However, it may not be perfect for everyday use as I've regularly been running down my phone's battery, which is not ideal as it then needs plugging in to a charger, which then means it's not accessible as a remote control.
So, what is everyone using as their primary remote control for Kodi? I wonder whether the Logitech K400 keyboard is a viable alternative - it is smaller than a full size keyboard and includes a trackpad. I wonder whether it would be too unwieldy for day-to-day use though...
I've read about Logitech Harmony remotes, but am concerned about reports of button lag. Does anyone have any experience of using one of these with Kodi?
Maybe I should just nab a Microsoft MCE remote control for £20?
Please do comment on how you are connecting to Kodi.
I use this very keyboard and Yatse - you've seen how well that works!
ReplyDeleteBut yeah, this keyboard has worked well for me: moderately small but still usable comfortably, wireless, good battery life, and quite importantly it's surprisingly sturdy. I've two toddlers, so mine gets chewed, smashed, dropped and stepped on with regularity and still works great after more than a year.
Mind you, I don't use it a lot given how effective Yatse is (- I actually grabbed an old Samsung Galaxy Note 1 to use as a permenant remote.
I tried traditional remotes, but found Yatse to simply be superior - remotes (generally) have zounds of buttons that will inevitably be labelled incorrectly and require fiddling around to get your key maps right, whereas Yatse for day to day use is just perfect (and offers a keyboard itself for XBMC text input).
Thanks Derrick - that's good to know. I'm ordering a K400 today so that should make life easier - it can sit under the coffee table as a backup for when the Nexus 7 plus smartphones (all running Yatse) have run flat.
DeleteK400 keyboard arrived today and I'm impressed with it. It's a fairly dinky thing, but not so small to make typing a problem. I'd say it's similar to using a 10" netbook, but with the touchpad alongside the keyboard instead of below it, which actually makes resting it on knees easier.
ReplyDeleteIt is literally plug and play with Ubuntu; I simply plugged in the usb receiver,pulled out battery tabs, and hey pesto it works.
With XBMC I'd be happy to use this every day as it's unobtrusively compact and light, but works fine on desktop and as a media centre remote.
mmhmm. Not terribly solid feeling, but as I said mine has survived over a year of toddler-level abuse without any loss of function and other than some coloured in keycaps after a sharpie incident, no visual damage.
ReplyDeleteI've ordered one of these to try out, to be more compact for my bedroom HTPC's: http://www.dx.com/p/ipazzport-kp-810-12-wireless-2-4ghz-92-key-keyboard-for-google-tv-player-black-230388#.U31AavldVLI
and will, if your interested, let you know how it compares after it arrives.
The ipazzport looks interesting! Yes, that would be good if you can let me know how you get on with that.
DeleteI used one of these for years on my media server. It's a bit long-in-the-tooth and you can only pick them up second-hand. BTC have a number of more uptodate alternatives though.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BTC-9116URF-Black-Mini-Wireless-Internet-and-Gaming-Keyboard-Built-In-Joystick-/380907382423?pt=UK_Computing_Keyboard_Mouse_Bundles&hash=item58afd96697
Had a peek at BTC's website - the newer models look interesting - particularly the trackpad one! Haven't used a trackpad since they were in the arcades in 1980s! http://www.btc.com.tw/english/2-7-21keyboard.htm#9039ARFIII
DeleteLooks like they are rebranded as 'Emprex' here: http://www.amazon.co.uk/s?ie=UTF8&field-keywords=Emprex&index=computers&search-type=ss
At £10 to £15 - both are worth a pop. Thanks Tony and Derrick for suggestions.