As there are plenty of infrared remote controller apps and a lot of contradicting and/or plain outdated infos (particularly compatibility-wise) on them (and no real round-ups), I've decided to write a detailed roundup of all the available solutions for the Pocket PC. (Being a Pocket PC Magazine Best Software Awards 2005 judge, of course, also helped me in this because it made me scrutinize all these apps so that I can absolutely objectively vote.)
You can find the comparison chart here. As with all my other roundups, it's there, in the comparison chart, that you'll find the most information - below, I only tell you additional information or summarizations. You, however, need to read the table in order to find out whether a particular app will meet your needs. That is, don't expect a fully-fledged textual duplication with tons of screenshots here that has also been written in the table. The number of the applications and the number of the tests I've made would make this simply impossible. This is why I need to stick to a much terse, but also much easier-to-read-and-compare, tabular form when comparing features and compatibility test results. This is an objective roundup comparing and testing the most important features with a tabular test result representation and not an introduction to these apps. For intros, I've provided all the necessary links to the developers' homepages and some reviews.
(I'm saying this to avoid misunderstandings like this.)
I've committed the tests on two, Consumer InfraRed (CIR for short; this means far better infrared (IR) range than with non-CIR (also referred to as plain IrDA) PDA's) -enabled Pocket PC's, the HP iPAQ 2210 and prolly the best and most featureful Pocket PC of today, the Fujitsu-Siemens Pocket Loox 720, and on the iPAQ 3660, which, by default, isn't CIR-enabled, but still has astonishingly good range, as with all Dell PDA's, except for the x5.
Unfortunately, the iPAQ 2210 CIR compliance doesn't tell much about other iPAQ's – the 39xx and the 5450 series have an entirely different CIR module. This means iPAQ 2210 CIR compliance doesn't necessarily mean the given app is also compliant with the 39xx/5450 CIR modules. Also, none of these applications are able to run on Samsung/TI-equipped CPU's. Please read Don Stratton's (author of Total Remote) comments on these things here.
Hardware:
Not all PDA's have IR LED's (Light Emitting Diodes) that are sufficiently strong. For example, the Dell Axim x5 series has exceptionally bad ones. On the other hand, the 'original' iPAQ series, old (pre-e750) Toshibas and all the other Dell Axims have very good LED's.
In some devices, there is even dedicate support for CIR (Consumer InfraRed): the iPAQ 39xx, the 5450 and the rx3xxx series; the Pocket Loox 720. They have very good range.
If you have a PDA that has very bad IR range (and, certainly, no CIR), you may want to buy add-on hardware to help this situation.
There're two kinds of hardware: two Compact Flash (CF) cards and the Total Remote audio dongle.
The two CF cards are that of UltraMote (the software will be discussed later) and the PDA-IR - CF IR Extender[/url] from laser.com. The latter doesn't have its own software; the WinCESoft RemoteControl II and PDAwin TVRemote both support it. (It's strange the homepage of neither of these apps explicitly mention this.) Unfortunately, it only supports the Compaq iPAQ 36xx, 37xx, 38xx and 39xx, Toshiba e740 and Dell Axim series. Please note that this is because CF-based solutions (UltraMote too!) are highly proprietary. This is why they don't work in all CF-enabled Pocket PC's (or, even in the original PCMCIA sleeve). The explanation of this can be found in Don Stratton's (author of Total Remote) comments [url="http://www.remotecentral.com/cgi-bin/mboard/rc-pda/thread.cgi?733"]here. Therefore, always make sure before purchasing any of them.
The Total Remote audio dongle must be plugged in the 3.5 jack of the PDA. (Note that you'll need the new mushroom-like version of this dongle to be able to use in the 5450/5550/5150, which have very recessed audio outputs at the bottom. The old dongle couldn't be used in thise devices. Make sure you get the new version if you buy it second-hand!)
Because this dongle uses the audio output of the PDA, it'll greatly depend on the audio amplifier, which is almost useless (at least to drive the dongle) in Dell Axim's. This is not a problem in Axims starting with x3 because they all have excellent IR range without any additional hardware; the x5, however, is really problematic.
Also, changing the bass/tremble/3D setting (where applicable) seem to greatly affect the usability of this hardware extender.
All in all, you will really want this thread before ordering the dongle and the full version of Total Remote.
The reviewed applications:
NetRemote IR 1.1.0.44
Installs a \Windows\CIR.dll. Please note that, in spite of what is said for example here, this DLL doesn't overwrite (shadow in ROM) anything. It is, furthermore, only locked by the NetRemote IR (and not the system) and only while it's running. The NetRemote IR is invoked upon wakeups via a new entry in the DB_notify_events database, however. You may want to completely remove this entry because it's in no way needed for NetRemote IR to work.
It uses non-standard CCF's (the PDA client can't even read standard ones, except for those of the TSU6000). The standard Philips ProntoEdit can't create compliant CCF files either. Fortunately,
- it natively reads TSU6000 CCF's
- the free, multi-platform Tonto (current, tested version 1.44) can import the any CCF's from any Pronto models (no NG support) and convert them to the native TSU6000 format.
