Modern NR client

[mpg732]

For all you guys pissing and moaning about apps for this, apps for that. Have you guys really researched using HTML and Girder. The possibilities are endless. IF you ask me HTTP is so much easier and so much more supported then LUA. will ever be. I for one would rather have a solutions for all these products then to have an app for one or two devises.

The one thing I agree with, is a lot of you including my self have invested a lot of time creating CFF's and hate the thought of having to spend more time recreating them in another format. Either way if you want to use a smart phones, tablets and so on, we are all going to have to learn something new and invest time getting it to work.

So I will end by asking you this, if you have to learn something new, what would you want to learn, the individual apps or something universal that would work on all the devises?

[VicVonDoom]

Seeing as everyone has something to say about this, here's my two pence.

Pro's of the new styleee...

1. MultiDevice usage.
2. MultiPlatform usage.
3. Less load on the tech support forum as only one thing to support.
4. Only one lot of code to write for multiple devices.

Con's of the new styleee...

1. Another language to attempt to learn!
2. Less of a wow factor as we don't have a dedicated software icon to impress our pals with - just an internet browser, which is far cheaper-looking...

Jims Final Thought
I totally understand the promixis stand point on this and agree myself with most of their argument.
It is a business and businesses need income.
If you can reach out to a larger audience = more sales.

The delivery of this news could have been better!

The way us existing users saw it was "NetRemote is dead. We now have to learn Webstuff."
Perhaps, a fade out into the new stylee would have created less of a public relations disaster to existing customers!

For the sake of promixis's excellent reputation, i hope this new 'web generator' tim is working on, exceeds NRD! (no pressure :-) )

Keep up the good work chaps!

[mpg732]

One concern people are having about using web pages for a remote is the concern about seeing the address bar and menu bars. Most web browsers have a 'kiosk mode". This mode will hide all menu and address bars. Google it for you particular web browser.
What we need are lots of samples on how to set up Girder and to set up basic HTML pages that can do what we relied on Netremote and MediaBridge before. For example, I would like to know how to set up Girder to do what MediaBridge did before. How to get the information to Girder from the media player and then how to access\display that on a web page.

[jwilson56]

Personally I think I would keep Mediabridge in place and have the HTML front end talk to that. Also until I see options to browse my 900 CD library and drill up and down the tree on a webpage I will never be convinced that it will replace NR. As for turning on and off lights with an Android.. you can do that many different ways already with apps already out there.

[shaun5]

Vic, for iOS devices you can develop the page as a web app. iOS web app gives the ability to have a custom icon and remove all the browser controls making the web page function and feel like an app.

There are a couple of challenges: 1)iOS 4.1+ eliminated the ability to preload sound files. So if you have something like a beep to indicate a button was pressed, the first time is delayed while the sound loads. 2)My page currently reloads on the iPad even when you are toggling between apps (even with a cache manifest). There are reports that the increased memory of the iPad 2 eliminates this on web pages, so it may fix/help the web app. If you access the web app with the browser vs. the icon, the page only reloads if you have several different web sites open in the browser.

Someone else may be able to comment how Android handles web apps...

[shaun5]

John, I think one of the great things about using the Girder (with or without the web interface) is the ability to integrate everything into one system. I have RA2 in my house and have no interest in using Lutron's native app to control lighting. My girder web app does more than Lutron's (usage database, instant scene generation and play back) and I have one interface for everything...

[tmorten]

Just to address some of the points discussed:

1. MediaBridge - My version of the Girder MediaBridge component supports album covers and drilling, just like NetRemote, and is fully accessible from the Girder webserver. Thread on this here: http://www.promixis.com/forums/showt...idge-Component

2. Address Bars and Icons - It's a simple matter to wrap a web page with PhoneGap (http://www.phonegap.com/) or a similar tool to make it act like a "native" app: this means an icon to launch, and no visible address bar.

Cheers,
Tim

[Mike C]

Just to address some of the points discussed:

[b]

2. Address Bars and Icons - It's a simple matter to wrap a web page with PhoneGap (http://www.phonegap.com/) or a similar tool to make it act like a "native" app: this means an icon to launch, and no visible address bar.

Cheers,
Tim

Very cool. .

[jwilson56]

Tim if you run this webpage on an Android and then run a NR client on a desktop will they stay in sync when using JRMC showing the same zone?

[tmorten]

Tim if you run this webpage on an Android and then run a NR client on a desktop will they stay in sync when using JRMC showing the same zone?

Affirmative; with MediaBridge as a lingua franca, multiple clients of NR and Girder webserver hosted pages stay in sync.

Cheers,
Tim