Can somebody help me with specific ideas about a remote control that I need.
I have an e-Server from IBM where I have a program that is intended to manage my DVD and all the ligths of my Home theater.
I have a Sony CX 985V for 400 DVDs.
I would like to know what is a good Remote sysrem that I can connect to the computer and enables it to control the DVD...also the ligths...

Cheers

The best remote for you will be the telephone and some phone cards for all the long distance calls to India.

The second best remote can be foound for your project in th clickerpicker section. Also keep reading the NEW REVIEWS section to the left of my typing to find one that fits your style. A IR or Ethernet interface willbe needed for your remote and you may choose one based on the software you have. The Software creators probably have a favorite devices(s).

If you've got the skills, pretty easy.

Pick any interface of your choice. You then have to figure out how to get either its IR commands (or RF to IR bridge) into the system as an IP packet. You then have to figure out how output data to the devices you want to control. Its pretty easy if the device in question has an IP based protocol or web server. A little bit harder if it has a serial port or is controlled by IR.

There are lots of products out there that will act as the bridge to go to/from any of these formats to IP. Look at the industrial embedded controls vendor of your choice to get an idea of the selection or Global Cache for a sort of off the shelf consumer electronics friendly bridge.

oh yeah, the final part. If it were me and I had the skills, which I'm not sure that I have, use your eServer as a J2SE applications server that handles all of the logic for the I/O. Most of the Java coders that I know are experts at many different disciplines, but many of them are pretty weak on I/O. I'm sure that the APIs and wrappers are pretty well developed for modern I/O interfaces, but I guess writing code for specific hardware is sort of against the spririt of the uber-portable JAVA mindset, so that is my theory as to why most all of them are shit at the basics of I/O. I think that the Global Cache product will even take most of the work off of your shoulders, but the compromise that you have to make is configuring each local box with "driver" files.

You will have a hard time getting started, but once you figure it out, it will be smooth sailing to about 95% of the way there. That last 5% is going to be a bitch, not so much because of one's ability, but because of the quirks of CE devices that the members of this board are experts at dealing with.

Check out

[Link: webpromotion.com]

Oh Man!!! That is a candidate for best comment of the week!!! lol!!! Perfect!

A Crestron processor would be the easiest most dependable way to do this. You would then be able to control IP, 232, and IR once your program was finished for the Crestron. Coolest thing is once you have the program, you just go to an IP address to control everything, just like a web page.

What is "Lux Technology"?

What program are you using to control the home from the Computer?

I agree with Crestron. And apparently, after reading your profile, the price shouldn't be an issue. If you would pay that much for Meridian why skimp on the control?

Yeah that wasn't a waste of his time... nothing like freindly help

I'll call your week and raise it to a month. That was brilliant.