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[pstuart]

I'm working on a Control4 Driver to a Windows App that uses Keyboard and Mouse emulation.

JRiver seems to be far more complex than standard media center apps (WMC, Plex, XBMC, etc.) and rather then try to write the driver to interact via webbrowser, I decided to take a different approach.

You can see a work in progress video here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i20hGlrGP1k

and how the application is working:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sxf3ifu71wE

I'm finishing up the pieces, and working through alpha testing now.  Actually watching a movie on JRiver via Control4 right now

The main issue is Control4 is a dealer supported model, and the driver needs to be installed by a dealer to communicate with my Application.

So I need to work with dealers, and haven't heard much on this line.

Hoping I can drum up interest here instead...

[pstuart]

[This was in response to a deleted post... As I am talking to his desire to have a fully integrated driver...]

I understand you want a fully integrated JRiver driver.  That is going to be a lot more challenging because of the control mechanisms...

My driver / application fits the bill for just Video (and audio) control over the media center running on the pc.

As for syncing up the databases or controlling multiple end points, then that functionality could take a long time to develop.

It all depends on if you want the media library in Control4 and send the paths to a player (jriver MC for example) or if you want to control the UI of JRiver running on a computer (or via web service calls)...

I think you are asking for the first, which is probably not what you want, cause jrivers media library is far more robust than Control4.

Staying within the control4 ecosystem is usually most Control4 owners goals.  That is why I wrote what I did, so that people can access JRiver and other applications from inside control4, while selecting the HTPC as a Video/Audio Source.

Ultimately, since you can interact with the JRiver Media Library and send video and/or audio to multiple end points (via DLNA or other methods) you will probably never get a control4 driver to do that.  Would need a Control4 App to do that.

[pstuart]

Well, one huge limitation of the Control4 Media library is no understanding of TV shows or serialized content.

Anyway, I'll stick to my driver, as it fits what I need, and as people provide feedback as to what they need / want I can see if it fits what I want.

Not like I'm trying to commercialize this driver / application.  I just don't want some hacked IR driver off some WMC remote, but want total control over my HTPC running JRiver or some other Media Center.  If it used mouse or keyboard commands, I can control it with Control4.

As for media library locations, I'm actually enjoying JRiver's media library, as I have had to recreate my entire library after my NAS crashed, I am actually thinking about getting completely out of Control4's media library.

[JimH]

pstuart,
Thanks for your work.  Let us know if we can help.

Jim

[pstuart]

Jim, thanks for the offer, let me know if you guys are interested, since I'm also in Minneapolis

Right now, because of the dealer model for control4, I have no intentions of making my driver / application publicly available.  The development I'm doing is going to be aimed at the dealers to provide a solution for C4 owners who want to have total control over a HTPC.

I'm using JRiver as a perfect example of why the Control4 model of driver to application doesn't work and Sparks67 points out a lot of other reasons...

JRiver is a great product, but it isn't the only windows application a HTPC would use, so a universal keyboard and mouse application with a driver in Control4 fills this need.

What Sparks67 is looking for, and could be done, is a far more robust Control4 Application that could mirror Rhapsody like functionality on the touchscreens and potentially send the audio (and video) to a room or rooms.  There are a few examples of this type of functionality in the Control4 app marketplace already, just not working with JRiver.

Ultimately, Sparks67 has a much different need than my Application will serve, but I think there is a greater need to control any and all windows applications via Control4.  For example, wanting to use more than Theater Mode in JRiver, or worst case, JRiver looses focus during Theater mode, like mounting an ISO or something pops up a window...  Sure the API can play and pause the content playing, but to get focus back, you need to Alt Tab.  With my app, that mapping is easy to do.

[pstuart]

The Control4 database just sends the media path and filename to the default room device.

This is the fundamental issue with trying to integrate Control4 with JRiver Media Center...  

In the Control4 world, you need a room for each output location.  That location needs to be tied to one or more output devices (audio and/or video).

JRiver has many options for sending audio (and video) out to different devices...  DLNA (although buggy), streaming, shared library, etc. But has no concept of room.

Right now, I don't see any good way to write a "driver" for Control4 to integrate the library, control anything but the main computer output (audio and/or video) and deal with any "other" zones that are playing...  The only real way to do this would be to create a Flash Application for Control4 App store that could replicate the JRiver interface and grab "room" info and output devices...  Way too much work for very little gain.

With my keyboard / mouse control, I get full theater mode control over all my media on any computer I put in a room (either physical or over hdmi switch).  So I still consider the issue solved, no need to do anything more.  Just add cheap computers in each room.

[pstuart]

Control4 media library and Control4 Media player are too separate things.  The Media Player is probably the worst thing out there...  It however, isn't the only solution.  You can also use the controllers to play networked audio, but those also aren't the greatest.  Yes, they could upgrade their sound processing chips, but for 99% of users, they won't ever have FLAC, let alone have hearing good enough to tell the difference.

There are ways to send control4 media library paths to other devices including jriver, that is just about the right driver and audio endpoints.

Again, I don't see the need for this beyond simple JRiver control.  As I've stated above, Control4's library sucks, and I'd rather use a better library, better interface, and better player.  Just want to control it from C4.

Somewhere down the road I might bridge control4 media play requests into my driver / application and allow it to route to the player of your choice, ie JRiver, but right now, that isn't high on my priority list.

[Diyc4]

How can we get a copy of your driver? Can we buy a copy from you?