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| Getting a Cable Box - Now what? http://forum.linhes.org/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=19103 |
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| Author: | Lepis [ Mon Oct 13, 2008 6:03 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Getting a Cable Box - Now what? |
I have searched the forums for a clear answer on this and am still a little confused. I am getting a cable box this week and want to make sure I have everything ready. Here is my sys specs R5.5 StreamZap Remote Happauge 500 I have a irblaster, and I believe that it ensure that when I tell the cable box to change channel, that it will ensure that Myth changes channels as well. My questions are as follows: 1. Will I be able to still record channels via Myth? 2. What will the flow of tv signal be? Cable Line > Digital Box > Myth? Cable Line > Myth > Digital Box? 3. Since i have Hap 500 card will I still be able to record multiple channels at once? 4. Will I be able to record the high lvl channels 100+ via myth tv 5. Which remote control will I use to control the TV? Myth Remote or cable box remote? 6. What challenges should I expect in setting this up? |
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| Author: | ceenvee703 [ Mon Oct 13, 2008 6:57 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Getting a Cable Box - Now what? |
Lepis wrote: I have a irblaster, and I believe that it ensure that when I tell the cable box to change channel, that it will ensure that Myth changes channels as well. Nope, they are independent of each other, and the blaster only sends signals, it doesn't receive them too. Think of the blaster as another remote, one that is being controlled by MythTV. When MythTV needs to change the channel (you're watching Live TV, you've set a program to record), it uses a channel-changing script, which fires off the blaster to change the channel. If you then change the channel with your cable box remote, MythTV will then happily record whatever new channel you're watching--there's no way of it knowing you've pulled the rug, or channel, out from under it. Quote: 1. Will I be able to still record channels via Myth? Yes, either analog channels if your cable company is still carrying them, or the signal from your cable box via the connection described below. Quote: 2. What will the flow of tv signal be? Cable Line > Digital Box > Myth? This one. Digital box will connect to your PVR-500 via composite or S-video, NOT via coax cable. Quote: 3. Since i have Hap 500 card will I still be able to record multiple channels at once? If you still have analog channels, you can use one tuner in your 500 to record those channels, and the other to record from your cable box. If you want to record all the digital channels on both your tuners, you would need two cable boxes and two blasters. Quote: 4. Will I be able to record the high lvl channels 100+ via myth tv Only via your cable box, blasting, and a composite/S-video connection to your PVR-500. Quote: 5. Which remote control will I use to control the TV? Myth Remote or cable box remote? It depends: if you just want to watch TV and not record it or pause it, connect one output of your cable box to your TV and use cable box remote. If you want to do DVR-type things, connect a different output to MythTV and use MythTV and your StreamZap. For instance, I have my digital cable box connected directly to the TV via HDMI, as well as connected to MythTV via S-video. That way I can do either. Quote: 6. What challenges should I expect in setting this up?
The main one is getting IR blasting working. Check knoppmythwiki for details. |
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| Author: | Lepis [ Sat Oct 18, 2008 10:28 am ] |
| Post subject: | |
Well I got the IRBlaster in, I ran the irblaster.sh script and configured the blaster, however now my myth tv remote does not work, and the blaster does not send the channel change. I did run lirc_setup again to configure the remote, this did not change anything either. When I do an output of /var/log/messages I do not get any errors. Any suggestions? |
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| Author: | ceenvee703 [ Sat Oct 18, 2008 1:08 pm ] |
| Post subject: | |
Yeah, like I said, IR blasting is the hardest part. I have a gut feeling that you might need to do something like run two instances of LIRC since your blaster and remote are separate devices. But this is definitely out of my area. I would try getting IR blasting working first, then see if you can add in your remote. Does the irblaster.sh script set up the blaster to work with a device automatically or do you have to test it to see if it works? Did it ever work (in other words, was it able to turn off the set-top box?) |
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| Author: | Lepis [ Sat Oct 18, 2008 2:39 pm ] |
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ceenvee703 wrote: Yeah, like I said, IR blasting is the hardest part.
I have a gut feeling that you might need to do something like run two instances of LIRC since your blaster and remote are separate devices. But this is definitely out of my area. I would try getting IR blasting working first, then see if you can add in your remote. Does the irblaster.sh script set up the blaster to work with a device automatically or do you have to test it to see if it works? Did it ever work (in other words, was it able to turn off the set-top box?) The blaster never worked. I was able to get the remote to work again but I had to manually start LIRC. |
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| Author: | ceenvee703 [ Sat Oct 18, 2008 2:43 pm ] |
| Post subject: | |
Let us know what kind of blaster you have. Is it the one that came with the PVR-500? How did you try to set it up? |
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| Author: | Lepis [ Sun Oct 19, 2008 3:00 pm ] |
| Post subject: | |
The IRBlaster I got from irblaster.info. I plugged the blaster in on the PC, and connected it to the set top box. I hooked up a composite cable from the settop box to myth, from there I also added a line up and channel guide in mythtv-setup. I ran the irblaster.sh setup script, selected the COM port and then selected the version of my set top box. When I tell myth to change the channel, the set top box never changes. |
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| Author: | ceenvee703 [ Sun Oct 19, 2008 4:22 pm ] |
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I've never set up my blaster with the irblaster.sh script so I'm not sure I'm the best person to be answering this. Firstly, running the setup script is only the first step, namely, getting the blaster working with your set-top box. You then have to tell MythTV to change channels via a script. You do that in mythtv-setup. From the IRBlasterHowTo on the KnoppMyth Wiki: Quote: A channel change script is provided for you at /usr/local/bin/change-channel-lirc.sh. You need to specify the channel change script in mythtv-setup (#4 "input Connections")... You may have to check the script and confirm the remote's name is set to the same value found in the irblasterd.conf, especially if your set top box is not on the aforementioned list.
