Can't get blaster to control STB

[P-J]

Also, be sure to use the alternate driver as specified in the HIP Guide...

Ah... Thanks for pointing this out. Is this alternate driver for the remote, or the blaster? The MCE remote itself works fine, will changing the driver help with sending commands to the STB?

[zehd]

Ah... Thanks for pointing this out. Is this alternate driver for the remote, or the blaster? The MCE remote itself works fine, will changing the driver help with sending commands to the STB?

Yes. There were a couple of brickwalls that disappeared whne using the driver

[wall]

Hey Zehd, you seem to know what you are talking about with the MCE remote/beanbag/blaster/ and hip. My situation is like PJs, I selected MCE channel changer in GBPVR and after awhile it actually let me learn 0-9 with the original STB remote. However, when I start GBPVR I can see the mce blaster bud blinking, but the channel doesn't change; is this a ir code problem, should I try to re-learn? Also, tried an .exe channel changer with HIP with and without the alternative driver. When it comes time to add remote and learn IR codes in hip with stb remote it won't recognize code, just sits there with the "hold remote 1 cm from IR receiver". My stb is coolsat 5000 and I actually found ccf codes on-line, but that doesn't seem to work either. any suggestions?

Also, am I right in assuming that if I got GBPVR working with the MCE channel changer and learned codes (#'s 0-9), you don't change channels with the chan up or down button, just the TV guide? I only ask this because GBPVR only learned the number buttons how it would it know the codes for anything else?

[zehd]

Hey Zehd, you seem to know what you are talking about with the MCE remote/beanbag/blaster/ and hip. My situation is like PJs, I selected MCE channel changer in GBPVR and after awhile it actually let me learn 0-9 with the original STB remote. However, when I start GBPVR I can see the mce blaster bud blinking, but the channel doesn't change; is this a ir code problem, should I try to re-learn? Also, tried an .exe channel changer with HIP with and without the alternative driver. When it comes time to add remote and learn IR codes in hip with stb remote it won't recognize code, just sits there with the "hold remote 1 cm from IR receiver". My stb is coolsat 5000 and I actually found ccf codes on-line, but that doesn't seem to work either. any suggestions?

Also, am I right in assuming that if I got GBPVR working with the MCE channel changer and learned codes (#'s 0-9), you don't change channels with the chan up or down button, just the TV guide? I only ask this because GBPVR only learned the number buttons how it would it know the codes for anything else?

No, once configured, you can change channels using the numbers and the pageup and page down too

I think there are many opinions about how to use your remote and GB-PVR. Here's mine...

First of all, install the alternate driver for the MCE remote
Then make sure the latest HIP is installed.

Now, you have to have all the buttons assigned to something in HIP before you proceed to using GB-PVR. (On my remote, there are still a couple of buttons I did not configure but I'm happy)

When configured, your remote will not speak to GB-PVR at all but rather HIP. Hip will take the codes from the remote and translate them into keyboard commands, that GB-PVR listens to

That means, that you must not use the MCE Remote profile in GB-PVR's config, but rather the Default(Hauppauge) which will be ignored from this point...

Now, to get GB-PVR to send commands to your Set Top Box, you have to configure your capture source to use 'hipsend.exe'.

After it's all configured, you change the channel on the remote, HIP receives the command, tells GB-PVR to change channels. GB-PVR knows that it needs to change the channels on the STB, sends a command with HIPSend to the STB.

I know that it may be confusing at first. The simple act of using the remote is fairly complicated... Just remember the flow of data...

To control GB-PVR:
You >> Remote >> Beanbag Receiver >> Alternate Driver >> HIP >> Keystrokes >> GB-PVR

To control the STB:
(Same as above then) GB-PVR >> HipSend >> HIP >> Alternate Driver >> BeanBag IR Blaster >> Infrared >> STB

[zehd]

Copied from a Private Message from Wall

Thanks Zehd, I actually got it working...sort of. I got GBPVR working both with the MCE blaster native support and with HIP & HIPsend with learned STB codes in both. The problem I am having now in both cases is the IR blasts are inconsistent, sometimes they don't work at all, sometime double digits, etc. I have read the the MCE IR blaster is weak, but when I use it with MCE the STB picks up the blast flawlessly. So, either the IR codes aren't perfect (either learned or with a CCF file in hip or GBPVR) or the alternate driver weakens the IR signal somehow, or the MCE blaster just doesn't jive with hip or GBPVR. After spending several evenings moving an IR bud tenths of a mm at a time I am ready to pack it in and look at something like a USB-UIRT. If the MCE blaster didn't work so well with MCE I would just accept the weak blaster argument, but I know the hardware should do the job.