Because of the excellent CCF support, I've spent quite much time testing it. In addition to the "standard" test CCF's (HS860, JVC 7700, LG Air conditioner; it worked all of them, except for an out of memory bug with this CCF), I've given a try to the next, specifically for the TSU6000 written CCF files so that I can see how well it handles color (as opposed to the standard grayscale) CCF's:
- Greg Klein's TSU6000 . Worked flawlessly. An example screenshot (without explicitly switching to full screen mode so that the bottom line of four bottoms is also visible):
screenshot
(It should also be pointed out that this CCF file is 3.8Mbytes in size. NR had no memory problems at using it. The only one CCF test file that I've run into was this 40 kbyte JVC 7700 file, converted into a 150 kbyte TSU6000-formatted file. Using it, it was unable to bring back the home screen – always complained of memory shortage, even on the Pocket Loox 720 with around 100 Mbytes free. This is certainly a bug in the app.)
- David Jenkins' TSU6000 Layout . Well, this had problems.
It has problems with TSU6000 files that have both color and B/W screens, as can clearly be seen with the 'Sima-SW' device of David Jenkins' TSU6000 Layout . This is how NetRemote renders this screen:
screenshot
and this is how it should look like, inside Ponto (note that all the other screens are color; only the one in the foreground is grayscale):
screenshot
This is a minor problem, though, as most native TSU6000 CCF's only have color screens. (Incidentally, when I converted it in Tonto to either Custom or explicitly (back) to TS6000, the upper and the lower row (device chooser and HW buttons) just went away. So, explicit conversion of such files won't necessarily help/keep everything.)
Now, for VGA devices (if you aren't afraid of using them as plain, home remote controllers). The situation isn't as good as with QVGA devices, unfortunately.
First, standard TSU6000 CCF's are only displayed in the upper left quarter of the screen (same dialog as in the Greg Klein's TSU6000 section above, now taken on a VGA device):
screenshot
Second, the fonts are still full-sized. This results in sometimes totally unreadable GUI's:
screenshot
As far as hardware compliance is considered, it's the only application that uses its own CIR driver. This, unfortunately, may result in slightly reduced range (at least that's what I've seen on the PL 720 – on the iPAQ 3660, it worked as good as other remote controllers). It doesn't make use of the iPAQ CIR at all.
Bottom line: if you have a QVGA device, really want CCF compliance and the other alternatives (particularly Total Remote and PDAWin TV Remote Controller 5.5, which also have (some) CCF compatibility) don't work, you should definitely give this app a try. For $19.99, this app is a gift for CCF freaks.
Related links:
Official forum - really worth checking out if you want to give this app a try!
UltraMote 3.1
This application, together with Total Remote, is sold together with the CF IR extender card of the same developer. However, it can be bought separately too.
I don't think I would buy this app - it has just too few features for the price. No toggle codes, no macros, no built-in device database, no iPAQ 2210 support, no Pronto support etc.
Bottom line: Go for something else unless you get it for an additional $5 when bundled with the IR extender card. As very few applications (for example, the PDAWin TV Remote Controller) support this card, you may end up having to use this application.
Related links:
PocketPCLife's (pretty aged!) review
PDAGold's (pretty aged) review
Googol.net's (not very new, either) review
Nevo
(No link is provided because it's a bundled, OEM application that can't be otherwise bought. It's bundled with very few, CIR-enabled PDA's, particularly iPAQ's. The following iPAQ models have CIR, and, therefore, Nevo: 39xx, 5450, 2210, rx3715.)
Nevo has generally very good reputation, which, to a certain degree, has reasons: it has an excellent GUI, an excellent built-in and online database (at MyNevo.com) and it also supports user/location separation. However, some of the reviewed apps in this roundup are capable of the same (if not even more - CCF/toggling support-wise: its two major downside is the lack of CCF and toggling support). This means owners of otherwise CIR-enabled devices that didn't get Nevo on their PDA (for example, the Pocket Loox 718/720 or some Dell Axims), heads up - the competition may have a worse-looking GUI, but they may be more flexible :)
Related links: there're no separate Nevo reviews, but, some iPAQ 2210/rx3715/39xx/5450 reviews also introduce it.
You may also want to read my lengthy post posted at Sep 28, 2005 here on the Nevo vs Pronto(Pro) question.
NoviiRemote 2.3
Note that a new version of the Deluxe version, 3.10, has been released after posting this review. Note that it's largely independent from this program; this is why NoviiRemote 2.3 is still the current version in the "basic" NoviiRemote line. I've posted the review of NR Deluxe 3.1 below - scroll down the thread to read.
First, the developer's ad At the very heart of NoviiRemote PPC is our own proprietary infrared driver. This software is more robust and stable that the competition, and helps insure quality control of your home entertainment devices at greater distances. should be taken with a grain of salt: I haven't measured any greater distance at all on the PL720 than with other native CIR-enabled apps.
