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Author Topic: Using Logitec "Harmony" to control MC  (Read 3448 times)

Harroun4

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Using Logitec "Harmony" to control MC
« on: May 23, 2017, 09:21:43 pm »

From doing other searches I see that control JR-MC from a Harmony controller via IR works nicely. However I am not finding some details. Unterstand that I must add a IR receiver to my computer (PC), have a FLIRC USB (2nd Generation) Universal Remote on order which is advertised to interface with media centers.

Would appreciate information to connect this USB device to MC. Currently looking at the remote options under tools don't see much there.

Also on the Harmony the have a device called JRiver MC. Is listed as a software device, but seems to be MT.

Incidentally back when I first bought JRiver at version 19. My first recommendation was for a resume play feature for the Smartlists. AT the time there were responses that if this was implemented it would make many people happy. I am one of those many. but to date nothing is happening. Can we please re-initiate this issue. My music collection is over 5500 CD's. Some of my Genre lists are over 40,000 tracks, well I bloody well DO NOT wish to start at the beginning each time, but pick up where I left off. Currently any album over about number 15 is an orphan.

My general impression of MC is that it take care of the needs for DJ. But a serious classical musical listener listens to albums in their entirety and in the native order. Showing the entire list of tracks beyond the current playing album is not necessary and is most cumbersome to work with.
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blgentry

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Re: Using Logitec "Harmony" to control MC
« Reply #1 on: May 24, 2017, 06:20:06 am »

Hello from Amazon land Harroun!

From doing other searches I see that control JR-MC from a Harmony controller via IR works nicely. However I am not finding some details. Unterstand that I must add a IR receiver to my computer (PC), have a FLIRC USB (2nd Generation) Universal Remote on order which is advertised to interface with media centers.

Yes.  But it's kinda complicated.  A regular IR receiver works one way.  A FLIRC works in a totally different way.  Regular IR receivers are special devices that Windows recognizes (with a driver).  MC can talk directly to those devices and you can configure some stuff in MC's Remote Control section.  I don't have any real world experience with this; I have not used it.  I just know that's how it works.

But the FLIRC, as I said, is totally different.  The FLRIC acts just like a keyboard.  Windows see's that little IR box as a new keyboard device!  The way the FLIRC should be used is as follows:

Program the FLIRC to listen for a button press on your remote.  This can be any button from any kind of remote.  When the FLIRC "sees" that button press, it is programmed to output a keyboard key.  That keyboard key needs to be something that MC can recognize.

In essence, you are emulating key presses on the keyboard.  Anything you can do at the keyboard, you can program the FLIRC to do for you, when it sees button presses on your remote control.  Here's an example:

In MC control-P will do Play/Pause whenever you press it.  Using the FLRIC program, you can program the FLIRC so that when it sees the Play key on your remote pressed, it sends out control-P .  Then MC will see that control-P and do Play/Pause.

You do this key by key on your remote control.  The programming is done using FLIRC's own custom programming application (free download from FLIRC's web site).

Honestly, this whole process isn't nearly as easy as just buying a Media Center remote and corresponding IR receiver.  However, I *think* the FLIRC is more flexible in it's programming.  For example, I have mine set up with custom remote keys that do things like:

Go directly to Theater View mode
Go directly to Playing Now inside of Theater View
Go to Standard View
Go to Display View

I'm not sure if you can program MC and a Media Center Remote to do those things.

Which brings me to why *I* use the FLRIC:  I use MC on a Mac.  MC for Mac does NOT have a Remote Control option at all.  So I had to use the FLIRC to work around this.  It works really well!

I'm not sure if FLIRC is the right choice for you or not.  But you can certainly make it work.  I did.

Good luck!

Brian.
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Kid Twist

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Re: Using Logitec "Harmony" to control MC
« Reply #2 on: May 24, 2017, 08:31:05 am »

Does your computer have Bluetooth? If yes, then the Harmony remote can communicate with it that way; you don't need an IR receiver. Your computer will treat the remote as a Bluetooth keyboard and it will respond to the arrow buttons, the back button and the player controls.

I usually run MC in Theater View, controlled by a Harmony remote over BT, and it works great. I was even able to map a couple of my favorite MC keyboard shortcuts to the unused buttons on the remote.
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Harroun4

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Re: Using Logitec "Harmony" to control MC
« Reply #3 on: May 25, 2017, 01:53:15 am »

Much thanks for the info and suggestions. I was excited and managed to "pair" the on the blue tooth my computer to what I thought was the Harmony remote. It works form the phone, but on the remote no sign of the keyboard.

However I am in Bangkok and the Wi-Fi in this apartment is painfully slow, too many people at the same time. I have my best results in the early morning. Today have ordered up for my own internet and can set up my own private Wi-Fi. That should work satisfactory.

I would hope that I can map the commands to existing buttons on the remote. Have done some of this already. When listening to music, the normal transport commands on the remote connect to nothing. thus should be available if this buttons were already connected to JRiver.

Seems like this would be a project for the powers that be. Sort of like the Gizmo and JRremote.

Regards, Harroun
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