Streamzap PC Remote Control Reviews

• Works Great.

  
  By A3GH4DOEHE26UU on 2003-06-08
  Recently, I replaced the CD Player on my stereo with a full blown PC and use my TV as the "monitor". I had been using a wireless keyboard and MusicMatch software for playing my MP3 files. After a while, I got tired of having to keep the keyboard with me if I wanted to switch tracks, stop playback, pause, etc. I found this little gizmo after a quick search and it does everything I need. The software that comes with it integrates well with the popular music software (MusicMatch, Windows Media Player, Winamp, and many more), and you can even use the remote as a rudimentary mouse. Of course, you can't enter text with it, but if you're using a PC as a stereo component, this remote is great.

  You get the remote and a USB infrared receiver. Installation is a snap, and the range is great. StreamZap has said they're considering modifying the software so it would be compatible with other brand remotes, eliminating the need for their remote altogether which would be a nice touch. Until then, I programmed their remote codes into my universal remote and it takes care of everything.
  
  

• Like an ADD child

  
  By A9TQQPUD6IW4R on 2004-04-26
  This product sounds great. Control your PC from anywhere in your room!! Cool!! It even installed easily. But that's when the problems started. Programs just don't listen to the remote. I'll be listening to a song on itunes, and want to change it. I take the remote, point it at the reciever, press the button, the little activity light on the reiver lights up and....nothing happens. The song doesnt change, the cursor doesn't move, zippo. So i push the button again, this time it will work. Or maybe it doesn't, so you push it again, then five minutes latter, suddenly, the playlist skips twice.

  To make a long story short, this product is just plain unreliable. When it works, it is awsome. When it doesn't, there is no explanation. I think it is a great concept, that needs some serious refinement.
  
  

• Streamzap + Girder = An easy, fast, and reliable pc remote

  
  By A1XUE5EW6U5V3O on 2005-02-20
  I bought this remote to be used on my music server which is an old Pentium II 233MHz computer running Windows XP. Winamp is the only program installed in that computer. So I only wanted a remote to control winamp. Installation took a few seconds, and controlled Winamp instantly. At first, the remote was really buggy. I'm using Winamp 2.81 which is the lightest of the winamp applications, so I thought the remote should not hesitate. I would press Next, and it would take 1 or 2 seconds to react. Pause didn't even work. If I did try to pause, I would lose all control from the remote. It sucked.
  
  So I started reading and found out it used a lot of my cpu resources. I opened up Task Manager to watch my cpu usage and sure enough, Streamzap was killing my 233Mhz cpu. If I pressed any button to control Winamp, my cpu resource would jump up to 80%. I tried the Streamzap on my laptop which has a 2.2GHz, and if I pressed a button for Winamp, it still took 40%. Even though it was faster, it was still slow.
  
  Then I heard about Girder. It acts as a software bridge. Remote sends the command to Girder, and Girder executes the command on the pc. I installed it on my Pentium II pc, and after configuring it to Winamp, the remote works PERFECT. Each button only takes about 6% of cpu resource, the the instant I press the next button for Winamp, Winamp changes songs. For an old Pentium II computer, it works lightning fast now that it is teams up with Girder.
  
  I would definitely recommend this to anyone looking for an affordable easy pc remote.
  
  

• Don't buy for your Home Theater PC

  
  By A1J0QBNY8OPOD0 on 2007-02-09
  This remote is unreliable junk... well... let me rephrase... the remote itself is fine but the software that controls it is absolute garbage which causes the remote to completely freeze up at least once a day. If you are the kind of person that turns on the computer for an hour... uses the remote, and shuts off you'll probably never have a problem. But users of PVR software keep their machines up and running 24x7. I have this piece of work freezing up on me at least once a day.
  
  After researching further, I found that the program on the computer that controls the remote goes into an infinite loop state where it uses 100% of the processor. The only way to re-initialize the remote is by restarting the computer but if your computer is currently recording something you'll end up corrupting the show you are recording. After research I found many others on the web with the same issue.
  
