[mythtv-users] USB IR receiver with TIVO 34 remote?

[Stephen Worthington]

On Wed, 23 Aug 2017 01:13:17 -0400, you wrote:

>On Wed, Aug 23, 2017 at 12:47 AM, Mark Wedel <mwedel at sonic.net> wrote:
>>
>>
>>  I'm using an mce usb receiver - it was a while since I set it up.
>>
>>  I notice I have an /etc/rc_keymaps/rc6_mce file I made at one point, with
>> entries like:
>>
>> 0x800f0400 KEY_0
>> and
>> 0x1a4904 KEY_5
>>
>>  for different remotes.
>>
>>  IIRC, main thing was to map the IR codes to keycodes in that file - that
>> isn't that hard to do - hook the unit up, there is some command to watch the
>> data, and press a button on the remote and see what you get (actually, first
>> I'd search goodle to see if anyone has already made an map for that remote).
>>
>>  Note that mythtv also supports different keybindings.  At some point, I
>> realized it was simpler to just make sure there was a unique binding for all
>> the IR codes in that file, and then just rebind them in myth vs fiddling
>> with that file and trying to get the entries there to match existing myth
>> bindings.
>>
>>
>
>Yea, is that using ir-keytable? It appears that it is, and that looks
>like the format it uses:
>
>https://www.mythtv.org/wiki/User_Manual:IR_control_via_evdev
>
>That's looking like a good option the more I learn about it. Thanks!
>Tom

It is only a good option if you want to control just one program using
your IR remote.  So if you only want it to work with mythfrontend,
then it is a good option.  If, like me, you also want the IR to work
with mplayer (which I use to play video files mythfrontend fails on),
then you still need to use lirc.  The problem is that you customise
the key codes produced by the remote for one program's needs, and they
will not match between multiple programs.

I did a bit of googling about the Tivo 34 remote, and it appears that
it produces signals that are similar to the NEC protocol supported by
MCE receivers.  But unfortunately not identical.  So whether it can
work with an MCE receiver is not clear.  MCE receivers typically
support multiple IR protocols (but not at the same time).  This is
what ir-keytable says about the three IR receivers I have on my MythTV
box:

Found /sys/class/rc/rc0/ (/dev/input/event17) with:
        Driver mceusb, table rc-rc6-mce
        Supported protocols: other lirc rc-5 jvc sony nec sanyo
mce-kbd rc-6 sharp xmp
        Enabled protocols: lirc rc-6
        Name: Media Center Ed. eHome Infrared
        bus: 3, vendor/product: 0609:031d, version: 0x0000
        Repeat delay = 500 ms, repeat period = 125 ms
Found /sys/class/rc/rc1/ (/dev/input/event18) with:
        Driver dib0700, table rc-dib0700-rc5
        Supported protocols: rc-5 nec rc-6
        Enabled protocols: rc-5
        Name: IR-receiver inside an USB DVB re
        bus: 3, vendor/product: 2040:8400, version: 0x0100
        Repeat delay = 500 ms, repeat period = 125 ms
Found /sys/class/rc/rc2/ (/dev/input/event19) with:
        Driver (null), table rc-dib0700-rc5
        Supported protocols: rc-5 nec rc-6
        Enabled protocols: rc-5
        Name: IR-receiver inside an USB DVB re
        bus: 3, vendor/product: 07ca:b808, version: 0x0200
        Repeat delay = 500 ms, repeat period = 125 ms

The rc1 and rc2 receivers are built into a couple of my tuners.  The
rc2 one is unused as the remote that came with that tuner is pretty
useless.  But its receiver could be used with my other remotes if it
ever became necessary.  The rc1 card is a Hauppauge Nova TD-500 and
has an excellent remote, and its receiver supports the three most
common protocols: RC-6, RC-5 and NEC.  I have it set up so that I can
use it as a backup if my normal receiver fails.  Its remote uses RC-5.
My main remote is an RC-6 MCE one, used with the MCE USB receiver on
rc0.  That receiver supports a very wide range of protocols.

The setup required for my MCE and Hauppauge remotes is available for
download from my web server:

  http://www.jsw.gen.nz/mythtv/mythbuntu-devinput-lirc.bz2

Since your Tivo remote uses a different protocol from what I have in
my config, to get it to work with your new MCE USB receiver you would
probably need to select NEC protocol and see if you could get it to
work with that.  There are pointers to some useful web pages for
working it all out and debugging IR setups in the README file in the
.bz2.