[mythtv-users] Backend 3000 miles away (kinda)

Joseph A. Caputo jcaputo1 at comcast.net
Thu Oct 16 16:29:39 EDT 2003


On Thursday 16 October 2003 06:48 pm, Joshua Goldenhar wrote:
> 
> I'm trying to gain an understanding for this...
> 
> I have a Motorola DCT2244 digital cable box with a serial port on the
> back.
> 
> I had purchased an the ACTiSYS IR200 thinking I had to have it, but it
> sounds like I might be able to just run the serial cable from the myth
> box to the cable box to control channels - but this is where I get a
> little confused...
> 
> What do you do with lirc? Do you have to recompile and tell it to use
> com1 instead of the (in my case) hauppauge ir device?
> 
> If so, then how does the system respond to the hauppauge remote (is the
> answer "it doesn't")? Does the cable box send any IR codes it receives
> TO the mythTV box - in which case I only use the remote that came with
> the cable box?
> 
> Thanks,
> 
> Josh

I'm not sure I understand your question... are you planning to use the IR200 
or not?  I'm going on the assumption here that you want to use a serial cable 
to control your cable box, plus LIRC for some form of remote control.

All you need is a LIRC setup appropriate to your IR receiver (in your case, I 
assume the Hauppauge IR device.  Most likely with the Hauppauge IR receiver 
you'll only be able to use the Hauppauge remote (or possibly a Philips remote 
or a universal with a Philips code programmed).  If you want, you could use 
the IR-200 instead of the Hauppauge receiver, for more flexibility in choice 
of remote controls.

In any case, this is the way it works:  you control the MythTV interface with 
a remote control & LIRC (or a keyboard).  When Myth needs to change channels, 
it will issue a command to your cable box via the serial cable (assuming 
you've setup an appropriate channel-changing script/program).  In any event, 
you'll probably want to 'lose' the remote to your cable box and let it be 
controlled solely by Myth.

Now, I'm a little unclear as to whether the IR-200 is a receiver/transmitter 
or receiver only.  If it's a receiver/transmitter, your other option (instead 
of a serial cable) is to use the IR-200 to 'learn' the codes from your cable 
box remote, and set up a script/program that would transmit those codes when 
you change channels.  You'd still use a LIRC remote to control Myth.  This is 
a more difficult course to pursue, especially if you have line-of-sight 
issues or if you need to set up 2 separate LIRC devices (receiver & 
transmitter).  If you can go with a serial cable, you're much better off.

-JAC



More information about the mythtv-users mailing list