  I'm sure someone will read this and say "load the new drivers idiot!"... believe me, I'm up-to-date with the most current drivers as of the date of this review (Feb/2007). Streamzap acknowledged the problem on prior versions of the driver but it still exists to this day. Just search the internet and see.
  
  [...]
  You can take my word for it, or you can take your chances. If Streamzap had replied to even ONE of the multiple emails I sent asking for help I would have been happy to work with them. But I think they know the problem is out there and they don't want to address the problem. They can see the numerous postings all over the internet from other people like me with the same issue.
  
  

• OK product, but so-so support

  
  By A2EKEI62JI28XI on 2005-03-31
  I got one of these to control Quintessential Player and the CineMaster DVD player on my PC. For Quintessential Player it works great; there are even some nice touches like being able to turn shuffle on or off with the remote, so I can shuffle around songs but then turn shuffle off to listen to a few songs in a row. (There is a one- or two-second lag, as others have said, but I don't find it a big problem.)
  
  For CineMaster the story's not so good; some buttons do the wrong thing (e.g. the rewind button pauses; the chapter-back button stops play!), and many just don't work at all.
  
  I was in contact with their tech support about this, and we went back and forth for a while. They gave me a new patch which didn't fix the problems. I fed them a good bit of technical information. And then, for the last couple months, I've heard nothing, despite writing a couple of times asking for an update. They also said that in the future they'd allow user-customization; but nothing has appeared yet.
  
  So...go ahead and buy it, but immediately test it with all the programs you want to use it with. If it doesn't work well enough for you to be happy with it, return it; _don't_ wait for tech support to fix it, because I can tell you, it won't happen.
  
  
• Great for those who don't want to customize!
  By A2E22X66GGRHBH on 2006-03-17
  We used this remote to program a Sony AV-RM3000 remote, but we need more flexibility for our HTPC. In hindsight, we should have bought a stand-alone IR unit and something like the Girder software. Or, maybe just an IR wireless keyboard.
  
  This is not a remote for those seeking flexibility, or those who like to customize their media experience. This is an excellent remote for those who want out-of-the-box usability, and don't want to bother with customization. It's well-built, and will be exactly what many mainstream users are looking for.
  
  Pros: Comfortable shape, sensible layout, high-quality feel, reasonably compatible with many programs
  
  Cons: Doesn't do absolutely everything in every compatible application, only four somewhat-programmable keys with limited options
  
  
• Poor Product
  By A201Q1HXBJZVDO on 2004-12-09
  I purchased this and the snapstream firefly, and actually wanted to use both at the same time.
  
  This product has a lagged response to key presses and its driver gave me a lot more trouble to get working correctly in Win XP.
  
  Also, if you use girder software instead of the included software, you still have to load the Streapzap program at startup in order for it to work, which is uneccessary.
  
  This one is going to be returned...
  
  
• Great remote for your ATI PC tuner card!!!
  By A1FAX6H3OR8A46 on 2003-09-24
  This remote is great for those of you with the ATI tuner cards! The remote ATI features is nowhere in the same league as this remote. It has 4 different preset "hot buttons" that will launch the programs you want from a distance. I see FAR more features than the Mfr. supplied remote. I love it! You can just sit back in your recliner and fast forward through the commercials of recorded programs, you no longer have to sit in front of the PC to do it anymore! Highly recommended! Whatcha waitin' for! Buy it already!
  
  
• Limited functions, but gets the job done
  By AWR2KHLQ6XN82 on 2007-05-12
  If all you want to do is open a program, walk away and still be able to:
  play, pause, next track, last track, stop, volume control, mute...
  then this remote will work wonders for you.
  
  There are four programmable macro buttons that you can assign to open a program or playlist...or commands such as toggle full screen, enable mouse mode, cycle through windows, etc
  
  Well I wanted one button to open iTunes, another for Windows Media Player, and another for WinDVD, but I also wanted a button to toggle fullscreen, cycle through windows, and enable mouse mode...there are simply too few programmable buttons.
  
