Switching from cable to DTV

[heffe2001]

After the past 5 months fighting with our local cable co, I've finally decided to just drop them, get DSL & go with Directv. Does anyboyd know if the standard receivers they use now are serial controllable? I'm going to be using 5 boxes(may end up just going with 4 though, if serial will work), and would rather not use IR if at all possible (I DO have a USB-UIRT though, like I said, rather not use it for that).

I'm going to be running this to 2 blackbird PVR cards, and 2 PVR150's, all via svideo/rca connections.

Hopefully the boxes they are shipping now have serial control .

[SHS]

The only thing that maybe a for seeable problem is share IRQ with serial port and if know model your get try find a picture of the back a lot of them have Low Speed Data Port may guest you be getting D10

[esubramanian]

Originally Posted by heffe2001

After the past 5 months fighting with our local cable co, I've finally decided to just drop them, get DSL & go with Directv. Does anyboyd know if the standard receivers they use now are serial controllable? I'm going to be using 5 boxes(may end up just going with 4 though, if serial will work), and would rather not use IR if at all possible (I DO have a USB-UIRT though, like I said, rather not use it for that).

I'm going to be running this to 2 blackbird PVR cards, and 2 PVR150's, all via svideo/rca connections.

Hopefully the boxes they are shipping now have serial control .

If you are planning on getting the HD receiver, that will be the H20. I have this and it does not have a serial port. It has a USB port, but does not seem to be functional. I tried to use a USB to serial cable with a null modem, but that does not work. I am using USB-UIRT now, not by choice!

[Wakecrash]

If standard def, you will get a D10 reciever, some have serial control.

D10-100 serial control works, the <100 channel change issue is fixed.

-100 is the manufacture code, I think their is also -200, -300, and maybe a -400.

-100 is typically what best buy and circuit city sell. If you are going to get the box from directv, it could be questionable which manf code you get, you might get one that the serial control does not work.

I read where some others got USB to serial converters to work.

[cragis]

I got mine through directv online and got a hughes controller with no serial connection, so beware.

[heffe2001]

Not really sure how we're going to do it (checked online, but might just pick up boxes locally, that way I'm sure what I'm going to get). Thanks for the info guys .

[SHS]

Oh and forgot this but in pass when I had directv if the system was under any kind heavy load it will not work rigth just giving you heads up on that heffe2001 but keep in mind that was very long time ago when a lot slower system so I dosen't know if this still apply with faster system becuases serial is really slow vs USB speed but it to share the same problem when the system is under any kind of heavy load but not as bad if I recall rigth well all I can say is take a crack at it.

[heffe2001]

My system only has 2 serial ports, so I'd be using USB to serial adapters (I use them on on the cable boxes on my server, so they do seem to work fine with sage). My only problem I see now is I won't have a firewire cable box anymore to capture HD with .