Two WinTV-PVR 150 with IR blasters...

[robhix]

Hey all,

If I put another WinTV-PVR-150 in my system along with the current WinTV-PVR-150, can I use the IR blaster from each of them to control the DishNetwork box connected to the card, or do I need to go to the USB-UIRT?

I saw a really good deal on the card the other day, and I have two receivers. It would be nice not to have to worry about show conflicts anymore.

Thanks for the help,
Rob Hix

[Opus4]

Originally Posted by robhix

If I put another WinTV-PVR-150 in my system along with the current WinTV-PVR-150, can I use the IR blaster from each of them to control the DishNetwork box connected to the card, or do I need to go to the USB-UIRT?

The Hauppauge IR software can't control more than 1 IR blaster connected to a Hauppauge card.

The USB-UIRT would be a good solution for IR control of multiple STBs. If you can use serial control of the boxes, that would work even better... but I don't know if you can do that with those boxes.

- Andy

[mskitty666]

I just installed an HVR 1800 with my HVR 1600, now the ir won't work. I only have one STB hooked up and it still won't work. Do you mean that the Hauppauge software refuses to work if more than one ir capable card is installed?

[Opus4]

Originally Posted by mskitty666

I just installed an HVR 1800 with my HVR 1600, now the ir won't work. I only have one STB hooked up and it still won't work. Do you mean that the Hauppauge software refuses to work if more than one ir capable card is installed?

No -- the Hauppauge IR software can only make use of a single tuner's IR port. It uses the IR port on one of the cards, but it is difficult to control which one. I would try connecting the IR cable to the other tuner, providing it has the port on the card, to see if that one now works.

- Andy

[Conejo]

The SageTV_Manual.pdf has a section on page 245:

Hauppauge IR Blaster
Some of the newer encoder devices... now include IR transmitters.
...
Notes: Due to Hauppauge driver limitations, multiple blasters can not be used. In addition, it may not be possible to use the blaster if there are multiple encoders and only one has a blaster. ...

[mskitty666]

I'm only trying to use one blaster and it won't work and the remote won't work. I have qam and digital cable box on the 1600 and qam and basic cable on the 1800. I've looked at the usuirt, but I'm confused. Can I use it to completely bypass the Hauppauge software? Does it have to be running all the time or can sage take full control? Is an ir blaster really worth $50? Is there any way to see or change which ir port on which card gets used? The 1800 doesn't have an ir port, it comes with something that hooks up to MCE. Unfortunately, I can't test if the blaster will work on it.

[ke6guj]

if you get the usb-uirt, yes, you can totally remove the hauppauge IR software. Sage has native support for the uirt, and you can run other programs like girder to further extend uirt control to other aspects of your PC.

Is it worth $50? well, if it works, and you hauppauge blaster doesn't.........

As for changing the port that the hauppauge ir blaster software uses, its not easy. Basically, what happens is that the first card to initialize gets assigned IR port duties, even if it doesn't actually have one. Some people have gotten the IR port working correctly by switching the cards in the motherboard slots so maybe the initialization sequence lets the real IR port get set up to work with the software.

Otherwise, the other solution is to run a script to disable the cards on startup and then to restart them in the proper order so the card with the IR port gets started in the correct sequence. I've seen it mentioned on the forum, a search should find it.


edit: here is the thread I was thinking about that gets into workarounds and fixes for your ir port problem, http://forums.sagetv.com/forums/showthread.php?t=8672

edit 2: just for your info, the USB-UIRT is both an IR receiver and IR blaster. And the blaster portion can be set up to control multiple STBs.

[mskitty666]

The Hauppauge blaster and remote worked flawlessly until I installed the second card. Thanks for the info, but those tweaks are way, way way more work than I'm willing to do to get a product functioning properly because of poor design. I know what needs to be done now.
1. Send Hauppauge a nastygram about them deliberately breaking a function because I dared to give them more of my money and bought another of their tuners.
2. Don't buy from them in the future.

These companies get on my nerves. Why can't I configure the ir just like I can the audio, or the recording quality, or any of the other settings. I might see if I can exchange this card for one that will work properly. This kind of info should have been listed on their web site .