Motorola DTC2000 Plugin

[flipnjme]

does the MultiDCTTuner 1.2 work with sagetv 4.

[scoful]

Just wondering if anyone has come up with a good solution to using MultiDCT with OnDemand services? If I try to go to an OnDemand channel, MultiDCT keeps trying to confirm completion of the channel change and finally shuts off the cable box. I tried setting it to 'blind' mode so it wouldn't verify that the channel had changed, but this made it so it wouldn't change the channel at all. I have found that I have to find a movie on a regular channel that is long enough and highjack the cable box with the regular cable box remote for OnDemand.

[Aganerral]

Has anyone gotten this to work with a DCT5000 series box? I had it working on my old DCT2000 series, but when I went to HDTV, I had to get a new cable box to get the HDTV channels fron Comcast. Unfortunately, the DCT5100 I have only has USB inputs. I tried using a serial-->USB adapter but that doesn't seem to be working, was hoping to cehck with other people's experience.

[scoful]

does the MultiDCTTuner 1.2 work with sagetv 4.

Yes, works in 4 and 5.

[mayamaniac]

I'm having issues with my IR Blasters, so decided to try the serial method. I'm testing the MultiDCTTuner 1.2 plugin and not having any luck. Here are my steps:

- Placed the .dll and .ini in /Common folder, placed the MultiDCTTuner folder inside /Common/RemoteCodes/.
- Launched SageTV service and UI.

I tried to setup the new tuner, but after selecting the MultiDCTTuner as the external control, SageTV just locks up. The same thing happens if I try again.

What am I doing wrong? Are there any updated instructions for SageTV v5.04?

EDIT: It helps to follow instructions carefully. Somehow I missed a step in the instruction. I didn't copied "MotorolaDCT2000.ir" from the ActiSys folder to the MultiDCTTuner folder, also needed to edit the .ini file to replace the line "StubDevice.ir" with "MotorolaDCT2000.ir" and now everything works.

[scoful]

I seem to recall having this problem when my serial cable wasn't connected. Many cable providers apparently disable the serial interface so you can't use it this way.

[hemicuda]

Will any amount of begging/complaining/gnashing-of-teeth get them to turn the DB9 port back on? I greatly prefer the wired tuning to the optical method. Guess I'll find out what Comcast down here does in the next 2wks.

[wbarber69]

I was wondering how many boxes per recording server installation can I have set to serial control

[scoful]

After much success with a single DCT Tuner, I'm trying to set up a second one in tandem. I have 3 PVR150's - 1 is DCT Tuner, 1 is Analog Tuned and the third one will be DCT Tuned. I read the documentation and it says the instructions are in the MultiDCTTuner.ini file - but it really doesn't say what to do there. Can somebody give me some examples of how to do this? My second tuner will be on COM3, First is COM1.

[scoful]

After searching extensively found the answers somewhere in here. It's working now.

[mazakmaster]

When I reboot my sage server the cable box channel changing does not work, or it works once. I noticed that there are 2 copies of DCT.EXE running in the process tab in Task Manager. If i shut them down it works fine. I have looked to see where it is getting loaded and cant find it. Anyone have any idea how i can fix this problem?

[hemicuda]

You could download a copy of SpyBot S&D. It will give you a list of programs that are scheduled to run at startup and the option to have them not start; among searching for spy/mal-ware. Other than that I'd look in Start >> Programs >> Startup for a link to the offending file. It's also possible that a BAT file or other app is calling it to action. Hope that helps.

[mayamaniac]

mazakmaster, use the MultiDCTTuner 1.2 plugin instead, it does not require the dct.exe file. See my post (a few posts above), it works much better than the dct.exe plugin in the first post of this thread.

Would a mod (opus4 or whoever) modify the first post of this thread and add links and info about the MultiDCTTuner 1.2? That way, a newbie doesn't need to search through 190+ posts to find it.

[scoful]

Originally Posted by wbarber69

I was wondering how many boxes per recording server installation can I have set to serial control

It appears with the multidcttuner.dll you could configure up to 256 (the maximum number of COM ports you can set up in XP).

[scoful]

Originally Posted by mayamaniac

mazakmaster, use the MultiDCTTuner 1.2 plugin instead, it does not require the dct.exe file. See my post (a few posts above), it works much better than the dct.exe plugin in the first post of this thread.

Would a mod (opus4 or whoever) modify the first post of this thread and add links and info about the MultiDCTTuner 1.2? That way, a newbie doesn't need to search through 190+ posts to find it.

Multidcttuner.exe is far more reliable than dct.exe.

[hemicuda]

Originally Posted by Aganerral

Has anyone gotten this to work with a DCT5000 series box? I had it working on my old DCT2000 series, but when I went to HDTV, I had to get a new cable box to get the HDTV channels fron Comcast. Unfortunately, the DCT5100 I have only has USB inputs. I tried using a serial-->USB adapter but that doesn't seem to be working, was hoping to cehck with other people's experience.

Any luck w/ this yet? I got a look at one on the Tech's van yesterday. Has the following ports on the back:

IR (headphone-type jack)
Cat5 network
USB (x2 I think)
Composit vid.
S-vid
ZERO firewire ports

I'd really hate to miss out on using the DTC serial link.

[jbarr]

I'm building SageTV HTPC with two Hauppauge PVR-100 tuner cards. I plan to use serial cables to control two DCT-2000 Digital Cable boxes using the MultiDCTTuner plugin. So far, I was able to get the connection with COM1 working (and it works SO well!) But my motherboard does not have a COM2 port. So, can I simply use any of the many USB to Serial adapters that will provide a COM2? I suspect that I can, but I'm just wondering if anyone else has used one or had problems using one.

Thanks!

[tmiranda]

I know this is a little off-topic but I do not know where else to ask. Can the Motorola DCT boxes be bought on the open market or do you have top get them through your cable company? I did a quick search on eBay and did not see any at all.

[BobPhoenix]

Originally Posted by tmiranda

I know this is a little off-topic but I do not know where else to ask. Can the Motorola DCT boxes be bought on the open market or do you have top get them through your cable company? I did a quick search on eBay and did not see any at all.

I fell for the Trap of getting 2 eBay boxes. Most of them are stolen from the cable company. And even if you can find one that isn't you are likely to find that the cable company will not activate it - in USA anyway.

[hemicuda]

Originally Posted by jbarr

I'm building SageTV HTPC with two Hauppauge PVR-100 tuner cards. I plan to use serial cables to control two DCT-2000 Digital Cable boxes using the MultiDCTTuner plugin. So far, I was able to get the connection with COM1 working (and it works SO well!) But my motherboard does not have a COM2 port. So, can I simply use any of the many USB to Serial adapters that will provide a COM2? I suspect that I can, but I'm just wondering if anyone else has used one or had problems using one.

Thanks!

In short... yes.

it worked great at the apartment before SP2 broke the adapter drivers. this laptop has needed an OS reinstall for quite some time now. guess I have an excuse since COM1 tx capability died not long ago and most of our testing equip uses 9-pin interfaces. M$