Mouse as monitor remote?

Wertz

To facillitate to my laziness I'm looking for a way to turn my monitor to stand-by by using a shortcut icon that I can place on the taskbar for easy clicking...all in the name of avoiding having to get out of bed when a video file is finished playing ...

So is such a thing possible? Obviously windows can power down the monitor after a set period of being idle so it shouldn't be that hard. Do I need a third party app or is there something in windows XP I've overlooked?
Any help appreciated

easy_as_easy

http://www.buy4now.ie/galaxy-computer/shopping.asp?location=SD&catid=33&productid=2788

try that on for size! Ive got one, its a life saver!

Wertz

So what does the power button (blue I think) do on that remote? Set the whole comp to standby? Hibernation? WHatever you have it set to?
Thing is I tend to leave the comp to run overnight (downloads) and it's only the monitor I want to kill. I'm considering one of those remote plug adaptors that lets you cut the power, but I'd prefer the desktop shortcut method and my wireless mouse. Thanks for the suggestion though.

easy_as_easy

well the blue button powers off whatever program you have selected.

in other words you can pick the program it can control, so I can select WMP, and use the remote to pause, play, turn up volume and close WMP.

Im sure there is software knocking around the 'net that can suspend your moniter, so with the remote selected to use this program your sorted. If that makes any sense?

Wertz

Aye...thing is I already have a remote (the mouse)...it's the program/shortcut I'm sorely lacking, I also have a generic media centre application that has large onscreen buttons...the only button it lacks is a "Monitor Off", hence my post.

See I could kind of do it with this:

http://cgi.ebay.ie/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=6051345443&ssPageName=MERCOSI_VI_ROSI_PR4_PCN_BIX
But it's an expensive monitor and I wouldn't like to damage it by effectively yanking it from the mains every time I want to power it down (which would be once most nights of the week)...this is a last resort, if I do it this way at all...

hopeful

Not sure if this is any good...just found the thread

http://thegreenbutton.com/forums/thread/35581.aspx

L31mr0d

so wait... does it just have to be standby, or can you just turn off the computer, do you need to be able to put the computer into hibernation and bring it out of hibernation with the same mouse button?

Here is a link to where you can make desktop icons to poweroff, log off and restart your computer.

Creating a Shutdown/Reboot/Logoff Icon

There is also this utility that might be handy for you as well

Quick Shutdown

Lump

Get a show centre, expensive solution, but I love it, streams my video files to the TV, then I can shut down my File server with the remote for the Show Centre. I love it. Ultra Lazy Boy! Also watching DIVX'S on Tv make them look perfect, becuase the resolution is much lower on the tv, it's hard to notice the compression.

John

newbie2

poweroff.exe is what you want,
it's free and a great little app expecially if you don't want your pc downloading or uploading all night. allows you to schedule a number of power options including turning your monitor off. I use it alot.
No spyware or nothin'

Hope this helps.
http://users.pandora.be/jbosman/poweroff/poweroff.htm

Wertz

newbie2 wrote:

poweroff.exe is what you want,
it's free and a great little app expecially if you don't want your pc downloading or uploading all night. allows you to schedule a number of power options including turning your monitor off. I use it alot.
No spyware or nothin'

Hope this helps.
http://users.pandora.be/jbosman/poweroff/poweroff.htm

Legend. Almost exactly what I'm after; be nice if I could figure a way to run it from the taskbar instead of the system tray but can't have everything.
Many thanks for this. Some other handy features too.

Hopeful: close but it seems to be specifically for MCE which I run on the comp downstairs (the TV has a remote). Thanks anyway.