required PVR-500MCE accessories

[spockware]

Still looking at a HTPC with only 1 PVR-500MCE. With this setup, I'll need to also pick up:

1. remote
2. an IR receiver (such as the USB-IR blaster)

Correct?

If so, is the USB-IR blaster kind of overkill for this problem?

[gplasky]

Overkill? Not at all. Especially if you need to use it as a blaster for channel change on your set box.

Gerry

[Mahoney]

Try the Windows MCE 2005 remote - it comes with an IR receiver and blasters, all for c. £20.

[blade]

Originally Posted by Mahoney

Try the Windows MCE 2005 remote - it comes with an IR receiver and blasters, all for c. £20.

Just be aware that the transceiver seems to only be supported by XP Pro and not the Home Edition.

[Mahoney]

Originally Posted by blade

Just be aware that the transceiver seems to only be supported by XP Pro and not the Home Edition.

I'm using it on the home edition. Just had to find the irbus.inf file on the web... I'm putting a how-to together on the wiki and will add the file when I get some time to sort it.

[blade]

Originally Posted by Mahoney

I'm using it on the home edition. Just had to find the irbus.inf file on the web... I'm putting a how-to together on the wiki and will add the file when I get some time to sort it.

Cool, I spent days searching the forums and asking questions when I was trying to set mine up and pretty much got the response that it wasn't possible. A newb friendly guide would be very helpful.

[Morgan111]

Here you go. I was searching forever at one time too. Just found this handy guide.

http://www.sage-community.org/index.cgi/wiki/MceRemote

[spockware]

I was hoping to manage the PVR-500MCE card like this:

Example: Change Channel
=========================
1. USE ANY remote (not just MCE remote) --> IR Receiver
2. IR Receiver --> SageTV
3. SageTV --> COM1 Serial Port
4. Serial Cable --> STB (change channel)
5. Sage TV --> PVR-500MCE (change channel)

The link above seems to indicate:
1. that I'd have to use the included IR Blasters, so NO serial cable support
2. And also that the PVR-500MCE card cannot be controlled by another remote besides MCE remote.

Are these true?

[gplasky]

1. You can use serial control to your set top box if it supports it.
2. You're controlling Sage, not the PVR500MCE. Sage can be controlled by any remote if you have the proper ir receiver or program. Girder with the appropriate plugins can use many remotes. USB-UIRT receiver can work with just about any remote.

If you get the USB-UIRT it natively works with Sage and will let you use any remote. Heck, you could use some old VCR remote you have laying around if you wanted to. You could then use your serial control or use the USB-UIRT blasters to change the channels. Lots of flexability there.

Gerry

[Stobor]

I'm under the impression that the pvr-500 only has one coaxial TV input and the signal is split internally to the two tuners. If that is the case you may not be able to use a cable box unless you have a non-coax output from the cable box (or you'll always get the cable box output going to both tuners).

I don't have a pvr-500 so I could be wrong about the single coaxial input but I think I read that somewhere, anyway it's worth finding out about before you buy it.