[nmglug] a couple of a/v questions: video remote control, and audio flexibility

[Gary Sandine]

Hi Mark,

On Fri, Mar 27, 2009 at 11:32:25AM -0600, Mark Galassi wrote:
> First of all: the various video players I use (xine, vlc, totem,
> mplayer) often mention that they are compatible with remote
> controls.  I've never used one, so I wonder if there is a very
> basic remote control (I presume it uses USB) which costs little
> and I can just buy here in town.

I don't know about this.

> Second question: I suspect that there must be many people using
> USB audio to run some kind of wireless interface that then plugs
> in to their good stereo.  What I'd like to do is have audio
> originate in my computer, and be broadcast all over my house (and
> outside), possibly on FM, or possibly with a second gadget that
> receives transmission from the first gadget and sends it to the
> stereo via RCA or headphone jacks.

I export music with squeezecenter in my computer and export videos
by NFS to this device which runs GNU/Linux:

http://www.hauppauge.com/site/products/data_wmvp.html

Here is the system I run in the Hauppauge device:

http://www.mvpmc.org/

The Hauppauge device plugs into our stereo for music and for
optional sound for videos through the amplifier and stereo speakers
and into our TV for videos and for the mvpmc interface that works
with the remote that came with the Hauppauge device.  We can play
our music in any other computer at our home by hitting the
squeezecenter program running in the system exporting the music.

This works pretty well for us.  I have to turn down video quality
just a bit to stream them by NFS over wireless, but it's good enough
I think.  It does not have HD video outputs, but I don't think HD
content would stream well over my wireless anyway.

-- 
Gary Sandine <gars at laclinux.com>