MVP - IR Blaster & Comcast OnDemand

[davidjames]

I've searched the forum but couldn't find my answer.

I have a Hauppauge PVR-150 controlling a Comcast STB via the 150's IR Blaster and am watching TV through a Hauppauge MVP.

I want to watch Comcast's OnDemand channel from my MVP. That means I need to be able to use the MVP remotes arrow and OK keys. It appears, however, those key strokes aren't getting through to the STB.

Has anyone run into this and or know how to get it to work?

[Opus4]

It doesn't work that way -- the MVP remote is used to control the UI where the MVP is used; it doesn't pass anything through to your STB. And, the server only sends channel changes to the STB via the IR blaster when the channel needs to be changed.

- Andy

[davidjames]

Originally Posted by Opus4

It doesn't work that way -- the MVP remote is used to control the UI where the MVP is used; it doesn't pass anything through to your STB. And, the server only sends channel changes to the STB via the IR blaster when the channel needs to be changed.

- Andy

Thanks Opus. I guess that means there is no way to watch maneuver through the menus of Comcast OnDemand via the MVP. To bad.

Thanks again.

[Paul H]

There is a way, you could just connect a composite cable from the cable box to the composite input of your TV card and use your remote to navigate On Demand and then start manual record in STV.

[CollinR]

The easiest and cheapest way is to just run IR over coax back to the server room. Then configure a universal remote, you will need to set a custom lineup so that only 1 tuner has access to the OnDemand channels. Then at the MVP you just go to an OnDemand channel, set the remote to OnDemand mode and nav. There will be a slight delay in keypresses but since this is a $30-$50 solution ($10 per TV, $30 at the server, ChannelVision IR), you should swallow that an be happy.


Also you can run another emitter to a DVD megachanger, then configure it on a composite input as channel 1. Now you can watch copy protected DVDs on your MVPs too. You would just configure another mode on your remote for DVD player.


As another bonus, you can confiure the universal remote to power on/off the TVs, so you are back to 1 remote at the client side again. Not bad at all for something like $200.

[Lostinpvr]

Originally Posted by CollinR

Then configure a universal remote, you will need to set a custom lineup so that only 1 tuner has access to the On-Demand channels.

CollinR,
I am trying to accomplish something very similar to this except that I will have the STB placed next to the MVP and would like to be able to select the On-Demand channel from the MVP and then use the STB remote to control the STB. That way I would have direct access to the On-Demand UI.

I have read the manual from front to back and searched the Forums but the problem I am having is that I can't seem to figure out how to set up a Custom Lineup using ony 1 Tuner so when I select Channel 1 (Comcast) on the STB SageTv will only use that one tuner (The one I will have next to the MVP)?

Any help you or others can provide would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks Jeff

[ke6guj]

Originally Posted by Lostinpvr

the problem I am having is that I can't seem to figure out how to set up a Custom Lineup using ony 1 Tuner so when I select Channel 1 (Comcast) on the STB SageTv will only use that one tuner (The one I will have next to the MVP)?

Just pick a second lineup and disable all the channels except Channel 1. You could try to a neighboring city's lineup and use that for your custom lineup. All the channels don't need to match, so just about any lineup should do.

[Lostinpvr]

Jack,
I got it working I used a line up from another city like you said and it works great.
Thanks, Jeff

[misterj]

Hi all, just another newbie with questions... Almost started a thread but this one has most of my answers already. Might as well ask here. I'm hoping to combine what the two posters above asked about, and be able to use SageTV with Comcast On-Demand from my TV room.

The plan is:

Server computer with PVR-150 and PVR-500 MCE in the basement

Media Extender and STB in the TV room.


I have a USB-UIRT on the way.

Plan is to use the Media Extender remote at all times, except for when using On Demand, at which time set the channel to 1 on a second lineup and use the Comcast remote to control the STB.... correct?


Where I'm not sure I can make this all work is in getting IR signals from the computer to the STB (to control the channels on the cable box)

Would a USB extension like this one http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16812101152
accomplish what I want to do, by letting me locate the USB-UIRT in the TV room? Does anyone know how well this item works?

Or should I look into an IR over coax system like Xantech or Channelvision? I've read as much as I could about these systems, and I'm still unsure what specific pieces/kits I would need here. I'm not a stranger to wiring and running cables, but this IR stuff is new to me.

Are there performance differences between these two solutions? I'd like to keep it cheap as I can, but having it work better might be worth some added cost. Thanks in advance for any guidance!

[ke6guj]

looking at your setup, I'd say to actually put the STB in the basement hooked up directly to the server computer with the USB-UIRT.

Then, get an IR repeater like http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...d_i=B000069EV0 or http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...=ir%2bextender and have the STB remote in the TV room control the STB in the basement via the IR extender.