It's a so-so app with clear weaknesses (for example, the inflexible hardware button configuration, the lack of CCF and macro support etc).
Related links:
Official forum
MobileTechReview.com's review
RemoteControl II for Pocket PC 1.18
One of the very few apps that are able to change their orientation upside-down (for iPAQ hx4700 users). It's still not as flexible in this respect as VITO Remote, though.
As with NetRemote IR, all its ads mention its Pronto (CCF) compliance. This, as with NetRemote IR, should be taken with a grain of salt: it's able to parse its IR codes directly (if you enter/copy them by hand), but no automatic CCF file parsing is possible, let alone extracting/reusing the GUI. As RCII is an otherwise (except for the built-in device database, which also leaves a lot to be desired) very nice and capable application, this may be a stubling block for many.
The app also has WinCE(.NET) versions for Handheld PC users - WinCESoft is one of the last software companies that still support the Handheld PC platform. Applause for them!
Bottom line: it has quite a high price and the lack of real CCF support is the pain in the back, but, as it's one of the most featureful apps, I really recommend it - assuming you do need that functionality.
Related links:
1.15, pocketnow.com
1.17, WindowsMobile247.com
1.18, HPC:factor.com
A 2005 PPCT thread
Total Remote 2.2.577
Another remote controller application I recommend. It has CCF support (much as you may end up re-learning button codes with it). It's a decent app, with a very good built-in database and all the compulsory features (toggling/macros/tap-and-hold). Also, if you take into accont its price with the hardware dongle ($25, which is $10 less than the UltraMote IR extender, and can be used far more easily/in far more devices) and the application's superiority to the UltraMote 3.1 client, I'd definitely go for this app if I had to choose between the two hardware-enhanced ones.
Unfortunately, it doesn't seem to be able to use the built-in IR module of the iPAQ 36xx series, which is a big minus. Also, it has severe problems with the iPAQ 4150 too.
Bottom line: one of the best apps, particularly price/performance-wise if you also take into account the dongle price. IMHO clearly better than the UltraMote solution.
Related links:
PPCMag's review of version 1.01 (old!)
VITO Remote 3.5.1
It's the only application that has seamless QVGA landscape support. Also, it has a unique feature that no other RC app has: you can set its orientation anywhere (90/180/270 degrees), even on devices that otherwise have no built-in rotation support. People with IR ports on the side/bottom of the PDA, rejoice :)
Also, it has one of the best hardware button support - much better than that of NoviiRemote or TotalRemote.
Now, for the problems. It supports no button toggling and its CCF support, in practice, is definitely weaker than that of PDAWin TV Remote Controller. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem to be able to use the built-in IR module of the iPAQ 36xx series.
Bottom line: if you must use a pre-WM2003SE PDA with an IR port on the right, this app is the only choice. It also has quite good capabilities - except for toggling and real CCF support.
Related links:
PocketNow's review of version 3.5
Pocket PC Life's review of an unknown, but seemingly newish version
An old PPCT thread
PdaWin TV remote controller 5.5
It has (limited - about half of the tested CCF files worked) Pronto(Pro) compliance. It can also be operated with voice control, unlike all the other reviewed apps. It's also the only application that supports the iPAQ 2210 in CIR mode (other apps only use its IrDA mode with very limited range).
It has serious problems. First, the most important of them is the complete lack of the tap-and-hold operation. The lack of toggle/macro capabilities is also a problem. Also, it's the only tested application (in addition to the really weak UniversalRemoteCE) that doesn't work with the Pocket Loox 720.
Bottom line: it's hard to decide what to say. On the one hand, this app is pretty good at using CCF files (not all of them though!) and making use of the CIR module of the iPAQ 2210 (that is, iPAQ 2210 users that also want CCF support, this is the only app for you!). On the other hand, its CCF support is certainly inferior to that of NetRemote and Total Remote. Furthermore, it can't continuously send out a signal. That is, for example, volume setting or, nota bene, zooming will be really jerky!
Related links:
PDAGold's review of a very old version
UniversalRemoteCE 4.0
This is a really cheap, but probably the most featureless and probably the most incompatible application. The only one application that had problems with remote controlling the LG air conditioner on all the three test PPC's. This may also mean it will have problems with other devices. It didn't excel at supporting the CIR module in the PL720 either.
Bottom line: you may want to give it a test ride to check whether it supports your current devices before buying - the total incompatibility with the LG air conditioner may also signal other incompatibilities.
FAQ
Q: What is the Canon camcorder in the table?
A: Canon UC-X65Hi Hi-8.
Q: What is Pronto/CCF?
A: Please read this Philips ProntoPro NG TSU7000 & Marantz RC9500 review
Q: what CCF files did you use in the test?
A: I've used the following CCF files from the RemoteCentral.com Pronto[/url] archives (note that none of the apps support [url="http://www.remotecentral.com/cgi-bin/files/rcfiles.cgi?area=prontong"]Pronto NG. The latter uses an entirely different, XML-based config file (even the ZIP-packed distro file has a different, .pcf extension), so, simple Pronto apps/devices will not load them.). Note that I've also mentioned their PDAWin TV Remote Controller 5.5 compatibility - the VITO app is certainly worse in using them, let alone the other apps, except for Total Remote and NetRemote. The latter able to use them all.
