[mythtv-users] Satellite TV and MythTV, getting started

[David Asher]

> ...I thought the problem was the DirecTV box, not Linux.

I don't think that is correct.  Most (all?) of the directv receivers
work with serial channel changing scripts, but the trick is to get the
serial output from MBs which only have USB.  The chipset used in the
usb->serial converters that was compatible with linux has started to
disappear, so finding a source with the correct chipset has become
difficult.  The MythTV wiki has a page on it:
http://www.mythtv.org/wiki/Controlling_DirecTV_Set_Top_Box_(STB)_via_USB_or_Serial

Again, this is just what my research has told me, I have not tried any
of this yet.  (Though I did buy 2 of those adapters in preparation to
getting 2 directv HD receivers and a HD-PVR and a PVR-150).

> I followed a link posted by someone else and had no trouble
> with setup. At the time, they seemed more expensive than
> they should have been but they've been trouble free.
>
> Although IR blasters are still quite doable. They aren't as
> bad as a lot of people say. Plenty of people (Tivo users)
> got by with them before wired control methods were more
> commonplace.
>
> The main problem with IR blasters is dealing with LIRC.

Sure IR blasters work, but my experience is that it work "most of the
time".  The serial stuff is 100% once you get it working.

David.