My problem:

No remote offerings that have excellent integration to home automation and things like a touchpad for a HTPC.

Ipod touch can do anything with the right home automation software, but is not a very good remote due to poor ergonomics and lack of hard buttons.

So how about marrying the two? Just have a basic hard button remote where you can slide in the iPod. The iPod would do all the heavy lifting stuff while the wand would do the simpler, quick access commands.

Of course you could not communicate the wand to the ipod, but that would not be necessary in my case since all the major stuff is done on the ipod. The wand would be there to just hold and use for volume, play controls and navigation controls. Would be cheap and allow for a lot of flexibility since you have the enter iPod developer capability behind it.

I suppose it might very niche thing, but I would line up for it.

I have this idea of cutting up an existing remote and making room for the iPod. I have an mx-900 that is kinda beat that might do the trick. If I remove the LCD panel would it mess up the hard buttons? I could also buy some a cheap remote to play around with. Any candidates come to mind? It just needs do basic things, have room to get an iPod after hacking it up, and have rf capability. The last one would be optional for trial purposes

I have created mock-up drawings of just such a beast. We're not at a point in our product cycle where I can even present it, but yes, I've thought of the same thing. You're correct that it may be too much of a niche to consider manufacturing. Time will tell.

Awesome!

So I was thinking about making a remote from scratch also. While not exactly the same animal , I built a custom iPod wall mount from cradle to grave. Built a 3d solid model and had it made via stereolithography.

I could make the housing pretty easily and was thinking about somehow salvaging buttons and board from Another remote.

Now that adequate cAble card tuners are in sight, I can do everything on my htlc so I don't need complex source switching. Do it!!!

I doubt our timelines will agree so maybe you can help identify a good remote option for me since I think urc makes the best wands. I want to find an existing urc remote that can have the top portion removed without affecting the functionality of the bottom (I.e. Cut top off). I would then try to snake a wire down the wand so I could power it from the bottom (don't need the number buttons anyway). Any good candidates I can hack up to do this? Maybe even something from the consumer line.

What about something like this? Could the upper and lower boards be cut without messing everything else up?
[Link: universalremote.com]

Or heck, maybe the MX-1000? That is basically what I am after anyway

Think you might have better luck with a 850 based remote (500/600/650/700/800/850). The wide head suits the ipod better.

the TX1000 is probably your best starting place (from a cost standpoint) and you can start by velcroing the ipod on top of the existing screen and then fiberglassing around it to create a 'housing'. then figure out your power source...or not worry about the power source as you could take the ipod out to charge seperately.

I stuck it on my 900 as a trial and my initial reaction is pretty good.

It doesn't look too good though and I want to cut the top half of say a 1000 off and insert it where the touchscreen was. Not sure how feasible that is and how the circuitry is integrated in the guts of it. Not sure how to make the light button still work after that.

Power is the other problem and iPods eat power up quickly. I'd liked to run a cable through it and just be left with a USB header to attach to at the bottom.

A biiiiiig waste of money imho. Why don't URC just write a package for an ipad snd skip the remote manufacturing process? No need to distribute remotes people are going to complain about anyway. Why not harness the power, size and content of an i-pad like Savant and get ahead of the game. Every company should be thinking about that right now. (for the record I DONT like the way the iphone or itouch doubling as a remote control or even using solely as a remote control. ).

I agree that while the iPhone OS based products SEEM like they'd be good remotes, there are some huge drawbacks, not the least of which are destroying the battery life of your iPhone, you walking out of the house with "the remote," leaving your family unable to control the home theater, or being unable to mute the TV because you got a phone call.

But yes, there are some benefits too. I see these device as excellent auxillary controllers, and I think there's probably a future where they'll be a normal part of using a dedicated control system.

Huh? You get a dedicated iPhone or just iPod Touch for this reason. Heck, an iPod Touch is $100 used. Maybe it will destroy battery life, I don't know, but I run mine 24/7 for home automation purposes. I have two iPod Touch's doing this and no problems. So do others and no reports of problems. I suspect it will last me until there is a newer version which I will want anyway.