How to set up IR blaster???

[Joram]

This is a follow-up to my first thread here.

In the weeks since that discussion came to its conclusion, all the necessary equipment has arrived. In order to learn by doing things stepwise from simple to complex, I began by installing a Hauppauge ATSC tuner and NextPVR on one computer, just to get in some practice with the setup and usage processes.

That went well, so I moved over to the intended system, which includes a Verizon (Arris) IPC1100 P2 set-top box, a Hauppauge HDPVR2, a dedicated Windows 11 laptop, and the current version of NextPVR on the laptop.

For practice, I managed to get WinTV 10 to display the channel that the STB is tuned to. (To keep things simple, I had connected the STB to the HDPVR2 via component.) First success. Then I tried doing a manual recording in WinTV, and that worked too. Second success.

Next I tried setting up the Hauppauge IR blaster... and this has been a total FAIL. I haven't found a comprehensive, step-by-step guide to doing this in NextPVR, and trying it in WinTV hasn't worked either.

The few threads I've found in this Forum all provide only bits and pieces, and they seem to assume prior knowledge that I don't have. For example, this thread has a promising-sounding title, but it launches at once into a discussion of CLI commands. 

This old thread references a blaster setup guide, but the gbpvr.com link given there no longer leads to it.

The "Import Channels" (fourth) image on the NPVR Wiki STB setup page doesn't match what I'm seeing. The image shows four fields to fill in, but I only have three fields. I don't have the middle one that, in the illustration, is filled in with info for XMLTV. And while I have an idea of what to enter in the path field, I have no clue what to do with the last field, the one that in the image reads "{channel_d2} {channel_d3}".

Apologies if this is coming off as a rant, but I felt I was really close to the finish line and now there's this. Any help will be appreciated. Please just bear in mind that I have zero background in this IR blaster stuff and extremely little in NextPVR, I come from a STB/WMC environment.

Thank you!

[mvallevand]

Re-read my last sentence here https://forums.nextpvr.com/showthread.ph...#pid602344 since this was always going to be the hardest part. Have you read how to configure the IR blaster with the HDPVR using BlastCFg.exe in the HDPVR doucmentation? If not the document is at the bottom https://hauppauge.com/pages/support/supp...aster.html

There is no point configuring NextPVR if your hardware isn't working.

Martin

[Joram]

Yeah, my reasoning was that if I couldn't get the HDPVR and PC working together, there was no point in diving into the IR blaster aspect. But fortunately I did and so here we are. 

Thank you for the link to Hauppauge's IR blaster manual. I remember coming across it over the weekend at some point while looking into this, seeing the big headline on the first page ("Configuring the WinTV-HVR-1850 and WinTV-HVR-2250..."), and then thinking that these were ATSC tuners and so the instructions weren't intended for my situation.

Looking through the instructions more thoroughly this time, I see that there might be applicable information at the bottom of page 4.    Will try that and report back.

[Joram]

Update: It's not working. I followed the BlastCFG instructions first to select Cable and Verizon for the box, and none of the codes worked. Then I resorted to Learn Mode, but kept getting an "ERROR: LearnKey(x) failed," where x is the number of the key that was pressed on the Verizon remote. Even tried the "Test All" button, and it didn't help.

On closer inspection, I noticed that the Power On/Off button is grayed out and that the Hauppauge instructions say that if this is the case, then "the IRRemote Blaster hardware is not found on your WinTV." I tried pushing it further into the IR port -- no improvement. Took it out and put it back in -- no dice. WTH

Not sure what to try next.

Question: Do I even need to go through this WinTV rigamarole; can't the blaster be paired directly via some setting in NextPVR?

[mvallevand]

NextPVR would just provide a GUI to what you are trying now so what's the point? There are a lot more device then the very limited HDPVR driver.

Did you run irblast.exe as admin to install it?

Martin

[sub]

Question: Do I even need to go through this WinTV rigamarole; can't the blaster be paired directly via some setting in NextPVR?

Yes, you'd have to get it working in their software. Their drivers etc are responsible for interacting with their hardware, which isn't something we can do directly. (there is no standards around IR Blasters, and each manufacturer provides their own software for this task)

[Joram]

NextPVR would just provide a GUI to what you are trying now so what's the point?  There are a lot more device then the very limited HDPVR driver. 

Did you run irblast.exe as admin to install it?

Martin

Thanks. No, I didn't know that was necessary. Having run irblast.exe already, can I simply run it again but now as admin?

UPDATE: I re-ran irblast.exe as Admin and then, for good measure, opened BlastCfg as Admin also. Now entering channel numbers in BlastCfg's IR Channel Test field actually changes the channel in WinTV. This is even though the Power On/Off button in the configuration window is still grayed out, which according to Hauppauge's instructions means that "the IRRemote Blaster hardware is not found on your WinTV."

Next question in new post below my reply to @sub.

[Joram]

Question: Do I even need to go through this WinTV rigamarole; can't the blaster be paired directly via some setting in NextPVR?

Yes, you'd have to get it working in their software. Their drivers etc are responsible for interacting with their hardware, which isn't something we can do directly. (there is no standards around IR Blasters, and each manufacturer provides their own software for this task)

Ah, I see -- thank you!

[Joram]

OK, the channel changing function appears to be working in WinTV. Next step looks to be pairing the Verizon remote with the IR blaster, is that right? Or can I now move straight on to NextPVR? For this particular system, I seldom use a remote.

But if we do wish or need to pair the Verizon remote, then here's the next question. Last time I tried this Learn Mode, repeatedly pressing/holding/releasing the 1 button for example, the display on the STB would change and I'd end up on like channel 10 with a LearnKey failure. I don't want to screw up anything that I've already gotten to work and end up back on Square One: can I safely repeat that Learn process now, assuming it's even necessary?

[mvallevand]

I don't know enough about BlastCfg to offer comments. on the learn process. Hopefully you are able to lean the Enter and Back key since I suspect newer models will need them.

Sounds like you can move to trying HaupBlast to send the numbers and see if can send the whole can number or individual digits. and if you need to send the enter key.

Martin