USB-Uirt and remote question

[johnson636]

My pvr-500 will be here today (just tracked it) and I was wondering about a couple of things.

From my research, a USB-UIRT will allow you to use you regular remote to controll your pc; Am I right or wrong? If that is correct, then do I need a remote from Hauppauge? Will the USB-UIRT really allow my to use the remote that my Cable company provided me with? Do you need a USB-UIRT if you get the remote from Hauppauge (or any HTPC app remote)?

Do I even need either the remote or the USB-UIRT?

Cans someone please answer these questions for me?

[Jesse]

Hello,

I am currently using a pvr500 and its great. Keep in mind that it does not include the IR receiver that some of the other hauppauge cards include. From my point of view this means there is no need to buy the hauppauge remote.

I also use the usbuirt. It is one of the most useful and flexible pieces of hardware I have purchased. If you end up using other apps (eg Zoomplayer, Girder, etc) like I did then you will really find the usbuirt invaluable. I have not found a remote that will not work with my usbuirt. There may be some, but I have ten or twelve remotes lying around and they have all worked with it. It is almost certain that your cable box remote will work.

Do you need a remote and a usbuirt? If you are going to watch sage on a computer with a keyboard then no. If you are going to watch it on tv then yes you will (unless you prefer a wireless keyboard).

The first thing you have to ask is whether or not your cable box remote has enough buttons to control all of sage's functions. If so then you are good to go. If not you will need something else. Just take a look at all the sage commands and buy something with the appropriate buttons.

Once you have a usable remote put some fresh batteries in it, set up your usbuirt, tell sage to use the usbuirt (detailed setup), and then bind your remote buttons to the various sage commands (also in detailed setup).

This should really be a piece of cake.

ONE MORE THING: If you have not yet installed sage then I suggest you install the usbuirt first. I had a little trouble getting it to work when I installed it after sage. Nothing serious, but installing usbuirt first would make for a smoother install.

Good luck and have fun,

Jesse

[Wheemer]

I think the USB-Uirt was the best purchase I made for my PVR. Combine it with girder and you can do pretty much anything.

But if you're using it with just sage then the native support is great.

I also have mine setup to change channels on three digital cable boxes, and that works perfectly too.

If you want to use a remote from your cable box, then you need to make sure your cable box won't reacte to the remote keypresses. My remote from my cable box happened to be a JP1 programmable, so I changed it's ir code to something else, works perfect.

[johnson636]

Originally Posted by Wheemer

If you want to use a remote from your cable box, then you need to make sure your cable box won't reacte to the remote keypresses. My remote from my cable box happened to be a JP1 programmable, so I changed it's ir code to something else, works perfect.

So would it be best to get a totally seperate remote for my PVR/HTPC activities?

[Wheemer]

not really... you can still use the remote from your cable box. Just make sure it's not changing the channels on the set top box by placing it out of the remotes reach.

[snoop244]

Originally Posted by Wheemer

I think the USB-Uirt was the best purchase I made for my PVR. Combine it with girder and you can do pretty much anything.

But if you're using it with just sage then the native support is great.

I also have mine setup to change channels on three digital cable boxes, and that works perfectly too.

If you want to use a remote from your cable box, then you need to make sure your cable box won't reacte to the remote keypresses. My remote from my cable box happened to be a JP1 programmable, so I changed it's ir code to something else, works perfect.

I notice you are using Rogers STBs. When I train the USBUIRT at setup, do I have to use the Rogers remote? I'm using the USBUIRT as a blaster and just assumed that it needed to be trained using the actual STB remote. If not, do I have to go find a special device profile for my SA/Pace STB?

The Rogers remote is the only remote of the 10 or so I have used in proximity to the USBUIRT that has NOT been recognized by the device. I would prefer to use my MCE remote - I'm just wondering if the original STB remote is required to train the device for proper blasting.

[CollinR]

Originally Posted by johnson636

So would it be best to get a totally seperate remote for my PVR/HTPC activities?

Would it be "best", yes. IMO the Snapstream FireFly is the best remote for the money. It is RF based and as such has no need for the USB UIRT as a reciever. However thats not as big a deal as you might think, the USBUIRT is really great as a transmitter not reciever and RF remotes totally slay IR. The FireFly also has a bunch of prelabeled buttons that come in VERY handy when controlling things not normally controlled with a remote (like a mouse button and Lclick and Rclick buttons). This really goes pretty far beyond SageTV. Soon you will want to add more and more complex tasks to the system. Someone mentioned Girder, with it or other software like EventGhost. You can control basically anything you can dream of with a remote control.

The Firefly has excellent range, I can use it almost anywhere in my house or outside. This is as much luck as anything else my install is pretty ideal, it won't work out at my mailbox but it will work up a floor and over through several walls.

The USBUIRT really excells because it can transmit in 3 seperate zones, so you can control 3 identical pieces of hardware. Sometimes you get lucky and can configure the hardware but often if the cable company gives you 3 of the exact same box you are stuck. The USBUIRT can controll all 3 independently. EventGhost has no troubles with bringing in RF from the FireFly and transmitting IR with the USBUIRT. So although the USBUIRT isn't being utiltized as a reciever it's still a great piece to have at your disposal.

[davephan]

[/QUOTE=The USBUIRT really excells because it can transmit in 3 seperate zones, so you can control 3 identical pieces of hardware. Sometimes you get lucky and can configure the hardware but often if the cable company gives you 3 of the exact same box you are stuck. The USBUIRT can controll all 3 independently. EventGhost has no troubles with bringing in RF from the FireFly and transmitting IR with the USBUIRT. So although the USBUIRT isn't being utiltized as a reciever it's still a great piece to have at your disposal.[/QUOTE]

I did not realize that the USB UIRT could control several identical boxes. That feature would have been handy when I had Dish Network JVC-301 receivers which can be setup to run on different IR channels.

IRHelper is a stand alone program that will show what the USB-UIRT device is receiving. I found it helpful when setting up my USB-UIRT.

I found that I needed to experiment with the "repeatcount" values in the IR file.

The USB-UIRT isn't fast enough to surf the channels, unless you are don't mind waiting a long time to surf channels. However, the USB-UIRT is a great device to remotely control satellite or cable boxes.

Dave

[CollinR]

Just prepend a "Z1", "Z2" or "Z3" to each command sent to the USB UIRT, if this info is not provided it will blast all 3 zones. The first two zones are the L and R of the stereo headphone jack on the back of it, the third is the front mounted emitter. Make sure you use a stereo plug if you want to use those zones.