There is an easier way to do this. Some iR remote control units have a "learning-function" so that you can teach it the specific iR codes that control your player. You then use your original iR control that came with your DVD player to "teach" it the iR codes for each key on the controller. Ah---now you may be thinking, "Well, how are we any better off now than with just using the original iR remote control? Well, it happens that some iR remote controllers with a learning function also have Macro capabilities! Briefly, a macro is a sequence of commands that can be programmed into a string and then played back very quickly one after the other. You store a macro under a specific key on the iR remote control. When you push that key, it sends the string of commands instantly to your DVD player. An iR remote control with learning and macro functions can be programmed to do a complex sequence of commands, all with just ONE keypress!
Although there are literally dozens of iR remote controls on the market with both learning and macro functions, most have a very limited number of keys that can be programmed as macros. Even some very expensive controllers have limited macro capabilities. However I stumbled upon an iR controller that has learning, and up to 38 macros. Last time I checked, it was $19.95. Very affordable! There really is a point to this long tale, so please bear with me a little longer! ;-)
As it turns out, the DVD authoring specifications allow for up to 35 buttons on a "page." A button can be defined so as to play a short video clip, or to play just a sound file, or to navigate to another page (which in itself can have 35 buttons, ad infinitum! Well--almost) In addition, buttons can have end actions, e.g. automatically going to a pre-determined page after completion of a sound, or video clip. Buttons can be set to trigger remote buttons, and they can have timers so they trigger after a pre-set interval. Is this starting to sound a lot like some multi-media authoring programs you've used on a desktop computer? Most consumer-level DVD authoring programs have a short learning curve, and have "point-and-click" simplicity. After trying out a dozen or so DVD authoring programs, I have settled on one that has all the functions I need to build a powerful, dynamic display communication board. Cost = $79.99. I'll post some sample communication boards in coming weeks.
OK, back to how you can access this monster of a program with hundreds of buttons and dozens of levels, and up to 4,7 GB (that's GigaBytes) of pictures, video clips, and speech.. (If you opt for double-density DVD disks, make that 9.4 GB!) Using a handheld iR remote with up to 35 macros to access the DVD player isn't exactly like using a touch screen or touchpad. The buttons are very tiny, and labeling them to correspond with the DVD player's screen would be a nightmare. Solution?? Look no further that the personal robotics community. There are hundreds of web sites devoted to robot building as a hobby. These enthusiasts come up with some pretty clever engineering solutions. One happens to be an iR remote controller with learning and macro capability. It tops out at 32 programmable keys. It is actually just a little circuit board kit that you can buy and put together yourself. It took me 15 minutes to assemble, solder, and test. The circuit board has a keypad connector, so I just plugged in several different keypad configurations that I had lying around. I mounted all the components in a plastic enclosure that I've used for my "Voice-in-a-Box" product. To make a long story short, I tried the controller with several different DVD com-board mockups, ranging from 6 buttons on a page to 32 buttons on a page. It worked great! I found that if I color-coded the keys on the keypad to match the color-coded buttons on the DVD player screen, it was almost as easy to access the buttons as using a touchscreen.
By the way, there is a special type of touchscreen that works on the same principle as a membrane keypad. It is called an "X-Y Matrix encoded touchscreen." They come is various sizes, and are transparent and have a simple keypad connector. If you hold one of these touchscreens up to a lamp, you can see the little squares that make up the matrix. Because of their simplicity and low cost, X-Y matrix touchscreens are often used in children's electronic learning toys. I scavenged one from a handheld videogame toy and hooked it up to my home-built iR controller. It worked, even though it was much too small for the 7" screen on my DVD player. So---the possibility is opened up for putting a touchscreen on a $99.00 personal DVD player to directly interact with the screen. Whew! We've come a long way. A convoluted path, to be sure, but all done to prove the concept.
To make things easier for anyone who may want to implement this idea, I will offer at a very reasonable price the programmable iR controller with learning and macro capabilities, built into a console with a keypad. (I know--shameless advertising--tsk-tsk)
Now you may be saying, "Yeah, but how do I do all this programming?" Easy!! For starters, I will be offering a DVD data disk full of pre-made communication board templates. Various key layouts, and various degrees of branching. All the hard work will be done for you. Just pick out the template that best suits your client's communication needs. You will need your own copy of the DVD authoring software, which you can purchase at a computer store or on-line for $79.99. You will also need a computer with Windows XP, a Pentium 4 or AMD class processor, and at least 512 MB of RAM The computer will also need a DVD burner. Chances are you already have access either at home or at work to a computer that meets these criteria.
Pull up the template in your DVD authoring program, and then "copy and paste" and "click and drag." You can import almost any picture from any source, use short videoclips with sound that you take on your digital camera, and use Windows Sound Recorder program to record all the sound files that you will use. The DVD authoring program can import a huge variety of image, video, and sound formats. Upon compilation, it will convert them to the formats that meet DVD specifications, BEFORE burning your DVD.
Well, that's just the introduction. In the next installment, we will get down to the nuts and bolts of DVD authoring. I hope you are beginning to get the feeling that it really is possible to use a $99.00 portable DVD player as a dynamic display communication system. And if you don't get anything else from the tutorial, well--at least you will know how to make an interactive multimedia DVD album with all your old digital photos and home movies!