[mythtv-users] Getting HVR-1600 IR receiver to work

[faginbagin]

What kernel/distro/lirc/v4l-dvb combination (that also supports mythtv/VDPAU) will allow me to take full advantage of the IR receiver of the HVR-1600?

I ask because I've got a MBE with two HVR-1600s. The IR receiver on the first card was working with mythbuntu jaunty (2.6.28) and lirc. But I wasn't been able to get it to work with karmic (2.6.31) when I installed it last fall. I worked around the problem with a USB based IR receiver. FWIW, I'm using a v4l-dvb snapshot from 12/7/09. I'm planning on adding another frontend to my set up and would like to use the USB receiver on the new frontend. But before I can do that, I need to get the HVR-1600 IR receiver working. I still have jaunty installed on my MBE and can confirm the IR hardware is working when I boot into jaunty.

I was hoping that mythbuntu lucid (2.6.32) would work out of the box, but a short trial with the beta 2 live CD didn't seem to work. Maybe my problem was that I was trying to use lirc instead of keyboard emulation that I gather is making its way into the kernel? Or perhaps there's some kernel modules and/or package I need to download/compile or some other bit of magic I need to do?

Is there something I can do on my current mythbuntu karmic set up to get the receiver working?

Is there any point in installing mythbuntu lucid beta 2 (or some other distro) and then tuning it to get the receiver working?

Oh and one other thing. Is the PVR-150's IR receiver working in more recent kernels? Will it "just work" the way it has worked with lirc or require some tinkering? I ask because I maintain a standalone mythtv system for my sister. It has a PVR-150 and a pcHDTV HD-5500, plus an an nvidia 7300 LE card that supports XvMC, not VDPAU. Her system is still running mythbuntu hardy with mythtv 0.21. One of these days I'd like to upgrade it for her with a VDPAU capable card and it would be nice if it could still use the PVR-150's receiver.

TIA,
Helen