[zehd]

Copied from PM

Thanks Zehd, I actually got it working...sort of. I got GBPVR working both with the MCE blaster native support and with HIP & HIPsend with learned STB codes in both. The problem I am having now in both cases is the IR blasts are inconsistent, sometimes they don't work at all, sometime double digits, etc. I have read the the MCE IR blaster is weak, but when I use it with MCE the STB picks up the blast flawlessly. So, either the IR codes aren't perfect (either learned or with a CCF file in hip or GBPVR) or the alternate driver weakens the IR signal somehow, or the MCE blaster just doesn't jive with hip or GBPVR. After spending several evenings moving an IR bud tenths of a mm at a time I am ready to pack it in and look at something like a USB-UIRT. If the MCE blaster didn't work so well with MCE I would just accept the weak blaster argument, but I know the hardware should do the job.

I don't believe the Alternate driver weakens the signal.

I would say that it the codes you have, or learned are not as good as those that come with MCE, or

You might have to play with the time delay...

Code:

SYNTAX: HipSend COMMAND [nDelay] [nSize] [nExt]

    * where COMMAND is the ASCII to Send
    * nDelay is the optional delay between each command in ms (500ms if not entered)
    * nSize is the size of the command (padding the value with 0 to the left)
    * nExt is the IR Code extension that is sent to Hip (1 if not entered)

The optional values are remembered for each subsequent call to the routine

eg: HipSend 10 600 3 will send HIP 3 commands (0,1,0) separated by a 600ms gap.

I would change the line in the Capture Source Settings to increase the amount of milliseconds...

Also, to try things out, use the HipWSend utility from HIP and you can try different timings...

[robplatt]

If anyone actually gets the coolsat to work with the pvr150 blaster, please post instructions.

[wall]

Thanks for the suggestions Zehd. I tried playing with the timings to no avail. If I remember correctly, MCE did not have the have coolsat in it's database, I had to learn the codes to it. When using MCE, the coolsat picks up the blasts even with the ir 'eye' lying on the desk, super sensitive, and hence the frustration not being able to make it work with HIP. Will keep trying.
The CCF/IR file I got for the coolsat work the best in HIP, but there is some sort of code in the file that repeats the blast several times that I cannot fix. I have heard something about CCF editors that can pick out this repeater code and turn it off, just can't seem to find one. If anyone has such an editor please let me know where to get it or give the attached CCF a peek.

thanks,

[offrotor]

FYI:

The 150MCE works for me, (win XP pro) I just use the setup built-in GBPVR. I did how ever have a problem with the blaster NOT blasting, I solved this by using the 'blaster 2' location and setting GBPVR to blast on Both 1 and 2 blasters.

I tryed this because same sort of thing gave me trouble in HIP (when I used to use it). All this could just be my hardware though....?

Good-luck

[wall]

FYI:

The 150MCE works for me, (win XP pro) I just use the setup built-in GBPVR. I did how ever have a problem with the blaster NOT blasting, I solved this by using the 'blaster 2' location and setting GBPVR to blast on Both 1 and 2 blasters.

I tryed this because same sort of thing gave me trouble in HIP (when I used to use it). All this could just be my hardware though....?

Good-luck

Yeh, I was able to get the blaster working with the native MCE blaster support in GB-PVR too, but the blasts were inconsistent, maybe 1 out of 10 worked. I think the problem is that learning coolsat ir codes through HIP and/or GBPVR isn't perfect, just not sure where the roadblock is. Learning coolsat codes in MCE works fine, blasts are always 100%, so I know it isn't a problem with the STB or the MCE receiver, but there could be a problem with the relationship between the STB, MCE blaster/reciver, HIP and/or GB-PVR. I love challenges!!!