Remote Relay

What it does

MC14 introduced the ability to control other devices by using a transceiver and cables called emitters. This feature lets you use the MCE remote to turn on the power to your TV, consumer electronics amplifier, or set top box, for example, or to adjust the volume on your amp. Anything you can do with any other IR remote for your home audio setup can be done with Remote Relay.

J. River offers Remote Relay as a hardware package for $39.98.

What you need

• J. River Media Center (Version 14.0.34 or above)

Get Remote Relay now!

J. River offers the Remote Relay hardware package for $38.98. -- plus $5 shipping to an address in the United States -- or $10 shipping to other addresses.

It includes:

• An IR (or RF) "transceiver" device that connects with USB to your computer.

• Two IR emitters (or "blasters") that plug into the transceiver's 1/8" jacks. You can attach these blasters in front of the equipment you want to control, such as a cable set top box, a receiver, or a TV.

• A high quality MCE remote (shown above).

Fine tuning

• You can modify the actions performed by a command. By default, most commands will execute a single "MCC" command within Media Center such as "Play", "Pause", "Mute", or "Fast forward".

• If you want to control external equipment, such as TV's, cable boxes, and audio amplifiers, you'll need to add that functionality. The following example shows how to modify commands to control the volume on an external audio amplifier. This is useful if you output digital sound from your computer to your amp, since, in this case the volume control within Media Center does not affect the final volume on the amplifier.