  Fast forward and Rewind basically never work how you want them too. It will either go really slow and jumpy, or it will just go to the next track.
  
  Mouse input is really painstakingly slow although a nice function to have.
  
  There is about a one second delay after you hit a button on the remote before it actually registers on the computer.
  
  You can use Up, Down, Left, Right, and Enter to manually move through menus, but you can't switch the menus or lists you are moving through. Such as iTunes, you can go through your playlists, but you can't go through your songs unless you just skip songs til you get to the one you want or switch to mouse mode.
  
  There is also a alpha numeric text input mode although I have yet to figure out how to use it.
  
  Many buttons are just commands that are assigned to the buttons, but each program may use the commands for different tasks...therefore you may hit a button trying to get it to do one thing, and it will do something completely unrelated
  
  It works fine for when I'm watching DVDs, or listening to iTunes on random play, but anything more than that is more complicated than it needs to be. You'll probably just grab your mouse and do it much faster the old fashioned and less stressful way...
  
  
  
• Probably the best remote for Linux on the market.
  By A1Q5W6V1V92SL4 on 2008-07-12
  This is simply the best supported remote on Linux, pretty much any software project that allows the use of a remote will have at least the streamzap supported out of the box.
  
  Apart from that it's also incredible value for money, just consider that building your own IR receiver would probably set you back 30$ just in parts. And that's without the remote.
  
  Also note that you can use any IR remote you want with the included receiver, in case you've got your eye on a regular universal remote.
  
  
• Wow--This is awsome!
  By A228CKJGKGMYL3 on 2005-02-20
  I love my Streamzap PC Remote! It is very cool. I can change the channel on my TV Tuner card, controll my Powerpoint Presentations from across the room, controll my media player and so much more. This works wonderfully! I have mine for about 9 months now and have not had any problems. It is truly wonderful. It solves many problems and allows me to "be at my computer" without actually "being at my computer". It even lets you use the directional keys to move your cursor around the screen and use it like a mouse which is very cool aswell! All in all a great product!
  
  
• Unreliable driver, no customer service
  By A3EF5U5GXCNTJU on 2008-07-31
  OK hardware with a limited & unreliable driver. No customer service. I strongly recommend AGAINST the purchase of this remote.
  
  Full review:
  
  I am a professional software developer. I purchased this product to control a media PC running Beyond TV (on a dedicated Windows XP system). Key selling points were that the product advertised specific support for Beyond TV and also Girder (promixis.com) advertises support of the remote.
  
  Initial impression was moderately favorable. The remote is packaged with a driver CD. A quick web-site check showed the CD to be current. The remote installed ok and immediately worked with Beyond TV.
  
  Then I started checking the supported functionality and found that several Beyond TV functions were not supported. No problem I thought... I'd assign these functions to one of the 4 colored buttons at the bottom. Unfortunately, you can't even assign a keystroke to one of these. The driver supports only a limited, fixed, set of actions - and doesn't include the most obvious one - typing a keystroke.
  
  Then came the driver problems. After everything looked OK, I left the PC and came back later. The remote no longer functioned. The red indicator on the receiver flashed (nice feature) but no action was taken on the PC. I tried to restart the supporting software with no success. Reboot of the PC clears the problem.
  
  It seems that after a period of inactivity, the driver will go into a processing loop. On my dual-core machine, it maintains a steady 27% while in this state. Others postings on the net have confirmed this problem.
  
  I've contacted their support - no phone number - only email. Other than an automated confirmation email, no response after 3 days. (Other users have reported the same.)
  
  Bottom line - the hardware seems OK, but the driver is unacceptable. Even if the driver didn't get stuck, the limited, hard-coded functionality provided is weak (at best).
  
  I strongly recommend AGAINST this remote.
  
