MCE Convert initial impression!

[nebulink]

Yesterday I downloaded and installed SageTV 6.3.5 and my HD Extender.

The software install was easy. Setting up my HD OTA card was a breeze as well.

Now the part that was a little more tricky, setting up the USB-UIRT. It was somewhat difficult to find instructions on how to setup the usb-uirt for multiple receivers of the same brand and how one gets 3 blasters out of the unit. This is where MCE is much easier than Sage. Sage should fully integrate teh usb-uirt into sage. The drivers should be included as well as an interface for setting up each zone while you setup each tuner. Also, the USB-Uirt should come with everything necessary to support 3 zones out of the box. Instead you have to get a stero to mono stero jack splitter. Then you either have to create your own emitters or steal them from some other device you may have laying around. This to me is a total hack. Also, I almost forgot to mention that you must modify some .ir files in order to enable multi-zone support. I am a programmer and IT guy so I was able to fumble my way through this portion of it but there is no way a majority of average users would figure this out. As mentioned before the USB-UIRT/Sage Remote with 3 emitters to support 3 STB's should be a package for purchase along with documentation in the help file or manual on how to get this up and running vs. having to comb through the forum for an hour.

UI is a little less intuitive. I installed SageMC and this made things a bit easier for navigating.

HD Extender - This as very easy to setup except I ran into one problem. I entered the key and received a msg that the key was invalid or a duplicate. Not completly sure why I am getting this message. I made sure the SageTV service was not running but was unableto get past this. I sent support an e-mail about this issue. Maybe it is because I have a trial version of SageTV?

Changed remote code and channel change delays to 50ms and this did not seem to make a difference compared to 800 and 600.

Another difference between mce and sage is the way the channel guide responds. You either have to push OK twice to view a channel or you have to push the play button which is kind of odd since it is no where near the arrow keys so this makes channel surfing a little slower imho.

This is as far as I got after 3 hours. I may provide additional thoughts as I try to integrate this into the rest of the house. Not sure how easy it will be for the wife and kids to convert since they are so use to MCE and the remote.
Too bad the mce remote could not be used with the extenders..??

Merry Christmas!!

Terry

[mikesm]

Originally Posted by nebulink

Yesterday I downloaded and installed SageTV 6.3.5 and my HD Extender.

The software install was easy. Setting up my HD OTA card was a breeze as well.

Now the part that was a little more tricky, setting up the USB-UIRT. It was somewhat difficult to find instructions on how to setup the usb-uirt for multiple receivers of the same brand and how one gets 3 blasters out of the unit. This is where MCE is much easier than Sage. Sage should fully integrate teh usb-uirt into sage. The drivers should be included as well as an interface for setting up each zone while you setup each tuner. Also, the USB-Uirt should come with everything necessary to support 3 zones out of the box. Instead you have to get a stero to mono stero jack splitter. Then you either have to create your own emitters or steal them from some other device you may have laying around. This to me is a total hack. Also, I almost forgot to mention that you must modify some .ir files in order to enable multi-zone support. I am a programmer and IT guy so I was able to fumble my way through this portion of it but there is no way a majority of average users would figure this out. As mentioned before the USB-UIRT/Sage Remote with 3 emitters to support 3 STB's should be a package for purchase along with documentation in the help file or manual on how to get this up and running vs. having to comb through the forum for an hour.

UI is a little less intuitive. I installed SageMC and this made things a bit easier for navigating.

HD Extender - This as very easy to setup except I ran into one problem. I entered the key and received a msg that the key was invalid or a duplicate. Not completly sure why I am getting this message. I made sure the SageTV service was not running but was unableto get past this. I sent support an e-mail about this issue. Maybe it is because I have a trial version of SageTV?

Changed remote code and channel change delays to 50ms and this did not seem to make a difference compared to 800 and 600.

Another difference between mce and sage is the way the channel guide responds. You either have to push OK twice to view a channel or you have to push the play button which is kind of odd since it is no where near the arrow keys so this makes channel surfing a little slower imho.

This is as far as I got after 3 hours. I may provide additional thoughts as I try to integrate this into the rest of the house. Not sure how easy it will be for the wife and kids to convert since they are so use to MCE and the remote.
Too bad the mce remote could not be used with the extenders..??

Merry Christmas!!

Terry

If you are willing to relearn IR commands for the MCE remote, that will work with the extender. The issue is the power on/off commands. However, the MCE remote can learn new power on/off commands for the TV, though not MCE. So if you don't need the MCE remote to turn the display on/off, you can use those keys to power cycle the extender. Dorky, but it works.

[nebulink]

I would be interested in this. Where do I go in the application to do this?

[nebulink]

I figured out my key issue. I did not enter the sagetv key before entering the extender key.

[mikesm]

Originally Posted by nebulink

I would be interested in this. Where do I go in the application to do this?

You don't. Program the MCE remote's settings for the TV to power on/off the the extender. You do this by teaching the MCE remote the extender IR commands via it's remote.

thx
mike

[heffe2001]

That all depends on what MCE remote you have though, I think that's for a specific one. The other remotes don't have that functionality. Can't remember which one sadly though.