Author Topic: Control Directv HR21-100 with LinuxMCE  (Read 7806 times)

dakor

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Control Directv HR21-100 with LinuxMCE
« on: June 03, 2009, 07:38:00 pm »
Hello, thanks for all the help in advance. I think the topic states my genral question. I want to know if it is possible to control my HR21-100 with LinuxMCE or something similar. I have spent the past few hours googleing this very question with no luck at all. I found this thread http://forum.linuxmce.org/index.php?topic=7073.0 but I am not sure if that usb_uirt is what I need or if it will even work. What I basicly want to know is if my STB will work, and if it does for someone to point me into the right direction. I have a lot of Linux experience as it has been my main OS for the past 6 years (Got to love Archlinux). When it comes to home theater I am lost :p

tschak909

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Re: Control Directv HR21-100 with LinuxMCE
« Reply #1 on: June 03, 2009, 07:47:15 pm »
Hello! Welcome.

Yes, this can be daunting, at first. Let's take this as an incremental discussion.

It really depends on how the box can be controlled. Most commonly, and easiest to set up is infra-red, as this usually involves using an infra-red transciever to learn the buttons of your existing remote. This is what the USB UIRT is, and it can be gotten here: http://www.usb-uirt.com/

If your satellite box has an RS232 connection, then with an appropriate cable, and some documentation, LinuxMCE can control this as well. There are some advantages to this method, but it is not commonly available to devices.

With me so far?

-Thom

dakor

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Re: Control Directv HR21-100 with LinuxMCE
« Reply #2 on: June 03, 2009, 08:23:55 pm »
Yes I am with you, thank you so much for the fast reply! I think I am going to go the USB UIRT route.

tschak909

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Re: Control Directv HR21-100 with LinuxMCE
« Reply #3 on: June 03, 2009, 08:33:49 pm »
Once you have it, you can use the web admin to make device templates for your AV equipment, like your cable box, your TV, your amplifier, etc.

You make a device template for each, making sure to specify the right manufacturer and category for each device.

We have IR codes for many manufacturers, so there is a chance that there is a set of codes that will work in the database. select and try each one to see if you can get it to work. (Make sure you have the UIRT's embedded transmit selected as the target device, and make sure when you hit T that the UIRT blinks.).

If you are able to find a set of codes that work, then you won't have to train anything for that device.

If not, no big deal, create a new code group, and specify what buttons/etc are on your existing remote to control the device. You can then train each one, by placing the remote in front of the UIRT, and pressing the button a few times until it says it has been trained. You can then test the code to make sure it works.

Once you've done this, you can use the setup wizard to set up the devices and tell linuxmce how they are connected together. LMCE will then control the devices.

-Thom

dakor

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Re: Control Directv HR21-100 with LinuxMCE
« Reply #4 on: June 03, 2009, 08:46:09 pm »
Thank you, I think I have a understanding on how it works now. I will not have the parts for my media pc for another 2 weeks, so I wil not be able to try it out until then :(. I really do appreciate your help! Glad to know that a workaround exists for cable boxes that cannot be controled via serial, usb etc
« Last Edit: June 03, 2009, 08:47:54 pm by dakor »

tschak909

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Re: Control Directv HR21-100 with LinuxMCE
« Reply #5 on: June 03, 2009, 08:51:49 pm »
well, we don't consider it a work-around. It's THE way to control some devices.

Keep in mind, we can manage each and EVERY A/V device in the home, this includes VCRs, cable boxes, TVs, amplifiers, networked players like the Roku, etc.

We can do this because we can control the devices, and linuxmce can use the info on how it's hooked up to figure out which devices to turn on/off, and map to buttons on an orbiter or remote. Long story short? those 15 remotes you have on the desk can go in the junk drawer, and you have a universal solution far more elegant than any Harmony remote.

-Thom

dakor

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Re: Control Directv HR21-100 with LinuxMCE
« Reply #6 on: June 03, 2009, 09:02:32 pm »
Poor choice of words on my part

dakor

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Re: Control Directv HR21-100 with LinuxMCE
« Reply #7 on: June 03, 2009, 10:50:12 pm »
One more quick question. After I get this USB-UIRT I would also need a video capture card and not a tuner correct, because the cable box will bedoing all the tuning.

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Re: Control Directv HR21-100 with LinuxMCE
« Reply #8 on: June 03, 2009, 11:05:22 pm »
One more quick question. After I get this USB-UIRT I would also need a video capture card and not a tuner correct, because the cable box will bedoing all the tuning.

Yes thats correct if you want to bring the video into LinuxMCE and store it there. Alternatively if you STB is also a PVR then you could just choose to control it from LinuxMCE.

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dakor

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Re: Control Directv HR21-100 with LinuxMCE
« Reply #9 on: June 03, 2009, 11:46:21 pm »
Yes it's my cable box is a hr21-100 which is a HD DVR. Any suggestions on video capture cards with HD inputs?

tschak909

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Re: Control Directv HR21-100 with LinuxMCE
« Reply #10 on: June 03, 2009, 11:47:03 pm »
we currently use the PVR 150/250/500 and USB2 for this, and have device templates for them.

We need people to write new templates for newer cards, such as the HVR-1800

-Thom

tschak909

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Re: Control Directv HR21-100 with LinuxMCE
« Reply #11 on: June 03, 2009, 11:47:54 pm »
We do not have support for the only HD component capture device out there, the Hauppauge HD-PVR yet, the driver is still being written.

-Thom

dakor

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Re: Control Directv HR21-100 with LinuxMCE
« Reply #12 on: June 03, 2009, 11:51:47 pm »
Ok thank you

Purplexus

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Re: Control Directv HR21-100 with LinuxMCE
« Reply #13 on: June 08, 2009, 06:45:59 pm »
Hauppauge HD PVR driver is on it way to being completed

follow this link to get the driver (was alpha stage when I read this)
http://www.mythtv.org/wiki/Hauppauge_HD-PVR#HD-PVR_Driver_Compilation_Howto

This is the first of its kind.  It does not need to bypass any  encryption as it is recording the raw data from the component cables