SageTV 6.x and USB-UIRT

[bglines]

Does the SageTV have built in support for the USB-UIRT? I need to control a Motorola DCT700/US from comcast. Its confusing because I see references to using HIP, GIRD, lrnhelper.

All of the threads are nearly 3+ years old.

What is the current state of the product? With the USB-UIRT?

I am using a standard Motorola DCt700 with the standard issue Comcast digital TV remote.

[IVB]

yeah, works fine, i'm using it.

[Chriscic]

Super easy to set up as well.

[davephan]

The USB-UIRT works great to change channels on your set top box. If you do not use extenders, then you need to aim the USB-UIRT or one of the 3 zones at your seating area. The 'repeatcount' parameter in the IR file may need to be tweaked.

To setup the three zones, you can search for the diagrams posted in the forum. The USB-UIRT can control three set top boxes if the set top boxes have only one IR channel. If the set top boxes IR channels are configurable, then you can control many set top boxes with one USB-UIRT, three times the number of IR channels.

If and when you switch from cable to satellite, to get better pricing, you can still use the USB-UIRT after reconfiguring it for the different set top box.

Dave

[bglines]

And the references to HIP, Girder, and Lrnhelper? Are they needed at all? There real is little to no solid documentation on what is exactly needed. i.e. programming to support the comcast remote? It sounds like this is plug and play or really hard to do...

[Chriscic]

Originally Posted by davephan

If you do not use extenders, then you need to aim the USB-UIRT or one of the 3 zones at your seating area. The 'repeatcount' parameter in the IR file may need to be tweaked.
Dave

You lost me there. What does the use of extenders have to do with how you set up the USB-UIRT to interact with your set-top box(es)?

[davephan]

I have not used HIP. I tried Girder many years ago very briefly. Of the three you mentioned, I think LrnHelper is the most useful.

If you have trouble getting the USB-UIRT configured, then you can use LrnHelper to get the codes for each digit. You capture each digit, one at a time. You can then see the digital code the LrnHelper captures. You can then transmit the code to your set top box to test the code. For example, you capture the digit '1'. You then send 111 to your set top box. You then observe your set top box changes to channel 111.

Again, LrnHelper is only needed if you are having trouble with configuring the USB-UIRT and configuring the IR file.

If you do not own an extender, then you are using a video card in your computer that is connected to your TV. You then need to control SageTV with your remote control. The USB-UIRT will receive the codes from your remote control from your seating position. The USB-UIRT will also transmit the codes from the computer to the set top box. If you are using an extender, then the extender receives the remote codes from your remote control from the seating area. The codes are then passed with Eithernet to your computer (which could be in a different room). The USB-UIRT is then only used to pass the signals from your computer to your set top boxes to change the set top boxes channels.

There can be some tweaking when you switch from one providers set top box to another providers set top box. However, once you get the USB-UIRT configured, it runs trouble free for years. The USB-UIRT is easier to get configured and working than you may be thinking.

Dave

[bglines]

I'm only using the USB-UIRT to control a Motorola DCT700 set top box (via IR blaster) which control input to my Hauppauge 1600 which is input to SageTV. No extenders. Before I invest in the USB-UIRT, I'm trying to figure out the work involved getting it configured to control my set top box, that is all. No extenders, no zones.

I had tried to reconfigure the MCE remote an IR blaster I had received with the Hauppauge 1600 and it was a nightmare. The instructions were so old I'm not sure what was going on....

"f you have trouble getting the USB-UIRT configured, then you can use LrnHelper to get the codes for each digit. You capture each digit, one at a time. You can then see the digital code the LrnHelper captures. You can then transmit the code to your set top box to test the code. For example, you capture the digit '1'. You then send 111 to your set top box. You then observe your set top box changes to channel 111.
"
Totally confuses me... From what I understand, the USB-UIRT should take in the code it receives from the remote and send it to the set top box. Nothing fancy here... Does Sage TV need to be configured to send the appropriate codes to the USBUIRT so it sends the appropriate code to the set top box?

[davephan]

Originally Posted by bglines

Totally confuses me... From what I understand, the USB-UIRT should take in the code it receives from the remote and send it to the set top box. Nothing fancy here... Does Sage TV need to be configured to send the appropriate codes to the USBUIRT so it sends the appropriate code to the set top box?

