[softnerd]

Ok, that's still not what I'm talking about. I guess I'm completely incapable of communicating what it is I'm trying to accomplish here. I know all of the things that you're telling me. That isn't the problem.

The problem isn't a remote working with a certain receiver, etc. I know that a universal IR receiver is going to receive commands from any remote. I know the remote is just an input device. The problem is that since no existing remotes that the Harmony can emulate have enough buttons to perform the variety of functions I'm looking for, custom profiles must be created in Girder and for the Harmony remote that use IR commands that won't conflict with those of my other components (or hopefully anyone else's so the profile info can be shared). The 'project' I'm trying to describe is simply this:

• Create a profile in the Harmony remote software that emulates a remote that doesn't actually exist. That way my virtual remote can have as many buttons as I want it to. I was thinking I could use old remotes or an IR keyboard to 'steal' discreet IR strings that won't conflict with those for components I use.
• Connect an IR receiver to the HTPC that can receive the commands and pass them to Girder. Maybe I don't need a universal receiver to do this. I know that the driver/software for the Streamzap receiver won't process IR strings that aren't sent by the Streamzap PC Remote (it only responds to a certain set of IR strings), but maybe Girder will allow me around this. I haven't tried it.
• Create the profile in Girder to respond to the IR strings in the appropriate way.

Really all I was asking in starting this thread was:

• Has anybody else created a custom control schema like this, and if so,
• Do they want to share their experience?
• Do they have any recommendations as far as methodology?
• Do they have any recommendations as far as hardware (like which receiver to use)?

That's all. If I'm still not being clear then I give up!