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[LaserPope]

I would like to be able to control JRiver and other programs through my mce ir remote receiver. I can control JRiver just fine when mediaserver is running but it also seems to be “catching” all the remote signals for other programs even when another program is in focus.

So I was thinking that I could make JRiver lern new ir commands through the remote menu. New commands that would not conflict with the other programs. Would that stop JRiver from reacting to ir commands like play/pause, skip, previous ect?

Even though my mce remote receiver is working in JRiver and I can see it as HID device in windows, JRiver can´t learn new commands and there is a questionmark next to each trigger command. The remote receiver is Microsoft model 1040. Is that receiver not supported for learning new commands or do I need a special driver?

How do you guys control other programs through ir?

[jachin99]

In your device manager, do you have the Microsoft Ehome driver listed?

[LaserPope]

Yes the Ehome driver is listed.

[CountryBumkin]

I use the Logitech Harmony remote. When I press the "activity" button for JRiver the remote only controls JRiver. When I press the activity but for TV the remote controls the TV, etc.
What other "programs" are you referring to (other software on your computer, or other hardware in the room)?

[jachin99]

Ive been having a lot of trouble getting event ghost to control external components via ir and i wonder if this is my problem too. 

[RoderickGI]

I believe MC can only learn IR commands that are supported by the devices selected under Options>Remote>Devices & Options, as show in the attached image. What do yo have selected in there?

MC doesn't need to learn the MCE commands, because it already knows them by default. But it can learn non-MCE commands without breaking the default MCE setup. It can also learn MCE commands if you wish to assign a different function to a particular MCE IR command.

Even so, I have had trouble getting MC to learn additional IR commands that should be supported via the "Remote, keyboard, gamepad or other HID" device, such as Alt-Key commands. Some of the reason for that is possibly that I don't have an IR keyboard to try to program those key combinations. But the Harmony remote I use is theoretically capable to producing them, so MC should learn them. The other reason is that the keyboard combinations I want to use are already assigned in Windows, so the Windows function is executed, rather than the command I am trying to execute.

My "Watch HTPC" activity control JRiver on the HTPC, and at the same time the volume control on my Receiver. It is certainly possible to control multiple hardware devices from the one harmony, by adding those devices and selecting their functions in the Harmony setup. But I don't know of any way to control multiple software applications from the Harmony, other than using such things as Event Ghost. After all, there needs to be some software on the PC that will redirect commands to the correct application. MC can't do that. It can only either respond to a command it receives from the internal processing of an IR command, or not respond because it doesn't understand the command.

If MC is out of focus, not all IR commands will work. But the Green Button will always work, as will some other IR commands. I don't know of any definitive, up to date list.

[LaserPope]

Yes I´m trying to control other software on the computer in this case Roon and VLC while also running JRiver.

I was trying to make JRiver learn other ir commands for play, pause, skip and previous so that it would´t react to play, pause, skip previous in Roon and VLC but as RoderickGI says JRiver would still know the original MCE commands.

So it looks like I must learn EventGhost which I feared because it looks complicated:)

[jpu018]

[...]
My "Watch HTPC" activity control JRiver on the HTPC,  [...]

Hi
Probably a very dummy question, but how do you get that ?
I thought Harmony stuff would select and control individual pièces of hardware, as recognized in reportedly huge Logitech database, but how can a PC be recorded in the database ?
Thank you in advance for information

[jachin99]

Yes I´m trying to control other software on the computer in this case Roon and VLC while also running JRiver.

I was trying to make JRiver learn other ir commands for play, pause, skip and previous so that it would´t react to play, pause, skip previous in Roon and VLC but as RoderickGI says JRiver would still know the original MCE commands.

So it looks like I must learn EventGhost which I feared because it looks complicated:)

Eventghost looked complicated to me at first as well.  Its really not as long as you keep your macros well organized.  Look in their wiki and setup the hello world macro, and you will get the hang of it.  From my own experience, support on their forums is really good, and some people around the forum will even write macros for new users.  I'm thinking of ditching the jriver remote function all together, and going with event ghost.  I wish jriver had a more robust remote capability but it doesn't while event ghost does. 

[drmimosa]

EventGhost works really well. Some of the terminology used by the program is strange (macro and tree structure on the right hand side are unique to the program.) Spend 60 minutes messing around and you will figure it out.

I purchased two pieces of hardware that also work great for IR tasks, a FLIRC receiver and a USB-UIRT transmitted.

Between the two usb devices and EventGhost, you can control almost any computer task and send IR controls from any remote. It's great.

[LaserPope]

Thanks for the uplifting words about EventGhost:)

There are a lot of stories of crashes on the EG forums. Do you find it stable for everyday use?

[drmimosa]

I just got the hardware/software set up last month. No hard crashes yet, but it seems like there are intermittent errors. It's definitely not 'JRiver stable.'

For example, I sometimes get a 'IR transmitter error' return, haven't figured out the timing if signals or source of the problem. Restarting the program helps, so I may put a 5pm kill/restart for eventghost on Windows scheduler.

[RoderickGI]

I thought Harmony stuff would select and control individual pièces of hardware, as recognized in reportedly huge Logitech database, but how can a PC be recorded in the database ?

The Harmony remotes support the standard MCE command set, and an extended MCE commands set. Basically, MCE is treated exactly the same way as any hardware device.

My "Watch HTPC" activity turns on the TV and sets its input, turns on the receiver and sets its input and output, wakes up the PC, and controls the MCE compatible software on it (JRiver MC) and the receiver volume. All that is under the one activity, with no need to switch activities or devices on the Harmony. It could do a lot more as well, but I don't have the need.

[jpu018]

The Harmony remotes support the standard MCE command set, and an extended MCE commands set. Basically, MCE is treated exactly the same way as any hardware device.

My "Watch HTPC" activity turns on the TV and sets its input, turns on the receiver and sets its input and output, wakes up the PC, and controls the MCE compatible software on it (JRiver MC) and the receiver volume. All that is under the one activity, with no need to switch activities or devices on the Harmony. It could do a lot more as well, but I don't have the need.

OK got it (provided I've set MC to respond accordingly, of course)
Thank you for information !

[jachin99]

Thanks for the uplifting words about EventGhost:)

There are a lot of stories of crashes on the EG forums. Do you find it stable for everyday use?

Some have reported troubles with EG MCE plugins but there are two jriver plugins for EG.  One listens for jriver network events while the other plugin controls jriver.  I personally do not let my usb port. Got to sleep and rarely have problems