INTERACT FORUM

Please login or register.

Login with username, password and session length
Advanced search  
Pages: [1]   Go Down

Author Topic: How do I ir remote control other programs while JRiver is running?  (Read 5342 times)

LaserPope

  • Recent member
  • *
  • Posts: 8

I would like to be able to control JRiver and other programs through my mce ir remote receiver. I can control JRiver just fine when mediaserver is running but it also seems to be “catching” all the remote signals for other programs even when another program is in focus.

So I was thinking that I could make JRiver lern new ir commands through the remote menu. New commands that would not conflict with the other programs. Would that stop JRiver from reacting to ir commands like play/pause, skip, previous ect?

Even though my mce remote receiver is working in JRiver and I can see it as HID device in windows, JRiver can´t learn new commands and there is a questionmark next to each trigger command. The remote receiver is Microsoft model 1040. Is that receiver not supported for learning new commands or do I need a special driver?

How do you guys control other programs through ir?
Logged

jachin99

  • Citizen of the Universe
  • *****
  • Posts: 559
Re: How do I ir remote control other programs while JRiver is running?
« Reply #1 on: June 28, 2016, 02:48:06 pm »

In your device manager, do you have the Microsoft Ehome driver listed?
Logged

LaserPope

  • Recent member
  • *
  • Posts: 8
Re: How do I ir remote control other programs while JRiver is running?
« Reply #2 on: June 28, 2016, 03:14:59 pm »

Yes the Ehome driver is listed.
Logged

CountryBumkin

  • Citizen of the Universe
  • *****
  • Posts: 3352
Re: How do I ir remote control other programs while JRiver is running?
« Reply #3 on: June 28, 2016, 03:48:04 pm »

I use the Logitech Harmony remote. When I press the "activity" button for JRiver the remote only controls JRiver. When I press the activity but for TV the remote controls the TV, etc.
What other "programs" are you referring to (other software on your computer, or other hardware in the room)?
Logged

jachin99

  • Citizen of the Universe
  • *****
  • Posts: 559
Re: How do I ir remote control other programs while JRiver is running?
« Reply #4 on: June 28, 2016, 05:53:44 pm »

Ive been having a lot of trouble getting event ghost to control external components via ir and i wonder if this is my problem too. 
Logged

RoderickGI

  • MC Beta Team
  • Citizen of the Universe
  • *****
  • Posts: 8186
Re: How do I ir remote control other programs while JRiver is running?
« Reply #5 on: June 28, 2016, 06:48:45 pm »

I believe MC can only learn IR commands that are supported by the devices selected under Options>Remote>Devices & Options, as show in the attached image. What do yo have selected in there?

MC doesn't need to learn the MCE commands, because it already knows them by default. But it can learn non-MCE commands without breaking the default MCE setup. It can also learn MCE commands if you wish to assign a different function to a particular MCE IR command.

Even so, I have had trouble getting MC to learn additional IR commands that should be supported via the "Remote, keyboard, gamepad or other HID" device, such as Alt-Key commands. Some of the reason for that is possibly that I don't have an IR keyboard to try to program those key combinations. But the Harmony remote I use is theoretically capable to producing them, so MC should learn them. The other reason is that the keyboard combinations I want to use are already assigned in Windows, so the Windows function is executed, rather than the command I am trying to execute.

My "Watch HTPC" activity control JRiver on the HTPC, and at the same time the volume control on my Receiver. It is certainly possible to control multiple hardware devices from the one harmony, by adding those devices and selecting their functions in the Harmony setup. But I don't know of any way to control multiple software applications from the Harmony, other than using such things as Event Ghost. After all, there needs to be some software on the PC that will redirect commands to the correct application. MC can't do that. It can only either respond to a command it receives from the internal processing of an IR command, or not respond because it doesn't understand the command.

If MC is out of focus, not all IR commands will work. But the Green Button will always work, as will some other IR commands. I don't know of any definitive, up to date list.

Logged
What specific version of MC you are running:MC27.0.27 @ Oct 27, 2020 and updating regularly Jim!                        MC Release Notes: https://wiki.jriver.com/index.php/Release_Notes
What OS(s) and Version you are running:     Windows 10 Pro 64bit Version 2004 (OS Build 19041.572).
The JRMark score of the PC with an issue:    JRMark (version 26.0.52 64 bit): 3419
Important relevant info about your environment:     
  Using the HTPC as a MC Server & a Workstation as a MC Client plus some DLNA clients.
  Running JRiver for Android, JRemote2, Gizmo, & MO 4Media on a Sony Xperia XZ Premium Android 9.
  Playing video out to a Sony 65" TV connected via HDMI, playing digital audio out via motherboard sound card, PCIe TV tuner

LaserPope

  • Recent member
  • *
  • Posts: 8
Re: How do I ir remote control other programs while JRiver is running?
« Reply #6 on: June 29, 2016, 01:29:06 am »

Yes I´m trying to control other software on the computer in this case Roon and VLC while also running JRiver.

I was trying to make JRiver learn other ir commands for play, pause, skip and previous so that it would´t react to play, pause, skip previous in Roon and VLC but as RoderickGI says JRiver would still know the original MCE commands.