Because, if you leave the STB in the TV room, you're gonna need to run video cables from the STB back to the server.

Then, once its set up, you can set up the lineups the way you want, with a "channel 1" enabled. You need to make sure that Sage isn't gonna try to "take" over the STB to record another show, but that is fixed with your lineups and encoder_merit which will set the order that Sage will use your tuners.

[misterj]

Thanks Jack. STB in the basement makes a lot more sense. And your solution is cheaper than what I was thinking, to boot. Much appreciated! As you can tell, my "rig" is still theoretical at this point, but I look forward to getting it running.

I'm not sure what that last part means yet, about the encoder_merit, will have to refer back here when I get to that point! Hopefully sooner than later!

[ke6guj]

Originally Posted by misterj

I'm not sure what that last part means yet, about the encoder_merit, will have to refer back here when I get to that point!

Yup, get your rig built, and then we can finetune it. Not a big deal, the main part is getting all the hardware set up correctly, then making the software behave the way we want it to.

[misterj]

Hi again, back to ask more advice. I'm further along than before, but not there yet.

Right now I have a single PVR-250 in my computer, it stays on channel 4, and the STB's channels are being changed by Sage via USB-UIRT. I plan to add more cards once I get this working. (although I'm wondering if other cards will be needed, in order to get it working right....)


When I select channel 1 in Sage, I can then pick up the STB's remote, and navigate around in On Demand. Playing a movie etc. works ok. However, when I want to exit to go to another channel, is when things don't work as I hoped. If I go to the Program Guide in Sage and pick a new channel, it looks like it will change to that channel, but stays in On Demand. What does allow me to exit On Demand, is using the STB remote to go one channel up or down, and then Sage again "resumes control" and works as normal.

I could live with this as is, but I'm thinking I should have this set up differently to work smoother... I didn't quite understand the tips in this thread about having just On Demand on a lineup, but maybe my solution is there somehow?

Do I want 2 cards, one with a lineup set to only On Demand channel(s), and one with only "non-On Demand" channels? Another card is on the way, but I just have the PVR-250 at the moment.

Again, thanks in advance from a noob.

[ke6guj]

Originally Posted by misterj

Right now I have a single PVR-250 in my computer, it stays on channel 4, and the STB's channels are being changed by Sage via USB-UIRT. I plan to add more cards once I get this working. (although I'm wondering if other cards will be needed, in order to get it working right....)

Yup, you will need one tuner for each STB that you want to hook up. YOu can use dual-tuner cards like the PVR-500 which will let you record from 2 STBs at the same time.

When I select channel 1 in Sage, I can then pick up the STB's remote, and navigate around in On Demand. Playing a movie etc. works ok. However, when I want to exit to go to another channel, is when things don't work as I hoped. If I go to the Program Guide in Sage and pick a new channel, it looks like it will change to that channel, but stays in On Demand. What does allow me to exit On Demand, is using the STB remote to go one channel up or down, and then Sage again "resumes control" and works as normal.

The new 6.2 betas has the capability of adding in a "pre-command" that may be able to help, such as a channel-up before tuning in the proper channel. I haven't used it so I don't know how it works, just that is was mentioned in the release notes.

I could live with this as is, but I'm thinking I should have this set up differently to work smoother... I didn't quite understand the tips in this thread about having just On Demand on a lineup, but maybe my solution is there somehow?

Do I want 2 cards, one with a lineup set to only On Demand channel(s), and one with only "non-On Demand" channels? Another card is on the way, but I just have the PVR-250 at the moment.

OK, I just read back into the thread, and the above conversation was regarding having multiple STBs and only setting up 1 STB to be able to tune in the On-demand channel. The idea is that you are going to have to manually control an STB to navigate through the On-demand menus, so you need to designate 1 STB for that. Otherwise you will run into problems knowing which STB to control when you want to on-demand. And how do you keep your remote from messing up all your STBs? since they would all need to be controllable by the remote depending on which STB you were going to use.. By designating 1 STB for on-demand usage, you can tape up all the other IR blasters so that the remote will only control the 1 STB. And since you are designating that 1 STB to be able to on-demand, then that STB needs its own lineup that has the on-demand channel and all other available channels enabled. The other STBs need the on-demand channel disabled from the second lineup used for those STBs. Make sense so far?

RIght now, with only one STB/tuner, you should only need 1 lineup.

And after you get your second tuner and STB, you want to use the non-On-Demand STB/tuner first so that the On-Demand STB/tuner is available as much as possible. That is when you will need to adjust "encoder_merit" so that Sage will know what order to use the STBs.

[misterj]

Thanks once again Jack! My head is spinning right now but I do think I get it. Will return with more questions as they come up, I'm sure!