Directv ...and 99 other questions

[Jakeb]

I guess should start by saying hello to everyone and thank you for your time and research thus far, what I've read has been most helpful. That being said , I'm very confused on a couple of points and I'm hoping someone out there can help me out with a few questions and maybe start a more detailed post on the forum for some specific options.

1) I desperately want to use Sagetv to watch some Directv programming, but the exact process for setting this up seems to be a little scattered. From what I've read so far My options are either using a serial com cable custom fitted to my model of Satellite Reciever or using the UIIRT USB device to control the satellite box through Infrared. Can someone sort of tie together for me in detail exactly the pros and cons of the serial cable vs. the UIIRT device? I hear that the IR devices are slow, does anyone prefer them to the cable anyway?
Also, I seem to be having a hard time finding the actual parts to create my own custom cable for the model of satellite box I have from the instructions on the DirecTV serial control website. From what I gather the materials required are: 1x4-conductor cable (otherwise known as a standard phone line with 4 wires correct?)
1-9 pin female D-sub connector and hood assebly (which I'm still trying to hunt down on www.mouser.com)
1-4P4C Modular Plug (which I'm not having any luck finding either) and crimping/pin placing tools for the D-sub connector.

Can anyone sort of point me out to the required parts for the serial connector and the exact process by which I would go about creating this cable? preferably all from the same website (for example www.mouser.com) (I don't really want to go with the premade one from the Direct control website because I would need a signifigantly longer cable for my application) Also what are the thoughts on crimping vs soldering as far as the D-sub connector goes.
Also, once I'm done creating this cable what else will I need to control the satellite box through it? Will I need Girder or a similar app? And does using this cable still let me use the Sage.TV software to view channels and schedule recordings? or will I still have to flip back and forth between it and another to navigate the programming line-up??
Sorry for all of the questions, but I think if we create a more complete guide on this subject we'll attract that many more SageTV users, so any answers you can provide will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks for your time.

[GbrNole]

just get one of these: http://www.cables4computer.com/produ...roupcode=I0084

a short 4 wire phone cable and pretty much plug and play. one end to a serial port on your mobo and the phone line end to your satellite receiver.

if your receiver is supported sage will recognize it and be able to switch channels right away.

the serial connection is MUCH faster than the usb-uirt interface for switching channels. it worked very well for me back when i was using satellite.

[Jakeb]

That looks good, but isn't that an RJ-11 (6p6c) output on that adapter? The DirecTV reciever use a 4p4c (4 pole 4 conducter) jack on the back....

[ke6guj]

Then get one of these:
http://www.cables4computer.com/produ...roupcode=I0086

It comes with a RJ-45 phone cord connector instead of a RJ-11 ethernet connector.

[Jakeb]

Heh, thanks for the responses, but after doing some research I think the adapter I would need would have to be an RJ-22 modular adapter...the plug going into the back of the satellite reciever is the small thin one that plugs into the handsets of most telephones, So I would plug the serial end into the computer and then run a regular phone line from the adapter to the satellite receiver. I believe this is the right connection. RJ-45 is used for Ethernet I believe...which is what would have been more useful for our purposes if DirecTV had gone that route.

[ke6guj]

You're correct about the RJ45=Ethernet, wow what a brain fade

[Jakeb]

So is it just me or is there an internet shortage of RJ22F/DB9F Modular Adapters out there?? I'm starting to wonder where the Direct Control site got his. Ah well I suppose I'll go ahead and order that from him and just crimp my own cable as I will need it a little longer than 9 feet...you know...I think SageTV could make some money by offering a custom adapter in the Store...maybe with the SageTV logo branded on it..lol well here's to hoping.

[ke6guj]

I like a challenge, so I have been testing my Google-fu skills on the problem and coming up with limited success.

I did see that some telescope guys offer custom rj22/db9 cables, and that Sage's competition, BTV, also offers a cable kit for DirecTV. They call the cable rj6 instead of rj22, but some other forum posts I found say that it works.

Or try this: http://ulav.videogon.com/cgi-bin/cl....813&class&3&4&

But I think I'd just pick up a rj11 or rj45 to db9 adapter at my local radio shack or electronics store and make a custom cable with rj11/45 on one end and rj22 on the other.
edit: which I think the guy in the link above is doing

[Jakeb]

You know what I just had the same thought....If I crimp an RJ-22 onto one end and an RJ-11 on the other it'll work with the RJ-11-DB-9 adapters...lol ok so that's a brain fade for each of us today. And talk about stressful lol It took me the better part of the day to even find out that a 4P4C plug was called an RJ-22 (I don't feel bad though because even the guy at Direct Control says that there isn't a Registered Jack number for it) Ok so now for the next Google-thon...stranded or solid 4C wire ???

[ke6guj]

for ease of crimping, using the flat 4c wire is easier than the round, which is what I assume you mean by stranded vs solid. I haven't seen the individual wires in a phone cable or cat-5 stranded, man would that make crimping even harder.

I doubt that that much info is going across the wire that cross-talk is an issue so that flat wire should be fine.

[Wakecrash]

yes solid flat for crimping, I believe the RS232 spec is at least 25 feet with flat ribbon cable. I made my cable using flat solid wire and DB9 with solder terminals from radio shack. Finding the right modular connector was hard, finally found them at an Ace hardware after I checked about a dozen other places.

[LowTech]

How long of a cable do you need?

If 10' will suffice go with the one you linked from DirecTV Serial Control and get a 10' extension DB9 cable with it, about $21 with shipping. You can always just get the adaptor and get whatever length DB9 cable you need for your requirements. I'm not sure what the total cost of a crimper/cable/headset jack/DB9 plug runs but I'll bet the above solution is cheaper if you don't already have some of the parts on hand.

As an alternative you could always scavage the handset jack from an old table phone or buy a cheapie phone at a garage sale or such and make your own cable by soldering the wires to a scavaged serial cable.

Snapstream sells their version at the link below but it's even pricier than the solution you found....

http://store.snapstream.com/dicaparre.html

BTW, Sage+serial cable+DTV STB is the way to go.

[that_kid]

Originally Posted by Jakeb

You know what I just had the same thought....If I crimp an RJ-22 onto one end and an RJ-11 on the other it'll work with the RJ-11-DB-9 adapters...

That's exactly what I did. I went to the dollar store and brought two 25' handset cables, cut them in half and then I had 4 control cables for my 4 direct tv boxes, crimped some rj-11's on the other ends and with my db9 to rj45 adapter i was straight.

[motions]

It sounds like everyone on this thread is making it WAY too hard. Or just don't know any better. Adapters, cables, $20 here and there..... If you pay more than $2 for this solution, you've been had.

[paulbeers]

My favorite website has these converters from DB9 - RJ12 (same as RJ11) for 91 CENTS!!!!

http://www.cablewholesale.com/ search for DB9 to RJ12

[dagar]

Geez I about fell outta my chair when I saw that people are getting $20 and $30 cables to do this! x4 STBs! Yeah, those DB9->RJ12->RJ11 cable should work just fine.

[paulbeers]

EXACTLY!

Buy the <$1 converter from DB9 to RJ11/12 and then go buy some cheap RJ22 and RJ11/12 cables and splice em together. Nothing fancy. While I don't use an STB, my buddy does and I set it up just that way. A couple of bucks and you are done. I am thinking tho, it would be even cooler to use an old parrallel port (DB25) and just hard wire RJ22 lines right into it so that mutliple boxes could be run off of that (upto 6 STB'S!!) althought that would require a lot of wiring and a special plug-in sage which sounds like a lot of freakin work!