This shouldn't confuse you. What if the USB-UIRT isn't changing the channels. Is the problem within SageTV or the USB-UIRT? If you use the LrnHelper, you can remove SageTV from the mix, helping you to isolate where the problem is occurring. Normally the LrnHelper stand alone program isn't needed, but if you need to isolate where the problems is occurring, then the free program LrnHelper is very helpful.

Dave

[KarylFStein]

I just went through this. Here's what I did, although I didn't write it down at the time, so just going on memory, (which isn't always that good these days...)

1) Plug in the USB-UIRT and point the front toward your cable box (or use an IR transmitter--much better option--or I believe you can run a plug from the back of the USB-UIRT directly into the cable box if it has an IR port, but I haven't tried that yet).
2) Install the USB-UIRT drivers.
3) In SageTV, go to Setup then Setup Video Sources.
4) Select to add a new source and select the right one for your Hauppauge card, (video capture, not TS).
5) Select TV Tuner for the input, (or TV Tuner Channel 3 if it exists, but probably won't at that point).
6) Select to use an external cable tuner to tune the channel. It will then ask you what channel to tune to. You should probably enter 3.
7) AT THIS POINT, *I* HAD TROUBLE! SageTV acted weird and didn't go to the next screen. Instead it showed the same menu and then started deleting menu items when I moved up and down. I couldn't go back or anything. I had to close SageTV, restart it, go back through the process EXCEPT this time I had the option to use "TV Channel 3" as a tuner and things were golden.
8) Select USB-UIRT as the external tuner.
9) Select to add a new device. It will then prompt you to enter a name (e.g. MotorolaDCH70 is mine), and then train it. To train it, you point the remote for the device at the front of the USB-UIRT and press the keys that SageTV prompts you to, (0 - 9).

The rest of the setup deals with the EPG/valid channel stuff, and I won't go through that.

Anyway, the USB-UIRT stuff just worked except for that weird SageTV hiccup. The first time I did the training, I don't think I had the remote and USB-UIRT lined up quite right because a couple of the numbers didn't work, but you can just go back to the tuner device menu, select the device, select Tuner Control then retrain IR.

Oh, that reminds me, I had to go to Tuner Control and select Learn New Command, name it Enter then train it like the numbers. I then selected Remote Control Options from the same menu and selected "Enter" for the channel change confirmation code.

I don't know what the delays and IR repeat factors mean. I fiddled with them a little and got my channel changing a little faster, (IR repeat set to 1 seemed to have the biggest impact), but really don't know what they do. Anyone?

[Tiki]

Originally Posted by bglines

Totally confuses me... From what I understand, the USB-UIRT should take in the code it receives from the remote and send it to the set top box. Nothing fancy here... Does Sage TV need to be configured to send the appropriate codes to the USBUIRT so it sends the appropriate code to the set top box?

No!

The USBUIRT has 2 possible functions: (1) It can act as an IR Receiver, or (2) It can act as an IR Blaster. It is possible to use it for both of these functions or just one of these functions - your choice.

In case it is not clear, an IR Receiver receives commands from a remote control and passes them on to whatever software on your PC can deal with them. Sage has native support for using the USBUIRT as an IR Receiver. You can use any remote control with the USBUIRT to control the SageTV user interface (UI). So, you can navigate through the menus, send requests to Sage to change the channel, or pretty much anything else you could do with a mouse and keyboard. In order for this to work, you need to go to the setup menu in Sage and teach it so it knows which buttons on your remote should do what.

The IR Blaster sends a signal out to a device like your cable set top box (STB) that mimics the remote control that goes with that device. Sage has native support for this too. Again, it must be trained for your specific cable box. This way Sage can change the channel on your STB whenever it needs to.

The USBUIRT is not just passing through signals. Receiving and Blasting are two completely separate activities. The only time they are somewhat related is when you are watching live tv. In that case you might:
1. Press the button on your remote to change the channel.
2. The IR Receiver captures this button press and sends it to Sage.
3. Sage determines you are trying to change the channel, determines which tuner you are currently viewing, and sends a command to the IR Blaster, that is associated with that tuner.
4. The IR Blaster then pretends to be a remote control and sends the signal to your cable box to change the channel.

