Software to make my laptop infrared port a TV remote control?

[igowerf]

Is there software to make my laptop IR port as a TV remote control? My friend's PDA can be used as a universal remote and I was wondering if my laptop could do the same. Thanks.

 

[bpctech]

bump for a happy boy

 

[singh]

From all the research I've done (read: 15 mins on google), I don't think the IR hardware in a laptop is compatible with standard IR remotes.

 

[MrBond]

I did some research on this when I got my first laptop, but found nothing. There have been threads here in the past, but essentially no one has found software that can do that yet

 

[Zim Hosein]

igowerf, if I'm not mistaken, your friend should be the proud owner of an iPaq w/ software by Nevo; what makes his PDA "special" is the fact that the IR port on his iPAQ is that it has "consumer IR" IR distance, in that besides the s/w, the IR port on his PDA can transmit IR signals over a longer distance than your "regular" PDA, namely, what a standard remote control can do. In essence, your lappy cannot transmit an IR signal over the distance you want.

<-- Owner of an iPAQ w/ Nevo s/w

 

[Bglad]

How bout I just give you some work to do cause you got too much free time!!!
LOL

 

[Shalmanese]

I dont know about sending but there certainly exists software for RECIEVING to a IR port. However, I remember there being some techincal reason why you couldn't do it with integrated laptop IR ports in NT based OS's. Something to do with Windows locking down the port or something.

Also, From certain sources, a Palm uses roughly 10% of its power just keeping the IR port active and can only beam ~ 50 cm. I would not like to see the power consumption figures for an Ipaq that can beam ~ 2m since power consumption follows a square law.