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Hardware -- Media Center Remote (Green Button)

11 (11.1%)

Hardware -- Universal Remote (Consumer Electronics grade)

19 (19.2%)

Hardware -- Specialized / Expensive

4 (4%)

Software -- A JRiver Remote on a Phone

36 (36.4%)

Software -- Other

6 (6.1%)

Software -- Third Party Remote

2 (2%)

Keyboard / Mouse

17 (17.2%)

None of the Above

4 (4%)

Total Members Voted: 99

[JimH]

Bob and I were talking about what people use to control MC and we had different opinions.  Please let us know.

[DJLegba]

Does MO 4Media count as a "JRiver remote on a phone" or does it get filed under "Other"?

[shAf]

In the past I used either JRemote (iOS) or JRemote2 (Android) for sending out to Bluetooth…

Then I used either app for sending bitperfect PCM out the USB to a DAC…

Now, I still use either app, but I replaced the USB-to-DAC connection with a WiiM streamer… still bitperfect and it works just as easily as it always did…

[sheppy99]

Will be using the original Microsoft remote that I used with Windows Media Center 7. 3 Buttons are reprogrammed, 1 for IR power toggle on TV and the volume buttons are reprogrammed to control my IR surround sound amp

[jmone]

I use Logitech Harmony Remotes (with Hub) to control not only MC but a mix of IR and BT devices (TV, PJ, Receiver, even Lights etc with Google Home integration).  Unfortunately, these are remotes are slowly dying after many years of solid use (had to change the non-changeable batteries on two of them so far).  It's a big loss for us Uni-RC users that Logitech is out of that business now, and I've little idea what will be a good replacement that still has this function set with an actual physical RC. 

[Moe]

I have a Harmony, but 90% of the time I just use my beloved Lenovo N5902.  Unfortunately, they stopped making them.

[EdBrady]

I voted software/remote on a phone, but I actually use a combination of this plus a wireless keyboard/touch pad combo. I basically control the computer with the keyboard, and JRiver with the phone... but I need to use the keyboard for "stop after current" which I find to be essential but is mysteriously missing from the software remote.

[mattlovell]

I use JRemote on an iPad or iPhone to control music selection, and a Logitech Harmony One to control the rest of the system.  I recently got a new integrated amplifier, and its (beta) app provides very responsive volume control.

[marko]

Harmony Smart Control + hub.

[arcspin]

Oneforall Zapper+

https://www.oneforall.com/universal-remotes/urc-6820-zapper#/step-1

[lello]

I have a Harmony 650 on which the MC remote for controlling JRiver is replicated for which I answered Media Center Remote (Green Button).
I too am looking for valid alternatives, since the remote control is starting to have old age problems

[thecrow]

I use my laptop running MC as a client to my MC server to push music to my AV amp using DLNA, controlling volume and transport with the laptop.
I also use JRemote2 on my mobile sometimes to push music to my AV amp but mainly to select a film to watch which is then pushed to my Bluray player.
I then use a Harmony remote to control the transport on MC and volume on the amp.
I also use a DAP or my mobile to access MC's DLNA server and listen to music through wired headphones.

[Awesome Donkey]

Does MO 4Media count as a "JRiver remote on a phone" or does it get filed under "Other"?

Yes, I'd count it as one, personally.

[zybex]

Missing option "none, just mouse/keyboard"

[tzr916]

Logitech Harmony with Hub.

[kr4]

These:

[S. Pupp]

Universal MX-500 with a FLIRC attachment to the HTPC to change remote signals to keyboard entries.

[JimH]

Kal,
What are those?

[MusicBringer]

Missing option "none, just mouse/keyboard"

+1

[davelr]

Logitech Harmony 650. Bought several while they were still inexpensive. My Harmony software still works and it seems like some new devices are being added to the database. Have used these for the last 12 years or so.

[BryanC]

I use almost all of the above depending on what I'm doing. JRemote2 (Android) for most audio listening, keyboard/mouse for Standard View library organization on my workstation and Library Server client laptop, Flirc + generic remote for HTPC Theater View, Panel for serving to family from a VPS.

[bob]

Pretty much always JRemote on my iPad and iPhones.

[kr4]

Kal,
What are those?

The one on the left is a Microsoft Surface Dial.  It suffers from limited range.
The ones on the right is are DROK USB volume controls.  They suffer from being wired.

[eve]

I clicked 'expensive hardware' but it's rather a hardware / software solution that I built for myself. I use a really nice milled aluminum remote and a custom tablet interface. This is how I often interact with MC in the theater room.

I've been cautiously poking around with old Crestron stuff but I'm not sure if it's worth the hassle, especially since the leg work I need to do on the interface / programming side isn't *that* different from what I already have done. The hardware is quite nice though, at the very least it may start handling the IR / RS232 and essentially 'taking' commands from my existing command and control infrastructure.

