... to be some easy way of driving it with an IR remote - HDMI CEC for full TV integration and/or a simple RC5 IR diode interface on a 0.1" header and lirc.</t>

Everyone who want use a Remote Control over R-Pi can build a homemade Serial Port Receiver:
http://www.lirc.org/receivers.html

Well, it is assumed that we will have access to serial headers on the R-pi device.

If you preferer going with the microcontroler, take a look at dangerousprototypes USB IR toy. Open hardware and software. The $20 price tag could be brought down if you are willing to make thousands.

LIRC is of course already packaged for Debian.

Just had a look at the LIRC web page and it does seem the perfect software for the job.

LIRC could probably be easily adapted for this -- it normally uses the control pins on a serial port.
This would give you a trainable send and receive for IR with very little in hardware costs, and it would only use a couple of gpio pins.

... as shortcuts to applications or actions.<br/> <br/> I have built an IR receiver before for windows (the one here <URL url="http://lnx.manoweb.com/lirc/?p.....troduction">http://lnx.manoweb.com/lirc/?p.....troduction</URL>)<br/> I have been using a program called IRassistant that I made to work ...