  
• My PC Remote from Streamzap
  By A1V990CWBEHDXU on 2007-03-22
  I just installed the PC Remote from Streamzap and it works fine. However, it would not work using the drivers that came on the installation CD. The IR receiver would not work and was not recognized by the PC. The PCRemote.exe file that came on the CD that installs the drivers was version 2.7.0.0 and would not work on my Dell D610 Laptop running Microsoft Windows XP Professional SP2. I went to the Streamzap website and downloaded the latest driver which was 2.9.6.0. After installing that driver, the PC was able to recognize the IR receiver and everything else worked fine. I think this PC Remote was a good buy and don't expect to have any more problems.
  
  
• Streamzap Remote
  By AER88C6FAY3GH on 2008-02-08
  Worked great with my knoppmyth system which is running with the debian version of linux and mythtv. Easy to configure. My only wish is that the remote had a few more buttons.
  
  
  
• Needs to Mature
  By A3P32DEZ64YU2K on 2008-06-29
  I found several issues with the remote/software combination. I tried to solve them with the Girder add-on and found issues there as well. The first and most serious issue is that the software is designed to be compatable with specific versions of applications. This means that when a new version of an application is released, it will take several months for the next release of the StreamZap software to become compatable. Althougth Girder can be used to create new commands, it takes a long time and expert level knowledge to complete. In addition, the Girder software is a driver between the StreamZap and the application intended for control. This adds unacceptable delays between the time the button is pressed on the StreamZap and the resulting control of the application. This becomes a significant issue using the pause function.
  
  The second issue is the driver (.sys) that is used with XP Pro. Every once in a while, it will hang (Blue Screen of Death) the computer during a restart. I found that disconnecting the USB IR device during restarts will eliminate the issue. This is very bad for anyone that is thinking of remotely restarting XP Pro. One hung start and you are stuck without support until you get home.
  
  The third issue is with a lack of programmable keys. The four pretty color keys at the bottom can only start executables, batch files, etc. or place the remote in "mouse" mode. If the "mouse" mode were more advanced, it might be of use. The mouse mode does not include "scroll wheel" simulation or mouse special function button compatability or the ability to simulate keyboard keys. In many cases a new Loghtech RF mouse with lots of special function buttons will out perform the StreamZap and can simulate keyboard keys. The only thing missing from the Logitech advanced mice is the nice "TiVo" like shape of the StreaZap.
  
  
  
  
• Works Great!
  By on 2004-05-08
  I love my PC Remote. It's easy to use and easy to set up. I use it for one at the office and one at home every day to run presentations and my pc jukebox at home. I just bought four more for my friends and family. I read another review about someone having problems. I have not had one. It just works!
  
  
• best product ever!
  By on 2005-11-24
  this is the best product ever!!
  I have had it for 2 months now and have not had a single problem with it and i can even control my mouse actions from my bed...top notch product! :)
  
  
• Works well for what it is.
  By A2XB5B6DNJ7KRY on 2007-02-07
  I got the Streamzap to control a PC I'm using as a glorified DVD player. It works as advertised, but has some limitations. The biggest issue is that the directional buttons are only four-way, so moving the cursor on the screen is a pain. Also, when using Windows Media Player to watch DVD's, the directional buttons don't work to navigate the menu, forcing me to switch to mouse mode. I set the programmable buttons to start media player, switch to full screen, and switch to mouse mode - which works well for me.
  
  
• Remote
  By A1EIXRH7MVNOUZ on 2007-02-24
  Son wanted to control computer music from sofa at college. Says it works great.
  
  
• Works well with Ubuntu/MythTV
  By AV3MFXRMBTEIU on 2007-05-25
  I configured and installed LIRC for Ubuntu to use this with mythTV. It works perfectly. However, installing LIRC and configuring it is not that easy for someone not used to Ubuntu/Other linux. But once done, it works perfectly.
  
  
• Great for myth
  By A3U8WJA1KWKV26 on 2007-07-03
  Support built in to knoppmyth.
  
  Pro: See above. Excellent range (especially compare to my Haupagge remote)
  
  Con: Seems a little on the cheap side. Not as many options as other remotes.
  
  Overall, I would certainly buy this again.
  
