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[Von]

I have MC15 running on a Windows 7 pc connected to my AV-receiver and TV. I also have a Logitech Harmony One remote control. What do I need in order to use this remote to control MC15 in theater view? Do I have to purchase the Media Center Remote hardware package you are promoting, only to put the remote in a drawer and forget about it? It seems nice enough, but I really need just a USB IR receiver that can talk to MC15.

I'm not sure if the Harmony One database includes MC15 commands. If it doesn't, I would probably need some way to teach the Harmony One all the relevant commands. Or are the commands the same as for Windows Media Center?

[JimH]

MC14 and 15 work with a standard Media Center Remote.  The same one that works with WMC will work with MC.

We might have a transceiver we could sell.  You could ask deanna at jriver.

[Von]

OK, thanks.

[jmone]

Von - I have the Harmony One (great RC) to contoll all the AV Equipment including MC on my HTPC.  If your HTPC does not have an IR Receiver you can use the one from JR, or even the one that comes with the MS remote or keyboard (this is what I have).  Just then program the Harmony One as a MS Remote for your "HTPC" and it is all good.

[Von]

Thanks for the tip! That sounds like a good option, if I can find an MS remote locally.

[MrHaugen]

Sorry if I'm high jacking this thread, but it seems like the thread author had gotten his answers

Talking of Harmony remotes.... I have the older brother of the "One" remote, 900. It's RF/IR. Do you guys have any idea if it's possible to get a RF receiver dongle and control my HTPC with the 900? The alternative might be to get a IR reciever, and then use the remote with RF against the IR blaster. I'm a bit worried about delays though.

[lhwidget]

Sorry if I'm high jacking this thread, but it seems like the thread author had gotten his answers

Talking of Harmony remotes.... I have the older brother of the "One" remote, 900. It's RF/IR. Do you guys have any idea if it's possible to get a RF receiver dongle and control my HTPC with the 900? The alternative might be to get a IR reciever, and then use the remote with RF against the IR blaster. I'm a bit worried about delays though.

Hi,
You could try a Snapstream "Firefly" (not Firefly Mini) remote if they are still selling them.  It's based on X-10 remote control signals. 

I use one on my main PC and it works well, but you'll need a program like EventGhost to translate the Firefly commands to MCE commands.

Jay T

[MrHaugen]

I doubt I would go from a new 300-400$ remote, to yet another remote, just to solve that problem. IR would work fine with this remote, but I would love if there was a good RF solution for my Harmony remote.

[lhwidget]

I doubt I would go from a new 300-400$ remote, to yet another remote, just to solve that problem. IR would work fine with this remote, but I would love if there was a good RF solution for my Harmony remote.

I'm sorry, I wasn't clear (too early/not enough coffee). 

The Firefly is a radio frequency remote with a receiver that plugs into a USB port.

Use the Firefly receiver, program your Harmony to emulate a Firefly Remote, then you can use EventGhost to interpret the commands from the remote and perform actions in JRiver MC.

I thought you were looking for an RF remote solution to use with, or instead of the IR portion of the 900.

[Warbird777]

Back to the original question: I own a Harmony remote and JRiver's remote.
Exactly which Logitech Device profile should be chosen?
The "Media Center" Device profile does not work.

[lhwidget]

Back to the original question: I own a Harmony remote and JRiver's remote.
Exactly which Logitech Device profile should be chosen?
The "Media Center" Device profile does not work.

When I set up my media center device on the Harmony web site, I used "Microsoft TSBX-IR01" as the selected media center device. 

I'm using a generic MCE remote, not JRiver's.  My remote has a model number similar to this on its back.  I put my remote's model number in the Harmony web site, and the model # above popped up.

If the JRiver remote is an "RC6" type I think the above selection should work.

[MrHaugen]

I thought you were looking for an RF remote solution to use with, or instead of the IR portion of the 900.

Yes, I did. That might be a good idea. Only problem I just thought of, is that the 900 might have problems controlling devices directly with the RF. I think someone told me that RF only was used with the IR blaster. I'll ask some people at remote central. They should know.

Thanks for the tip.

