[mythtv-users] USB IR receiver with TIVO 34 remote?

[Mark Wedel]

On 08/22/2017 05:41 PM, Karl Newman wrote:
> On Tue, Aug 22, 2017 at 8:18 PM, Tom Dexter <digitalaudiorock at gmail.com 
> <mailto:digitalaudiorock at gmail.com>> wrote:
> 
>     On Tue, Aug 22, 2017 at 3:02 PM, Gary Buhrmaster
>     <gary.buhrmaster at gmail.com <mailto:gary.buhrmaster at gmail.com>> wrote:
>     > On Tue, Aug 22, 2017 at 6:07 PM, Hika van den Hoven <hikavdh at gmail.com <mailto:hikavdh at gmail.com>> wrote:
>     >
>     >> That depends on the receiver. It must understand the protocol the
>     >> remote is using.
>     >
>     > I have this recollection (but I could easily be wrong, I have
>     > only physically seen a peanut, never used one)  the TiVo
>     > remotes use the NEC protocol (which many receivers support).
>     > But then there is the code mapping (standards are wonderful
>     > things, and many orgs chose their own code points).  I have
>     > no idea if there is a current mapping.
>     >
>     > But, in the end, this will be an exercise.  To minimize future
>     > efforts, I would look to see if one can move to using the
>     > kernel support for evdev and ir-keytable for a receiver
>     > only approach (ir blasting is a different kettle).  There are
>     > some docs in the wiki as I recall (and likely the list archives).
> 
>     Thanks for the info. I've actually ordered an MCE USB receiver I can
>     experiment with. I seem to read that those receivers can possibly work
>     for other existing IR remotes, though I'm not at all clear yet on
>     anything. The whole topic is so confusing, but nothing can be worse
>     than what I'm going through with the 4.12.5 kernel move from
>     lirc_serial to serial_ir. I'm now fairly convinced I have that set up
>     correctly, but the data it gets just does NOT resemble that from
>     lirc_serial. Maybe it's an issue specific to that Philips TIVO34...who
>     knows.
> 
>     I wish I at least understood what my possible options are with the MCE
>     receiver, especially when trying to use an existing remote. I know
>     there's a kernel driver for it, but I'm confused about
>     that...especially as to whether it just picks up the IR signal in a
>     similar fashion to a serial port receiver (where you could use an
>     existing remote configuration or create one with irrecord). Totally
>     confused at this point.
> 
>     The ir-keytables approach sounds interesting, thought I don't fully
>     understand that either. I take it that ir-keytables is a program in
>     v4l-utils(?). It also sounds as though this can be done without
>     LIRC...where I assume the remote just maps as a keyboard(?). I don't
>     need a blaster, so this sounds like a great approach for sure.
> 
>     Thanks again!
>     Tom
> 
> 
> A lot of people have had luck with flirc (https://www.mythtv.org/wiki/Flirc) 
> which, despite its name, operates without lirc. You train it with your remote 
> and it translates into keystrokes. Also IguanaIR 
> (https://www.mythtv.org/wiki/IguanaIR) has been recommended in the past by 
> mythtv users, but needs lirc (also it supports transmitting, but you said you 
> don't need that). I personally use a CommandIR II, but it's a little finicky 
> (craps out on certain USB ports/chips unless you use a hub).

  I'm using an mce usb receiver - it was a while since I set it up.

  I notice I have an /etc/rc_keymaps/rc6_mce file I made at one point, with 
entries like:

0x800f0400 KEY_0
and
0x1a4904 KEY_5

  for different remotes.

  IIRC, main thing was to map the IR codes to keycodes in that file - that isn't 
that hard to do - hook the unit up, there is some command to watch the data, and 
press a button on the remote and see what you get (actually, first I'd search 
goodle to see if anyone has already made an map for that remote).

  Note that mythtv also supports different keybindings.  At some point, I 
realized it was simpler to just make sure there was a unique binding for all the 
IR codes in that file, and then just rebind them in myth vs fiddling with that 
file and trying to get the entries there to match existing myth bindings.