DirecTV Tuning Problem

[mayamaniac]

Originally Posted by Jeremy

I've been using 4 RCA DirecTV boxes for a few days now, no problems with the serial port. Where did you get the cables? Have you tried PortMon to see if there is anything actually being transmitted through the serial port?

I guess you missed the part where I mentioned that BeyondTV has no problems controlling the RCA DRD435RH. So definitely something is being transmitted. And as mentioned before, SageTV also controls the RCA DRD435RH, but it only does it once. It doesn't change channel afterward. I have to quit and relaunch SageTV to get it to change channel again, but again, just once. Oh, and I bought the serial cable from snapstream, which most reccommended.

Originally Posted by dagar

You should try the http://www.dtvcontrol.com/ app to at least see if you can pass serial control. There have been no D10-200/300 confirmed to work with serial control. Even though they are supposed to be the same box. I specifically requested D10-100 boxes when I ordered from Value Electronics.

Mine checks out fine with that updated GML from another forum member (name/thread elude me now). But that's in Girder. I haven't been able to map it thru Sage/Girder combo (no time and documentation is asinine, where it exists -- unless a secret manual is being held somewhere).

I've heard of dtvcontrol, how does it work with SageTV and Girder? Which device controls what? I mean, what happens when SageTV changes the channel on to record a scheduled show?

Originally Posted by jchiso

I have three Sage-based systems that use feeds from DirecTV boxes; two with USB-UIRT infrared control, one with serial control. The two with the UIRTs are DirecTV/Cable/OTA-HD receivers. The serial is an old RCA model, a DRD515RB.

Getting several of these receivers to work with Sage has been challenging in some cases and downright impossible in others. The newer model boxes do not work with Sage's serial control. Some of the boxes won't respond properly to infrared commands from the USB-UIRT. It's been a carnival of frustration, unmet expectations and compromise.

I am currently searching for an alternative means to control a couple of these STBs, but the help and associated bodies of knowledge surrounding the various technologies are skecthy.

I have a USB-UIRT, I'm gonna give it a try next time I'm at my brother's house. Personally, I like to do away from IR blasters but since the serial method isn't working, I have no choice, which sucks though. As for other options, I saw someone posted on another thread about this device, MyBlaster/USB . I wonder if it's any good.

[Jeremy]

Originally Posted by mayamaniac

I guess you missed the part where I mentioned that BeyondTV has no problems controlling the RCA DRD435RH. So definitely something is being transmitted. And as mentioned before, SageTV also controls the RCA DRD435RH, but it only does it once. It doesn't change channel afterward. I have to quit and relaunch SageTV to get it to change channel again, but again, just once. Oh, and I bought the serial cable from snapstream, which most reccommended.

Nope, I didn't miss that. When troubleshooting you need to split the system in half, the most basic split in computers is hardware/software. Get PortMon ( http://www.sysinternals.com/Utilities/Portmon.html ) and see what SageTV is sending to the DirecTV box.

Why? Well, your box could be the problem - or it could be protocal issue, or it could be that SageTV isn't sending anything. The port monitor log will clearly show that.

[mayamaniac]

Originally Posted by Jeremy

Nope, I didn't miss that. When troubleshooting you need to split the system in half, the most basic split in computers is hardware/software. Get PortMon ( http://www.sysinternals.com/Utilities/Portmon.html ) and see what SageTV is sending to the DirecTV box.

Why? Well, your box could be the problem - or it could be protocal issue, or it could be that SageTV isn't sending anything. The port monitor log will clearly show that.

If the box is the problem, then it should affect BeyondTV also, which is not the case here. And I hate to repeat myself, but SageTV definitely is sending something, as the channel changes the first time, but not subsequent times. I don't know why you think that SageTV isn't sending anything. I'll get portmon and test it out, but I bet it will see sagetv send something the first time I change channel, and then nothing else after that.

[Jeremy]

Originally Posted by mayamaniac

If the box is the problem, then it should affect BeyondTV also, which is not the case here. And I hate to repeat myself, but SageTV definitely is sending something, as the channel changes the first time, but not subsequent times. I don't know why you think that SageTV isn't sending anything. I'll get portmon and test it out, but I bet it will see sagetv send something the first time I change channel, and then nothing else after that.

I know, but if you goto SageTV support with the trace in hand, you will definately have more ground to stand on, plus it helps them out alot.

It will also tell support that it's clearly their problem.

[mayamaniac]

Finally, I had time to go to my brother's house and attempt to get his SageTV working with the DTV receiver again.

First, I removed SageTV completely, then downloaded and installed the latest beta 3.011. Then I copied the new DLL that SageTV Tech Support sent to me and added one registry entry like they said. I rebooted the computer. Upon start up, I launched SageTV and configured the tuner and tried to change channels again, but still no luck. It still did not change the channels. Bummer, I thought. But out of curiosity, I launched BeyondTV just to test if it still works in BTV. To my surprise, BTV stopped changing channels too, it worked before in BTV. So I quit BTV.

Out of desperation, I launched SageTV once again, and for some miraculous reason, it CHANGED CHANNELS! I continued to test various channels and all worked in SageTV. So I guess the new DLL and Registry setting worked, although I have no idea why it didn't work when I first launched SageTV after rebooting. But it doesn't matter cause everything is working now. So, this new DLL might be the solution to the problem, at least for me it worked.

Attached is the new DLL, Make sure that Sage is closed down when you make these changes. Overwrite the one in your SageTV folder with the new DLL. Also open the registry editor (Start > run > regedit) and create a registry settings (as a DWORD) called "DirecTVIgnoreResponse" in HKLM\SOFTWARE\Frey Technologies\SageTV\. Then open the new entry and change the value from "0" to "1". Reboot and then test it out in SageTV. Good Luck.

[dagar]

Perhaps you did a reboot on the STB? Odd but not surprising given the quantity of variables involved! Glad to hear he's up and running now.

[mayamaniac]

Just to confirm the solution:

I recently built a new server machine for my brother. So I also upgraded his SageTV from 3.011 beta to SageTV 4.14 on the new machine. After connecting all the cables for the tuner and the RCA DRD435RH DirecTV receiver, I configured the Tuner wizard in SageTV. And not surprising, the same problem I had before came back. It would change channels once and thats it, no more. Rebooted computer .... still no good. Power the receiver off and on .... and still no good.

So I went back to this thread, got the DLL here and replaced the one in the SageTV folder with it. Then I enter the "DirecTVIgnoreResponse" register key, and launched SageTV. And voila, everything works again. Changin channels work as it should. Strange that SageTV folks never put the registry key in the latest SageTV 4.14, I wonder why not.

[Opus4]

... and you submitted a bug report about this so it can be fixed, right?

- Andy

[mayamaniac]

Originally Posted by Opus4

... and you submitted a bug report about this so it can be fixed, right?

- Andy

Considering that the tech support guy, George, was the one that gave me that DLL and registry settings, not to mention the email exchanges I had with him. I think they already know about the problem.

[dagar]

just because the tech support guy knows doesn't mean that the dev in charge of that type of stuff knows or remembers