[schmoose]

how does one go about controlling MC with a remote when the MC window doesn't have focus?

i have dual monitors, and MC will take up the full screen on one, but i'll also be working on the other monitor. so, MC window will never actually have focus.

thx.

[rick.ca]

how does one go about controlling MC with a remote when the MC window doesn't have focus?

Here's a suggestion...

however, I believe i have found a work around using Girder that will initiate a macro when MC is not in focus. if you want to send a keystroke to an unfocused MC, girder will first bring MC to focus and then send the keystroke to the foreground window...

Sorry, but I was about to suggest the same thing, then decided to check your posts to see if you mentioned what remote and/or software you're using, and found this. Maybe it's no longer relevant, or no longer working for you...

I use a Firefly remote with LM Remote Keymap—because I found Girder too intimidating. It switches "profiles" based on the application in focus (using a default profile if there isn't one for the application in focus). But it also has a command for forcing the use of a specified profile. If I were in your circumstance, I would simply include a menu item or button in the default profile (accessible no matter what has focus) to switch to the MC profile, and one in the MC profile to switch back to the default. I've forgotten how Girder works, but surely it can do the same thing—in some manner less awkward than what you found three years ago.

[JimH]

In the startup options for MC, choose to run Media Server on Windows start.  With a standard MC Remote, that will allow you to start MC with the green button.  See the MC Remote instructions in the wiki for more info.

[schmoose]

Here's a suggestion...

Sorry, but I was about to suggest the same thing, then decided to check your posts to see if you mentioned what remote and/or software you're using, and found this. Maybe it's no longer relevant, or no longer working for you...

I use a Firefly remote with LM Remote Keymap—because I found Girder too intimidating. It switches "profiles" based on the application in focus (using a default profile if there isn't one for the application in focus). But it also has a command for forcing the use of a specified profile. If I were in your circumstance, I would simply include a menu item or button in the default profile (accessible no matter what has focus) to switch to the MC profile, and one in the MC profile to switch back to the default. I've forgotten how Girder works, but surely it can do the same thing—in some manner less awkward than what you found three years ago.

Aaah yeah, I'm using EventGhost these days since it's free. The solution from a few years ago is pretty clunky but still works, even with Eventghost. However, with EventGHost, you can actually control some (though not all) MC functions when MC is out-of-focus... using the Windows SendMessage API, with the commands referenced on the JRiver wiki. EventGhost is set to target the Media Center 15.exe Window / MJFrame Window Class.

There are certain messages that are specific to MC. EventGhost can properly control an out-of-focus MC window with these, for example:

Play - SendMessage command: 33768 (wParam: 10000; lParam: 0)
Volume Up (+5) - SendMessage command: 33768 (wParam: 10018; lParam: 5)

There are other MC functions that are controlled with generic keystrokes (such as up/down arrow keys). Eventghost can't control an out-of-focus MC window with these as the sendmessage keystrokes target any windows application that's in focus, for example:

Up- SendMessage command: 33768 (wParam: 27000; lParam: 38)
Down - SendMessage command: 33768 (wParam: 27000; lParam: 40)

Any tips on how to control all functions of MC when it's out of focus?

[rick.ca]

Any tips on how to control all functions of MC when it's out of focus?

I'm not familiar with EventGhost. In addition to switching profiles, LM Remote Keymap has a Find Window command that can be used to set the window the following command is to be sent to (i.e., unlike Change Profile, it's good for only one button press). Does EventGhost have such a command? If not, maybe you should give LM Remote Keymap a try. It also has a SendMessage command, and can even attach a C# script to a button. That's over my head, but I imagine it allows a programmer to do pretty much anything.

There are certain messages that are specific to MC. EventGhost can properly control an out-of-focus MC window with these, for example...

Rather than being specific to MC, is it not more likely those are system commands which will perform their function regardless of what has focus?

[nwboater]

Another Remote Control program to look at is Intelliremote by Melloware.  http://melloware.com/products/intelliremote/

It is touted on several forums as being powerful but easier to use than Event Ghost or LM. I have purchased it to use with a Harmony One but haven't taken the time yet to use it.

