SnapStream Announces Firefly PC Remote

[Jason Dunn]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.snapstream.com/products/firefly/' target='_blank'>http://www.snapstream.com/products/firefly/</a><br /><br /></div><img src="http://www.digitalmediathoughts.com/images/FFRemote-small.jpg" /> "The Firefly PC Remote bridges the gap between the study and the living room. Play movies, TV shows, MP3s, photos and other media stored on your computer from the comfort of your couch. Skip tracks, change the volume, fast-forward, rewind and pause like you do with your current home theater. And Firefly works through walls, so you won't have to move the PC or yourself. Firefly comes with Beyond Media Basic, a full-screen interface, so you can navigate your PC from across the room. Firefly is compatible with over 80 media applications, including Microsoft® XP Media Center edition...<br /><br />• Create a great party mood playing MP3s directly from your PC <br />• Connect a PC to your TV and watch TV shows recorded with Beyond TV™ <br />• Conveniently watch movies rented from CinemaNow™ or Movielink™. <br />• Play music and photos in sync to create the perfect photo slideshow <br />• All of this without touching the keyboard or mouse!"<br /><br />This looks really cool, although I'm unclear as to why they'd mention the compatibility with XP Media Center Edition - why would anyone use this if they had an MCE? This looks like the killer end-cap to their BeyondTV media play. More on that tomorrow...

[Zack Mahdavi]

Anyone out there use BeyondTV? It looks very nice, but I was hoping I could get some thoughts before I bought it. This remote looks like it would work very nicely with BeyondTV.

[pocketpcthemes.com]

I've been using Beyond TV for about 6 months now. Works really well. Tons of options and format customizations. I like that I can schedule recordings when I'm away from home by logging into their Snapstream.net service. You can record in DVD quality MPEG and have it automatically create .wmv versions of the show for streaming anywhere on your network. I use mine to record all the shows that I want on my media-dedicated PC and then watch them on the big screen in the basement using Leadman's Play@TV NMP4000 (www.leadman) - works very well. I would highly-recommend downloading the trial of BeyondTV - I think you'd be very happy. As far as this new Firefly PC remote, not sure how/if it fits in to my current setup.

[ale_ers]

...why would anyone use this if they had an MCE? =...

I think they are talking about using the remote with MCE. The remote that comes with my HP MCE is IR and if you want to use it from another room that may be a problem.

I solved this by buying a remote extender from radio shack (it converts the IR signal to RF then back again) for about $30. Now I am getting another remote from HP for $11. This way I can control my MCE (which is upstairs) from my TV or Deck (downstairs).

[Jason Dunn]

I think they are talking about using the remote with MCE. The remote that comes with my HP MCE is IR and if you want to use it from another room that may be a problem.

Aha - now I understand. Thanks! :-)

[JR]

...and then watch them on the big screen in the basement using Leadman's Play@TV NMP4000 (www.leadman) - works very well.

This looks very cool. It would definitely solve my issues. Anyone know if it (or something similar) is available in Canada?