DirecTV Serial Control Guide

[SWKerr]

One have you made sure in the tuner sertup that it is set to use the correct com port?

Also: in the latest version of Sage I think even with the Patterson you need to go into the setup and change the "DirecTV Serial Channel Changing Mode" to Fast under the custom options.

Have you checked both of these?

[Ron]

Originally Posted by SWKerr

One have you made sure in the tuner sertup that it is set to use the correct com port?

Also: in the latest version of Sage I think even with the Patterson you need to go into the setup and change the "DirecTV Serial Channel Changing Mode" to Fast under the custom options.

Have you checked both of these?

Fast is set and Com Port is correct. I've decided to remove and reinstall the source. Is it necessary to get a video preview in order to go on with a successful installation? Or can I just skip this step? I've decided to change the com port with a reinstall.

[Ron]

Actually, I think I have other issues. First, the red record light won't light on the HDPVR, even using Total Media Extreme, and as mentioned before, I can't get past the video preview screen. It's just waiting for something that it won't see.

[SWKerr]

You can set it to a null tuner and come back to it later. It just won't change the channel. I would work on getting the video setup first. You can try recording a show jsut to see if the the file gets bigger or you get an error message. That way you can seperate the possible playback codec issues from the HD-PVR driver issue. If the file starts groing it is recording something. You can probably open the file in TME to see if it runs and then troubleshoot playback in sage. I have found it is easer not to have any other h.264 codec installed when I first set it up that way I know what might be messing with it.

[Ron]

A reinstall of Sage Server on the second server solved all my problems. Just weird that it started to behave strangely all of a sudden.

[azcoyote]

I've been beating my head against a wall for hours trying to get the DirecTV Serial Control functionality included with SageTV working with my new DirecTV HR-23 HD DVR receiver and Paterson USB TV device. I'm hoping someone has run into the same problem and knows how to fix it.

Last week I had DirecTV service installed with an HD Slimline 3LNB SWM dish. For the past several months I had been using SageTV with a Hauppauge HD PVR to record HD programming from my cable box. I'm currently running the latest SageTV beta release V6.5.12 on my HTPC. As part of my DirecTV installation I received the HR-23 HD DVR. I already have the HR-23 connected to the HD PVR and able to view video no problem through the SageTV client. The only thing left to do is get SageTV configured to change channels on the HR-23, and that's where I'm stuck. Rather than use the IR blaster of the HD PVR, which I've found to be slow and unreliable, I decided to go with the Paterson USB TV Translator device. I installed the Paterson USB device on my PC and attempted to get it working with SageTV last night. Here are the steps I went through...

First I downloaded the Paterson USB Translator utility and sucessfully ran tests with the USB Translator connected to my PC's USB port and COM1 serial port.

Once I determined the device was working and could communicate through the COM1 port, I connected the USB end of the Paterson USB Translator to the USB port of the HR-23 receiver. I upgraded the HR-23 receiver's software per the instructions that came with the Paterson USB device to make sure the HR-23's USB port would be enabled.

I downloaded the DirecTV Serial Control Utility from http://www.dtvcontrol.com/ and ran it with the SageTV service stopped. I was successfully able to control the HR-23 receiver through this utility, turning the power on/off and changing channels. So I know the USB Translator device is working through COM1 and able to control the HR-23.

Restarted the SageTV service, went into the SageTV Windows client and went through Configuration Wizard. I deleted the existing Hauppague HD PVR Capture device profile, clicked Add New Source and re-added the HD PVR Capture Device, this time selecting the DirecTV Serial Control plugin with COM1 as my selected COM port. Then finished the configuration, setting up the DirecTV channels for the guide.

Once I completed the Configuration Wizard, I went into Live TV and attempted to change the channels through the Guide and up/down channel button the remote. Channels won't change. SageTV will briefly pause like it's about to change channels, but nothing happens. The channel remains the same. That's where I'm stuck now.

I thought I might have found the issue. I went into the Source Details for the Hauppague HD PVR Capture Device and noticed the Tuner Control: was set to
F:\Program Files\SageTV\Common\DirectTVSerialControl COM1 StubDevice

The DirecTVSerialControl.DLL was in the root of Program Files\SageTV but not in the SageTV\Common folder
So I stopped the SageTV service, copied the directvserialcontrol.dll to SageTV\Common and re-started the service. Went back into the SageTV client and still cannot change channels.

There must be some trick or tweak I need to make to DirecTVSerialControl working. Has anyone out there encountered the same issue and knows how to fix it? I'd greatly appreciate it!!!

[toricred]

I'm sure you've probably thought of this, but I've done it before. Did you make sure to close the dtvcontrol utility and the Paterson utility before starting the Sage service?

[azcoyote]

Originally Posted by toricred

I'm sure you've probably thought of this, but I've done it before. Did you make sure to close the dtvcontrol utility and the Paterson utility before starting the Sage service?

I have neither the Paterson utility or directv control utility running before starting the SageTV service, so COM1 should be free.

