DVDmote: Replaces Your Apple Remote

[rating: 3.5/5]

An extremely useful program that replaces your Apple remote

Aij Launch Promotion! For a limited time only, DVDmote is only $.99!
Watch movies on your Mac? Use Front Row for music, movies, photos, or shared libraries? Then DVDmote is for you!
DVDmote provides you with a remote control for your computer’s DVD Player application and the Front Row application.
Note that using Front Row you can access and play movies and music from shared iTunes libraries!
Note that DVDmote requires a computer running Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard), and a network connection. DVDmote works using the DVDmote Sharing Service, available as a free download from:
http://www.jbrink.net/dvdmote

Watch movies on your Mac? Use Front Row for music, movies, photos, or shared libraries? Then DVDmote is for you!

DVDmote provides you with a remote control for your computer’s DVD Player application and the Front Row application.

Note that DVDmote requires a computer running Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard), and a network connection. DVDmote works using the DVDmote Sharing Service, available as a free download from:

Note that using Front Row you can access and play movies and music from shared iTunes libraries!

This program not only replaces your Apple remote but also makes it usable wherever your wireless network stretches to, making line of sight issues a thing of the past and giving you less excuses better reasons to tidy up your computerized home entertainment service and/or one less item for you to carry about.

As you may have guessed by now this application is for those people with Apple Computers as presently there is no Windows version of the service application that must be running to let you control it, but I’m sure they are busy working something for Windows users. Another problem with this service is potential hijacking as presently there is no security pairing between computer and touch device and all it takes is someone else to be running the app and be on the same wireless network (and yes you have to have a wireless network) to be able to take control but to be honest your wireless network should have some security on it but those sharing a wireless network with a large group of people could have a problem.

The app is generally usable and works well but with a couple of niggles, one being a sleepy volume slider. I’ve found myself trying on several occasions to touch it to adjust the volume only to have my input ignored but it does work at least some times. Another niggle would be input repeat, while I’m not sure if this is an issue to the whole capacitive touch technology but each touch on the app equals one movement on your computer screen, which makes browsing long lists in FrontRow a bit of a chore where as you could scroll easily with the Apple remote just by pressing and holding one of the buttons.

Feature Requests

I would like to see the layout improved along with some dynamic button labels as when you are actually in FrontRow, to move back a menu have to press the “fullscreen” button where it could change to “back” when your in the menu system itself. How about a virtual scroll wheel of moving quickly through lists in FrontRow? I would most certainly like to see further application support for apps like Boxee and VLC and probably a multitude of other applications that could do with a remote and be able to select which app to use from the touch app, rather than just the service ran on the computer.

iphone-apps-promo-codes-official-app-store-badge_4Price $0.99 (sale price, normally $1.99 )

The Good

  • Handy and convenient
  • Works well
  • Good effort at combining Mac and Touch devices

The Not so Good

  • Presently no security and not Windows compatible
  • Control layout needs work
  • Volume slider hard to move

Reviewer: TylerDurdan

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