[mythtv-users] controlling a dishnetwork receiver

[Michael T. Dean]

Chris Petersen wrote:

>> The one at that location is not amplified
>
Ooops, scrolled down and found out that there's also an amplified one on 
that page...

>> , but http://www.lirc.org/improved_transmitter.html is.  It uses a 
>> (big) cap to store energy from the serial port so as to prevent a 
>> huge drain all at once.
>
> ah, yeah.  I saw that one.  looked like overkill to me.  heh.

I like overkill.  :)

> I'm just more concerned about cost at the moment.  And cost of parts 
> vs cost of blowing out my motherboard.

Definitely a valid concern.  Blowing up a $50-$150 motherboard with 
~$0.30 worth of parts (for the simple, non-amplified, transmitter) would 
definitely be disconcerting...

> ah.  I was more confused by the lack of specific values for the 
> resistors, etc.

Understood.  That's actually why I had to ask for help.  I guess I 
focused on the wrong part of that sentance.

>> That's what I thought, but if you want your transmitter to control 
>> devices other than the Dish receiver (i.e. A/V receiver, TV, DVD player, 
>
> Nope, no need.  Although I admit that it'd be cool to be able to 
> control everything with the lola, but it sounds like a configuration 
> nightmare (especially since I couldn't get the lola to work with lirc).

Yeah.  It took much more configuration than using the atiusb kernel 
module, but I liked the capability to configure all my programs' 
interaction with the remote using a single configuration file (instead 
of remapping shortcut keys in a bunch of programs so that they all agree 
on the meaning of some key).  Also, a lot of people using atiusb seem to 
use xmodmap to remap keys, and I want my (real) keyboard to continue 
working as expected.  Overall, I'd say it was worth the hassle.

>>> And after searching the mythtv-users archives some more, I see that 
>>> I should also check which version of the receiver I'll be getting.
>>
>> Any recent one should have IR capability built-in.
>
> Yes, I was more concerned about driver/signal differences -- I read 
> somewhere about certain models not working properly.

I'm pretty sure that's a configuration problem (if we're still talking 
IR compatibility).  My remote uses a 58KHz signal (instead of the 40KHz 
used by most of the remotes that LIRC supports), but works great with LIRC.

>>    a) you have to keep it plugged in to a working phone jack or they 
>> charge you the $4.99/mo receiver charge (not good if you only have a 
>> cell phone),
>
> hmm, sounds like viewing-habit-tracking....  I'll have to ask.

Actually, I think it has more to do with some people's unplugging the 
receiver and ordering Pay-Per-View.  Without the receiver plugged in, 
the PPV order is never transmitted to Dish, so you're never billed for 
it (or at least not until you next plug in the phone line).  I 
understand their concern, but until they pay the $20/mo for a land-line 
phone (or, better yet, implement a "phone-home-through-the-Internet" 
feature), my receiver is not getting plugged in.  (I don't use PPV, 
anyway, because I can rent DVD's for half the cost.)

>>    b) the dual-tuner receivers have one S-Video out and one composite 
>> out--you can't do dual S-Video,
>
> no biggie for me, but mildly annoying.  Plus, the svideo plug on my TV 
> is already taken up by the mythbox.

Yeah, but I was thinking S-Video to two capture cards, but...

> Ah.  I only have one input card in my mythbox, so it wouldn't do me 
> any good, anyway.  One tuner for the tv, one for the mythbox.  And 
> maybe a second card in my workstation, but that'd be plugged into 
> another receiver box.
>
> That, and I have to keep my phone line around for dsl (it ends up 
> costing like $2/month more to keep my phone line vs getting the "one 
> link" program from speakeasy -- costs $15 extra to not have a phone 
> line).  But that explains why the sales gal didn't mention the extra 
> $5/tuner fee.

So the dual-tuner receiver might actually work for you.  You could use 
the "blue" (RF-controlled) tuner with the direct-to-TV connection and 
the "green" (IR-controlled) tuner with Myth.  That means that Myth could 
use either the composite or S-Video output, and your direct-to-TV tuner 
would use composite.

Mike