One other note: I have not been able to get the USBUIRT to work as both a blaster and a receiver at the same time using Windows 7 with SageTV running in Service mode. From what others have posted, it may not be possible unless you use some 3rd party software. It did work in Windows XP, but in Windows 7 it seems you can only use it as a blaster or a receiver, but not both.

[BigSwifty]

Resurrection!
Tikki. I have searched but cannot find the posts you refer to about Server-client issues with Windows7 64 bit. My Client box is the Win7 device. I can control sage fully with the mouse (access all Videos and channel change, etc.) although I have 2 issues:
1) ComSkip monitor gives an error (Via IE) that the properties files for the mapped video drive directories can't be found.
2) More importantly, how do I control Sage, via the USB-UIRT and Hauppauge 45 button remote? I have 2 STBs controlled with a different USB-UIRT on the server and all is well with that XP machine. The LED emitter on the client flashes when I try to learn Codes in Sage but nothing appears in the text window. Even if it DID learn the Code, it appears according to your research, that it wouldn't necessarily control the server. So my second problem I guess actually has 2 parts:
A) Initial set-up of the USB-UIRT on the Sage Client (Win7) and,
B) Is a third party SW solution needed to control the server once I solve ''A"?

Help me obiwankanobe You're my only hope!

Originally Posted by Tiki

No!

The USBUIRT has 2 possible functions: (1) It can act as an IR Receiver, or (2) It can act as an IR Blaster. It is possible to use it for both of these functions or just one of these functions - your choice.

In case it is not clear, an IR Receiver receives commands from a remote control and passes them on to whatever software on your PC can deal with them. Sage has native support for using the USBUIRT as an IR Receiver. You can use any remote control with the USBUIRT to control the SageTV user interface (UI). So, you can navigate through the menus, send requests to Sage to change the channel, or pretty much anything else you could do with a mouse and keyboard. In order for this to work, you need to go to the setup menu in Sage and teach it so it knows which buttons on your remote should do what.

The IR Blaster sends a signal out to a device like your cable set top box (STB) that mimics the remote control that goes with that device. Sage has native support for this too. Again, it must be trained for your specific cable box. This way Sage can change the channel on your STB whenever it needs to.

The USBUIRT is not just passing through signals. Receiving and Blasting are two completely separate activities. The only time they are somewhat related is when you are watching live tv. In that case you might:
1. Press the button on your remote to change the channel.
2. The IR Receiver captures this button press and sends it to Sage.
3. Sage determines you are trying to change the channel, determines which tuner you are currently viewing, and sends a command to the IR Blaster, that is associated with that tuner.
4. The IR Blaster then pretends to be a remote control and sends the signal to your cable box to change the channel.

One other note: I have not been able to get the USBUIRT to work as both a blaster and a receiver at the same time using Windows 7 with SageTV running in Service mode. From what others have posted, it may not be possible unless you use some 3rd party software. It did work in Windows XP, but in Windows 7 it seems you can only use it as a blaster or a receiver, but not both.

[BigSwifty]

Anyone?

[StephaneM]

Originally Posted by BigSwifty

A) Initial set-up of the USB-UIRT on the Sage Client (Win7) and,
B) Is a third party SW solution needed to control the server once I solve ''A"?

For A) download the appropriate Win 7 drivers (http://www.usbuirt.com/support.htm)
For B) as you are on a client, the SageTV application is only using one process. The problem with the USB-UIRT is that it cannot be shared by multliple process having a different security context (for instance used by the SageTV service process and the SageTV client process on the same machine)

You are not in this case: the USB-UIRT will be used only by the SageTV client process on your client machine. So you don't need a third party software to handle the USB-UIRT.

To verify your USB-UIRT is working correctly you can download my software LM Remote KeyMap and you'll be able to verify that you can learn IR codes correctly

Regards,
Stéphane.

[Spectrum]

Jon has made a beta driver available that allows the SageTV service and client to both access the USB-UIRT at the same time

[BigSwifty]

Thank you both for your replies; I was away for a bit and will take a new look at troubleshooting. Will report back on progress.