  
• Reciever works great with MythTV and Ubuntu
  By A1V5CZFLCD56NL on 2007-08-15
  I haven't used the remote at all however getting the receiver set up with lirc was a breeze. I'm using a One For All Universal remote.
  
  
• StreamZap USB Remote- Excellent
  By A1OEQM5CEW8FM6 on 2007-10-06
  I recently purchased this USB Remote control with IR Receiver for use in my computer home entertainment center.
  It works flawlessly, I am happy to say.
  
  The remote is used to control a MythTV "frontend" (computer which can watch tv and recordings hosted on another computer with a tv tuner card- a "backend") using LIRC and Linux.
  
  Many modern products require proprietary drivers/software which are often badly coded and cause problems or are simply not available in linux-
  The StreamZap USB Remote is not one of these!
  It follows the standards for infrared devices and can be easily configured using LIRC to control a linux-based PVR/DVR home entertainment system.
  And it is also inexpensive, as well.
  Great product, and I will likely be getting more as my entertainment system expands-
  I'll need one for every computer that connects to the media server, after all. :)
  
  
• Non-Standard Remote
  By AWLQ68DGI4J55 on 2008-02-01
  This works exactly as it advertised so it is well suited for its intended purpose. But as we all know most of us want to eliminate the hassle of multiple remotes hence use learning capable remote to do the work of all the remotes. My favorite remote that I have been using for long time without any problem, SONY RM-VL600 does not work with this receiver.(It learned codes from all my other audio video products) It seems only expensive universal remote models can communicate with Streamzap receiver. So I have to have a second remote on my coffee table or have to spend over $100 for Universal remote. Solution may be a USB IR receiver compatible with standard IR coeds so I can use my tried and tested Sony RM-VL600.
  
  02/11/2008
  I found a way around this problem. Instead of holding the button down during the learning process if you just tap the Stremzap button Sony learn the command correctly. So I am upgrading my rating to 5 stars. Also you can use free program called EventGohst (http://www.eventghost.org) you can customize very button of this remote to do what you want.
  
  
• A remote that's really nice!
  By A1LHQE1L68AXNT on 2008-02-01
  I DID HAVE THREE PROBLEMS BEFORE GETTING THINGS TO WORK SMOOTHLY.
  
  One: When changing music tracks it was skipping two at a time. Fix: Go to Streamzaps advance remote settings and set both "Repeat Delay" and "Repeat Rate" to "Slow".
  
  Two: "Exit" button sometimes worked ok and sometimes not. Fix: I use the blue macro button for toggling the mouse on/off. The mouse must be toggled "off" for the"Exit" button to work properly. If the remote's arrow keys cause the screen cursor to move then the mouse is toggled "on" and "Exit" button will mess up.
  
  Three: WinTV's HVR-950 works just fine using their original version 2000 software. However the newer version 6 will not work for me.
  
  I programed the red macro button to bring up Windows Media Player and to start playing my favorite playlist. The green button brings up WinTV's HDTV/VDR. The yellow button toggles the "Start Menu" on/off. Finally the blue button toggles the mouse on/off.
  
  Placing a DVD in a drive automatically brings up MS Media Center and from there the remote will control the play. pause, skip, volume and exit functions.
  
  I had a MS Media Center remote control that came with my Dell computer and only used it for watching analog TV. Never found it friendly or useful for anything else. Then I updated to WinTV's great little HVR-950 HDTV/DVR device for over-the-air digital TV. I then added this Streamzap remote. Now I can completely control the WinTV and Windows Media Player which I use for listening to music. As a bonus it will control MS Media Center which I use only for playing DVDs. Thus the keyboard and mouse can be stored from sight and I end up with a nice HDTV, DVD player and music player enterainment center using only this remote. Neat!
  
  
  
  
• Does Not Work!
  By A1SM3W839G7VDQ on 2008-02-20
  I bought a Streamzap just to control the volume on my computer while playing internet radio, and to mute the commercials. I don't need fancy control over multimedia applications.
  
  I have not been able to even accomplish the simple volume control I hoped for.
  
