[mythtv-users] totally confused about remotes.

[Matt Morgan]

Thanks, that was a really helpful summary!

Joseph A. Caputo wrote:

>On Thursday 03 June 2004 23:39, Matt Morgan wrote:
>  
>
>>OK, I know a lot about Linux but had never before two weeks ago given
>>a moment's thought to my TV, cable box, or remotes. Just so you know
>>where I'm coming from. Thanks to some helpful people I now understand
>>what an IR Blaster and some other important prerequisite info for
>>MythTV. But I'm confused about how many remotes I need, and which
>>remotes I need, and whether I need to set up two instances of lirc,
>>as in
>>
>>http://members.cox.net/rwraithr/IRBlaster_Howto.txt.
>>
>>Basically, I think my confusion is this: I can find instructions
>>about how to do anything, but I can't find instructions telling me
>>what, of all those options, is what I actually want to do. That is,
>>I'm totally unclear on which sets of instructions I need to follow
>>and why.
>>
>>So here's the simplest way to phrase a question about this. I have a
>>Scientific Atlanta Explorer 2200 cable box. I want a PVR basically
>>for two important tasks: commercial skipping and recording shows when
>>I'm away or in bed. I'll use other features (like weather) if they
>>work, but not if it means having more devices. I'm likely to buy a
>>Hauppauge PVR-250 with the remote it comes with, if that helps, and I
>>want the simplest array of hardware with the fewest possible pieces
>>(remotes, IR blasters, whatever). That is, I want one remote in my
>>hand that does everything. How can I do that?
>>
>>Thanks!
>>    
>>
>
>
>OK, you will need the following:
>
>- an IR or RF receiver (the one on the PVR-250 is OK, or you could get a 
>separate one that has a serial cable connection)
>
>- a remote control that will work with your receiver. The serial, aka 
>'IRman', type of receiver will handle just about any IR remote.  The 
>Hauppauge receiver (PVR-250) is typically limited in the remotes (or 
>emulated remotes) it can handle; IIRC it uses the RC-5 protocol which 
>is generally used by Philips remotes (or universal remotes emulating 
>Philips).  If you want, you can use a multi-device universal remote, to 
>eliminate having separate remotes for Myth, TV, stereo, VCR, DVD, 
>etc...
>
>- a method of controlling your cable box.  This can be either a serial 
>cable (if your cable box supports it) or an IR blaster.  An IR Blaster 
>is an IR transmitter -- basically a remote control that, instead of 
>being operated by pushing buttons is operated by serial control from 
>your PC using LIRC.  The IR Blaster is a little dongle/box that connect 
>to your Myth backend machine.  The dongle must have direct 
>line-of-sight to the IR (remote control) sensor on your cable box.  
>Myth can then change channels on your cable box by telling the IR 
>Blaster to send remote commands, just as if you had pressed the 
>corresponding buttons on your cable box's remote.
>
>So, to sum up, you need:
>
>1. an IR receiver
>2. an IR remote compatible with your IR receiver
>3. a way to control your cable box (serial cable or IR Blaster)
>
>HTH,
>
>JAC
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>
>  
>
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