Full USB-UIRT support available

[jrhees]

OK, the problem is back in the learning process. The sage plugin unforunately has a 10-second timeout which can give users the false impression that learning has taken place when it really hasn't.

You first goal is to get the USB-UIRT's LED to light up *while learning* (which means you have 10 seconds after pressing the learn button to experiment).

Different remotes vary in the amount of power they emit from their IRLED. So, press the learn button and then press and hold a button on your JVC remote with the remote aimed just to the left of the red led, but otherwise pointing straight into the USB-UIRT. Try 1", 2", 3", 4", etc. and see if you can find a range where the LED starts blinking good. If the learn finishes or the 10 seconds times out, press the "learn' again until you get the feel of it.

I have also attached a simple app called 'LrnHelper' which you can use without Sage running to try learning and replaying a button. It does *not* time out and it also gives feedback during learning, which can help a lot to get the hang of the learning process.


-Jon

[sleonard]

Jon,

I just learned about the new UIRT's that support 3 zones. Great job! Although I wish I had waited a month to buy (I purchased one in Jan.) I'll be getting another for the zone support.

My questions: I'm still a Sage noob, how well are the zones going to work with 2.0? Am I going to have to learn Girder or can I edit the Sage IR file as suggested in your forum? Will it be supported natively by Sage?

[jrhees]

Since zones are an advanced feature which will be used by relatively few, there are no plans to ask 3-rd parties like Sage to have zone support in their User interfaces, etc. So, for the foreseeable future I expect manual editing of files (like outlined in the USB-UIRT forum) will be required. As far as Sage2.0 goes, there should be no reason it should act any differently than 1.4.

-Jon

[davephan]

Jon,

I tried using your lnrhelper.exe utility. The utility helped me program the USB-UIRT. I was amazed that the positioning of the JVC-301 remote was so critical to program the USB-UIRT. The distance was about 1 inch between the JVC-301 remote and the USB-UIRT.

I was able to successfully test each digit by selecting the digits in the 'test' area and hitting <enter>.

I then tried using the UP/DOWN buttons on the SageTV screen, the USB-UIRT flashes, the channel caption changes when changing channels, but the USB-UIRT does not change the channels on the Dish Network JVC-301 resceiver. Could the USB-UIRT be sending the information too fast? I found the interdigit timing configuration area, but I did not see an area to lengthen the tranmission length.

I am not sure how I can resolve the USB-UIRT problem.

Here is a copy of my JVC301.ir file:

jvc301 0 0 4 600 800
0 0000 0048 0000 0011 0017 0160 0017 00A1 0016 0061 0017 00A1 0016 00A2 0016 00A1 0016 0061 0016 00A1 0016 00A2 0016 00A1 0016 00A1 0016 00A1 0016 00A1 0016 00A2 0016 00A1 0016 00A2 0016 009F
1 0000 0048 0000 0011 0017 0160 0016 00A2 0016 00A2 0016 00A2 0016 0061 0016 00A2 0016 00A2 0016 00A2 0016 00A2 0016 00A2 0016 00A2 0016 00A2 0016 00A2 0016 00A2 0016 00A2 0016 00A2 0016 00A0
2 0000 0048 0000 0011 0017 0160 0017 00A2 0016 00A2 0016 00A2 0016 0061 0016 00A2 0016 0061 0016 00A2 0016 00A2 0016 00A2 0016 00A2 0016 00A2 0017 00A2 0016 00A2 0016 00A2 0016 00A2 0016 00A0
3 0000 0048 0000 0011 0017 0160 0016 00A2 0016 00A2 0016 00A2 0016 0061 0016 0061 0016 00A2 0016 00A2 0016 00A2 0016 00A2 0016 00A2 0016 00A2 0017 00A2 0016 00A2 0016 00A2 0016 00A2 0016 00A0
4 0000 0048 0000 0011 0017 0161 0016 00A2 0016 00A2 0016 0061 0016 00A2 0016 00A2 0016 00A2 0016 00A2 0016 00A2 0016 00A2 0016 00A2 0016 00A2 0016 00A2 0016 00A2 0016 00A2 0016 00A2 0016 00A0
5 0000 0048 0000 0011 0017 0160 0017 00A2 0016 00A2 0016 0061 0016 00A2 0016 00A2 0016 0061 0016 00A2 0016 00A2 0016 00A2 0016 00A2 0016 00A2 0017 00A2 0016 00A2 0016 00A2 0016 00A2 0016 00A0
6 0000 0048 0000 0011 0017 0161 0017 00A2 0016 00A2 0016 0061 0016 00A2 0016 0061 0016 00A2 0016 00A2 0016 00A2 0016 00A2 0016 00A2 0016 00A2 0017 00A2 0016 00A2 0016 00A2 0016 00A2 0016 00A0
7 0000 0048 0000 0011 0017 0160 0016 00A2 0016 00A2 0016 0061 0016 0061 0016 00A2 0016 00A2 0016 00A2 0016 00A2 0016 00A2 0016 00A2 0016 00A2 0017 00A2 0016 00A2 0016 00A2 0016 00A2 0016 00A0
8 0000 0049 0000 0011 0017 015F 0016 00A1 0016 00A1 0016 0061 0016 0061 0016 00A1 0016 0061 0016 00A1 0016 00A1 0016 00A1 0017 00A1 0016 00A1 0016 00A1 0016 00A1 0016 00A1 0016 00A1 0016 009F
9 0000 0048 0000 0011 0017 0162 0016 00A3 0017 00A3 0016 0061 0017 0061 0016 0061 0016 00A3 0016 00A3 0017 00A3 0016 00A3 0017 00A3 0016 00A3 0017 00A3 0016 00A3 0016 00A3 0017 00A3 0016 00A1

