share remote control on Mac

[kine]

In reference to this thread (http://forum.boxee.tv/showthread.php?t=63)... i really think it is a bad idea to have boxee take over the entire remote control. boxee on the Mac is essentially a replacement for Front Row — and Front Row does not reserve the entire remote control for itself. It reserves ONLY the Menu button, and ONLY when the application in focus isn't remote-capable. boxee should work the same way. It's easy to say 'why would you want to use something else', but a full-screen media-centre application really is not useful in every situation. Sometimes i need to use something else.

[Gamester17]

So are suggesting that the Boxee remote helper (the background service that runs all the time) should pop-up an option dialog when the menu button is pressed on the Apple Remote and in that dialog give to option to start Boxee or FrontRow (or XBMC, or Plex, if all are installed)?

...if that is what you are suggesting then I think I like that idea too, but I think it would be good if one could still be able to change it if one wishes so that Boxee (or any of the other apps listed above) starts by default when the menu button is pressed on the Apple Remote.

[kine]

Well, i was mostly just suggesting it work the same as Front Row, as i'd described (only respond to the Menu button, and only when the application in focus isn't using the remote).

The pop-up thing would be cool, but the more immediate focus of my request was just the fact that boxee refuses to allow the remote control to function with any other programs when 'always running' is enabled. For example, if i try to use the remote to pause a song playing in iTunes, nothing will happen. If i try to use the remote to increase the volume in VLC, nothing will happen. The only function you can get out of the remote control when that feature is enabled is to invoke boxee with the Menu button. Nothing else happens, no matter what program you're using. Regardless of what specifically happens when the Menu button is pressed (dialogue or otherwise), i think boxee should yield access of the remote to other programs just as Front Row does.

[vulkan]

hi kine and thanks for this report.
i think you are absolutely right and its only implemented this way due to technical difficulties we came across.
i am not sure about the popup but capturing only the menu button is definitely on our tasks list.

thanks again and welcome to boxee!