Looking for a cheap USB? Computer Remote.. do they exist?

I'm looking for some kind of Remote for my computer just with like.. play, pause and volume control for watching movies. I'm sure that these exist, but I've searched around and haven't found much. I came across a couple but they're like $60 or more. I'm just looking for some cheap, probably IR interface to a receiver that would probably be plugged into the USB port. Anyone know of anything?

http://www.directron.com/xpmediactrl.html

only thing i can think of but its for MCE not XP

also look at this

http://www.mythtv.org/wiki/index.php/MCE_Remote

but im still searching for a windows type remote.

I'm in Vista if that changes anything

Thanks

ATI has their Remote Wonder series. I use the original Remote Wonder, and while it works, it leaves much to be desired IMO...

Randyman... said:

ATI has their Remote Wonder series. I use the original Remote Wonder, and while it works, it leaves much to be desired IMO...

Click to expand...

Care to elaborate? How's the reception for it? What do you mostly use it for and what's there to be desired?

I have a Remote Wonder. They work on RF not IR (so no line-of-site needed). The reception on mine was initially iffy but I added the x10nets driver for the usb receiver and it's now generally usable from ~20 feet away (probably alot farther but I haven't used it outside of the living room really). My neighbor at school had one that was unfortunately on the same channel as mine and we'd often accidentally mute each other's systems through two brick walls.

They're designed to work with ATI's multimedia center but you can pick up various plugins for them for different programs. I use mine primarily for controlling movies in VLC and media player classic using the plugins for these programs. You can map some of the controller's buttons to open programs, run key combinations, etc.

I wish there were more configuration options (more mappable keys mainly), and I wish it worked better with Synergy, but other than that it does what I needed it to do and it was fairly cheap as I picked it up with a TV Wonder through the classifieds. Basically, I like the remote and I don't have any major complaints about it.

Hmm I was thinking even cheaper than what I'm seeing the TV Wonders go for, but I guess that'll work. If anyone can find some cheap USB remote let me know.