Much like Kal, I've been using some knobs as well.
My dream device is a Surface Dial with Zigbee. I have a feeling the real answer is cannibalize a Tuya zigbee knob or wait for my ESP32 with Zigbee to arrive. There's also SmartKnob if you can get the motor https://github.com/scottbez1/smartknob

I've got some drawings of something that integrates a media navigation / contextual info screen w/ physical buttons and a couple encoders but I just don't have the time as of late to go cobble it together.

[Manfred]

One could select only one? I assume Phone = Tablet?

On my PC on my desk, I always use standard view and no remote.

In the Living room - it depends:
- If I listen only to Music I use JRemote (iPad) connected to my Media Server and stream via UPnP directly to my Devialet. The Media Renderer in the Living room is then off.
- For Video I use in most cases my Logitech wireless Keyboard and Theater View.

[markf2748]

Mainly mouse and keyboard on desktop (85%), then Android apps (15%) playing to Chromecast Audio dongles cycling through a variety of apps:
https://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php/topic,135295.msg937497.html#msg937497

95% 2.1 stereo audio only, 5% images linked to the audio album art.

Windows 11 Pro (server) & Win 10 (clients)  JRiver MC 30.0.87

[TheShoe]

Several family members use JRemote, iPad/iPhone (5 instances)

Harmony One
Harmony Elite

Keyboard/Mouse

...in that order...

[jmone]

I also use JRemote to push streams to DLNA Music Players, but then I have to use MC GUI itself to stop the stream as JRemote only has a Pause Button and for a live URL (like a radio station) it keeps (I think anyway) buffering.

[bob]

If one had to purchase a simple usb receiver (to use with linux) what are some suggestions?

[eve]

If one had to purchase a simple usb receiver (to use with linux) what are some suggestions?

Do you mean like for IR?

[JimH]

If one had to purchase a simple usb receiver (to use with linux) what are some suggestions?

Deanna has some of the USB transceivers that work with the HP Media Center Remotes.

[sangpeiris]

I suspect a lot of us still use the most amazing remote control product; the Logitech Harmony....

[BryanC]

If one had to purchase a simple usb receiver (to use with linux) what are some suggestions?

Flirc, but also interesting is whatever they put in the NanoPi R6S.

[syndromeofadown]

I use mouse and keyboard most of the time. Very large libraries are much easier to browse with a keyboard. I do not like the keyboards with touch pads on the side, I like nice Logitech MX separate mouse and keyboard. They work on any surface, have backlight, and are lag free.

I like JRemote and MO 4Media for music but I am not using a network at the moment, so this is not an option.
.
I have a Flirc 1s remote coming soon and will give that a go.

[TheShoe]

I suspect a lot of us still use the most amazing remote control product; the Logitech Harmony....

I bought a second Harmony One when they stopped making it.  It's still a fine remote, although Logitech has abandoned the business and only a matter of time before their very poor app/web service for programming it goes dark!

Not as impressed with their Elite remote - the app for managing that is clearly written by people who hate people and the remote itself is "slow" in my opinion.

[1maynard]

I have been using URC programmable remotes for years. I bought my first one when their dealers would provide programming software with the purchase. I currently am using a MX 990 and it works very well for my needs. It controls all of our AV equipment and switches from one to the other with just one button push. I do not know what I will do when the current remote wears out since URC will not support remotes not bought and programmed by an authorized dealer.

[eve]

I have been using URC programmable remotes for years. I bought my first one when their dealers would provide programming software with the purchase. I currently am using a MX 990 and it works very well for my needs. It controls all of our AV equipment and switches from one to the other with just one button push. I do not know what I will do when the current remote wears out since URC will not support remotes not bought and programmed by an authorized dealer.

Very nice remote.
You may be able to get a friendly dealer help you, or start going through the process to become a dealer yourself if you have a need to program it. It's probably not *that* dense once you have software and a tiny bit of documentation.

I'm sort of going through this as I poke around Crestron gear. In some ways this idea that 'only dealers can program it' is genius. A) no inane tech support questions from consumers. B) It *tanks* the value of older gens of gear, if you're smart enough to figure it out on your own, you're looking at getting crazy toys for peanuts.

[bob]

Do you mean like for IR?

Yes

[bob]

Flirc, but also interesting is whatever they put in the NanoPi R6S.

I have a Flirc but it's seems close to unsupported at this point and isn't plug and play on linux.
I'd rather find something in that form factor that works with the default Lirc drivers on linux.
There are like 30 different devices listed for it.

[eve]

I have a Flirc but it's seems close to unsupported at this point and isn't plug and play on linux.
I'd rather find something in that form factor that works with the default Lirc drivers on linux.
There are like 30 different devices listed for it.

Ah okay, we're in a similar boat. So FLIRC is going to require you to use their software to program it. Once it's programmed, whatever you plug it into is going to receive the chosen hotkeys.

