usb-uirt sagetv question

[churcj2]

From my reading on the usb-uirt home page and around I get the impression that the usb-uirt can blast out to 3 different devices (1 ir, and the ability to wire in 2 more ir transmitters into a stereo jack). I also thought it said that it can recieve transmission as well. Is that just for learning or is that to pick up an IR signal from say a universal remote and send command to SageTV. If its not just for learning I'm a little confused at the positioning of the devices.

Presumbably you would want to point the uirt device at your digital terminal and then run the wired irs to the other 2 digital terminals and create a little house around the sensors. Seems that it might be a little ackward for the receiver to pickup a remote signal if its facing a terminal - or else some creative arrangment of equipment (Mirrors maybe?).

I'm getting ready to move from analog to STDV either will bell canada's satellite or Look.ca microwave(antenna, but digital) service. Just trying to judge what I'm up against.

[Opus4]

The USB-UIRT site states that UIRT stands for Universal Infrared Receiver Transmitter. The receiver part is, indeed, for receiving commands to have remote control affect apps on your PC. (SageTV can use it directly for receiving commands, or you could use Girder to also control other apps.)

Maybe some other USB-UIRT users have comments on the front receiver/blaster, but I think I've heard people say that the transmitter part was pretty powerful & didn't really need to point at the device it was controling if it could bounce off a wall or something.

Also: if you happen to have devices that all use different IR codes (or can be set to do so), then you don't even have to use the zone capability.

- Andy