LG air conditioner test: I've used this CCF file
Panasonic HS860 S-VHS video test: This worked too with the HS860[/url], [url="http://www.remotecentral.com/cgi-bin/files/rcfiles.cgi?area=pronto&db=devices&br=panasonic&dv=vcr&md=nvhs860&fc=&kw=&st=&ar=&dt=&so=&pg=3&file=ccf_templates/complete_system/gareth-evans_ccf.zip"]while this didn't.
JVC 7700 S-VHS video test: I've tested this and
this file; none of them worked with the PDAWin app (with NetRemote, after a conversion in Ponto, they did).
Further reading
The PDA/HPC Remote Controls forum at remotecentral.com – the best source of alternative information. Some threads:
- PDAWin TV Remote Controller 5.5 CCF compliance & problems - 1[/url] and [url="http://www.remotecentral.com/cgi-bin/mboard/rc-pda/thread.cgi?1027"]2
- RCII vs NR
- Total Remote II
For programmers, I recommend Programming infrared communications.
Spb Software House Assembles the First Pocket PC "Supercomputer" - it's not about remote controllers but another use of the IR port in the PDA. I also like linking this article in discussion threads about the (meagre) computing power of Pocket PC's.
The PPC Remote Controller forum at RemoteCentral.com
Some Pocket Loox 720-related discussions at FirstLoox (note that the majority of the posts discuss outdated software/previous versions!)
Generic remote controller threads:
PPCT
PPCT
BH
EDIT on 26. Sept. 2005:
- greatly revised the section on NetRemote
- added information on the laser.com CF extender card
- tested everything on the Pocket PC 2k2 iPAQ 3660 too. I was really delighted to see that its range is almost as good as good as the CIR of these two devices and much better than the standard (non-CIR) mode of the other two PDA's. So, if you planned to get a (now) mid-range ($300-400, as opposed to the $999 ProntoPro NG TSU7000[/url]) Philips ProntoPro (for example, the [url="http://www.remotecentral.com/prontopro/index.html"]TSU6000), but you have an unused 36xx at home, go no further – the old iPAQ can become an excellent remote controller, even without , with (almost) seamless TSU6000 (and below) database support (which is very-very extensive – much more extensive than that of Nevo!).
- scrutinized the Pocket PC 2k MIPS support (tested on E-125); none of the (current versions) of these applications run on MIPS, which is indeed a pity.
EDIT at 28-Sep: - added a new, Hardware section
- I'll also post a generic overview of CCF files and using Pronto(Pro) files on the Pocket PC some day. This stuff has turned out to be much more complicated (because of the many different device types and the many test PDA's I need to run the tests on) than I have previously thought. Also, I'll update this review with information on the latest NoviiRemote version ASAP.
Printer-friendly version
Werner Ruotsalainen
Moderator
I've tested the new, 4.0 version of ViTO Remote and thoroughly compared it to the previous version.
Voice command
It seems to be only different from the previous version in the speech recognition module. I haven't compared its accuracy/recognition capabilities to that of PDAWin TV Remote Controller 5.5, the only other infrared remote controller application to have voice recognition. Note that I'll do this as soon as I have some free time. Definitely not now because I have to go out now to fetch some old Commodore Magazines and Sinclair ZX Spectrum cassettes for my computing museum. Yes, the hard life of a computing museum adminitrator... ;)
Compared to ViTO's other speech recognition-based program, Voice2Go 1.1 (please see this review on it), it's much faster to load (you don't need to wait sometimes seconds before you can actually say the command). Unfortunately, as with Voice2Go, it's still impossible to fine-tune anything, voice command-wise (for example, the maximal length of the command)
As with Voice2Go, it can work in two modes. One if the "Magic word" mode (if you switch on the Microphone icon, next to the rightmost Device chooser/manager arrow), the other in the standard, 'not-always-listening' mode. The latter may be much easier on batteries because I don't think it consumes less CPU than Voice2Go, which itself continuously consumes 20-30% CPU cycles on 520 MHz PXA-272's, meaning much shorter battery life than without actually listening for the magic word to avoid hardware button press. Fortunately, you can assign starting to listen to the voice command to a hardware button so you won't need to hunt for the (small) icon on the bottom bar every time you want to issue a voice command:
Incidentally, this screenshot also shows the excellent button mapping capabilities of this app. It can use any extra button on your PDA (if it has more than four), even in their Hold mode. Also, button assignment is device-specific, unlike, again, with some other. No other remote controller apps offer the same level of freedom/configurability.
Unfortunately, exactly as with Voice2Go, especially if you operate it in "Magic word" mode, the voice command mode is very slow (apart from the lack of the initial bootup time, which made the situation even worse with Voice2Go): it repeats both the magic word and, if it managed to understand it, the particular command.
