iTunes


Today's Show:
We first mentioned the AirRemote application for the iPhone on Episode #286, noting that it should be coming soon and that it looked pretty cool. CE Pro recently posted a nice writeup about it. While we haven't tried it ourselves just yet, it does look like a very interesting concept. Although the power isn't just in using the iPhone to control your TV and Surround Sound receiver, it goes much deeper than that. Unfortunately we aren't quite there yet.

AirRemote for iPhone: 'Greatest Little TV Remote'

In a nutshell, you combine an iPod touch, the AirRemote software and a box from Global Cache that converts from WiFi to IR and you're set. The whole system, including the iPod, will set you back about $500. While that's steep compared to a Harmony One, it's not too much more than the Harmony 1000 and way less then a Pronto Pro. And it doesn't require a special technician to program it.

OK, great. So there's another universal remote control option, who cares, right? The article goes on to say that "AirRemote also supports the Kaleidescape media server 'with all the album/cover art on the iPhone, and it links to the Web to bring you more artist/actor/director information.'" Now we're talking.

Of course the Kaleidescape is cool, but budget-wise it's out of the realm of possibility for most of us. And why would you want the interface in your hand? The really cool thing about theKaleidescape is that amazing UI . It's not this particular integration that's exciting, it's the idea behind it - the idea of two way communication between the system and the remote.

Apply the same concept to your DVR. What if you could pull up your whole list of programs in the palm of your hand, without interfering with what's on screen? Scroll through all your shows, find the one you want to watch, and just go for it. Or the guide. Why not browse the guide on the remote, set a show to record or get info on a movie all without disturbing what's on the TV?

But it goes beyond the Set top box. You could browse interactive menus for any device, a DVD player or Blu-ray player, your receiver, even Vudu or AppleTV. You could even configure settings. Imagine the familiar volume slider the iPhone has for music applied to your home theater, or the same thing for adjusting brightness or contrast on the TV. The options are limitless.

All it takes is some true, two way communication between the remote and your home theater gear. All it takes, to be honest, is a simple Web Service running on each of the components that a device like the iPhone oriPod touch can communicate with. This isn't rocket science, but man is there a ton of potential there.