standard support for new multimedia applications and other forms of functionality (such as the latest update's inclusion of cursor control in the Finder).
Another important update that Keyspan has recently provided is support that allows the remote to function under Apple's OSX. I haven't made the switch to OSX yet, but now that I know I can continue to use the remote once I make the switch, the last of my excuses is gone. I know I'll make the upgrade soon.
Technical Info
Power has never proven to be a problem for me. The receiver draws all the power it needs through the USB cable, and thus needs no separate power cord. The remote control is powered by two disk-type batteries that came supplied with the device. Even though I've been using the remote pretty heavily for more than two years, I still haven't had to replace the batteries.
Keyspan claims that the remote works at distances of up to thirty-five feet, but to be honest, I've never had the chance to put this to the test. I can say that in using the remote in standard room sized environments, I've never been in a situation where I couldn't get the remote to work. True, the infra-red signal won't go through solid objects, but the receiver tends to be very forgiving. As long as the remote is pointed in vaguely the right direction, it'll pick up the signal.
The remote is also solidly built, despite its light weight. I've dropped the remote on more than one occasion from heights I wouldn't like to drop electronic devices from. On one or two of these occasions, the battery cover popped off and skittered away, but the remote itself has never gotten a scratch.
So now then…
Ever since I got my remote from Keyspan, I've been giddy about listening to music through my computer. I can lie in bed with a good book and skip over any songs that I don't feel like listening to. I can do work elsewhere in the house and keep constant control over the volume of whatever I'm listening to.
Yes, Keyspan does like to promote their remote control as a savvy business tool for cooperate types who have to give PowerPoint presentations all day long. I'm sure it's all well and good for them, but those business types can keep their presentations to themselves. For me, it's all about the music.
Writers who are participating in this write-off are:
aerocat
cartman_2k
cntaur5
deaser26
dedemw
divad23
drfaustus (me)
dvon
frazzledspice
jag2112
jennjoy
kcfoxy
kiko_cat
kurt_g
lambchops (co-host)
lyagushka
mike.holmes
nc10
netnut746
opalman (co-host)
opinionated3 (co-host)
paulyoungotti
quasar
Visit Opalman's profile page for links to other reviews in this write-off. All of the links should hopefully be posted by the end of the weekend (Aug. 4)
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 49.95
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Epinions.com ID:
DrFaustus
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Location: the Lake Michigan shoreline
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I can't help being a big fan of the esoteric and the obscure
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