Furthermore, you can only record a pre-defined command set (you can't just order a voice command to an arbitrary button/IR code, unless you re-learn that button with your hardware remote controller – this should be fixed!), depending on the type of your device. For example, with VCR's, you can only record the most basic tape/power commands (in addition to the magic word), as can be seen in the following picture:
Fortunately, you can't record for example "record" on VCR's; that is, the consequences of a wrong command reconition can't cause severe problems.
Note that, when you record yoru stuff, you should wait some tens of seconds after the progress bar starts to advance and and should stop way before it gets at the end. Otherwise, your command will most likely be chopped.
I've tested its accuracy with the usual voice test stuff I use: Finnish county/province names. It worked OK, albeit not very good (didn't have problems with 'Ahvenanmaa' this time – I may have done a mistake while testing Voice2Go, regarding this word.) The recognition accuracy is around that of, you may already have guessed, Voice2Go – that is, some 80-95%. (Note tht I've tested the app in Finnish, which is a much "clearer", "open" language than most other languages. It's like Italian in this respect (but even clearer). Speakers of, say, French (which doesn't have so radically different sounds than Finnish) may find the voice recognition capabilities of this app, therefore, much worse.)
Other differences/news
The application has retained all its strengths (see above); and, unfortunately, all its problems.
First, it's just not compatible with the iPAQ 36xx. The same (shipped) control file that works on both the Pocket Loox 720 and the iPAQ 2210 refuses to do the same on the 3660. I don't know why ViTO still lists the iPAQ 36xx/37xx series as compatible on their product page.
Second, it (still) crashes at reading any color ProntoPro (for example, TSU6000) files. (Tested with the two originals and the explicitly converted (so that they can be readable by NetRemoteIR) files).
Third, its non-color (Pronto) CCF compliance is almost non-existent. Much as it can render them (to a certain degree – see below), of the six tested monochrome Pronto test files, none worked (while, they all work in NetRemoteIR and about half of them in PDAWin TV Remote Controller 5.5).
It not only seem to have serious problems with actual CCF codes, but also with rendering. CCF rendering problems are much more common than with other remote controller apps. An example of ViTO, rendering a page in one of the HS-860 test CCF's:
And, the same, NetRemote IR on a QVGA (iPAQ 3660) device (remember, it doesn't display CCF files OK on VGA devices!):
Verdict: if you're a Pronto/CCF freak (like me), get something else, as this app only seems to work in native mode. In native mode, however, it's not bad (but not outstanding either), especially now that it also includes voice support.
Werner Ruotsalainen
Moderator
(Please also seehttp://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=367641 on my remarks on ViTO Remote 4.0!)
Werner Ruotsalainen
Moderator
OK people, as promised, here's a comparison of the voice operated mode of ViTO Remote 4.0 and PdaWin TV remote controller 5.5
ViTO Remote 4.0 compared to the PdaWin TV remote controller (TVRC) 5.5, voice control-wise
TVRC offers global (non-device-specific, unlike with ViTO) a voice control recording/management dialog. This may be a bit more hard to use at first because of the higher number of available choices.
As can be seen, it's not possible to assign a voice command to an arbitrary button (which is not much different from ViTO's approach) – except for F1, F2 and F3. The capability to assign commands to the latter buttons is a bit better than the capabilties of ViTO – then, you won't need to assign a completely unrelated function to, for example, the "Pause" button, if you want to issue "non-standard" commands on your remote controller. Unfortunately, the ability to only control three user-defined buttons is just a bit more than nothing.
After the recording, you can also check without actually using the to-be-controlled device by clicking Test. Then, just say the commands; you'll see at once whether it has been recognized, and with what confidence (the higher the number, the worse):
TVRC is much faster at recognizing commands and, in continuous listening mode, doesn't need a "magic word". (Note that, unlike with the ViTO app, there's no "press a button and say the command"-mode in TVRC – if you want to use voice control, it must listen to the input all the time).
Another advantage of TVRC is that its CPU usage in continuous listening mode is much lower than that of the ViTO app - around 6-10% on a 520 MHz PL720 (with very rare peaks of 40-50% when there's ambient voice). On the same device, ViTO Remote 4.0 consumes between 20 and 30% CPU cycles in active, "magic word" mode. This means TVRC won't eat through your battery really quick – it's much better suited for continuous or even background (!) remote controller functionality – this means you can run another app in the foreground while TVRC still keeps listening to commands.
On the other hand, TVRC crashes on all WM2003+ devices (I've even tested this on a freshly hard reset iPAQ 2210, in addition to my Pocket Loox 720) if you try to leave its listener mode (Options/Voice commands/Stop listening). Then, just exiting the app won't help either – you won't be able to restart it until the next soft reset. It can exit the listener mode on PPC2k2 devices (tested this on my iPAQ 3660) without problems.
Verdict: the voice controller mode, aside from the WM2003+ exit bug, is definitely better on TVRC than on ViTO, particularly CPU cycle usage- and speed-wise.
