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.