[mythtv-users] Can Myth 'tune' these 'free' converter boxes?

[Jeff]

On Thu, Feb 5, 2009 at 2:10 PM, Mark Knecht <markknecht at gmail.com> wrote:

> On Thu, Feb 5, 2009 at 10:13 AM, Brad Fuller <bradallenfuller at gmail.com>
> wrote:
> > On Thu, Feb 5, 2009 at 10:04 AM, Mark Knecht <markknecht at gmail.com>
> wrote:
> >> Hi,
> >>   Comcast is giving me 3 of these 'free', low-end digital converter
> >> boxes. Instead of using them on TVs I was wondering whether Myth can
> >> tune them and I'll used them as a digital frontend to my PVR-150's. Is
> >> this possible?
>

Yes - You would feed the S-Video and Sterio Audio outputs into your PVR-150


> >>   These boxes have no USB or 1394 interfaces. There is an IR
> >> connector for attaching a remote IR receiver if that helps. If you
> >> need more info let me know but there isn't much more to these small
> >> boxes.
>

I don't know the specifications on the port, but you could put IR blaster
'eyes' on each box.  Where it gets a bit tricky is that all the boxes will
respond to the same IR codes, so you'll need multiple instances of lirc, one
for each box, to control them.


> <snip>
>


> The one I got was a Pace:
>
> http://www.pace.com/americas/home/index.asp
>
> I don't see the model on the website. It's really, really low end but
> it does work.
>

What is the model number???



> <snip>
> > If you don't use them for a front end, I guess the only way to use
> > them to record for myth is to use a IR Blaster to change channels. Is
> > that a plan of yours?
>
> I don't know about the IR Blaster. What is it? If it's some IR
> transmitter that Myth can control, and if Myth can control multiple IR
> Blasters, then I suppose I could paste an IR Blaster over the IR input
> of the converter and maybe that would work. Doesn't sound all that
> reliable and certainly would be ugly.


I use IR Blasters with Dish network receivers.  They are reliable - I
haven't missed a channel change in 2+ years.


> Better in my mind would be a cable going directly from my backend to
> the IR input port on the back of the converter. No actual IR but
> sending the same data over a serial or analog cable. Is that possible?


Probably, but without specs on the receiver and/or the port, I can't say for
sure.


> It's good that we're getting a few more months to figure this out I
> suppose.
>
> One of my plans was just to rent a couple more STBs if I could find
> models that could be controlled by Myth. I've not studied this AT ALL!
>
> - Mark
>

J-e-f-f-A
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