ExpressCard Media Remote for Bluetooth-enabled Notebooks

Has any1 ordered this remote with thier machines? How good are they?
http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/productdetail.aspx?sku=A0691231&cs=04&c=us&l=en

The option to add it while costomizing inspiron laptops is under accessories >> bluetooth options.

 

oops, I'm not sure if this should be here or in Dell section. Can a mod move it to dell please.

 

I ordered it with my e1505. It works very nicely with not only Windows Media Center but almost any other media program including Winamp, iTunes, PowerDVD, ect...

Also, I haven't tried yet, but I think it would work with PowerPoint Presentations too. It has the Pg Up/Pg Down buttons.

IMO, it is an excellent compliment to the e1505. The only thing that I could be picky about is that it sticks out of the slot by about ~1cm but it really isn't that bad.

 

Nice, I had one like it in my old DV5000 in the PCMCIA slot, I miss it now.
It clearley states in the description that it can be used with power point too

I like the part where it recharges while in the Express slot and not having to point it to the RIF port since it uses bluetooth.

 

anyone know if a similar accessory is available for my vaio?

 

I think as long as you have a laptop with an express card (to store the remote & recharge the remote ), I don't see the reason why it wouldn't work, unless if you don't have internal bluetooth, or external for that matter.

 

I have this ExpressCard Media Remote that I just bought with my XPS m1210, and I have a strange problem I would like to ask people.

Problem is, everytime I any button on the remote, it'll launch MediaDirect in addition to doing what it is suppose to do. So for example, if I am in Windows media player watching something, and I use the remote to increase the volume, it'll actually increase the volume and in addition to that launch MediaDirect also. Does anyone have any idea on this?

Thanks!

 

It might be that the bluetooth remote is always tied to a default media program - in your case, Mediadirect. You might want to go into the remote settings and see what kind of options are available. About the volume, though, it should probably change the system volume (which, in turn, will alter many media programs' volume as well)

 

There is no additional settings for this remote that I can see. Everything looks normal and as it should. I think you are correct in that it is being tied to the default media program, because if I uninstall media direct, it'll start windows media center instead everytime. But what I have read is that this should not happen. When you press the volume up button, it should increase the volume only and not do anything else, no matter what program you are in. Or if I press the pause button, it'll pause if the program I'm in supports it, and not launch another program.

Can anyone else help me?

Thanks!!

 

I have the media remote and I never had this issue you're describing. I usually do a clean windows install everytime I get a new system, so I don't know what media direct you're talking about. If you don't use it but instead you use different media players, why not try to uninstall it and see if it'll solve the problem?

edit: so when you uninstall media direct then hit the volume up while watching something in WMP, it increases the volume & launches windows media center? that's wierd!! I don't think it should do that at all. You must've changed something in the WMC settings "there's no way to change the remote's settings yet". Maybe try to remove the remote from bluetooth devices and re-connect it?

 

While fooling around with the system, I reinstalled Media direct and just renamed the EXE. After that everything is working like a charm. For some reason, if I have this mdirect.exe as it is, it will try to launch it everytime I press a button on the remote. But if I rename that file, it won't launch and everything works.

Thanks for all the help.

 

I just received this remote for my e1505. However, I can't get it to work. I have charged it 3 times for over 2 hours each (with the laptop on). However, it still will not be discovered. My Laptop Bluetooth can find other devices (mobile phone, etc). I have tried holding the volume up/down for 3,4, 10, 15 seconds. no luck..

I think it's a defective card or my express slot is bad and not charging it. When you insert this remote into the Express Slot is there any indication that something was inserted? Should I hear a beep? or see any thing "load" on Windows?

I've had the laptop for 2 days and the Express card for 1 day. Any ideas would be appreciated!

