[mythtv-users] Serial IR Blaster - Huge Issues

[Steve Wilson]

--- jedi <jedi at mishnet.org> wrote:

> On Wed, Apr 23, 2008 at 02:44:42PM -0700, Steve
> Wilson wrote:
> > 
> > --- jedi at mishnet.org wrote:
> > 
> > > >
> > > > On Apr 22, 2008, at 7:42 PM, Jeff Clark wrote:
> > > [deletia]
> > > >> Does anyone have a guide or some knowhow to
> get
> > > it working?  I have
> > > >> one of those serial blasters from
> irblaster.info
> > > hooked into COM1.
> > > >> I have a PVR-150 but the receiver/blaster
> cable
> > > isn't plugged into
> > > >> it.  I've tried both Mythbuntu and Knoppmyth.
> I
> > > have Knoppmyth
> > > >> installed, but will quickly install Mythbuntu
> if
> > > those directions
> > > >> are easier/faster/work.
> > > 
> > >     You should give this a try or just try plain
> > > Ubuntu 7.10.
> > > 
> > > >>
> > > >> Any guidance?  I am at my wits end and about
> two
> > > steps away from
> > > >> buying an Apple TV and hacking together a
> system
> > > that way :)
> > > >>
> > > >
> > > > I heard a rumor that the upcoming Mythdora5
> has
> > > built-in support for
> > > > the PVR-150's IR receiver and blaster. I'm not
> > > sure of the release
> > > > schedule, but I'm guessing it won't be long.
> > > 
> > >     Ubuntu 7.10 has seamless support for the MCE
> > > blaster and remote
> > > that ships with PVR150. That was a really cool
> > > suprise/plus that
> > > came with the Gutsy upgrade on my backend.
> > > 
> > > _______________________________________________
> > > mythtv-users mailing list
> > > mythtv-users at mythtv.org
> > >
> >
>
http://mythtv.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/mythtv-users
> > > 
> > 
> > Are you trying to control two pieces of hardware
> with
> > lirc like a remote and the blaster?
> 
>     This was something that I was trying
> unsuccessfully prior
> to running Gutsy on my backend. I was trying to use
> one of
> those basic serial IR transmitter and just the
> reciever portion
> of the MCE remote together.
> 
>     When I upgraded to 7.10 from 6.06 I still had
> the blaster
> plugged in and found that the blaster and the remote
> "just worked".
> I had gotten the remote to work before by itself and
> the other
> IR blaster by itself. I had never gotten both remote
> and blaster
> working concurrently.
> 
>     Ubuntu seemed to pick out the right driver on
> it's own.
> 
>     In general, remote codes can be tricky. I had to
> tweak the
> dtv codes before they would work. Placement of the
> transmitter
> head is also tricky since the transmitters
> themselves tend to
> be pretty weak (say compared to the ones that come
> with Tivos).
> 
>     The prospect of being stuck with an Apple remote
> is something
> I find rather grim. This is one of the big reasons
> that my minis
> run Linux rather than MacOS. I don't want to have to
> worry about
> driver support for a 3rd party remote.
> _______________________________________________
> mythtv-users mailing list
> mythtv-users at mythtv.org
>
http://mythtv.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/mythtv-users
> 

I use Fedora but you should be able to adapt the
configuration from lircsetup to Ubuntu. You can see
the link here.

http://www.htpcug.com/blaster.htm

Basically, you have one instance of lirc running two
processes with one controlling the remote and another
process controlling the IR Blaster. This setup works
very well at least on my setup. I too was surprised
how weak the transmitter is. I pointed at the cable
box from a foot or so away and it didn't work I then
put it right on the box and it worked. Remote codes
cab be tricky, there's a list of them at the lirc
site. I tried the ones for my remote and they didn't
work luckily I have an IR receiver so I could get the
proper working codes.


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