Do you have any hints that could get the USB-UIRT to function properly?

Dave

[jrhees]

Dave,

You *can* lengthen out how long a digit is sent, by adding a line right *after* the first line in the file as follows:

jvc301 0 0 4 600 800
RepeatCount 4
0 0000 0048 0000 0011 0017 0160 0017 00A1 0016 0061 0017 00A1 0016 00A2 0016 00A1 0016 0061 0016 00A1 0016 00A2 0016 00A1 0016 00A1 0016 00A1 0016 00A1 0016 00A2 0016 00A1 0016 00A2 0016 009F
...
...

The value of RepeatCount affects how long a digit is sent. I believe Sage defaults to 1 or 2.

What's strange though is that Sage should not transmit a digit any differently between the 'test' screen and during actual tuning...!

Let me know,

P.S. Here's something else you might try (after you try the suggestion above): Change the first line of your file to read:

jvc301 56000 411 3 600 1000

Jon

[davephan]

Jon,

Things are working much better now, although I can only use SageTV from the computer directly.

I tried:
jvc 0 0 4 600 800
RepeatCount4

jvc301 56000 411 3 600 800
RepeatCount 4

jvc301 56000 411 3 600 800
RepeatCount 3

The last configuration seemed to work better. The speed of the channel switching is about 10 times slower than manually changing the channels. Once and a while, the Dish Network receiver gets stuck on a channel I do not subscribe to, and I have to use the UP/DOWN on the JVC-301 receiver to get it out of the message to 'subscribe' to the new channel.

I tried changing using RepeatCount 2, but the USB-UIRT did not seem to work with that configuation.

Could you let me know what those numbers in the first line mean?

I am now much closer to having a working system, thanks to your help!

Now, I have discovered another problem with my setup. I have a Dish Network JVC-301 receiver connected to the Hauupage PVR-350 through an S-video cable and two audio cables. The PVR-350 is setup for S-video only.

It seems that the PVR-350 remote control is designed for the PVR-350 to directly record shows on over the air TV. The PVR-350 remote control therefore cannot change channels on the Dish Network receiver through the SageTV software. The volume control and other PVR-350 remote control functions do not work either.

Do you know of a way to get a remote control to operate SageTV?

Dave

[jrhees]

Dave,

The numbers on the first line are used by Sage. They are the inter-digit spacing and how many digits to send.

You can probably now edit the spacing time in Sage and improve the tuning speed. The RepeatCount is not editable in Sage.

You should be able to use the Hauppage remote to control sage if you like (via the USB-UIRT). You'll need to turn off the Hauppage remote SW and disconnect the Hauppage IR receiver. Then, go to the 'Advanced Setup' in sage and teach each action in Sage the IR code from your remote.

HOWEVER, I believe you can use the Hauppage IR receiver and do the same thing. It depends on whether you tell Sage your IR *receiver* is the USB or the Hauppage.

