Directv HD and Direct Control

[TechBill]

I was thinking something like this http://www.usbgear.com/computer_cabl...atid=199%2C469

Should it work allowing me to control up to 4 DirectTV STB?


Bill

[BFisher]

One advantage of the Patterson device is that you can program it to change some channels different... for example, my ESPN2 HD doesn't come in properly all the time (very sensitive, I have a tree in it's line of sight) so I programmed the Patterson devices to "hit the up button" so it tune ESPN2 rather than HD. Works perfectly with the Patterson device... couldn't figure out how to do it any other way.

[MavRic]

Any way to control Comcast STB's with anything other than IR?

Are all Direct TV STB's serially controllable? In their 'packages' you can't see which STB you're actually getting.

[MrD]

Originally Posted by bcjenkins

I run SageTV server in Linux and I am using the CommandIR II device which has 4 ports and works with Lirc. I haven't missed a channel change yet. I am also using a few pieces of black electrical tape to prevent IR leakage.

B

Bummer I was using IR for DirecTv but I switched to the Patterson devices and do not want to go back to IR.

[kentro71]

I've been reading about all this, and it's not working for me yet. Looking under source setup and tuner control. It is pointing to c:\program files\sagetv\common\directvserialcontrol com3 stubdevice. That file does not exist in that directory. So I am guessing that's why it is not working. Iam using 2 usb to serial and a null modem cable. I removed the source, stopped sage, plugged in the cables, drivers installed, started sage, added source, selected directv serial control, and finished. Am I missing a step?

Note: I've used the dtvcontrol program and can control my H20 sat box. Does not work in sage though.
Note: I have completely uninstalled sage and all directories. Reinstalled and still no serial control.

Any help would be greatly appreciated. Have everything else working good and very nice picture quality. All I lack now is control.


Thank You,
Chris

[kentro71]

Update: I've tryed the old directvserialcontrol.dll and it worked once and any channel changes afterwards locks sage up. switched back to the current dll and no lock ups after channel changes, but it does not change the channel.

what com port settings are others using and working properly? Are others using the directvserialcontrol.dll that installs with the latest release?

Update: for anyone else like me out there. Fixed this by using the old dll change channel changing to fast and com port to 9600-8-none-1.
channel changing is still kinda slow, but like it better than ir blaster.



Thanks,
Chris

[Beefcake550]

sorry I haven't checked back ni a while..

I looked at my setup to help out. I could'nt get Sage's built in directv control to work, so I used the EXETuner Plugin and downloaded the "directv.exe" (do a google search dtv serial control). I changed the registry command (from EXEtuner) to read "directv.exe -port COM4 #%CHANNEL% or something like thing.

Use the debug version of the command line to help debug your command line. Use control Panel to find out which COM port to use.

Once I did this, channel changes are quick and I have no complaints. Good Luck.

-Brian