HIP support for SageTV working?

[spockware]

This post says HIP now supports SageTV commands natively...

http://forums.dvbowners.com/index.ph...3578&hl=sagetv

Anyone tried it with an MCE 2005 remote or any other remote for that matter?

[spockware]

Call me cheap, but this is freeware, looks really cool, and supports both MCE remote/blaster and USB-UIRT which I have. Anybody successfully using this with SageTV 2.2.8 or 3x beta? If so, share your war stories please.

[peterjb]

I use Hip on my main SageTV rig ( 2.2.8 ) with an MCE remote/Blaster. I use the supplied MCE plugin and simply map the keys that SageTV does not support natively to the functions I want within SageTV. Works Like a charm!

If you want full control over all the keys, you can use the replacement driver and re-learn them, but I couldn't be bothered..

Cheers

Peter

[spockware]

Peter,

So you just used the SageTV.hpg and most everything works out-of-the-box? Cool.

For those interested, here's a summery of what I had to do to get it to work (I can detail step-by-step if there's enough interest):

I use the mcesys.dll that comes with HIP (the same one mentioned in Sage Community WIKI about MCE remote), instead of the default MCE driver (irbus.dll). HIP Help describes how to re-instal this driver over the other one.

I had to remove SageTV.hpg and re-program my .hip configuration in all my MCE remote commands to call SageTV.exe using keyboard emulations.

I had to link some commands in SageTV to keyboard entries (eg. Alt+F9, Alt+F10) that Sage didn't have linked yet.

Then, I mapped all keyboard entries linked in Sage to remote buttons in HIP. This is super easy (though time consuming) and it works awesome except one thing. In a nutshell... when I am in Guide or LiveTV channel changing doesn't work from the remote. Sage only changes channels correctly from the keyboard and/or mouse. I actually had the same problem using a Hauppauge remote, so I am going to post separately since I don't think it is a HIP thing.

[Scriber]

I just ran across HIP since I thought that $40 for Girder for a low-end Client box was too steep. Although I found it a bit confusing at the start, I was able to get this to work using the MCE receiver and remote (v1) on XP Pro as a "HID device". Like you, the default sage commands did not work (could be set for Sage not Client ??) so I added keyboard commands for remote buttons that don't work natively in Client. FWIW, I had no issues changing channels using the keyboard command but when I use the same key to page-up/down it seems to send 2 commands for each press. Biggest issue I have is making a key work when Client is not in focus – I want the Green Button to wake Sage but I can’t get that to work except as using it as the control key which is awkward.

[Mogul345]

I just stumbled upon HIP a few days ago, and it seems to be working great, using the MCE 2005 remote! However, I can't seem to get the "Power" message to work. I originally attached it to a keyboard command, CTRL-Z, and it worked, it would put Sage to sleep in my systray. But I can't wake it back up, because once it is minimized to the systray, Sage is no longer in focus, and thus HIP doesn't send it commands anymore.

So then I tried to use Windows Messages to send the power message to Sage (The message is 19 according to the instructions on the Sage site). No such luck, but I don't think I've configured it right in HIP. Has anyone tried to use HIP to send windows messages to Sage? Will I still run into the same problem since once it's minimized, HIP won't send commands due to Sage being out of focus?

[Scriber]

Originally Posted by Mogul345

IWill I still run into the same problem since once it's minimized, HIP won't send commands due to Sage being out of focus?

That's the same issue I have - how to control Sage (just wake actually)when not in focus using the MCE remote. I'm sure this will work somehow using messages but don't know how to set that up. I think I recall there is a HIP forum somewhere....

[byremote]

The Hip support forum is at http://forums.dvbowners.com/index.php?showforum=44

I am currently working on a new version of Hip which (amongst a whole bunch of things) addresses problems with communicating with Sage via Windows messaging which never really worked until I realised that the Window I need to communicate with is hidden. I have released a test build to check out if the code changes work. You can read all about it here:
http://forums.dvbowners.com/index.ph...topic=4907&hl=

[Polypro]

Very cool. Thanks for your work.

P

[byremote]

Just one thing I forgot to mention previously is that for this Test build to work, you MUST have the current version of Hip and plugins installed first.

[taboryee]

I have sage 2.1 and am using HIP w/MCE IR and blaster. I can change a channel in live tv and it will blast the correct channels to the STB and changes the channel. However, when I am in the Live TV Guide and select a show and press enter the blasters never blast at all and the channel just remains on the one that it was previously on. Am I missing something in the HIP setup to get this to work? Thanks.