-Jon

[Opus4]

Originally posted by davephan
Do you know of a way to get a remote control to operate SageTV?

Like Jon said, you can use a remote w/the usb-uirt to control SageTV. Or, you can simply use the Hauppauge remote with the 350's built-in IR receiver. It is up to you.

When you installed SageTV, there was a check-box option to install support for controlling SageTV with the Hauppauge remote. You can also add it manually. See this FAQ and the links it contains -- the first link points to a post containing a sample ini file to use the 350's remote.

- Andy

[metropole]

When here is mentioned USBIRT, I assume this means that girder is required?

Using girder I get it to work. However I have a couple of problems. One is that the up down buttons in the tv guide act not smooth. Often I jump up and down over many channels.

[davephan]

Thanks for the help Jon and Andy.

I was able get SageTV to respond to the Hauupage PVR-350 remote control through the following steps: "Setup", "Detailed Setup", "Commands", "Link Remote Control Button to Sage Command".

I am now able to do many functions through SageTV with my Hauupage PVR-350 remote control. The USB-UIRT JVC301 IR file may require some fine tuning to get the remote to respond like the JVC301 remote control. I have to press the Hauupage PVR-350 remote control buttons very clearly with quite a bit of time between the buttons.

I also downloaded the Girder program to learn how that software functions (I don't know if that program will be helpful to me).

Dave

[metropole]

Thanks for davephan's comment I can now use the USBIRT feature using Sage directly (without girder).

One obstacle that I encountered during the learning of my 350 remote: the multiple use of the up/down (ch+/ch-) buttons and similar for left/right (vol) seemed to be an issue. It complained that it is already in use. Should I remove the check at the bottom?

When I complained that with girder up and down react to nervous, using SageTV I would like to have it faster. Is there a way to reduce delay times or something?

[metropole]

OK, I fianlly got all my logical problems resolved. Works great.
However I have a problem with the up/down button in the sage guide. That is the only issue.
http://forums.sage.tv/forums/showthr...5&goto=newpost

As soon as I switch off Girder I'm OK.
I do have the latest plugin.

[jrhees]

If you're seeing sluggish response when sharing with Girder, it is likely the API driver needs to be updated. Completely shut down Sage and Girder, unzip www.usbuirt.com/latestAPIDriver.zip and copy the uuirtdrv.dll overtop the one in your Windows\System32 folder.

-Jon

[metropole]

It is the opposite. I have a hard time to select a row in the guide menu. It is somewhat jumpy. the up/down buttons work faster with girder switched on.
Other than that the functionality works fine.

[jrhees]

Calling all Sage/USB-UIRT Users. If you would be willing, we would love to compile successful .IR files into future Sage releases as pre-defined files. If you are willing, please send you .IR file along with a cable/sat box model description to support@usbuirt.com

Thanks for all your efforts!

-Jon

[justme]

Sounds good to me. Do you want them with default timimgs? Or with any adjustments we may have made to fine tune them for better performance in our home environments. ie timimg Also are you fine accepting them as attachments? Or would you prefer they be pasted into the body of the email?

Edit: Here's mine for my Mototrola DCT-2224. And yes, I'm sending it off to the email as well.It's been posted many times before in this thread, but better safe than sorry. With a little tweaking it seems to work with many similiar models. I guess there are only a few Box manufacturers and many companies rebrand them under different names and model#s.

[Jack_PVR]

I'm having a hard time getting my Bell ExpressVu 6000 sat receiver to work with SageTV 2.0 and a USB-UIRT.

The receiver has the same codes as a Dish 6000, or any other common Dish network receiver.

I also tried learning the codes in Sage with no success. When I learn, the usb-uirt led lights and I hold the key pressed but Sage never accepts it.

If I hold for a shorter time, SAge accepts it , but when I use it I get poor results. Numbers are sent but timing is off.

The codes learned fine in Girder and with Jon's learn helper app.

Any suggestions, anyone have a working Dish or ExpressVu IR file to share?

[glbrown]

Here are files for Dishnet 301 remote address 1 and 2

[Jack_PVR]

Update to my post regarding Bell ExpressVu codes.

Jon was kind enough to help me and all is fine now.
Thanks Jon, great support for usb-uirt!

[morgen36]

Hey Jack.... Can you post what you need to do to get your expressvu to work. I'm trying to get my Expressvu 2700 to change channels without much luck.

Thanks.