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[Dennis Graves]

 I currently use a laptop to control my CAPS2 server, using JRiver17.  The laptop connects via Win 7 Pro remote control over my home wifi network.  But, I have plenty of problems with the network connection dropping and, moreover, I have to have a lot of Win 7 Pro services operating to allow the network to function.  If I could control my CAPS2 without using the network, I could presumeably disable a lot of those services, which may improve JRiver sound.  

Thus, I would love to have a remote to control my CAPS2 music server, using JRiver, but without relying upon my home network.
  
It appears that this may be possible with your remote machine using infrared. HOWEVER, there is a very basic point that I do not understand: I see no monitor include with the remote; without a monitor, how do you select the music to be played?

If the only purpose of the  remote is to allow you to turn the computer on and off, it would be of little use to me.    Is there some way your remote device allows you to see the JRiver screens on a remote monitor, so you can select music and do other things in JRiver?    What am I missing here?

[JimH]

Yes, you need a monitor to use the MC Remote.  You could read about other possible solutions in the "Remotes" article on our wiki.  Gizmo can be used on an Android, for example, with no monitor.

Check the "Weird Problems" topic in my signature for ideas about your network problem.  The very last post, for example, is about Norton causing a problem with a network.

[Dennis Graves]

Jim,
I am afraid I don't see anything in the "wiki" under "remotes" that explains the setup.  Is there an online manual somewhere that explains this? I am left with some very basic questions.
As you have confirmed, I need a remote monitor (ie, remote from the CAPS music server to be controlled), somehow connected wirelessly.
But a monitor cannot run unless somehow controlled by a computer.  And the information from the computer that controls the monitor has to get to the remote monitor in some fashion.  Presumably that what the infrared does wirelessly?  I see your product information that says a wireless receiver is needed for the computer, but what about something on the other end that connects to and controls the monitor?  Is there another receiver that actually physically connects to the monitor?  Presumeably there would have to be some kind of 9 pin or similar connection between the monitor and the remote control device that receives the infrared signals.  I don't see such a connector in your picture of the remote controller (I only see a device made by HP that has a usb connector).  Please advise how this works !!. 
Thanks.
Dennis

[JimH]

I wasn't suggesting that you install a remote monitor.  I don't know what you expect with that and it's beyond the scope of this forum.

Maybe you mean something like VNC.  Try Google for information.

What I thought you wanted was a way to remotely control JRiver Media Center.  Gizmo could do that on an Android.  WebGizmo on an iPad.  Tremote is MC itself controlling another copy of MC on another PC.  The wiki topic is a starting point to find more on those.

[Dennis Graves]

Jim,
My initial inquiry stated " Is there some way your remote device allows you to see the JRiver screens on a remote monitor, so you can select music and do other things in JRiver? "  I understand that you need a monitor at the computer, but my inquiry relates to a monitor or computer that sits across the room and allows you to wirelessly control CAPS2 and run JRiver.
As I indicated before, I use a laptop to control my CAPS2 server. Thus, it serves as my "remote monitor".  However, running CAPS2 with JRiver from my laptop requires using Win7 remote, which in turn requires many Windows services (at least 20 indpendent and dependent services).  It appears to me that extra windows services do in fact degrade the sound -- at least in my high resolution system -- so I am trying to pare the services down to an absolute minimum.  My thinking is that using a remote that has infrared control (rather than using my home wireless network) would allow me to disable at least 20 more services. 
  I do not have an Ipad or Ipod.  I doubt that an Ipod would allow me to see enough on their small screens to be feasible.  Perhaps an Ipad would, but the threshold question is whether that would allow me to cut out the 20+ Win 7 services that are required for connecting to my CAPS2 via my home network.  And, some other basic questions:
1) when you control a CAPS2 music server running JRiver via an Ipad, do you still need the HP remote device (or do you only need WebGizmo software installed on the CAPS2)?
2) If you do need the HP remote device, how does it physically connect to an Ipod (eg, via a USB port?)?
3) If I am able to use an Ipad, with Web Gizmo, will I be able to see the same JRiver screens (eg, playlists) that I now see on my laptop?

Thanks.
Dennis
     

[Listener]

Jim,
My initial inquiry stated " Is there some way your remote device allows you to see the JRiver screens on a remote monitor, so you can select music and do other things in JRiver? " 
   

I tried the Windows remote desktop s/w and found it to be awkward.  I now use UltraVNC instead.  The server component on my MusicPC has one process and 6 threads.  My MusicPC is headless and I use VNC to control that PC from another PC.  The VNC process on the server has very low CPU overhead and does not use much memory.  I find it a very satisfactory solution.  The LAN support in Windows is also low overhead.  Total CPU use on a 1.8 GHz dual core CPU is most way below 1 % with brief blips of 1.5% every few seconds.

I have also used the TRemote feature in MC.  I used the client side TRemote features to control MC on the MusicPC (playing music on the MusicPC.)  That approach gives me control of MC but does not give me control of Windows on the MusicPC.

> 3) If I am able to use an Ipad, with Web Gizmo, will I be able to see the same JRiver screens (eg, playlists) that I now see on my laptop?

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

It is a different interface.

>   My thinking is that using a remote that has infrared control (rather than using my home wireless network) would allow me to disable at least 20 more services. 

IR remotes transfer very little data and do not have a display capable of displaying what's on a PC screen.

Use VNC and you can disable some or most of the 20 services.

I'd certainly recommend a wired link from your CAPs 2 PC to the router.  Wireless to the laptop is OK.  That's the way my system is set up.

Bill

[drmimosa]

Have you tried using Tremote while running MC Media Server on the CAPS? Connect the remote computer and the CAPS to your LAN, this can be done wirelessly or via ethernet.