[evilpenguin]

Anyone have SageTV/MCE remote hip configuration file they want to post

[ck-]

Originally Posted by evilpenguin

Anyone have SageTV/MCE remote hip configuration file they want to post

Yes, I have a .hip file. Ive attached it with .txt extension.
The author of the program has done some sterling work over the last few days ggetting this working properly with SageTV. I find the MCE2005 remote far and away the best one, but without this software it just doesn't work.
Be warned that my config file is for the test version, probably the one mentioned a few posts earlier.

[alon24]

Is there a way to use the two zones that the MCE blaster supoort, if I have 2 STBs, and want to change channels on them?

[gplasky]

I was not aware of any zone support on the MCE blaster. They have extra plugs for using extra emitters. Only one I know of that supports zones would be the USB-UIRT.

Gerry

[alon24]

for the IR blaster there are 2 emmiters:
In the girder site there is a plugin (0.18) for MCE remote
http://www.promixis.com/downloads.ph...er&lucCode=800 - MCE Remote Plugin

From the documentation:

0.18
- Blaster selection is now possible (1, 2 or both)
- Introduce MceIrSelectBlaster() and MceIrCheckFile() functions
- Driver now will install all MCE 2005 remote models

[gplasky]

Originally Posted by alon24

Is there a way to use the two zones that the MCE blaster supoort, if I have 2 STBs, and want to change channels on them?

So you answered your own question. It's all done with the latest version of the MCE plugin from Girder and Girder 4. You would configure Sage to NOT have a remote and do it all through Girder.

Good luck!

Gerry

[alon24]

I think you misunderstood me:

Originally Posted by gplasky

You would configure Sage to NOT have a remote and do it all through Girder.
Gerry

I do not have a problem with the remote part, I have a problem with the Blaster part, and being able to use the two seperate zones-leds.

I'll try again to explain:

Sage needs to tell the blaster to change the channel right?
There are 2 STBs right?
The EXETuner knows how to send messages to girder - right?
I need a way for sage to diffrentiate, between the two STBs so one time it will send the commands to trigger the first stb, and another time the second.

For that I need support from sage or exetuner.

Hope I was a bit clearer this time...

[gplasky]

Here's how it is done with the USB-UIRT. Since the MCE blaster is not natively supported by Sage that was why I was saying you're going to have to get Girder to handle it. You'd probably just be better off using the USB-UIRT.


All USB-UIRT's sold since Feb. '04 have the ability to control 3 seperate IR devices independantly. To do this in SageTV is quite easy but does require some manual configuration. Two things are required, connecting wired emitters between the UIRT and the cable/sat boxes and editing the SageTV IR files.


1) Connecting the USB-UIRT

The USB-UIRT has 3 outputs. Everyone that owns a UIRT already knows about the LED blaster that transmits thru the air. The other two outputs are via the 3.5mm jack on the back of the UIRT. The jack is a stereo mini-jack and each channel (Left/Right) carries an IR signal.

The first item you need is a stereo splitter adapter. I found one at RatShack for a few dollars. This plugs into the mini-jack and provides seperate jacks for each of the two stereo channels. The next thing is to plug two wired emitters into the stereo splitter and run those to cable/sat boxes.

Important Note 1 - You will have to make little IR "forts" on the two boxes with wired emitters so that they will respond only to the emitters and not any IR signals from the LED blaster. I used black electrical tape.

Important Note 2 - You need to keep track of which PVR250 is connected to which cable box to which USB-UIRT output for the SW configuration. This can be difficult since SageTV chooses the capture card # itself and doesn't let you know which PCI slot it is in. For this reason I ended up installing the PVR-250/cable box combo's one at a time, running the Setup Wizard each time. The UIRT left channel is zone 1 and goes to cable box 1 which goes to capture card 1. The UIRT right channel is zone 2 and goes to cable box 2, etc. The LED blaster is zone 3.


2) Configuring SageTV to use zone control on the USB-UIRT

In its default state the USB-UIRT transmits one IR signal to all three ouputs. To utilize the 3-zone control feature you must edit the IR text files that SageTV generates for each of you cable boxes but first we'll go thru getting sage to generate the IR files.

During installation SageTV will take you thru the setup wizard to configure your capture cards and cable/sat box control. You can also start the wizard by clicking the setup button on SageTV's Main Menu. Choose "Add New Source" and then capture card #1 (SageTV lists mine as Hauppage WinTV PVR PCI II Capture, ...Capture #2, and ...Capture #3).

Then choose the video input (composite or s-vid) and then "Use external Cable or Satellite receiver to tune channel". Next choose the USB-UIRT for the tuning plugin and you are presented with a list of cable boxes for which there are existing IR files. SageTV comes with the MotorolaDCT2000. If you do not have a listed box click "Add New Device" and you will be prompted to name your box. I have 3 SA 3250's so I named the first SA-1. The Wizard will then walk you thru entering the IR codes for the numbers 0-9 from the box's remote and finish. Repeat for Sources 2 and 3.

