[mythtv-users] IR Blaster, how does it work?

[Al McIntosh]

Chad wrote:

>Hi!
>
>I was looking at www.irblaster.info and like what I see both
>simplicity and price are right.  But, I'm even more confused now...
>
>I'm going to be hooking up a new MythTV system in a house where they
>have DirecTV.  I have skimmed over several emails about using an IR
>Blaster, but most if them say things like "hook up the IR Blaster and
>then..." without really saying much about the IR Blaster part.
>
>So I guess my question is how does an IR Blaster work?  I plug the IR
>Blaster into the back of the Satellite Receiver (either serial or
>mini-stereo depending on type) and then what?  Do I also need an IR
>Receiver on the mythbox?  Ah...  Maybe that's it.
>
>When I hit a key on the remote to change the channel, does it send the
>blip to both devices?  Well, that would work for live-tv, but what
>about scheduled programs, there is no "blip" sent from the remote, so
>how does the receiver know to change the channel?
>
>  
>

An IR Blaster is an IR transmitter, your computer will use an IR blaster 
to send IR signals to your satalite receiver. When your computer is 
going to record a show it will send the change channel signal via the 
blaster to your satalite receiver. 

You can add an IR receiver to your computer to  to receive IR signals 
from  a remote to navigate the  mythtv gui. Many PVR cards come with IR 
receivers that can be used to navigate the mythtv menus.