Rod

[rick.ca]

My quick look at Intelliremote's website doesn't suggest it would be any easier to use than LM. It's intriguing that it supports AutoIt scripting, but I've managed okay without using any scripting in LM—by simply having it run AutoHotkey scripts. What I couldn't live without is LM's ability to create menus of various types—so various functions can be assigned to one key. I don't see the equivalent in Intelliremote. I suppose menus could be created using scripts, but I wouldn't consider that to be "easy to use." Also, an independent AHK script has the advantage of being available by hotkey or remote.

[Von]

Sorry if I'm re-hijacking this thread... I managed to find the Shape HTPC remote control from Fractal Design in my local computer shop:
http://www.fractal-design.com/?view=product&prod=22

This should work as a Windows MCE remote. It comes with an IR-receiver that installed right away and seems to be working fine. But for the life of me I can't get my setup to work properly! The best I have managed is to get the Play and Pause buttons to work. Pressing the Next button sends the cursor to the search field in MC 15. Most other buttons don't work at all.

I thought I might have more luck configuring the Harmony One as a Media Center remote now that I had the IR receiver, but the result is the same. Pause and play, no skipping next/previous, fast forwarding/rewinding etc. No matter which remote I try to emulate, I'm getting nowhere. (And since the Shape remote I bought isn't working either, I can't just use that to program the Harmony One.)

When I set up my media center device on the Harmony web site, I used "Microsoft TSBX-IR01" as the selected media center device.  

I'm using a generic MCE remote, not JRiver's.  My remote has a model number similar to this on its back.  I put my remote's model number in the Harmony web site, and the model # above popped up.

If the JRiver remote is an "RC6" type I think the above selection should work.

I tried choosing Microsoft TSBX-IR01 as well, but no luck.

Does anyone have any suggestions? I would really appreciate it...

Von

[JimH]

Von,
Maybe the setup of our remote would give you a clue.

http://wiki.jriver.com/index.php/Media_Center_Remote

[raldo]

Does anyone have any suggestions? I would really appreciate it...

have you tried searching for MCE in the Logitech database? Try choosing any remote from the results with MCE in them .

[Von]

have you tried searching for MCE in the Logitech database? Try choosing any remote from the results with MCE in them .

Yes, I have tried that, but with no luck. I don't need a whole lot of fancy features, just the most basic ones, so I think JimH's post might help me. From what I can see, it's possible to teach MC the different commands the remote is sending, instead of trying to change the remote itself, which I haven't been able to do correctly. I'll try this later today.

[raldo]

Just a small warning wrt. to MCE remotes: they come in two versions, v1 and v2.

The MCE which JRiver sells is a v2 remote which works "out of the box", once you'vefound a proper Harmony config.

The v1 remotes must be configured using the JRiver command list. I wrote about this in an earlier thread.

This is how i found my HP MCE receiver clone configuration in Logitecs DB:

Component: Mediacenter PC
Product: Microsoft
Model: MCE

After that it alljust worked

[Von]

After that it alljust worked

I tried, but no cigar...

Now I want to try the "learn" command, but I'm stuck, because I cannot click on the "Commands" link under Options/Remote Control Setup. What can cause this?

When I try on another pc with MC 15 installed, the link works (no IR receiver connected on that machine).

[raldo]

I tried, but no cigar...

Now I want to try the "learn" command, but I'm stuck, because I cannot click on the "Commands" link under Options/Remote Control Setup. What can cause this?

Are you on XP? There are discussions on the web that discuss driver issues with the MCE v2 on XP.

Btw, what you're describing above happened with my old v1 MCE remote. Sorry if this confuses the issue, but you may keep this in mind. The v1 basically just emulates a keyboard so that you have to deal with it using the abovementioned command mappings.

[Von]

Are you on XP? There are discussions on the web that discuss driver issues with the MCE v2 on XP.

No, I'm running Windows 7. Thanks for your help, Raldo, but at the moment I feel like I'm stuck. Now I'm hoping someone will know why I can't choose Commands under Options/Remote Control setup.