IR Ports with Monster RF Remote & Omnilink IR

[DeltaNu1142]

Hello! First post; I found this forum via CocoonTech.com, a home automation forum.

Yesterday I received my HTPC and connected to my TV via HDMI; everything is working so far aside from 5.1 sound, but I'll get there eventually. The PC is an HP Slimline S5750Z PC that I bought on eBay. It has a Quad-core 3.1GHZ PC with 6GB memory and a 1TB drive, a Hauppauge TV card... etc.

My questions are about IR. In my bedroom (completely isolated system, for now) I have everything controlled with a Monster AVL300 sending RF to my Omnilink and then to the devices with IR emitters.

I have the same hardware in the living room, and I have the following basic questions about my HTPC:

• The PC has an "IR in" and two "IR outs". How do these work?
• Can I connect my Omnilink directly to the "IR in" on the PC via a 3.5mm mono cable and expect it to receive commands?
• What about the "IR out" ports? Do they pass through commands from the "IR in"? Only when PC/card power is on, or anytime?

What I'm thinking is, the PC will have an emitter from the "IR out" to my cable box; and I'm wondering if I need to stack emitters on the cable box (one for 'normal' control, and one for control from the PC). Also, if I can avoid having to stick an emitter on the front of the PC by just connecting it directly to the Omnilink, that would be great. It all *should* work with emitters, but cleaner is better. I would test it all out now, but I'm not yet using this Omnilink for my HT; still moving equipment to where it will ultimately be, running cables through walls, etc. The AVL-300/Omnilink in my bedroom works great!