Thank you,

 

It might be defective, but try it again cause it's tricky the first time you set it up. Hold the volume up/down, both of them at the same time for 2 seconds, then release. Open your BT program ( which BT you have? 350? 355? ) if 355 then double click BT icon in system tray, click bluetooth setup wizard on the left side menu, click the " I know the service blah blah... " then click next, scroll down and click " Human Interface Device " then click next, it should detect it now. Otherwise, you have a defective one I guess.

Nope, I hear nothing when inserting/removing it, no light either.

 

Thanks for the help. I talked to the Manufacturer and to Dell and they just shipped me a new one and it works great. I guess this other one was just not charging or was just overall defective.
Still it'd be nice if they had a battery indicator or something on it!

 

I have this same problem... only worse.

Anytime I press Volume Up, it launches media direct, then tries to play a DVD (even though there isn't one in there) so I get a warning messsage "no DVD" Even when I'm in media direct listening to musich. If I click volume up, it jumps to try to play a DVD.

If I click "next track" it goes back a menu or quits the program?! Prev Track works fine. Volume Down works fine. Mute will mute the volume and jump to Pictures!?

Rewind loads Videos.

So apparently they just double mapped certain buttons, which makes the remote virtually useless.

Any ideas on how to configure the settings?

 

Here is a Patch for Media Direct (provided by InterLink) and it seems to solve everything:

http://download.ieuseng.com/et/bc/Dell_Patch/

 

anybody mind testing this with viplay (a media play by urusoft)?

I'm betting it won't work as this isn't a very popular player but its great imo.

 

Do you have a link to the version for VIPLAY that you are using?

I have configured it to run with WinAmp... It did not work by default, but I was easily able to configure WinAmp to use "different keys" for Prev/Next, etc. Basically the remote emulates the Microsoft "Next Track" "Prev Track" buttons in a similar way that they do for Multimedia Keyboards. So if viplay works with multimedia keyboards, I would guess that it would work with this remote!

 

I downloaded 2.09 version of this player. Volume, fast forward, rewind worked, but not play, pause, stop though.

 

yea, i thought it wouldn't

its a great player that stands out above the rest because you can actually see what you're fast forwarding through like with a vcr or dvd

thanks anyways for testing it

 

Anyone else whos using this remote with an Inspiron (e1405 specifically) hear a scraping sound when inserting/ removing the remote, its not too bad but I just noticed the remote is developing a gash down the middle.

 

Am I the only one getting this message when installing the patch? ( I have CyberLink PowerCinema 4.0 installed ) anyway around this? What more options this patch gonna add?

 

I did not receive that error. What I would first do is see if you can play a DVD using Media Direct 3.0. If you can't, then I'd focus on getting that problem solved first. Did you install media direct using the CD and having it create the partitions before you installed Windows XP MCE?

(Don't try this now as this will delete your hard drive)

I just know the whole MD 3.0 is very picky on the specific order of install.

keep me posted

 

Check this out
http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=80050&highlight=bluetooth+remote

 

Oh crap, I removed MD 3.0 since I don't use it at all and I needed the space
But what does that have to do with installing that patch in windows mode though?? Or does the patch fix something for when using the remote control in MD?
If the later, then I don't think I need it.

 

Yes, mine did that with my e1405. When I looked in the Expresscard slot I saw a small metal "prong" hanging down from the top of the slot. I carefully puched that up into the roof of the slot using a tiny flat bade screwdriver, Since then its been fine. Perhaps some e1405's have poor quality Expresscard fittings?

Fortunately I fixed it before my remote was too badly scratched. I don't know what the bits inside the slot are for, and maybe never will as I doubt I will ever buy any proper Expresscard peripherals which use the slot properly to connect to the laptop.

Cheers,
AJP

 

The complete MD 3.0 installation (which installs the MD boot option AND the windows MD Software) installs all of the CyberLink DVD Codecs and licenses. The Patch fixes the bug in Media Direct and prevents it from launching with the press of certain keys (like volume). For some reason during this patch installation, it validates your MD install and verifies the Cyberlink DVD License.

what a pain....

any luck with getting it to work?

 

where can i buy remote for m1210
thankssssssssss