Exit SageTV and navigate to C:\Program Files\Frey Technologies\Common\RemoteCodes\USB-UIRT Transceiver. You will find 3 files named (in my case) SA-1.ir, SA-2.ir and SA-3.ir (Note that the names of the IR files is the same as you chose in the setup wizard for the cable/sat box). Open SA-1.ir in NotePad. It will look something like this:

SA-1 0 0 0 600 800
0 0000 0048 0000 0018 00C0 00C1 0030 0092 0030 0092 0030 0030 0030 0092 0030 0092 0030 0092 0030 0031 0030 0031 0030 0092 0030 0092 0030 0031 0030 0031 0030 0030 0030 0092 0030 0031 0030 0031 0030 0031 0030 0092 0030 0092 0030 0030 0030 0031 0030 0092 0030 0882

1 0000 0048 0000 0018 00C0 00C0 0030 0091 0030 0091 0030 0030 0030 0091 0030 0091 0030 0030 0030 0030 0030 0030 0030 0030 0030 0091 0030 0030 0030 0030 0030 0030 0030 0091 0030 0030 0030 0030 0030 0091 0030 0091 0030 0091 0030 0091 0030 0030 0030 0091 0030 087D

2 0000 0048 0000 0018 00C0 00C0 0030 0091 0030 0091 0030 0030 0030 0091 0030 0091 0030 0091 0030 0030 0030 0030 0030 0030 0030 0091 0030 0030 0030 0030 0030 0030 0030 0091 0030 0030 0030 0030 0030 0030 0030 0091 0030 0091 0030 0091 0030 0030 0030 0091 0030 087D

3 0000 0048 0000 0018 00C0 00C0 0030 0091 0030 0091 0030 0030 0030 0091 0030 0091 0030 0030 0030 0091 0030 0030 0030 0030 0030 0091 0030 0030 0030 0030 0030 0030 0030 0091 0030 0030 0030 0030 0030 0091 0030 0030 0030 0091 0030 0091 0030 0030 0030 0091 0030 087C

4 0000 0048 0000 0018 00C0 00C0 0030 0091 0030 0091 0030 0030 0030 0091 0030 0091 0030 0091 0030 0091 0030 0030 0030 0030 0030 0091 0030 0030 0030 0030 0030 0030 0030 0091 0030 0030 0030 0030 0030 0030 0030 0030 0030 0091 0030 0091 0030 0030 0030 0091 0030 087D

5 0000 0048 0000 0018 00C0 00C1 0030 0092 0030 0092 0030 0030 0030 0092 0030 0092 0030 0030 0030 0030 0030 0092 0030 0030 0030 0092 0030 0030 0030 0030 0030 0030 0030 0092 0030 0030 0030 0030 0030 0092 0030 0092 0030 0030 0030 0092 0030 0030 0030 0092 0030 0881

6 0000 0048 0000 0018 00C0 00C0 0030 0092 0030 0092 0030 0030 0030 0092 0030 0092 0030 0092 0030 0030 0030 0092 0030 0030 0030 0092 0030 0030 0030 0030 0030 0030 0030 0092 0030 0030 0030 0030 0030 0030 0030 0092 0030 0030 0030 0092 0030 0030 0030 0092 0030 0880

7 0000 0048 0000 0018 00C0 00C0 0030 0092 0030 0092 0030 0030 0030 0092 0030 0092 0030 0030 0030 0092 0030 0092 0030 0030 0030 0092 0030 0030 0030 0030 0030 0030 0030 0092 0030 0030 0030 0030 0030 0092 0030 0030 0030 0030 0030 0092 0030 0030 0030 0092 0030 087F

8 0000 0048 0000 0018 00C0 00C0 0030 0091 0030 0091 0030 0030 0030 0091 0030 0091 0030 0091 0030 0091 0030 0091 0030 0030 0030 0091 0030 0030 0030 0030 0030 0030 0030 0091 0030 0030 0030 0030 0030 0030 0030 0030 0030 0030 0030 0091 0030 0030 0030 0091 0030 087E

9 0000 0048 0000 0018 00C0 00C0 0030 0091 0030 0091 0030 0030 0030 0091 0030 0091 0030 0030 0030 0030 0030 0030 0030 0091 0030 0091 0030 0030 0030 0030 0030 0030 0030 0091 0030 0030 0030 0030 0030 0091 0030 0091 0030 0091 0030 0030 0030 0030 0030 0091 0030 087E

The first line describes the box itself. Each line after starts with a digit followed by that digits IR code. Edit it to prepend Z1 to the beginning of each IR code sequence like this:

