[mythtv-users] controlling two digital cable boxes

[Scott Rowe]

Peter, you may have to hack the source of the C program if you're using
that.. It scans the serial ports automatically.. If you're using the perl /
python / whatever code, you should be able to edit each instance to point to
the right port. Just a FYI for when you go to set up the second cable / box.

-Scott Rowe 

-----Original Message-----
From: mythtv-users-bounces at mythtv.org
[mailto:mythtv-users-bounces at mythtv.org] On Behalf Of Peter Lee
Sent: Tuesday, March 02, 2004 10:20 AM
To: mythtv-users at mythtv.org
Subject: Re: [mythtv-users] controlling two digital cable boxes

Thanks all for the advice.  I have a USB->Serial converter (Belkin) lying
around and so I tried for a while last night to get that working, but with
no luck.  It might actually be working (the LEDs on the device light up in a
semi-convincing manner), but I am not able to get the channel script to talk
to it.

So, I'll go ahead and get a PCI serial card.  As has been pointed out, they
seem cheap and well-supported under linux.  Furthermore, this will give me
two additional serial ports in case I want to add a third cable/satellite
box at some point...

Peter

On Mon, 1 Mar 2004 19:56:32, Frank Linhares wrote:
> 
> I tried many times to get various USB -> Serial cables to work 
> properly, but never could.  I just went out and bought a serial card 
> to control two different satellite systems.  Was not only the easiest, 
> but the cheapest way also.
> 
> frank.linhares
> Visit the PVR Database - www.pvrcentral.net
> 
> On 1-Mar-04, at 7:42 PM, Robert Kulagowski wrote:
> 
>>> I'm sure that I'm not the only one with this kind of arrangement.  
>>> Is there a cheap/easy way to, say, run a cable from a usb port on 
>>> the myth box into the serial port on the second cable box, and then 
>>> use a second instance of the "channel" script for this?
>> 
>> There do exist USB->Serial converters.  It may or may not work under 
>> linux.  Failing that, you could purchase a PCI serial card.