Hauppauge remote, Sage, and cable box

[MSquid]

In my incredibly ignorant way I'm trying to do something I think should be very simple. I have the Hauppauge 350 PVR board, Sage 2.0, a Motorola DCT 6200/2005 cable box, and the UIRT gadget. Everything seems to be working, more or less. If I go into the Sage TV listings, I can change the cable box channel by choosing a particular channel number there.

Now this is my question: Is there some way I can use the Hauppauge remote control to change the cable box channel? Currently the Hauggauge TV program is tuned to channel 4 to allow it to allow the cable box to choose the channel. Is there some simple way to adjust a setting so that the Hauppauge remote can change the cable box the way that Sage already appears to be able to do?

Many thanks. I'm sure I'll discover a more challenging problem soon.

Joe

[kny3twalker]

yeah you need to use the USB UIRT to change the channels
you set up sage incorrectly
you need to have the USB UIRT control the box
it should ask during setup
do you have a USB UIRT?
cause all you said was "UIRT gadget"
point the USB UIRT at the cable box and it will change the channels for you so you can record on the box when away from home

[MSquid]

I may have underexplained myself. I do have the USB-UIRT, and I am able to change channels on my cable box by going to the listings in the Sage program and selecting something to "Watch Now".

What I'd like to know is whether there is a way to use the Hauppauge remote supplied with the 350 PVR to also change the channels on the cable box.

Currently my Hauppauge WinTV is tuned to channel 4 exclusively to receive the cable box's feed. It would be nice if WinTV, Sage, and the cable box could all work together seamlessly. For example, not only would it be nice if I could change the cable box with the Hauppauge remote, but it would also be nice if I could change the cable box channel from the WinTV screen; it doesn't seem like that ought to be impossible, though it may be.

For a slightly different question: Sage, in Sleep mode, wakes to make timed recordings. But can it also wake the WinTV program? If Sage wakes to record something, but I have not opened WinTV, I seem to record an hour of darkness--is there a way around that?

Thanks for any ideas!

[Opus4]

First, the Hauppauge remote is not a learning remote, so unless your cable box responds to it already, there isn't anything you can do about that.

Second, I'm curious: if you are using SageTV, what purpose does WinTV serve? You do not need WinTV for SageTV to work properly. If you do, perhaps somethign isn't set up correctly?

- Andy

[ezeitler]

Question, can you change channels on Sage with your Hauppage remote?

My setup allows me to use the Hauppage Silver remote to control SageTV and when I select a channel to watch from the guide listing, my USBUIRT changes the channel on my satellite box.

If your setup does not do this, then search the forums for irremote to find lots of info on getting that part working

[MSquid]

I understand the H. remote is not a learning remote; I had something more in mind that the remote would connect with the computer and then the computer (via the USB UIRT) would connect with the cable box. Life would be nicer if stuff like that happened.

As far as using WinTV-- that's the icon I click on to open the TV screen onto my computer monitor. Is there some way around that? More importantly and way more annoyingly, as far as I can tell, if Sage makes a timer recording and I haven't opened WinTV, all I record is a black screen. Does WinTV always need to be open and running for Sage to make a recording?

Thanks!

[Opus4]

Originally posted by MSquid
I understand the H. remote is not a learning remote; I had something more in mind that the remote would connect with the computer and then the computer (via the USB UIRT) would connect with the cable box.

You would probably need to use something like Girder to be able to use the Hauppauge remote to change the box's channel for WinTV. SageTV has support for the USB-UIRT built-in, but WinTV doesn't.

As far as using WinTV-- that's the icon I click on to open the TV screen onto my computer monitor. Is there some way around that? More importantly and way more annoyingly, as far as I can tell, if Sage makes a timer recording and I haven't opened WinTV, all I record is a black screen. Does WinTV always need to be open and running for Sage to make a recording?

I don't run WinTV at all. As I mentioned above, you shouldn't have to run WinTV. SageTV will do all the recording & playback w/o WinTV being used for anything. I'm not sure why you have that problem -- perhaps list more info about your configuration & maybe someone will have ideas on what is happening. I _think_ I remember seeing comments from people about having to run WinTV to initialize the tuner somehow, but I don't remember the fix.

- Andy

[kny3twalker]

yeah sounds like your pvr card is not initializing after coming out of sleep
there is a toic about this already
and a fix
you just need to use the search option
if you cannot find it
I will

[kny3twalker]

also just wanted to let you know that when you use a cable/satellite box and use the coax output
1 you will only get mono sound
2 the picture quality and color will not be as good as going with svideo or composite

If I were you I would get a svideo cable and a RCA right and left y adapter to min(headphone) plug

you will get much better picture and stereo sound this way
just another suggestion though

[gplasky]

No 1. is not correct. From a coax connection to a cable box you will receive a stereo signal and/or if the channel broadcasts in Dolby Prologic, surround sound. It won't be DD 5.1. This is the same way your TV gets a signal from the cable box and your TV receives stereo and Prologic surround sound. I have my Sage TV just connected to the cable and receive stereo and surround sound all the time. And record it.

Gerry

[kny3twalker]

the signal is stereo or how else would you get stereo sound by using RCAs (composite output)
but cable boxes only output mono sound through the coax ouput

also you cannot record surround sound on a pvr 250 card only mono or stereo

[mccosco]

Is there a card that let's you record surround sound?

Also, I have a cable box - and am installing two tuner cards so I can record two shows at once. And specifically, I want to record on some of the pay channels (HBO, SHOW).

I presume I need the USB-UIRT to change the cable box?

What does the other remote (which comes with the tuner cards) do exactly?

[kny3twalker]

you will a USB UIRT or some other IR blaster
and hauppauge remote is the remote you will use with SageTV unles you haev another in mind
or do not like and plan to get another one
I guess????
the USB UIRT is not a remote
it is an IR blaster and reciever

[stanger89]

Originally posted by mccosco
Is there a card that let's you record surround sound?

There's nothing that can record digital.

However, that doesn't mean you're stuck with plain stereo, what you usually get is matrixed surround (Dolby Pro Logic), it's a stereo file, but it can be decoded into surround by your reciever (or in software).

It's not DVD quality sound, but then again you're not getting a DVD quality picture either.