An 'On Demand' option for some channels.

[mkenyon2]

If we're using a cable company's STB, and have, for instance, Channel 1 as 'On Demand'. Can we have certain buttons (arrows and enter) get passed to an IR blaster to the STB?

I'm sure there are some logistics... but we have a collection of fine minds here, perhaps we could come up with a solution.

I would like to see the channel lineup have a column with a bit value. 'OnDemand' True/False. If PVRX2 is currently watching and 'OnDemand' channel, it takes only particular remote signals (PVRX2 would be capturing everything as usual) and call out to another 'Channel Changer' executable with different parameters.

Or... when setting up a capture source that points to an external channel changer, it could be set as 'OnDemand' enabled, and the 'OnDemand' channels would only use that tuner/capture source, and it's blaster settings.

Thoughts?

[sub]

Unfortunately neither the Hauppauge IR Blaster or the MCE IR Blaster interfaces support sending arbitrary keys like arrows or enter. All I can request is a channel number, so I couldnt do this.

[mkenyon2]

Hmmm.... are you sure? Do you mean directly? Or through HIP. Because hmm... maybe I've never tried sending one of those. I know HIP can capture a remote control's arrow keys and enter keys... and then in HIP you can map that to keypresses.

[sub]

The Hauppauge interface definitely cant. It only takes a channel number.

You might be able make something with the MCE remote. Its unlikely I'd do this though.

[carpeVideo]

Couldn't you do the control part with your remote - IE tune to the "On Demand Channel" and just switch the remote to 'cable'. Basically you just want a pass through channel labeled "On Demand". If you use the right channel number you could select it with GBPVR and it would send the On Demand # to the cable box (I believe it usually is a channel) then do the switch on the remote and you are off and running.

CV

[wtg]

I think sending the codes to control On Demand with some set-top boxes is possible. For those that use firewire channel changing via the timmmoore STB firewire drivers the associated readme file lists all the remote key codes and channel.exe supports sending them.

From the readme:

Code:

Can I send other buttons than change channel? Channel.exe has a parameter –d. When used with this parameter the channel parameter is a button number, for example 32 is the button number for the button 0. So Channel –v –d 2 32 will send the command for button 0 to the STB. The following are the buttons supported by AV/C Panel device; they may or may not be supported by a STB. 0 select 1 up 2 down 3 left 4 right 5 right-up 6 right-down 7 left-up 8 left-down 9 root menu 10 setup menu 11 contents menu 12 favorite menu 13 exit 32 0 33 1 34 2 35 3 36 4 37 5 38 6 39 7 40 8 41 9 42 . 43 enter/search 44 clear 48 channel up 49 channel down 50 previous channel 51 sound select 52 input select 53 display info 54 help 55 page up 56 page down 64 power 65 volume up 66 volume down 67 mute 68 play 69 stop 70 pause 71 record 72 rewind 73 fast forward 74 eject 75 forward 76 backward 80 angle 81 subpicture 96 play function 97 pause-play function 98 record function 99 pause-record function 100 stop function 101 mute function 102 restore volume function 103 tune function 104 select disk function 105 select a/v input function 106 select audio input function 113 F1 114 F2 115 F3 116 F4 117 F5

I've often thought it would be slick to develop a plug-in for doing STB On-Demand, sending appropriate key codes this way.

But sheesh... who has time?

[wtg]

And I'm guessing using a USB-UIRT controller it might be possible too.