The joy of remote input for TV and computer

When you plug your computer's video output into a television, the last thing you want is to string a mouse and keyboard. Unfortunately, that's often the case if you want to stray beyond the limited options for navigation offered by Apple through its remote control.

You could turn to remote-access programs, which lets you sit down at one computer and control another, typically one that's far away or that lacks its own display, keyboard and mouse. But you're better off trying remote input.

Remote input has emerged as a distinct category of hardware and software. With remote input, you use a substitute for a mouse or mouse plus keyboard to control something that has a screen, often an HDTV set with computer input or a computer monitor that's serving as an ersatz television.

No scattered mice

The joy of remote input is that you can avoid having extra keyboards and mice scattered around, while still having full control of your entertainment or gaming console.

It also avoids the slowdowns with remote-control software. I frequently use Screen Sharing, an Apple elaboration on the commonly used VNC software, to work interactively with computers near and far. But when I want to play back video from the Mac mini we have connected to our TV, Screen Sharing can't keep up with live video. It takes up network bandwidth and the video on the computer being controlled stutters or shows glitches.

Instead, I switch to either Teleport or Air Mouse Pro. Teleport (http://abyssoft.com/software/teleport/, donationware) is an exceedingly simple program that you install on both machines you want to control remotely and those from which you want to control.

Teleport works only among machines on the same local network, and is managed via a system-preference pane. The pane shows the screen displays of any computers on the network also running Teleport, as well as the one you're configuring. You can drag the screen into a positioning area.

Zoom your mouse

Then, you can literally zoom your mouse off one screen and onto another. An animation showing the "teleportation" lets you know that the pointer has left one screen for another; it can be disabled. I've used teleport when I've been testing software and hardware, using a keyboard and mouse connected to my primary computer, and just a monitor hooked up to another machine.

Teleport can let you drag files between computers, as well as transferring the active clipboard. But Teleport still requires a computer for control.

For computer-free operation, I switch to Air Mouse Pro (www.mobileairmouse.com/, $1.99 on sale at this writing, iPhone/iPod touch). This mobile application is paired with free server software you install under Mac OS X (10.4 or later) or Windows (XP or Vista).

Launch Air Mouse Pro on your iPhone or iPod touch that's connected to the same network as the computer you want to control, select the computer and pair with it (with an optional password), and you suddenly have the equivalent of a touch pad and keyboard.

There are other options, as well. The $19 infrared Apple Remote (http://store.apple.com/us/product/MA128G/B) works with most Macs sold in 2005 or later. It's included with some models of Mac — you may have left it in the box your computer came with. The remote is also part of the Apple Universal Dock package ($49); the dock and control support most iPods sold in that period as well. You need a relatively clear line of sight from the remote to your computer's sensor, which is often hard to spot.

The Apple Remote controls the Front Row software that acts as an interface for Apple-organized media in iTunes and iPhoto. But the remote control also works with a variety of other media programs, including VLC (a universal video player), Hulu Desktop (a full-screen interface for the ad-supported TV and movie site), and DVD Player.

Virtual counterpart

Apple also released a more full-featured virtual counterpart to Apple Remote for the iPhone and iPod touch. The Remote program (http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=284417350&mt=8, free) acts like an extension of iTunes, providing you a mirror of what's in the iTunes sidebar, including playlists, and the ability to display by artist, album, and other categories.

You pair with a library by selecting it over a local network, then in iTunes entering a four-digit code generated by the Remote program. You can also view songs in libraries you're not paired with, and suggest to the owner of that iTunes library songs that you want them to play. It's set up as if you're asking a DJ to spin a tune.

For Apple TV owners, including my fellow columnist Jeff Carlson, the latest release of Apple Remote provides a far better set of controls than have previously been available. Remote gives you a keyboard for searching or entry in Apple TV. Before that option, you had to use the Apple Remote to select characters from an on-screen keyboard — a tedious process.

Glenn Fleishman writes the Practical Mac column for Personal Technology and about technology in general for The Seattle Times and other publications. Send questions to gfleishman@seattletimes.com. More columns at www.seattletimes.com/columnists