[HelenWeathers]

In your Sage setup, do you have DirecTV Serial control set to FAST? Try flip/flopping whatever your setting is, but mine would not respond to any setting except FAST. (I think the setting is in the Advanced section)

EDIT: My DirecTVSerialControl.DLL is in Program Files\SageTV\SageTV

[azcoyote]

Originally Posted by HelenWeathers

In your Sage setup, do you have DirecTV Serial control set to FAST? Try flip/flopping whatever your setting is, but mine would not respond to any setting except FAST. (I think the setting is in the Advanced section)

EDIT: My DirecTVSerialControl.DLL is in Program Files\SageTV\SageTV

I'm trying to change the DirecTV Serial Channel Changing Mode under the Customize menu from Normal to Fast. But the change doesn't seem to want to stick. If I change the setting to Fast, exit the Customize menu and go to one of the other menus under Detailed Setup like General or leave the Detailed Setup altogether, then go back into the Customize menu, the option is back to Normal. Why would it not save this setting? I tried finding this setting in the Sage.Properties file to see if I can manually set it to Fast but couldn't find the setting.

btw, DirecTVSerialControl.dll is in Program Files\SageTV\SageTV as well as SageTV\Common
I was missing the extra SageTV folder in my original post.

[HelenWeathers]

Originally Posted by azcoyote

I'm trying to change the DirecTV Serial Channel Changing Mode under the Customize menu from Normal to Fast. But the change doesn't seem to want to stick. If I change the setting to Fast, exit the Customize menu and go to one of the other menus under Detailed Setup like General or leave the Detailed Setup altogether, then go back into the Customize menu, the option is back to Normal. Why would it not save this setting? I tried finding this setting in the Sage.Properties file to see if I can manually set it to Fast but couldn't find the setting.

I would make the change and then exit Sage (to save your settings to HDD). See if it's kept when you reload Sage. Don't know what else to try. EDIT: If you can't get it to hold submit a support ticket to Sage. I've never had this happen.

[azcoyote]

Yes! Finally got channel changing to work! I had to do the registry hack, adding an entry DirectTVSerialFastChannelChanges with value = 1 to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Frey Technologies\SageTV

The registry hack supposedly should no longer be necessary now that they have the DirecTV Channel Changing setting under the Customize menu, but for whatever reason on my system I can't get this setting to stay on Fast. Even with the registry hack, this setting is still showing as Normal.

[Ron]

All of a sudden, the Patterson device is no longer changing channels in Sage. With the DirecTV Control Utility, I'm able to turn my HR21 on and off. Just can't change channels. It was working yesterday, and quite frankly, I have no idea why it's not working now. The DLL is in the correct directory and I'm set for FAST.

Any troubleshooting thoughts, please?

[HelenWeathers]

My H21s got new software updates yesterday. I would try unplugging the receiver for 5 mins or so and then plug back in. I know on my receivers, when I first hooked up the serial cables, I had to reboot them to get the USB ports fully active.

[Ron]

Originally Posted by HelenWeathers

My H21s got new software updates yesterday. I would try unplugging the receiver for 5 mins or so and then plug back in. I know on my receivers, when I first hooked up the serial cables, I had to reboot them to get the USB ports fully active.

I just checked, and the last software upgrade was on 2/11. I've pushed the red reset button for several cycles, and when the receiver came back would test the on/off with the DTV utility, and that's as far as I've gotten.

I'll try your suggestion of 5 mins unplugged, but it's just weird that all of a sudden this issue has cropped up.

[Ron]

Helen, per your suggestion I unplugged for 5 minutes, and let it reacquire the guide. Then tried the utility and it was able to power the STB on and off. Closed the utility and opened Sage. Still can't change channels.

Any other thoughts, please.... anyone.

[Polypro]

To force an update check, press the red button and then enter 02468 when you see "Hello. Your DirecTV receiver is starting up".

Also, maybe the USB to Serial adapter gave up the ghost...do you have another you could try?

P

[Ron]

Originally Posted by Polypro

To force an update check, press the red button and then enter 02468 when you see "Hello. Your DirecTV receiver is starting up".

Also, maybe the USB to Serial adapter gave up the ghost...do you have another you could try?

P

I'm not totally sure whether the Patterson TV Translator is having a problem, but I doubt it, since I can turn the HR21 on and off. Does anyone know if there's any other tests I can run to test it further? I don't recall what tests can be run using the Patterson software.

It's just weird that, all of a sudden, Sage has stopped changing channels. I even removed the source and then added it again, thinking there was something flaky with the installation. I selected serial control and the correct COM port. However, can't get Sage to change channels.

Any other suggestions, please, to troubleshoot.

[Ron]

I'm at a complete loss. I'm able to do more than just power on/off my HR21 with the DirecTV Utility. I can channel up/down, select the guide, menu, etc. So that tells me the Patterson TV Translator is working. Therefore the problem must be within Sage. The DLL is in the Sage/SageTV folder.

Would I be wasting my time doing the registry hack, which a recent member who was having trouble selecting "fast" said cured his problems?

Ideas?

UPDATE:
I went to do the registry hack, but found it's not needed as it's already there, compliments of Sage. I then went back into my Sage Client and, for no known reason, it began changing channels again, properly.

This is weird behavior, since I did nothing. Anyone ever have this experience?

[HelenWeathers]

Are you running SageTV Client on the server with ther server in service mode? OR, are you running a seperate Client PC? And if seperate PC Client describe network please.