Werner Ruotsalainen
Moderator
NoviiRemote Deluxe 3.1 compared to NoviiRemote 2.3
The biggest news is that it supports TI and Samsung CPU-based Pocket PC's. Currently, it seems to be the only one Pocket PC remote controller application to do this. (I still have to test Samsung support some day on the 1940 of a guy at work, so, stay tuned!)
It has (as with the 2.x series) a, compared to all the other non-CCF/Nevo based solutions a freely accessible, quite large device database. In this respect, it's certainly better than the majority of the alternative apps – assuming you don't want to play with teaching the remote controller app or you don't want to use pre-made Pronto / CCF files.
Pros:
1, as opposed to NoviiRemote (NR) 2.3, it is capable of full screen mode (see the "menu" button in the upper left corner!).
2, support for Samsung / TI CPU's
3, has much better hardware button support. While NoviiRemote 2.3 only allowed for[/url] (click for screenshot!) using two hard buttons, the four arrow keys and the action button, NR Deluxe 3.1 [url="http://www.winmobiletech.com/kuvat/Novii31HardButtons.gif.png"]allows for using all the hardware keys on the PDA (with their operating system-level hold support). Furthermore, as can be noticed when you compare the Category/Use Button (NR2.3) and the Codebase/Action (NRD 3.1) drop-down menus, the assignment is far more dynamic in NRD 3.1: you can assign not just pre-defined categories/functionalities to a hardware button in the new version.
4, has "Hot Buttons" to make it easier to switch between devices
5, it no longer has the NR2.3 Single Mode bug, where, only every second button press (the same button pressed in succession) will be sent out - this is certainly a bug. Therefore, it was always preferable to use Double Mode to learn with 2.3 (but not any more with 3.1) - even if it's not a toggle button. (Incidentally, the app still doesn't state clearly that it does support toggling codes – this is a shame because very few of the alternative remote controllers have support for toggling.)
6, it no longer has the "sticky buttons" bug (if you pressed a button, it just kept sending out the same signal; in some cases, only a reset helped this situation), which came out pretty often on the 3660 (but not on the other two test devices).
7, it no longer has the shipped device databases in separate files (see the Codebases subdirectory in NR2.3!) but in a large nr-ir-archive.pdb file. This is certainly welcome, both runtime[/url] and [url="http://smartphonemag.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=17921"](to non-RAM) install-time speed-wise. (However, it seems the shipped 3.1 database isn't particularly larger, even if you take the PDB header sizes into account, than that of NR2.4. Fortunately, you can download some additional 500 device codes for free.)
8, it has (some) support for native VGA mode. It's by no means seamless, though – it doesn't rescale the skin, doesn't enlarge the buttons and misplaces labels. An example in standard (SE, QVGA etc) VGA[/url] and in [url="http://winmobiletech.com/kuvat/NRDeluxe31NativeVGA.gif.png"] in native VGA mode – see the difference?
Cons:
1, still totally useless in the Landscape mode and has no means of any kind of screen rotation. It's very bad news for anyone that has the IR transmitter window in the left side of the PDA (for example, some Toshibas) or at the bottom (hx4700).
2, still has no macro functionality – but, according to the developers, it'll soon follow.
3, considerably higher price tag than that of NR2.3
4, still no Pronto/CCF support
5, still no CIR support on the iPAQ 2210 (unlike on the rx3715)
6, still no support for multiple users/rooms
7, still no support for voice operation (see TVRC 5.5 to see how it should be accomplished!)
The PPC forum of the app can be found here.
Bottom line: if you have a Samsung/TI Pocket PC, this is the remote controller to go. If you have, on the other hand, an ARM/Xscale device, you still may want to check out the alternative apps. Much as several bugs/inconsistencies have been fixed in this version and the usability has definitely been raised, this app still lacks capabilities that its (sometimes considerably cheaper) alternatives have been offering for a long time, for example, macro support, voice operation, Pronto/CCF, rotation support etc.
Werner Ruotsalainen
Moderator
I've just updated the comparison chart with the latest ViTO Remote 4.0 and NoviiRemote Deluxe 3.1 data.
And now, a review of U.R.C. 1.01 (beta). (Thanks for akheron @ AximSite for pointing me in the direction of this app!)
The only one free remote controller app in the test. It's really-really simple and has no built-in database. It wasn't able to remote control either the air conditioner or the HS860. You may have more luck with your equipment, though. I've tested this on all the three PDA's. Of them, it was only able to use the PL720 (its LED was pretty dark) and the iPAQ 3660; it wasn't at all able to use the iPAQ 2210 at all.
This is the main screen with the menu:
(click for image!)
Ideal program for IR "hackers" because it lets you configure a lot of system-level stuff. This is how the configuration dialog looks like:
(click for image!)
It also has another unique feature, a textual "oscilloscope", which shows (to a certain degree) what arrives at the infra LED:
(click for image!)
Because of the simplicity and the inability to work my with test equipment, I haven't included this application in the comparison chart.
Werner Ruotsalainen
Moderator
I have had the chance today to test all the IR remote controller applications on the Samsung CPU. None of them worked, except for NoviiRemote 2.3 and NoviiRemote Deluxe 3.1.
