Can SageTV check if the STB is powered on?

[korben_dallas]

Is there any way SageTV can check if a cable or satellite set top box is powered on? Like if no signal on tuner, then send the power on command?

My cable stb seems to power off randomly during the night, even when there is no power outage, and I've got a few black screen recordings as a result. Also, when the stb power is cycled, the stb volume gets defaulted, which is way too low.

[SHS]

That one biggest reasons why I hate Cable STB unlike Satellite at leases Dishnetwork ocen there on and standby is disable they will automatic turn back on.

[PhillJones]

It's possible to send any command when channel changing so in principle it ought to be possible to run a batch file to do just that but I know nothing of that sort of programming.

The other thing that occurs to me is IF you have an IR blaster that can be programmed with custom codes, or something like a pronto remote that can be programmed and then teach the code to an IR blaster and IF you can find the discrete code for power on for your stb, you could do it that way.

[Kev]

Originally Posted by PhillJones

It's possible to send any command when channel changing so in principle it ought to be possible to run a batch file to do just that but I know nothing of that sort of programming.

The other thing that occurs to me is IF you have an IR blaster that can be programmed with custom codes, or something like a pronto remote that can be programmed and then teach the code to an IR blaster and IF you can find the discrete code for power on for your stb, you could do it that way.

Where as the remotes power button toggles you on or off, just selecting that would not help you unless you had some way of feeding back the stb's status. I don't know of any way of feeding back the STB's status.

I believe the stb's are powered off when they recieve an update, which is done in the late late night (probably a set time... 2am?). As a work around, could program the blaster to shut the box off everynight at around 12 and turn back on at 6 (or when ever you expect to have recorgdings) and could have it hit the volume up command about 20 times as well. I just ordered a USB IR blaster myself so don't know if it is easy to interact with it through a command prompt, if so it would be simple to write a couple of batch scripts that could be run per the windows scheduler as well as on shutdown and start up.

[PhillJones]

Originally Posted by Kev

Where as the remotes power button toggles you on or off, just selecting that would not help you unless you had some way of feeding back the stb's status. I don't know of any way of feeding back the STB's status.

I'm talking about discrete power on codes. There are remote codes for many pieces of kit that turn it on or turn it off only, not toggle. These often exist for kit that doesn't have such a feature on the stock remote.

http://www.hifi-remote.com/ofa/discrete.shtml

I use this for my TV. I have macros programmed into my pronto so that I can use the same buttons to either toggle between sources or turn the system on and select a source.