nad_masters's Full Review: Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition Remote C...
If you wanted to roll your own Windows Media Center HTPC, your creation is not complete without a remote control for complete couch-lounging. What better way to do this than to use Microsoft's own Media Center Edition Remote Control?
While you can use other remotes, you may have to install their drivers and software and configure all of those buttons (probably mapping them to keyboard keys). With the OEM MCE remote, you don't have to!
Package
Purchased from Newegg, it comes in an OEM packaging, so no fancy box here. The remote and USB receiver is in a clear plastic bag, along with two IR Blasters and a pair of AA batteries.
The Components
The IR Blasters have a headphone-like jack that goes into the remote receiver base, while the other end is the IR Blasters themselves. The IR Blaster can be stuck onto a cable or satalite set top box. This allows Windows Media Center to change the channels to allow for unattended recording of shows. You will need this if you have these kind of set top boxes instead of using a TV tuner as your source.
The IR receiver base itself is about the size of a White Castle slider (those mini burgers, yum!), and has a large IR front eye to detect signals from the remote from a wide area. There is also a red LED that flashes when it recieves any kind of infrared light. Because of this, it will still flash when you use a remote other than the MCE remote as well (such as your stereo's or TV's remote). Even though it flashes, if it is not coming from the MCE remote, Windows Media Center ignores it.
And finaly the remote itself - it is dog-bone shaped like TiVo's, but much smaller and simpler. There are buttons to go directly to Recorded TV, Live TV, Guide, and DVD Menu. They are arranged very intuitively, and the buttons are different enough for you feel around in the dark. Certain buttons light up when in use, while others are not. The important ones (navigation, transport, channel, and volume) all lights up. The numeric pad does not, however. The "Green Button" that activates MCE as well as brings you back to the main menu is not lit, but feels very unique from the other buttons (hard smooth plastic and rectangular in the middle of the remote, so it is hard to miss). It takes 2 AA batteries.
Installation
The IR receiver plugs into an available USB port and is instantly recognized by Windows MCE 2005 without any request for drivers. It is detected as a USB Human Interface.
If you need those IR Blasters for your set-top box, they are very easy to install as well. Just peel the backing off and stick the IR Blaster in front of the IR sensor of the set-top box. I'm not exactly sure why they included 2 (unless you want to use 2 boxes to record different channels at the same time) - Windows MCE 2005 does not allow for 2 different sources with 2 different schedules (example: satalite and cable) to be used together. If you have 2 set-top boxes, they have to share the same schedule guide.
For the remote, just install the 2 AA batteries, and you are done!
In Use
I do not have a set-top box, as my Windows Media Center 2005 is getting its contents from dual ATSC tuners (digital off-the-air TV). This means I am using internal tuner cards, so no need for those IR Blasters.
I have noticed if you have one of those multimedia keyboards that have volume, eject, play, stop, etc buttons, they can be used just fine to control Windows Media Center. I suspect the remote is just a keyboard physically packaged as a remote. The navigation buttons are just the directional arrow keys on a keyboard, while the OK button is really just the Enter key. Either way though, it is much more elegant to use this remote than to have a keyboard on your lap while watching The Sopranos.
The contour of the remote feels comfortable in your hands, and as stated, the buttons are well placed.
At the top, you have 2 power buttons. One for your PC (actually it puts it into Standby), and one for your TV. Appearently, this is a universal remote. However, I never found out how to program it interact with my TV though. If I ever find out, I will update this Epinions with that info.
Just below that, you have your transport buttons. Play, Stop, Pause, Skip, Rew, FF, etc - they are all there. The Record button is recessed so it is harder to accidentally push it.
Below the transport buttons, you get navigation buttons. They are pretty much the same as the directional arrow keys on your keyboard - it allows you to move the on-screen cursor around. The OK button is like the Enter key, while the Back button is like the Backspace key. The "i" button is the "info" button, and is akin to right-clicking your mouse. It brings up a small menu on the bottom right-hand corner and allows you to perform jobs that relates to whatever you are currently on (think context-sensitive box).
And below those lovely buttons are the Volume and Channel up/down buttons as well as a large mute button. I find this very easy to find, so you can raise or lower the volume, or completely mute the sound without much fumbling in the dark. In the center of all this is the Green Button that starts Windows Media Center 2005. If it is already started, the Green Button brings you back to the main start page.
Following the trend of going lower, below those buttons are 4 direct-access buttons that allows one-touch access to your Recorded TV, Live TV, Guide, and DVD Menu (when you are watching a DVD). No matter where you are in Media Center, hitting the appropriate button with bring you directly to where the button promises you.
Last, but not least, all the way at the bottom of the remote is the numeric key pad for direct entering of channels. They also have alphabets on them, clustered like on a dial-pad of a phone. An example of use for this is that you can search for shows in the Guide to record, and this allows you to enter the name of the show, much like texting (SMS) on a cell phone. You also get a Enter button that allows you to confirm the channel you want to change to. The Enter button also doubles as a "Prev Channel" button that allows you to switch back to the previous channel you were watching.
Conclusion
This remote is a must-have if you plan on building you own Windows Media Center PC and plan on watching TV with style. The remote looks good, and Microsoft did an excellent job of ergonomics.
You will find that OEM remotes from off-the-shelf PCs may have a different shape (like Sony's completely rectangular shape as oppose to the dog-bone), but most of them have the exact same button layout. Sony is the only MCE remote I've seen that adds more buttons. I believe they were done that way to also control their home theater receivers, CD players, VCRs, TVs, etc.
You are not missing too much from purchasing this reference Microsoft Windows Media Center remote. It also works with Vista's MCE, as well as the XBOX 360 (using the 360 as a Media Center Extender).
Product Type - Remote Control Device Type - Remote control Compatibility - MS Windows XP Media Center compatible Localization - English / Canada, Unit...More at Amazon Marketplace
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