Controlling GB-PVR via a mobile phone using Bluetooth!

[joshley]

I have written software that allows you to control GB-PVR (and any other PC based PVR program, I suppose) via Bluetooth on any Series 60 Symbian phone. It works by getting a creenshot of a window (specified by the user in an app on the GB-PVR PC) and sending it to a mobile phone. It is not too slow, a few seconds on each screen update. You can zoom, scroll about and move about. Possible uses? For being lazy If you're eating dinner in the other room and wanna quickly schedule a recording, then it's cool! You can also have it in "Pure Remote" mode, which means you don't get any screen shots of GB-PVR but you DO send commands. In this sense it acts like any normal remote control, which is quite cool as it's your phone as well! Useful for anyone who always loses the remote, but never your phone !
Anyone have any interest in this whatsoever?
As GB-PVR reads everything in XML (?) I could work on integrating an XML parser for it and a GB-PVR 'plugin' for ]my software (the tables turn!). This would make controlling GB-PVR much quicker, but as it stands, it's generic to control any window you specify in the Server app.
Currently you can send Up, Down, Left, Right and Enter, using the phone's 'joystick', and Back using the 'c' (Cancel?) button on the phone's keypad. But it'll only take me a day to add any other buttons needed. What I will add to it shortly (after other Uni stuff has finished!):

Send the colour buttons (via menu)
Numpad will work exactly the same way as numpad on a remote
...anything else anyone wants to add??

Hope someone has a use for it!
josh

[joshley]

I forgot to mention, this should soon work via GPRS, so you can control GB-PVR from 200 miles away should you feel the need....

[hasso]

Sounds good! Would it work on a Sony P800? How do I get the code to try it out?

[dt_matthews]

sounds fantastic!!!

stupid question but don't suppose it would [easily] port to a standard midlet for use on other Java-based Nokia's??? (e.g. Nokia 6230) ????

dan

[joshley]

hasso:
I will be working on a UIQ compatible version soon (one that should work on your phone), so I'll keep you posted, although over the next month I'll be finishing Uni so it won't be for a little while yet! But as I say.. it should happen! I'll be putting the .sis installer up for downloading soon, needs a few bugs ironing out first, but this probably won't work on your phone yet

dan:
The program is written in C++ for Symbian OS 6.1 or later, unfortunately the 6230 uses Nokia OS and it wouldn't be possible without completely re-writng the program in Java for Series 40 phones I'm afraid. I doubt I'll be doing this because the size of the screen on Series 40 phones is probably too small for practical use of this sort of app. Sorry However, if I have some free time this Summer I may write a GB-PVR specific bluetooth java applet that doesn't use srceenshots because as I said, this is impractical.

Thanks for the interest guys!

[hasso]

Any progress? I've used free software called Bemused which allows me to control Winamp and access my entire MP3 collection through my bluetooth enabled phone. It's great as my friends like to remotely select their own songs to add to the playlist. It can skip songs, add songs, controls the volume, etc. Quite nice! I'd love to be able to do the same type of thing with GBPVR. Maybe the source code can be made to interface with GBPVR in a similar manner to Winamp?

[drugstore_cowboy]

Any new word on this? I was thinking of adding Bluetooth presence functionality to GBPVR so that I can do a similar setup to AngryAnts as detailed Here seeing as I just got the ROKR E1 Woot! Woot!

Being able to use the phone as a remote for GBPVR would be awesome

[habile]

sounds fantastic!!!

stupid question but don't suppose it would [easily] port to a standard midlet for use on other Java-based Nokia's??? (e.g. Nokia 6230) ????

dan

I use my Sony Ericsson K750 to connect and control. The bluetooth 'remote control' is native to the phone and uses the built in HID interface in Windows - just fyi if you were planning on changing phones. The K750 is pretty neat too, for a phone..

[McBainUK]

I use my Sony Ericsson K750 to connect and control. The bluetooth 'remote control' is native to the phone and uses the built in HID interface in Windows - just fyi if you were planning on changing phones. The K750 is pretty neat too, for a phone..

I have a k750. How does remote control work? Does it just show the windows screen on the phone?

[habile]

I have a k750. How does remote control work? Does it just show the windows screen on the phone?

Nothing as clever as that I'm afraid. It simply allows control of the mouse etc. - there is a Sony Ericsson developer application available which allows you to create your own screens/key assignments and use them in the remote control app on the phone.

It's just convenient because I am more likely to have my phone about my person than I am one of my many IR remotes

C.