Controlling Front Row with a Keyspan remote
Front Row’s keyboard navigability is good news for users of third-party remotes, such as the Keyspan Express Remote, Presentation remote, or DMR. With some simple keystroke assignments and a two-line AppleScript, these remotes can fully replicate the Apple Remote experience.
I find that mapping “Select” to Space, “Menu” to Escape, and the four directional arrows to their corresponding arrow keys works perfectly to mimic an Apple remote. I also mapped the playback buttons to their counterparts in these charts, with the exception of Stop, as I have yet to find an equivalent to “Stop” in Front Row. To activate Front Row when other applications are active, I set the Global action for the “Cycle” button to an AppleScript — more on that below.
You have two options for volume control: per-application, using Command + Up/Down-arrow, or system-wide, using Keyspan’s Media Keys feature. Front Row’s volume controls adjust the playback volume of the current helper application, so if you adjust Front Row’s volume while playing music, Front Row adjusts the volume in iTunes, and so on. This is nice flexibility to have, but separate volume controls for several different applications may be too many for some people. It’s easier in some cases to leave all the applications at their maximum volume and simply adjust the overall system volume. Keyspan’s “Media Keys” features make this easy by simulating the volume and mute buttons on your Apple keyboard.
Of course, the Mac Mini in my living room is connected to my stereo for sound output, so I just leave everything on the computer turned all the way up so that the stereo receiver can be in control.
Cue the … entire stage
There remains the issue of Front Row activation and de-activation. It’s no problem to map Command + Escape to the “Cycle” button on the Keyspan Remote, but Front Row may not always respond. The new iMacs, of course, run Front Row all the time in the background, but on other Macs, indications are that Front Row will have to be the frontmost application for the trigger to work.
Front Row is not AppleScript-able, but AppleScript can still simulate keystrokes, so we can automate the process of launching Front Row, bringing it to the front, and activating it with a simulated Command + Escape.
tell application "Front Row" to activate
tell application "System Events" to key code 53 using command down
Download the script here if you like.
Save the script, set it as the Global action for your Cycle or Menu button, and the replication of the Apple Remote Experience is complete.
November 14th, 2005 at 9:37 pm
EPoX just released a great bluetooth remote that’s perfect for controling front row.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=5814423281&category=44996
November 23rd, 2005 at 11:52 pm
I’ve been working with the Keyspan remote and Front Row, and while I can operate Front Row with it pretty well, I have to keep all of its commands in the Global or Default set. I’d rather have the Front Row functionality only mapped to the buttons when Front Row is front most, and have the cursor control and old default behavior the rest of the time. (With the exception of mapping one button to start Front Row up.
Problem is, the Keyspan setup interface requres you to select an application from a list to make a custom set, but I have no clue as to where the Front Row application is hiding, or if it even exists as a .app
Any ideas out there?
November 24th, 2005 at 12:07 am
/System/Library/CoreServices/Front Row.app
Finder search is your friend!
November 26th, 2005 at 7:10 pm
Try this script instead. I can confirm that ti works on 10.4.3:
tell application “System Events”
tell application “Front Row” to activate
key code 53 using {command down}
delay 0.0
key code 53
end tell
November 28th, 2005 at 11:50 am
Your script seems to activate Front Row and then dismiss it. What’s the problem with the script I posted?
December 4th, 2005 at 11:51 am
Hi,
I just bought a second hand keyspan. I can make it work properly, though, activating Front Row with the Menu button set to the script, wether it is the one from John or John Schult doesn’t work.
So am I missing something ? When I am in the edit button window in test mode, pressing Menu works, but then when I come back in the “real world” nothing.
December 5th, 2005 at 12:36 am
The keyspan software isn’t great. Make sure you’re saving your profile before you try to use it in the real world. Stopping and restarting the listener can help sometimes too.
December 17th, 2005 at 9:35 am
Yeah thanks it does now work. But using John Schult’s script is more convenient as it brings Front Row in front with only one press of the Menu button.
February 2nd, 2006 at 10:34 pm
Alo check out this URL for enablement of Front Row on non-”Compatible” macs:
http://www.andrewescobar.com/archive/2006/01/10/front-row/
I find that with Front Row installed in this fashion (vs. a previous method I’ve lost the URL to) I can set the Keyspan menu key globally to cmd + esc. The same key can then be set to just esc when Front Row is the active application, so that it brings you up a level in the menu selections, just as the Apple Remote does.
One problem I’m having though, and this happens even when trying to use the keyboard’s cursor keys, is that I crash when trying to fast forward or rewind video.
February 7th, 2006 at 1:21 pm
Hi, i was wondering if anyone knew of a similar script for using the alchemytv dvr remote for front row? if not, is anyone more intelligent than me interested in looking into it, id love them lots!
February 7th, 2006 at 7:33 pm
Hi, me again from last post, i cant even find the front row application to assign controls directly (for when in pregramme not for activation) just the dmg i have from installation hmmmmm
February 7th, 2006 at 7:58 pm
If I find out anything about using an AlchemyTV remote with Front Row, I’ll post something with “Alchemy TV Remote” in the title. In the meantime, try this:
http://www.google.com/search?q=%22front+row%22+alchemyTV+remote
February 7th, 2006 at 7:59 pm
The location of the Front Row application has already been discussed. Care to read the title, the article or the comments?
February 8th, 2006 at 9:41 am
oh i did, mine isnt there, i swear, all i can find is the dmg in documents :s
February 8th, 2006 at 11:49 am
ok, got a keyspan now
got alchemytv working from that, and front row launches fine from a keystroke command in global, im happy lol, although alchemytv doesnt want to launch from a global application launch command hhmmmm, getting there at least
February 11th, 2006 at 12:45 pm
can i modify the acivate front row script so that it activatesother programmes? if so do i only have to change the name?
March 8th, 2006 at 9:55 pm
I have Front Row 1.2.1 running on my powerbook, and I’m controlling it with my Sony Ericsson W600i. Most Ericsson phones have a builtin Bluetooth Remote Control feature, and you can make your own “remotes” for it using this official Sony Ericsson program:
http://developer.sonyericsson.com/site/global/docstools/misc/p_misc.jsp
However, this program is buggy, and you can write your own scripts from scratch using a sort of XML. Here is the one that I made:
Read the readme at the link above for detailed instructions on how to do this.
I know this works on almost all Ericssons, but probably not on other brands.
You can email me if you have any questions:
-The Supreme High Technical Llama
-spookybathtub@gmail.com
March 8th, 2006 at 9:56 pm
For some reason it didn’t take my script, probably because it was too long. I can email it to you if you want.