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.

12 of 12 found the following review helpful:

Great for those who don't want to customize!  Mar 17, 2006
By Kristina Diy
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

18 of 21 found the following review helpful:

Don't buy for your Home Theater PC  Feb 09, 2007
By theDyker
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.

12 of 14 found the following review helpful:

Streamzap + Girder = An easy, fast, and reliable pc remote  Feb 20, 2005
By Juan C. Cruz
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.

6 of 6 found the following review helpful:

Great remote for your ATI PC tuner card!!!  Sep 24, 2003
By P. A. HELTON "elvexxx"
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!

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