[mythtv-users] Serial control of RCA DirecTV box -- should I bother?

[Rich West]

Honestly, it is definitely.. no.. absolutely.. worth it to try to 
control the box via a serial connection.  The IR blaster setup can 
sometimes be a little flaky, but the serial connection is a guarantee of 
getting channel changes.

I've got the DRD435RH and it works.  The script itself doesn't work 100% 
for me (the "setup_channel" command is supposed to : turn on the box, 
change the channel, and turn off the on screen display.  However, it 
just changes the channel.. the OSD stays up.  But, this was fixed by 
writing a wrapper script around the directv.pl script), but enough to 
get by. :)

I made my own serial to mini-RJ-11 cable with a standard DB9-RJ-45 
adapter, a coil handset cord, a straight-through RJ45 cable, a knife (to 
cut the RJ-45 cable and strip the individual wires, and to cut the end 
off of the handset cord and strip the wires), and some electrical tape.  :)

-Rich
> I have a RCA DIRECTV set top box -- model DRD523RB. I'd like to 
> control it using a serial cable and scripts.
> However, I'm receiving conflicting info. as to whether this box may be 
> controlled via serial cable.
>
> http://www.dtvcontrol.com/index.aspx?content=cable states that the 
> "script ... should work with RCA boxes"
>
> However, the table found at 
> http://www.dtvcontrol.com/index.aspx?content=compat 
> <http://www.dtvcontrol.com/index.aspx?content=compat> states that the 
> "compatibility" of the script with the DRD523RB is questionable.
>
> Has any one had success controlling RCA's DRD523RB DirecTV set top box 
> via serial?
>
> Any advice as to whether I should I skip serial and move-on to IR 
> control would be appreciated?