LinuxMCE Forums
General => Users => Topic started by: Stash_CEO on July 16, 2013, 04:09:30 pm
-
Has anybody tried this. what tv tuner will work. this is my first step and setup. any ideas?
-
The Verizon FIOS setups that I have, use a variant of the Motorola DCT6200 tuner, which will work out of the box with the DCT6412 template that is in our database.
In LinuxMCE, you have two choices of how to handle TV watching: (1) you can either use MythTV for TV viewing and recording, or (2) you can simply treat the cable box as an AV device in the system, and have LinuxMCE handle switching and controlling the device. Ironically, I opt for option 2, because MythTV simply does not lend itself well to live TV watching when bolted to an external cable box (the latency between channel changes is noticeable, and can drive some people crazy).
Currently, I have the device controlled via a USB-UIRT, which is connected to my Amplifier (which is an Ethernet controlled Denon 2312CI), Once you've added the cable box, either via Sarah, or via the web admin, you should see scenarios which will allow you to select the cable box, and use it, causing the TV to switch.
The 6200's still have component outputs, which can be passed through a Hauppauge HD-PVR (the original 1212 unit), to distribute the signal to other media directors, and to allow Orbiter's UI to be laid over the top. The newer DCT3200 tuners, however, only have HDMI, and currently there is not an HDMI capture device that will work correctly under Linux for this particular application, at this time.
-Thom
-
Thanks Thom,
also, thanks for helping me get on the forum, I was the guy having trouble getting on and posted on your youtube video.
Thanks Again.
I will post my thoughts on this once I get really started but I think first i'll buy a USB-UIRT.
-
Hi. Glad you were able to register :)
a USB UIRT will control a number of IR devices within the range of the media director. We also support controlling devices via Ethernet and RS232, and have device templates for a number of these devices. Typically, RS232 and Ethernet control will be infinitely more reliable than IR, and allow for more possibilities (discrete volume control, etc.)
I also highly suggest that the core/hybrid that you initially build for this purpose have two network cards. The Core's purpose is to substitute as the router/gateway for the home, so it creates an internal home network that all house devices sit on, we use this for device detection, and a wide range of other reasons (to try and make things just work).
The only other piece of advice i can give on a new system build, is to use NVIDIA graphics hardware to start with, it will give you something that just works. We're working on making other GPUs/chips also just work.
-Thom
-
do you use an orbiter as a remote or the fios remote ???
-
an Orbiter, of course.
-Thom
-
Just bought a house and getting ready to start LMCE deployment...I would like to have 3MD and 2 Fios STB and 1 DVR box wired into one closet. Can I use just one USB-UIRT to send all the signals to the boxes. if my orbiter is set to control say...the living room, is the md or core smart enough to know not to change the channel on the bedroom STB...any suggestions?
-
For this setup, you will need to use a GC-100, because the system will need to distinguish one cable box from another, and a set of Xantech IR emitters.
-Thom
-
ok. So before I got drop some cash on that...I want to setup one system...so, do I plug the USBUIRT into the MD or the Core, the core will be upstairs and the MD in the closet next to the fios dvr
-
The UIRT can be plugged into either the MD or Core, but I would probably plug it into the MD.
-Thom
-
... outputs, which can be passed through a Hauppauge HD-PVR (the original 1212 unit), to distribute the signal to other media directors, and to allow Orbiter's UI to be laid over the top.
Thom.... regarding this option above... I was under the impression you still needed to use Myth to capture the HD-PVR stream... is that the case or is there another way to capture this stream and redistribute as you describe? (Cos I'm battling with Myth ;-)
-
Well, initially, AV devices could be sent via Xine Player to everywhere in the house. The problem has become that the HD PVR seems to puke on this, and what we see, is a bunch of buffer overruns.
You can see the original functionality in the demo video, and it works with older SD only cards, but the HD PVR seems to fight with Xine on this.
You can set this up by literally either setting it up in the setup wizard, selecting the HD PVR's output port, and connecting it to the cable box, and you'll see a LiveTV scenario made for your cable box... This also has the effect of setting the FK_CaptureCard_Port device data to the device ID of your tuner's input port.
-Thom
-
Thank Thom, will give it a go....
-
Just bought a house and getting ready to start LMCE deployment...I would like to have 3MD and 2 Fios STB and 1 DVR box wired into one closet. Can I use just one USB-UIRT to send all the signals to the boxes. if my orbiter is set to control say...the living room, is the md or core smart enough to know not to change the channel on the bedroom STB...any suggestions?
For this setup, you will need to use a GC-100, because the system will need to distinguish one cable box from another, and a set of Xantech IR emitters.
-Thom
Thom,
couldn't he just have 3 USB-UIRT's one connected to each MD controlling one of the Cable boxes?
Stash_CEO,
how are you going to get the video signal to the screens and control the screens/volume etc?
-
He could.