I went through this, (I hate the premise of being tied to a possibly unsupported, proprietary GUI to program devices, probably why you're a little hesitant) and wasn't really sure of the best no driver linux option. Would love input from people too on what they like!

[bogdanbz]

A Samsung TV universal remote (because I have no Samsung products that can be controlled by IR whatsoever) + an IR receiver made out of a cheap Chinese Sparkfun Pro Micro clone (with ATMEGA32U4 microcontroller for native USB interface) with custom software I wrote by myself that relies on the Arduino IRremote library for IR decoding and the HID Project library to make the board be seen as both a USB HID and a USB Media device. I just generate USB keyboard key presses or send USB media codes (like Play, Pause, Vol+, etc) when I decode IR signals, and Windows (or any other OS) sees that as if they are sent by a multimedia keyboard connected to the PC.

That's 5 bucks the remote + (was) 10 bucks the board and the Vishay TSOP IR receiver module.

I would use a 4 bucks Raspberry PI Pico (RP2040) board if I were to do this today. If you pick the W version, you could even use BT on it and implement a BT AirMouse receiver instead of a IR remote receiver (or both).

Planning to try a Samsung S95C TV this year, so I will replace the remote with a OneForAll URC3661 remote (a JP1 programmable remote, same as URC3660 or URC3680, for which there is plenty of interest on the JP1 Remotes forum) that I can use to send codes for some other pre-programmed device I don't have and then just change a bit the code I run on the Arduino board, or I can program it to send whatever I want using the RMIR software.
 
I did not know what to pick in the poll, neither option seemed to fit this case, but it seemed wrong to pick "None of the above". It would be either "Keyboard / Mouse" because that's what it is in the end, or "Hardware - Specialized/but not Expensive".

[mwillems]

I have a Flirc but it's seems close to unsupported at this point and isn't plug and play on linux.
I'd rather find something in that form factor that works with the default Lirc drivers on linux.
There are like 30 different devices listed for it.

So FWIW I'm using an old HP USB IR receiver on Linux (like the kind JRiver sells sometimes, or used to sell anyway), and it works just fine out of the box with zero configuration (for the receiver).  I did have to reprogram a few of the remote's keys because they worked differently on JRiver for Linux than on Windows, but that's not an issue with the receiver (I don't think). 

I initially bought it for a windows box, but was pleasantly surprised that it worked just fine in Debian.

[JimH]

Bob, grab the one on my desk (and the remote).

[stewart_pk]

Most of the time a Logitech Harmony Elite.

But sometimes MO remote on my android phone especially when I'm using them WDM driver with another application or ASIO In with another device and it's the only way to see what the Internal Volume level is in JRiver.

[rec head]

I didn't vote because I have two different scenarios in the same room.

For video I use a Harmony+hub to browse theater view.

For audio (no TV on) I use either MO or JRemote. It depends on which one connects and find the server and renderer. I don't know why they are different but they are. If I'm going to use a chromecast device I lean towards MO because including the CC devices in Zones makes way more sense than separating them.

[millst]

Another vote for Logitech Harmony

[Striker]

Although I know most can't do this...  I use older "Universal Remote Control" URC-100/RF-10 learning remote controls.

When I press a button on the remote, it ultimately calls MCxx.exe to control MediaCenter.

I use Girder (no longer exists) to generate the MCxx.exe commands for simple stuff (faster) and my HomeVision (discontinued) home automation board to execute complex macros.

One button... turns on my entire audio system, calls the presets, verifies all turned on properly and then starts MediaCenter with autostart playback of PlayingNow.

[Inquisition]

Two remotes.

First and main is a tablet with Mediola.  Mediola can control with IR (in this cause IR is needed for switch on and off MC PC) and Network Core Commands.

For IR in my MC PC is an Atric IR reciever installed, who gives the recieved signals to Event Ghost, and this makes the appropriate Keystrokes.

I use  an old IR Remote from an older hifi device.  IR is only backup if i have networkproblems  and cant control with Mediola, but never happened yet.

I only use Theater View for my MC PC

[Knick]

Had been using JRemote2 for audio control only using my LG V60 Android phone.  I have lots of playlists.  No video in MC30 to that point.  Like JRemote2 but saw strong reviews of MO4

Got MO4 to try out and immediately decided finally time to setup video collection in MC30. 

Really like MO4 as video and audio controller UI is good and zone switching easy going from audio through stereo system to video on whole other equipment.
Only minor thing I don't like in MO4 UI (no swipe to switch "whats playing" to library or playlist screen.  Doesn't highlight whats playing in your playlist which would be nice touch.

Still learning and still playing with it.  Still have to use TV remote for some TV functionality when using MC30 on Windows 10 mini-pc for videos.
Do LOVE that can stream anything to stereo system/ TV/ tablet or phone whenever I want easily.

[franswilco]

Software -- A JRiver Remote JRemote on a Phone iPadOS.