Some thoughts on Computer TV and iPod remote control applications:
Google TV and hardware from Logitech and Sony is now available. Google TV provides a new way to search and view TV, movies, videos, Android Apps, and the internet with the Intel Atom based devices and Google's free software driving flat panel TVs.
A computer connected to a TV provides some other great options. Try Boxee, a really good way to find TV shows, movies, and videos: it searches your DVR, Hulu, and other internet sites. The free downloaded Boxee program provides a very good interface to select and view the shows. Boxee also has a clean interface to present photo albums, music, and files from your PC/network. There is also a good a iPhone App "Boxee", that includes a touch screen interface with gesture control.
There are some other great remote control App programs for the iPhone: JumiMouse +, NetAwake, Off Remote, Orb, and Remote. These all require PC connection software to be installed such as Apple's Bonjour or some type of VNC (Virtual Network Computing) PC software.
JumiMouse + let's you control a remote PC and you can actually see the remote PC's screen on your iPhone or use the iPhone as a touchpad and keyboard it works great. JumiMouse + responds very similarly to Windows Remote Assistance. To run JumiMouse you need to install JumiController on your PC to create the VNC connection. http://www.jumitech.com/page.php?page=mouse
NetAwake lets you wake up a PC from an iPhone; you may need to change PC's BIOS setting to allow remote LAN wake up. Make sure that the Windows Device Manager has the Network adapter set to turn on computer "Allow this device to wake the computer". When you run NetAwake, you will need to select "Add" to configure your PC. The Server Name can be any name you chose. The MAC Address for your computer can be found by:
- Pressing the Windows Start key
- Type cmd.exe, click on cmd.exe
- Type ipconfig/all
- Your MAC Address is the same as the Physical Address...... and is in the format of 00-23-1A-10-EF-3D
Off Remote lets you remotely shut down, put to sleep, hibernate, or restart a PC by connecting through the local wifi network. You will need to run the Off Remote Helper to configure Bonjour to make the connection between your iPhone and your computer and create a password.
Orb provides access to files and media. It is pretty cool to be able to access terabytes of data from your iPhone.
Remote is an Apple iTunes App that lets you control on a remote computer, works great for selecting music on a computer connected to a stereo, you can see the playlists, album art, and even control the volume.
While searching DISH's site, I found that they now have some very good options TV/video options available now: http://www.dishnetwork.com/tveverywhere/remoteaccess/default.aspx
DISH has also produced a beta site that handles many of Google TV's features with dierct computer control of the DVR, check out http://beta.dishonline.com/
When the DISH DVR is connected to the internet (connect using Ethernet cable or wireless), a computer can control: DVR programming, channels selection, etc. works great. DISH has an iPhone App appropriately named "DISH" that allows control of a DVR with a iPod Touch / iPhone (and of course iPad).
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