Digital Cable

[rmatthe]

I was just wondering if/how one would control a digital cable box. I have cox cable and live in Texas. Any help would be great.

[sub]

...via a USB-UIRT or Actisys IR200L, which are both directly supported by GB-PVR.

Alternatively, with Girder and a serial cable you can control some cable boxes via RS-232.

[Guest]

Is there documentation somewhere that shows how to comunicate with the digital cable box via USB or Ethernet? I have a Pioneer 2000HD unit and haven't been able to find anything.

[jwells]

Also,

Is there any way to use the MVP as an IR repeater instead of adding a dedicated one?

[sub]

I've not seen any information on communicating with set top boxes via USB or Ethernet. Take a look at http://www.grider.nl there might be some information there.

You cant use the MVP as an IR repeater. It has no IR transmitter, only a receiver.

[jwells]

Yes,

I was thinking the MVP may be able to send commands to the server and the server would be able to use USB-UIRT or Actisys IR200L as the repeater. This would give you a reciever on every MVP location without adding any hardware. Assuming you already have a USB-UIRT or Actisys IR200L.

[sub]

Currently you can use the Hauppauge remote that came with your MVP to control the GB-PVR frontend on the MVP. When the frontend need to record anything it asks the GB-PVR Recording Service to do the job. The Recording Service (running on you PC) is able use the USB-UIRT or Actisys IR200L to change channels on your set top decoder.

In effect, only the one USB-UIRT is required and it must be connect to your PC, with it's IR transmitter in sight of set top box. All of the MVPs will share this USB-UIRT (via the Recording Service).

Does this give you the information you were looking for?

[jwells]

sort of,

I have my PC at the entertainment center and the mvp in my bedroom. It would be nice to be able to control other IR devices located at the enterainment center like the stereo, vcr, etc that may not necessarily use gbpvr. Sort of a generic ir repeater. I've just put in structured wiring and have multiple coaxes, audio wiring, etc. I'm in the process of incorporating a whole house ir system using some of the wiring but if the MVP could do it I wouldn't have to put additional sensors at each location.

[jwells]

I assume the MVP would recieve the ir signal from the remote, decode it and act on it. If it recieved an ir signal it didn't recognize it could assume it was a signal for a different device and pass it along to the server which would repeat it to all the devices at the entertainment center. Actually, Im anticipating a problem with a whole house repeater using strutured wiring since it would repeat all ir signals and since the MVP and my 350 use the same remote there would be a conflict. If the MVP intervened there probably wouldn't be a problem.

[sub]

Ah, I see what your asking. Sorry, no can do. The MVP does not pass along any IR signals it doesn't recognise, and I've got no way to force it to do so.