Recognizing USB-UIRT as a tuner plugin

[jeff986]

I'm trying to configure SageTV (v6.5.2) to use a USB-UIRT IR blaster to control a set top box. I've installed the USB-UIRT hardware and drivers and they appear to be functioning properly at the system level (windows XP). However, I can't get SageTV to recognize the existence of the USB-UIRT: When setting up a new video source the single tuner plugin I am offered is "DirecTV serial control", with no other options.

How do I get SageTV to recognize that the USB-UIRT is installed, and to allow me to select it as a tuner plugin? I've googled and searched through these forums -- and have found many posts where others are apparently offered other options at that point in the SageTV menu.. Help?

Note that I've had SageTV running on this PC for several years, and that the USB-UIRT is a new addition. .. Do I need to uninstall and re-install the SageTV software now that the USB-UIRT drivers are on the system?

[davephan]

Welcome to the SageTV forum!

When you say that the USB-UIRT works with windows, did you make sure that there are no yellow unrecognized devices in Windows device manager?

There is a free utility called "IR Helper" that will allow you to test the USB-UIRT independently of SageTV.

If the USB-UIRT does not have any device errors and works independently of SageTV, then you might try upgrading to the current SageTV version.

During your SageTV build process and periodically after that, you should take images of your operating system / programs drive, and save the images to another hard drive. If you ever need to recover, then you can recover back to the point in time when the image was taken.

Dave

[jeff986]

Yeah, the USB-UIRT is recognized as a system device and works fine.. To experiment, I've downloaded girder and HIP and other tools and, although those tools are cumbersome, they recognized the device and interacted with it.. So, I'm 100% confident the hardware works..

As I said, although page #154 of the latest SageTV manual shows 3 options at the "tuner plugin" (DirecTV, USB-UIRT, Actisys IR200) screen in the video setup, the only option that's available to me in as a "tuner plugin" is DirecTV serial. [And by that I don't mean the USB-UIRT option is present on the screen but is not selectable -- I mean that the only option on that menu screen [see below/attached] is the DirecTV serial.]

The SageTV docs say that USB-UIRT has been supported since version 1.4. Since I'm running version 6, it's not clear to me why it's behaving this way. help? Thanks.

[Fuzzy]

The IRPlugin files should be in the Program Files\SageTV\Common folder (or a subfolder of that). It looks like for some reason the Actisys and USB-UIRT dll's are missing from that location. Quickest fix would probably to be to install SageTV again (just over top the existing install). This should get those files in there, which should result in them showing in the list... might take this opportunity to install v7 anyways.. :-)

[graywolf]

I ran into this awhile ago, so I'm going by memory (iron sieve = rusty and full of holes).

I think I ended up having to delete the tuner, then re-add the tuner and the USB was available.

[Spectrum]

Originally Posted by graywolf

I ran into this awhile ago, so I'm going by memory (iron sieve = rusty and full of holes).

I think I ended up having to delete the tuner, then re-add the tuner and the USB was available.

Yeah I have an iron sieve too and IIRC when I changed to USB-UIRT for my HDPVR I had to remove it as a source and re-add it for Sage to let me use the USB-UIRT.

[doncote0]

"DirecTV serial control", with no other options

Fixed here.