The Samsung compliance of the former (the "standard" NoviiRemote) app is definitely good news - you don't necessarily need the latter, which is $10 more expensive. (It's only the latter that is advertised as Samsung-compliant, not the former.)
Please note that NoviiRemote 2.3, at times (for example, at choosing devices/exiting the program) may become really unresponsive (for example, exiting takes around a minute). I don't know whether it's a common problem with the iPAQ 1940 - on all the other devices, it exists at once.
I've also tested the range/usability of the iPAQ 1940. It's much wose than even that of the iPAQ 36xx/37xx - around one meter (two meters at most).
Werner Ruotsalainen
Moderator
I've done some more experiments with a Texas Instruments OMAP-based h6315 PDA-phone combo today to find out more about TI compliance. As was easy to predict, it was, again, only the standard 2.3 and the deluxe 3.1 versions of NoviiRemote that was able to run on it. (Note that, unlike with all the other four test devices, it errorenously assumed COM6 to be the IR port on the 6315; it must be re-set to COM3 manually.)
Interestingly, it was only the more expensive Deluxe 3.1 that was able to emit the off/on signal of the LG air conditioner on both the Samsung and the TI device; the standard 2.3 version wasn't. The button, after emitting the signal, just got sticked and made a soft reset unavoidable. (The other – I've tested the pre-defined Pana and JVC VCR databases – devices I've tested worked just fine.)
The same Novii 2.3 worked just fine on both Xscale devices (PL720 and iPAQ 2210 – don't forget it doesn't support the CIR mode of 2210; therefore, the range is really bad!) in this respect. The StrongARM-based iPAQ 3660, on the other hand, had the same problems as with the air conditioner signals than the iPAQ 1940 (Samsung) and the h6315 (TI).
Therefore, if you have a TI, a StrongARM or a Samsung CPU-based device and want to save $10 on going for the standard version of Novii instead of the deluxe one, test it with all your remote controllers and functions before buying!
towyou88
I have a iPAQ 3850. What is the best IR remote software for my device? I am not obsessed with using it every time I do not want to get myself off the couch, rather I want to mess with my instructors in college and have a laugh.
Werner Ruotsalainen
Moderator
Found a thread discussing the CCF compliance of VITO Remote:http://www.remotecentral.com/cgi-bin/mboard/rc-pda/thread.cgi?793
Werner Ruotsalainen
Moderator
I didn't really have the chance to test the 38xx, range- and compatibility-wise. I haven't found anything in newsgroups/forums either (except for that Novii is compatible). Therefore, you may need to test these apps.
As the device has a StrongARM CPU, almost everything will run OK on it, I suppose. Start with the apps I recommend (that is, almost anything, except for UniversalRemoteCE).
Werner Ruotsalainen
Moderator
Novii-wise, Novii no longer claims it's only the Deluxe version that is compatible with the TI and the Samsung CPU's; now they too call the Standard version compatible too. Seehttp://novii.tv/products/noviirppc/srrppc on this.
(But, again, remember that the standard version, as opposed to the Deluxe one, had problems with my LG air conditioner on the TI-based h6315, the StroongARM-based iPAQ h3660 and on a Samsung-based iPAQ 1940; while, under exactly the same circumstances, the XScale-based iPAQ 2210 and the Pocket Loox 720 were perfecty OK. So, you may want to double-check the standard version with all of your remote controllers if you decide to go for it, instead of the Deluxe one.)
towyou88
YEah......UniversalRemote IR was the first I tried and it stunk.
Thanks
Werner Ruotsalainen
Moderator
Nice to hear others have the same opinions as me :) It's always reasuring to hear this because I know I'm fair enough in my roundups (also see for examplehttp://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=360617 on the same subject.)
Werner Ruotsalainen
Moderator
UltraMote 3.2 has just been released; seehttp://www.ultramote.com/download.php for download.
Quick tested the app and compared to version 3.1.
Unfortunately, it is as featureless (no toggling, no macros, no CCF, no voice control, no TI/Samsung CPU support, doesn't even start on the iPAQ 2210 etc) as the previous version.
Verdict: I wouldn't get it unless there weren't other possibilities (in general, they are - Total Remote is much better on almost all devices, except for, say, the Dell Axim x5). There're considerably better remote controller applications.
pieter1302
read and weap:
Hello,
We have discontinued the Total Remote, but we are still providing support
at:
http://www.griffintechnology.com/so...tware_totalremote.html
Hope this helps,
Rachel
Griffin Technology
Technical Support
Werner Ruotsalainen
Moderator
That's definitely bad news [:(]
pieter1302
The best software for rc with a pda.
Do you know anyone who can take it over...opensource...freeware....?????
Werner Ruotsalainen
Moderator
Hmm... if you wanted to release it as open source, you could start a SourceForge project and also announce it becoming open source on the PPC sites. Surely there would be people that would participate in developing it further.
silber1
I tried the VITO Remote 3.5.1 together with my HP hx4700, but it seems that it will not communicate with the tv. Not with preinstalled Philips nor with learning mode. It doesn't respond to any learning signal.
