IR Blaster USB UIRT not waking STB up

[2FarGone]

I am using the most current version of SageTV 6 with a USB UIRT controlling an odd brand of Set-Top-Box.

I had to "learn" all the IR codes and set up the .ir files in SageTV and everything appears to be working great when I select a channel from the Guide or I "Watch Live TV" and change the channel up or down. All the IR commands are sent via the USB-UIRT and the channel change goes through without any problems.

The problem is if I schedule a program to be recorded, it will almost always fail to change the channel. When I watch what was recorded, I can see the different IR codes being sent to the box, and it appears that the box goes into some type of standby mode or something, and it takes the first several digits from the USB UIRT to wake it up. Usually the last digit or two will appear, however it will not change the channel since it isn't the proper number of digits.

Therefore, my question is simply how to get SageTV to repeat the channel change a few seconds after the first channel change command is sent? Or maybe if I can send a useless command a few seconds before the channel change is sent??

I am at a loss and would appreciate any help, I really believe everything is working great except for the "waking up" of the box after it sits for a little while... it appears that the box will do it anytime it sits for more than about 30 minutes or so.

Just to test the theory, I can watch live TV for about an hour and then when I do a channel change it will only get the last digit or so. But if i do another channel change immediately following that failed one, it will work perfectly and perfectly every time after that, until I let it sit for awhile again. I have tried adjusting the time between digits and channel changes in the .ir file, however it doesn't appear to make any difference, the box simply needs to wake up before it will start seeing any of the digits that are being sent to it.

I would be happy to use a script or program like the EXETuner program, however it appears that it is only for the Hauppauge remotes and will not work with the USB UIRT.

[mattdcknsn]

I know that you can learn new commands and have it execute them before or after the channel change goes to the STB. One option is to learn <OK> and have it blast that out a couple of times before the channels get sent.

Another option is to see if there is some sort of standby feature that can be turned off. One thing to try is with the remote power off your STB then hit the info or menu button. Sometimes that gets you into the configuration of the STB and you might find something in there to control it.

[2FarGone]

I think sending the "ok" or something several times before the channel change would probably work.

However, I cannot figure out where to do that in SageTV. I found where you can send the "Confirm" Channel Change, which happens after it sends the channel.

Is this something you have to do outside of the SageTV program?

Thanks again for your help!

[jprine01]

I'm kind of wondering the same thing as 2FarGone. In Setup->Video sources I program in the commands for channelup and channel down thinking I could have it use them instead of pushing 3 numbers for next/previous channels.
But I can't find anywhere in sage you can use the extra buttons you configure. Anyone?

[Jsan]

I had a problem similar to this with a Comcast box, and mostly fixed it by setting up an IR tent. The newer boxes (also have some of these) do not suffer from this problem, so trading in the cable box for a newer one might also be something you could try.