Channel change recording cable box

[rstewartmailacct]

Hi,
I have charter cable and motorola digital box with hvr-1950 see all channels and can change with cable remote but not able to get hauppblast to change channel and record right channel. Got desktop interaction set and fix haupp button done. Any ideas?

Thanks

[TonyXL]

Start in the Hauppague tool. Did you configure your IR blaster for your STB? Did the channel change using the tool? If not, remove the plastic covering from the IR emitter and make sure the bulb flashes (faintly) when the Hauppague tool attempts a channel change. If it does, then try putting the bulb as close as possible to the STB IR receiver (you may have to remove a piece of plastic from the STB and tape the 2 bulb stogether so they touch--this blaster is EXTREMELY WEAK).

Once everything is working from the Hauppague tool, then you can move on to GB-PVR.

[rstewartmailacct]

Thanks for the input TonyXL. I'm starting to understand. I've been using this without the cable box for a while. The Hauppauge tool that you refer to, is that the irblaster? If so, this may be part of the problem. I've got Vista Home Premium 64Bit on laptop and I get .ocx error when I try to run this program. Also is this required to configure the remote because the BULB does not flash. The remote will change the GBPVR epg list though. Any suggestions on an alternative if the Hauppauge irblaster won't run?

Also do I have to install the complete set of Hauppauge software to get this to run? I installed the ir.exe earlier to get the remote to run on analog only without cable box and this works fine. It's just when I try to add the cable box I need GBPVR to change channel internally to record from my list. No good to have to set cable box to channel I want to record.
:-)

[rstewartmailacct]

Hi again folks,

Anyone else on this? Can I use s-video as an alternate? I read that it does not require the fixed channel. Is this true? In other words if I use s-video from cable box to hvr-1950 then can I use channel list in gbpvr to select my record source for programs?

Thanks

[mikeh49]

Yes, you can use S-video. I am using s-video from the Motorola cable box to the s-video in on a PVR 150. You also need to connect the audio out from the cable box to the audio in of your capture card; the s-video is video only. You set up an additional analog capture source in the GBPVR config program, select the s-video for input and then select an EPG for the channels for that capture source. I have two lineups set up in Schedules Direct, one for the PVR 150 tuner direct record (analog cable) channels and one for the "digital" channels that must come through the cable box. I can't recall exactly how to do this, but it has been covered in the forum, search on "Schedules Direct lineup", or variations. GBPVR combines the two lineups into a single guide, and knows where to go for a specific channel. AFAIK, you have to leave the cable box power on whenever a recording is scheduled, however.

For channel changing, you use the haupblast.exe program for the channel changer (specify that in the capture source setup for the exe channel changer). I think you can run haupblast from Windows and select the code for your box as well as test it. I think I have a DCT 6412 and that was on the list. The blaster has to be right over the ir sensor on the box. On mine, the sensor is on the left side of the oval black window. Using a flashlight, you should be able to see a square IC-like object, that's the receiver. Stick the blaster right over it with double sided tape. Works for me.

[TonyXL]

I use a PVR-150 with s-video input.

The blaster config tool I used was IRBlasterCfg.exe (BlastCfg.exe also worked). Both worked fine under XP.

You do NOT need to install the complete set of Hauppauge software. Just go to http://www.hauppauge.com/site/support/su...r1950.html, click Accessories tab, then download and install the "IR Blaster setup program". This should give you the IR Blaster Config tool.

-Tony

[mikeh49]

What he said about how to configure. I think the channel changer application is haupblast.exe though. I installed the whole Hauppauge "suite", so that may make a difference.

[rstewartmailacct]

thanks guys. i got the tool going and the ir flashes on the box but the box is motorola dct6200 and setup display says ir blast: no. I wonder if firmware has this turned off for Charter in middle Tennessee?

Any other ideas? Box is dct6200 and is supposed to be supported. It tries to turn of on but never happens for any codes.

thanks

[sub]

The first step is to get it working in the Hauppauge BlastCFG utility. Have you done this? Does work there?

Once that is working well, then you set your capture source to use the ".exe channel changer", and point it at HaupBlast.exe.

[rstewartmailacct]

Thanks for the reply Sub. The blaster.cfg runs but the codes it tries for the DCT6200 never turn the unit off or on. The ir transmitter flashes and is exactly over the light that comes on when the DCT6200 remote is pressed so I think it should be getting a signal.

The display setup for the DCT6200 has a line that says "IR Blaster: NO". Is it possible my cable company has this unit configured to disallow a third party remote from working? Everything else is good.

I will try to talk to tech support at Charter but they are mostly clueless. I also sent email to tech support at Hauppauge.

Any other ideas?

Thanks