  This product contains 3 parts - a remote that looks much like a TV remote, a receiver which connects to the computer's USB port, and software. I believe the problem I have is a faulty USB plug on the receiver I got, because most of the time the unit does not show up on the computer. Other devices like USB disks and a flash disk all work fine on the very same USB port on the computer.
  
  It also took multiple attempts to install the software, perhaps because of intermittent connectivity with the receiver. Finally, if the receiver does show up on the computer, Windows frequently requires me to re-install the drivers. I thought USB was "plug and play" not "plug and re-install."
  
  What has me REALLY frustrated is the COMPLETE lack of support by Streamzap. They don't "do" phones, so your two support alternatives are to consult their "knowledge base" or send them email.
  
  Since I've had my unit their "knowledge base" has been unavailable for multiple technical reasons, and they don't apear to care.
  
  The one email response I got from their "support" person accomplished exactly nothing, and days have passed since I replied to him.
  
  The bottom line: Streamzap products do not work and Streamzap has no intention of backing up their products or supporting their customers.
  
  I'll probably just send this unit back to Streamzap in very small pieces so it'll go into their landfill, where it belongs, instead of mine.
  
  
• Works great!!
  By A2EGSOXUYJMCKP on 2008-02-25
  I bought this b/c I hooked up my pc to my tv and I'm really happy w/it. it controls pretty much everything (ie: Winamp, WMP, Powerdvd) and you can also use the arrow keys to function like a mouse. Installing the software and getting it to work was pretty easy (I have Vista). Overall, I think it's a pretty good pc remote!
  
  
• Frequent Software Crashes, Poor Support
  By A2H3K9677U97AR on 2008-05-05
  I purchased this remote for my SageTV computer. When the software worked it worked quite well. The 4 color buttons can be assigned to do anything including batch files. However, multiple times per day the StreamZap software would crash and stop working making me get up and use the attached mouse to acknowledge the error and restart the software. It appears that the software is not well supported by looking at their web site. I contacted the tech support email and did receive a response but no resolution (or even an attempt at a resolution) to my problem. I would not recommend this product.
  
  
• Great Item; Limited Software Development
  By A1PEIRNJ8HCVWL on 2008-05-09
  If you want to control over 100 different PC audio players (i.e. Winamp, Window Media Player, JetAudio, Foobar, etc) without sitting right in front of your monitor, the StreamZap does this very well. Installation is a snap, the infrared receiver that plugs into an available USB port is small, and the device is easy to configure with the included software. Four function buttons along the bottom of the remote can be setup to automatically launch programs. You get the basic controls of Play, stop, FF, REW, volume, etc. Navigating the pointer on screen with the StreamZap is possible, but rather clunky. My suggestion is to setup playlists. Trying to navigate files and folders with the cursor via the remote can be frustrating.
  
  My only concern is that StreamZap is not actively updating its software as audio applications evolve to newer versions. My one instance with tech support was less than stellar with a suggestion that I look into downloading an application called LM Remote ([...]) to add functionality beyond StreamZap device drivers. Not a big confidence builder.
  
  Overall, the StreamZap is a very good value. Once you figure out how to best utilize the remote, it is a real pleasure to use. When I am in the leather recliner with my headphones on, the StreamZap allows me to navigate through a playlist without ever having to get up.
  
  
• Workes great with mythtv
  By AYYFH5HY2AUEB on 2008-08-15
  Bought it to use with my mythtv setup. Works great. The IR receiver is wonderful. I could control it with my regular TV (Sony SXRD) remote. The included remote is pretty good too. Nice feel to the buttons and feels comfortable to hold.
  
  

• Hauppauge 1139 WinTV-HVR-950 Hybrid TV Stick External TV Tuner/Video Recorder for PC
• Terk HDTVa Indoor Amplified High-Definition Antenna for Off-Air HDTV Reception
• P3 International P4400 Kill A Watt Electricity Usage Monitor
• Logitech Harmony 550 Universal Remote
• Logitech Harmony 880 Advanced Universal Remote Control