I've got a Russound multi zone audio receiver which accepts 4 inputs in the form of a stereo jack in plug and a IR blaster out to send commands.

I would like to have my PC as an input source.

1st problem: (speaker wire related)
I have about 30' wire distance between this receiver and my PC. How should I transmit the audio? I was thinking using a regular in-wall security/speaker wire and crimping on stereo jacks at both ends. Will this be sufficient or is this a horrible way to do it? Would it really be worth the money to go and and buy a pre-made 30 foot stereo jack wire?

2nd problem: (remote control related)
Control. I'd like to be read IR commands from the receiver to my PC to control what audio is playing (next track/previous track/next source/etc...). It's a Windows XP box. Any suggestions on a hopefully free software solution for 1. reading IR signals 2. converting them into something the PC will be able to interpret and 3. allowing me to govern what happens when certain commands are sent. Ideally, something in C# or Java though I'm willing to work with C++ as well on last resort. any ideas?

So in the end I would like to be able to control what music my PC is sending to the receiver from the receiver's keypads locating throughout the house, without ever having to touch the computer.

Not sure about IR control but if your equipment is on first floor and music is in the basement and it wasn't prewired for sound from the computer to the music system, then you can use a soundcast IPOD dock to transfer the sound to your music system. it has a 3.5mm input on the back of the transmitter that you can use and you can still dock an ipod. or I know that you they make usb wireless solutions too. As far as IR contol they do make it so don't give up. dig deep to custom pc companies on the web.

I have a custom controller to run a PC via IR, but there is a product called UIRT and another called IRMAN that apparently do that. I believe they have to be used with girder software, however I have never used either product. As for sending the audio, the wireless is probably good enough for this application and would save you lots of cable pulling headache. If you don't have IR control cables at the PC, there are boatloads of wireless IR transmitters.

This. (http://www.home-electro.com/ira3.php)