[mythtv-users] So confused. Firewire to STB - channel change script - mythchanger

[Philip Isaacs]

On Tue, Mar 25, 2014 at 5:22 PM, Peter Bennett (cats22)
<cats22 at comcast.net>wrote:

>  On 03/25/2014 02:50 PM, Philip Isaacs wrote:
>
>
>
>  @Gabe - Do you know where I can find an example (or a tutorial) of how
> to write a channel changing script that will call my IR Blaster from within
> MythTV? I understand how it works now, but I'm not sure where to go from
> there.
>
> Like you, I have Comcast, and like you, I found that nothing I did would
> make channel changing work through firewire. I recommend using an IguanaIR
> IR blaster, you can get it from their website (iguanaworks.net) for $40.
> My script is here
>
> https://code.google.com/p/mythtv-scripts/source/browse/trunk/install/opt/mythtv/bin/channelchange.sh
> Other necessary scripts are also there. The IR channel changing is 100%
> reliable with these scripts, and you just point mythtv to the external
> channel change script /opt/mythtv/bin/channelchange.sh. The script takes
> care of a number of glitches that can happen, like the Iguana service
> failing, lirc failing, the set top box being turned off etc. One thing that
> DOES work with the Comcast set top box is detecting through firewire that
> it is turned on.
>
> To use those scripts a number of things need to be set up - iguana
> service, lirc, etc.
>
> Since tuning the set top box with an IR blaster takes a few seconds, I set
> in mythtv the option to start recordings 15 seconds early.
>
> A small tip - you can use the set top box built in "VCR timer" to set it
> to turn on at the correct times for the programs. You can see the upcoming
> program list on mythtv and set the set top box to tune the correct channels
> at those times. However this method is really only for emergencies since it
> is very tedious and you can easily make mistakes.
>
> Peter
>

@Peter. This is really awesome thanks so much.

I've already started messing around with setting up a IR Blaster using my
MCE USB Kit (that came with the WINTV HVR 1600)  and I have no plans to buy
anything new at this time. That being said will your scripts work with the
"mceusb" remote? I downloaded the "LircChannelChanger" one last night "
http://www.mythtv.org/wiki/LircChannelChanger" and started trying to get it
to work from the command line, but the STB didn't seem to respond. My STB
is the RNG150N.

It's such a shame that whoever was working on the stb-command gave up on
it. The script actually sort of worked with my RNG 150N via Firewire, but
it could only change the channel_up or channel_down (nothing else seem to
work) which means the script was sort of working, but then development
stopped on it in 2010.

PS Your tip about using the VCR time is a really great idea. I might try it
just for fun and see what happens.

Floyd
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