Vista, remotes and XBMC

[DeusXM]

Ok, I have searched the forums, the FAQs and the manuals but couldn't find what I was looking for. Apologies if this question has already been answered.

I'm using XBMC on a laptop running Vista Home Premium. I'd like to use a remote with XBMC.

I understand how to set up the remote with XBMC once I have the remote but I'm unclear about getting the remote to work in the first place with the laptop, since the laptop doesn't have a discernible IR receiver.

1. If I buy an off-the-shelf Xbox 360 remote, does this come with an IR receiver for use with a PC?

2. If it doesn't, would purchasing a standard Windows Media Centre remote with IR receiver work with my laptop, despite the laptop not being a Windows Media Centre PC (although the Media Centre software IS installed on the laptop)?

Thanks.

[natethomas]

Y'know, I like this question because I bet it really hasn't been asked. Let's see what we can work out.

First off, you will need a IR receiver to make your remote work. The Xbox 360 remote that I know of does not include this receiver. The Windows Media Center (WMC) remote with receiver will.

A WMC PC is defined by two things. 1) It has the software. 2) it has the remote and receiver. Therefore, if you have both of those things, you are covered.

So, short story even more brief, buy the WMC remote and receiver. As long as you are running Vista Home Premium or XP Media Center Edition, I think you should be able to simply plug the IR receiver into an available USB port and the drivers should be automatically recognized.

After that, follow the previously mentioned guides.

[DeusXM]

Thanks - I was reasonably sure that buying a WMC remote with a receiver would work but but I was worrying whether there was something 'magic' about a WMC PC (other than software) that I'd need for the receiver to work.

Cool, now I just need to find one of the damn things from a store that'll deliver to the UAE....

As a second question (and even I think this might be a bit stupid), I'm guessing that a Microsoft USB receiver for a cordless keyboard and mouse won't act as a receiver for a WMC remote, right?

[natethomas]

I don't know the answer to that, but I'm guessing you are correct. I assume the cordless keyboard and mouse speak to their receiver via an RF signal (or else blue tooth), rather than an IR signal. If that were the case, it would not do the job for you.