I have deinstalled VITO Remote 3.5.1.
Or should I try an other attempt?
Gerhard
Gerhard
Werner Ruotsalainen
Moderator
Did you test other remote controller apps too?
silber1
No, I didn't.
Gerhard
Werner Ruotsalainen
Moderator
Give them (at least one) a try to find out whether it's a Vito-specific incompatibility problem.
silber1
do you have an idea, which will probably work best together with the hx4700?
Gerhard
Gerhard
Werner Ruotsalainen
Moderator
People have been using[/url] (alternative [url="http://www.ipaqhq.com/forums/showthread.php?t=12043"]here) the following controllers without problems:
PDAWin TV Remote Controller 5.5
RemoteControl II from WinCESoft
Total Remote (the second thread has a pretty good rewview of this title)
Of these apps, the latter two support native "180 degree" modes, which is a must for the hx4700.
silber1
Many thanks[:)] RemoteControl II v 1.18 works fine with my hx4700.
No learning problems for my hx and me.
Nice outlay, intuitive help. Good trial philosophy and a nice homepage.
I became a new remote-controller! Great tip.
PS1. Is there a chance to change the forum thread from newest to oldest?
PS2 I the meantime I registred for the Digital Pocket PC Magazine.
Gerhard
Gerhard
Werner Ruotsalainen
Moderator
Glad to be of help [:)]
Nope. Unfortunately, the current engine (Snitz) doesn't allow for this, as opposed to, say, vBulletin (Thread Display Options/Thread Display Mode/Linear - Newest First).
Davyburns
I have a small universal remote, that you hold the mute button in until the mute sign comes up on the tv, then all the other buttons work. Do any of the PDA remotes have this facility?
davy
www.Westminster-Taxi-Insurance.co.uk
www.westminster-taxi-insurance.co.uk
Werner Ruotsalainen
Moderator
Do you mean the TV needs to receive a "mute" signal before it starts to accept other keys? If yes, any remote controller apps will work just fine (assuming they are able to repeat signals if that's what the TV needs).
If it's the remote controller that needs you press and hold the button and the TV set communicated back to it, enabling it to send over other commands, then, it's a no-go. This is very improbable, though - a remote controller built this way would be considerably more expensive (the TV would need emitters and the remote controller receivers) than a traditional one, with the disabler/enabled circuitry/logics contained by the TV set.
Davyburns
No, It appears that, when the mute button is pressed, the remote sends a mute signal that constantly increases/decreases frequency, until it finds the correct frequency of the TV mute. At this point, the mute sign shows up on the TV, you immediatly stop pressing the mute, and all the other buttons normally work. It works with about 80% of TV's
Davy
www.westminster-taxi-insurance.co.uk
www.westminster-taxi-insurance.co.uk
Werner Ruotsalainen
Moderator
Nope, none of the apps have this "fine tune" functionality. However, you can always play with the built-in database of devices - even ones that seemingly aren't compatible may turn out to be compatible with the particular one.
Werner Ruotsalainen
Moderator
A new version of the Deluxe version of Novii, 3.20, has been released in the meantime with macro support. Will review it soon.
topspin
I'm curious about this. I've visited the Griffin site and they still seem to offer Total Remote for download, but only the 3-day version. There's no way to buy it now, it seems, from their site, so what's the point of the 3-day version or is there a "universal code" now?
It seems rather pointless to offer a 3-day trial of software you no longer sell, so surely I'm missing something?
Thanks for any input or insight!
topspin
antonyh
Hi, great round up - it's been useful, however I need an updated version or some pointers on which RC software to concentrate my time and testing on before purchasing. I'm interested in a remote where I can heavily customise the look and feel (ie: make my own buttons and layout). I've read the RCII is compatible with my i-mate JASJAM (which I want to perform testing on before I buy a PDA specifically for a universal remote). I've tried to convince my wife that here hx1910 would be ideal for the testing, but she won't have a bar of it (something about me killing it :-).
Can you also recommend a cost effective PDA specifically for URC use? I basically want to replicate a Phillips pronto cheaply :-). In NZ prontos can cost as much as $900 to 1500 (for colour versions)! I can buy a pretty good PDA for $300 to $600 here.
Thanks for your help.
picasso
well i cannot say its useful.
www.searchpictures.net
www.ottomanonline.net
www.movie-forums.com
www.searchpictures.net
www.ottomanonline.net
www.movie-forums.com
gauravxxx
Hi there...Wel i am actually trying to design a universal remote control for smartphome as my final year project and your roundup really helped me in my analysis..so thanks..:D
But i am kind of stuck in my analysis itself since i am not able to get any information about the programming language used to design these software application. So if you could help me with this or if you know any sites where i can get such info i would be very thankful to you. :D
For my analysis i am considering these 5 leading software..
Thanks in advance...:D
Werner Ruotsalainen
Moderator
They're either C++ or .NET CF.