But for that price, $50 a piece, you'd be better off getting a GC-100 ;)
-Thom
-
Just an update....
I've ordered the gc-100 and mistakenly ordered 2 USBUIRT...just waiting for the GC-100 now...I'll keep you guys updated.
-
Stash_CEO,
how are you going to get the video signal to the screens and control the screens/volume etc?
I've read that HDMI can travel up to 50 feet and the closet I'm wiring into is about 20 feet away , that's what I'm gonna do (wire it HDMI). And also audio will be handled by my surround sound receiver which I will control with usbuirt/gc-100
-
It may be in your best interest, to use a HDMI to cat-6 balun pair to more reliably throw the signal longer distances.
-Thom
-
found cheap baluns on monoprice...may choose that or may go with hdmi and see if it degrades first.
-
I have my components in the basement and the tv in the living room. In cold weather I get some issues with hdcp handshake meaning the screen flashes on and off. I am using 25ft mono price inwall rated net jacket HDMI cables. I am going to add ferrite beads and possibly a HDMI repeater. The other thing you will notice is that long HDMI cables are heavy and put strain on your HDMI ports. Take a look at mono prices strain relief adapters that are tighter than the spec and screw into the screw above your port to ensure a strain relieved connection
-
do I need the ir blaster/recievers or can I just use the USBUIRT box.
-
I would recommend using the emitters, it is infinitely more reliable, and can help combat against potential reflection and diffraction that does occur with infra-red signals. (of course, with IR, infinitely more reliable is definitely relative.. it is still just a one way control mechanism)
-Thom
-
can the adapter (GC-IRL IR Learner) from global cache..."Learn" IR codes to say...my in wall AC remote or any other ir remote...trying to control more than just cable boxes.
-
also, If I use the GC-100 do I still need the USBUIRT or do they work together. Sorry, still a NewB
-
The gc100 and usbuirt re two different devices, offering IR blasting functionality. The difference is that the gc100 has multiple zones of IR.
The IRL can learn codes from any device, however, our IR code is linked into the Media Plugin, making it only useful for AV devices, at present. But it could be added to the Lighting, Climate, and other plugins.
-Thom
-
;D HOORAY! I successfully changed the channel on my fios cable box with usbuirt and web orbiter. May not seem like much but months of research and tinkering just paid off. This was just a test environment. Next I'll add the GC-100 and the Onkyo 5.1 receiver to test the input switching and tuning. Awesome!
Also, got a network question, how do I tell my fios router to not give out IP addresses on wifi and to get them from the core. do I have to buy a seperate access point to put on the .80 network or can I do a DHCP relay and point the router to the COre for addresses.
-
I literally set the core to DMZ, turn off the WIFI on the device, and use an external access point (a Trendnet TEW-690AP, with one TEW-AI070B antenna, and a double TEW-A1770B antenna.) and infinitely faster and more reliable.
-Thom
-
can I setup ip phone system with the verizon bundle package or is that not the same thing
-
Verizon's IP telephone package is proprietary. Full stop. Not compatible with any open standard.
I use Flowroute, for my home phone: http://www.flowroute.com/
I basically buy a fixed packet of credits, and one DID for dialing in, with E911 support. Bought $35 worth of credit, three months ago, at about $22 now.
-Thom
-
I have my components in the basement and the tv in the living room. In cold weather I get some issues with hdcp handshake meaning the screen flashes on and off. I am using 25ft mono price inwall rated net jacket HDMI cables. I am going to add ferrite beads and possibly a HDMI repeater. The other thing you will notice is that long HDMI cables are heavy and put strain on your HDMI ports. Take a look at mono prices strain relief adapters that are tighter than the spec and screw into the screw above your port to ensure a strain relieved connection
Run a single CAT5E/CAT6 from the Basement to the Living room and use an HDBASEt CAT5/6 transmitter/receiver to send the HDMI to the room. 25 feet is really at the very limit of what you can reliably do with even very expensive HDMI cable - if its more 2m (6 ft) we always use CAT5/6 and HDBASEt.
All the best
Andrew
-
question...if I use the GC-100 to control tv, receiver and cable box by IR...do I still need a MD.
-
If all you want is control of those devices via GC-100 and you control your environment using offscreen Orbiters, you are fine with a single Orbiter running on the core. Not sure if you can even forego that one. Never tried.
-
Yes, if you disable autostartmedia=0 and leave the core services running, the onscreen orbiter on the core will not start. You will simply be presented with a getty login. This is why Pluto made the Report_DCERouter_Status.sh script.
at that point, just install an orbiter somewhere else, and point it to the DCERouter.
-Thom
-
Thanks guys for the speedy reply, I just bought the onkyo tx-NR509 and will try to setup as much as I can on Saturday/Sunday. I also just want to extend a big thank you to the community for all your help...Even if Thom's a lil harsh at times ;) :D
-
Make sure to run WITH the Orbiter on the core first, for setup purposes.