Never having run the irblaster script, I don't know whether it ever tests the choice you made for what box you're controlling. Obviously if you pick the wrong box, or pick a box MythTV doesn't know about, or pick a box it claims it knows about but is actually set up incorrectly, you won't get channel changes. There should be some way to test your setup manually so you know it's working before trying to get MythTV to change channels. I am not sure if it's as simple as using the channel-change script in a command line with a channel number following it. |
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| Author: | jbm2131 [ Mon Oct 20, 2008 11:17 pm ] |
| Post subject: | |
I use a streamzap receiver (configured for a hauppauge remote) and a blaster from irblaster.info, and I can confirm that you can set them up by running both "irblaster.sh" and "lirc-reconfig.sh". The beauty of those scripts is that they setup the dual instances of lirc without alot of fuss. Initially, I was kinda scared off by that proposition. It has been awhile since I set mine up and my setup has evolved over time, but in the end it wasn't too complicated. I think I agree with ceenvee703 that you possibly don't have a correctly configured channel change script. It sounds like maybe both the remote and blaster are setup properly, but noone is telling the blaster to send a channel change command. |
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| Author: | bigbro [ Tue Oct 21, 2008 10:35 am ] |
| Post subject: | |
Two thoughts come to mind that I have seen in setting up my IR blasters. I use Happauge IR Blasters and these are my scripts the principles are the same but your actual channel change script may be different. Get the IR Blaster setup according to your instructions. Then once it is setup try running the command in an xterm window as mythtv it is usually Code: /usr/local/bin/change_channel.sh <valid channel number> , yours may be different for that actual execute command<need to verify that>.If it changes the settop box channel it is working, they usually also have a channel change log you can go look at, if not first check permissions of the executable. Make sure it is executable by user mythtv Code: #chmod +x /usr/local/bin/change_channel.sh
If it still doesn't work, you may need to look at the Lirc control codes to ensure it is sending the correct set to your settop box. Now once you have it working in an xterm as the mythtv user, then you can put that same syntax into the appropriate input connection screen for the respective capture attached to that convertor box. That should allow appropriate channel changes on that end. Then you need to get your remote working to have it send commands to the mythbox. But you already had that working. ymmv but i hth |
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| Author: | davej45 [ Thu Dec 04, 2008 8:47 pm ] |
| Post subject: | |
Lepis One of the things you haven't mentioned yet is exactly WHAT model of cable box you are using. The reason for asking is simple- Some cable boxes can be controlled with a direct serial cable input, like the one I use. Try Googling the model number and look for references to controlling the box directly. I have one of my PVR-150's dedicated to watch/record ONLY the higher level channels in this way using a different channel lineup than the one assigned to the cable only connected PVR's. This insures that this card doesn't get used for anything else but the higher channels, which keeps it available for scheduled recordings, etc. DaveJ45 |
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| Author: | abigailsweetashoney [ Sat Dec 13, 2008 11:54 am ] |
| Post subject: | |
I think a lot of us are in this boat with the February changes coming. This thread is helping a lot but I have at least one dumb question. I read about needing two IR Blasters. I assume that you mean one IR "receiver" for my PVR-350 happauge remote and one serial port IR "sender" going to my new settop device, right? I also read that some people have one settop box sending signals to two or more devices--tv, myth input, vcr, etc. I always assumed I would need one settop box device per mythtv input. Is this assumption right? Thanks. |
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| Author: | mlbuser [ Sun Dec 14, 2008 10:20 am ] |
| Post subject: | |
davej45 wrote: Lepis
One of the things you haven't mentioned yet is exactly WHAT model of cable box you are using. The reason for asking is simple- Some cable boxes can be controlled with a direct serial cable input, like the one I use. Try Googling the model number and look for references to controlling the box directly. DaveJ45 This is a good point. I'm using a Scientific Atlanta 4250HD cable box and I use firewire to change the channels. It's less a kludge than an IR blaster. I don't use FW to record as that would get me about 2 channels, but even just for channel changing FW is worth it. Just another data point. Mark |
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