So it looks like I must learn EventGhost which I feared because it looks complicated:)
Logged

jpu018

  • Recent member
  • *
  • Posts: 18
Re: How do I ir remote control other programs while JRiver is running?
« Reply #7 on: June 29, 2016, 06:58:55 am »

[...]
My "Watch HTPC" activity control JRiver on the HTPC,  [...]
Hi
Probably a very dummy question, but how do you get that ?
I thought Harmony stuff would select and control individual pièces of hardware, as recognized in reportedly huge Logitech database, but how can a PC be recorded in the database ?
Thank you in advance for information
Logged

jachin99

  • Citizen of the Universe
  • *****
  • Posts: 559
Re: How do I ir remote control other programs while JRiver is running?
« Reply #8 on: June 29, 2016, 07:43:46 am »

Yes I´m trying to control other software on the computer in this case Roon and VLC while also running JRiver.

I was trying to make JRiver learn other ir commands for play, pause, skip and previous so that it would´t react to play, pause, skip previous in Roon and VLC but as RoderickGI says JRiver would still know the original MCE commands.

So it looks like I must learn EventGhost which I feared because it looks complicated:)


Eventghost looked complicated to me at first as well.  Its really not as long as you keep your macros well organized.  Look in their wiki and setup the hello world macro, and you will get the hang of it.  From my own experience, support on their forums is really good, and some people around the forum will even write macros for new users.  I'm thinking of ditching the jriver remote function all together, and going with event ghost.  I wish jriver had a more robust remote capability but it doesn't while event ghost does. 
Logged

drmimosa

  • MC Beta Team
  • Citizen of the Universe
  • *****
  • Posts: 690
Re: How do I ir remote control other programs while JRiver is running?
« Reply #9 on: June 29, 2016, 08:15:17 am »

EventGhost works really well. Some of the terminology used by the program is strange (macro and tree structure on the right hand side are unique to the program.) Spend 60 minutes messing around and you will figure it out.

I purchased two pieces of hardware that also work great for IR tasks, a FLIRC receiver and a USB-UIRT transmitted.

Between the two usb devices and EventGhost, you can control almost any computer task and send IR controls from any remote. It's great.
Logged

LaserPope

  • Recent member
  • *
  • Posts: 8
Re: How do I ir remote control other programs while JRiver is running?
« Reply #10 on: June 29, 2016, 10:46:39 am »

Thanks for the uplifting words about EventGhost:)

There are a lot of stories of crashes on the EG forums. Do you find it stable for everyday use?
Logged

drmimosa

  • MC Beta Team
  • Citizen of the Universe
  • *****
  • Posts: 690
Re: How do I ir remote control other programs while JRiver is running?
« Reply #11 on: June 29, 2016, 11:10:40 am »

I just got the hardware/software set up last month. No hard crashes yet, but it seems like there are intermittent errors. It's definitely not 'JRiver stable.'

For example, I sometimes get a 'IR transmitter error' return, haven't figured out the timing if signals or source of the problem. Restarting the program helps, so I may put a 5pm kill/restart for eventghost on Windows scheduler.
Logged

RoderickGI

  • MC Beta Team
  • Citizen of the Universe
  • *****
  • Posts: 8186
Re: How do I ir remote control other programs while JRiver is running?
« Reply #12 on: June 29, 2016, 05:26:48 pm »

I thought Harmony stuff would select and control individual pièces of hardware, as recognized in reportedly huge Logitech database, but how can a PC be recorded in the database ?

The Harmony remotes support the standard MCE command set, and an extended MCE commands set. Basically, MCE is treated exactly the same way as any hardware device.

My "Watch HTPC" activity turns on the TV and sets its input, turns on the receiver and sets its input and output, wakes up the PC, and controls the MCE compatible software on it (JRiver MC) and the receiver volume. All that is under the one activity, with no need to switch activities or devices on the Harmony. It could do a lot more as well, but I don't have the need.
Logged
What specific version of MC you are running:MC27.0.27 @ Oct 27, 2020 and updating regularly Jim!                        MC Release Notes: https://wiki.jriver.com/index.php/Release_Notes
What OS(s) and Version you are running:     Windows 10 Pro 64bit Version 2004 (OS Build 19041.572).
The JRMark score of the PC with an issue:    JRMark (version 26.0.52 64 bit): 3419
Important relevant info about your environment:     
  Using the HTPC as a MC Server & a Workstation as a MC Client plus some DLNA clients.
  Running JRiver for Android, JRemote2, Gizmo, & MO 4Media on a Sony Xperia XZ Premium Android 9.
  Playing video out to a Sony 65" TV connected via HDMI, playing digital audio out via motherboard sound card, PCIe TV tuner

jpu018

  • Recent member
  • *
  • Posts: 18
Re: How do I ir remote control other programs while JRiver is running?
« Reply #13 on: June 30, 2016, 06:14:33 am »

The Harmony remotes support the standard MCE command set, and an extended MCE commands set. Basically, MCE is treated exactly the same way as any hardware device.

My "Watch HTPC" activity turns on the TV and sets its input, turns on the receiver and sets its input and output, wakes up the PC, and controls the MCE compatible software on it (JRiver MC) and the receiver volume. All that is under the one activity, with no need to switch activities or devices on the Harmony. It could do a lot more as well, but I don't have the need.

OK got it (provided I've set MC to respond accordingly, of course)
Thank you for information !
Logged

jachin99

  • Citizen of the Universe
  • *****
  • Posts: 559
Re: How do I ir remote control other programs while JRiver is running?
« Reply #14 on: July 01, 2016, 10:51:47 pm »

Thanks for the uplifting words about EventGhost:)

There are a lot of stories of crashes on the EG forums. Do you find it stable for everyday use?

Some have reported troubles with EG MCE plugins but there are two jriver plugins for EG.  One listens for jriver network events while the other plugin controls jriver.  I personally do not let my usb port. Got to sleep and rarely have problems
Logged
Pages: [1]   Go Up