SA-1 0 0 0 600 800
0 Z10000 0048 0000 0018 00C0 00C1 0030 0092 0030 0092 0030 0030 0030 0092 0030 0092 0030 0092 0030 0031 0030 0031 0030 0092 0030 0092 0030 0031 0030 0031 0030 0030 0030 0092 0030 0031 0030 0031 0030 0031 0030 0092 0030 0092 0030 0030 0030 0031 0030 0092 0030 0882

1 Z10000 0048 0000 0018 00C0 00C0 0030 0091 0030 0091 0030 0030 0030 0091 0030 0091 0030 0030 0030 0030 0030 0030 0030 0030 0030 0091 0030 0030 0030 0030 0030 0030 0030 0091 0030 0030 0030 0030 0030 0091 0030 0091 0030 0091 0030 0091 0030 0030 0030 0091 0030 087D

2 Z10000 0048 0000 0018 00C0 00C0 0030 0091 0030 0091 0030 0030 0030 0091 0030 0091 0030 0091 0030 0030 0030 0030 0030 0030 0030 0091 0030 0030 0030 0030 0030 0030 0030 0091 0030 0030 0030 0030 0030 0030 0030 0091 0030 0091 0030 0091 0030 0030 0030 0091 0030 087D

3 Z10000 0048 0000 0018 00C0 00C0 0030 0091 0030 0091 0030 0030 0030 0091 0030 0091 0030 0030 0030 0091 0030 0030 0030 0030 0030 0091 0030 0030 0030 0030 0030 0030 0030 0091 0030 0030 0030 0030 0030 0091 0030 0030 0030 0091 0030 0091 0030 0030 0030 0091 0030 087C

4 Z10000 0048 0000 0018 00C0 00C0 0030 0091 0030 0091 0030 0030 0030 0091 0030 0091 0030 0091 0030 0091 0030 0030 0030 0030 0030 0091 0030 0030 0030 0030 0030 0030 0030 0091 0030 0030 0030 0030 0030 0030 0030 0030 0030 0091 0030 0091 0030 0030 0030 0091 0030 087D

5 Z10000 0048 0000 0018 00C0 00C1 0030 0092 0030 0092 0030 0030 0030 0092 0030 0092 0030 0030 0030 0030 0030 0092 0030 0030 0030 0092 0030 0030 0030 0030 0030 0030 0030 0092 0030 0030 0030 0030 0030 0092 0030 0092 0030 0030 0030 0092 0030 0030 0030 0092 0030 0881

6 Z10000 0048 0000 0018 00C0 00C0 0030 0092 0030 0092 0030 0030 0030 0092 0030 0092 0030 0092 0030 0030 0030 0092 0030 0030 0030 0092 0030 0030 0030 0030 0030 0030 0030 0092 0030 0030 0030 0030 0030 0030 0030 0092 0030 0030 0030 0092 0030 0030 0030 0092 0030 0880

7 Z10000 0048 0000 0018 00C0 00C0 0030 0092 0030 0092 0030 0030 0030 0092 0030 0092 0030 0030 0030 0092 0030 0092 0030 0030 0030 0092 0030 0030 0030 0030 0030 0030 0030 0092 0030 0030 0030 0030 0030 0092 0030 0030 0030 0030 0030 0092 0030 0030 0030 0092 0030 087F

8 Z10000 0048 0000 0018 00C0 00C0 0030 0091 0030 0091 0030 0030 0030 0091 0030 0091 0030 0091 0030 0091 0030 0091 0030 0030 0030 0091 0030 0030 0030 0030 0030 0030 0030 0091 0030 0030 0030 0030 0030 0030 0030 0030 0030 0030 0030 0091 0030 0030 0030 0091 0030 087E

9 Z10000 0048 0000 0018 00C0 00C0 0030 0091 0030 0091 0030 0030 0030 0091 0030 0091 0030 0030 0030 0030 0030 0030 0030 0091 0030 0091 0030 0030 0030 0030 0030 0030 0030 0091 0030 0030 0030 0030 0030 0091 0030 0091 0030 0091 0030 0030 0030 0030 0030 0091 0030 087E

Now edit SA-2 and SA-3 prepending Z2 and Z3 respectively.

That's it. Assuming you followed Important Note 2 carefully you now have SageTV controlling 3 seperate cable boxes independantly but you may have to play around with the connections to get the correct UIRT output to the correct cable/sat box and capture card.

[alon24]

Thank you for your detailed response, it is nice to know that people do want to help each other.

I have been using a USB-UIRT in that configuratioin for a year now, but it just got defective on me.

The options are to buy another or use the MCE IR Blaster that I got from my friend right now.

I opted to try and figure out a way to use what I currently have (MCE IR BLASTER - 2 zones).

So if any one can help with this task I will be for ever appreciative.

Alon24