USB-UIRT and Dish Network?

[swats]

Hello Everyone,

I currently use firewire with my cable box to record, but I am switching to Dish Network on Tuesday. I will have 2 HD Boxes, one hooked up with a HD-PVR, and for the moment one will be conencted through an analog capture card.

I have purchased a USB-UIRT with a dual emitter IR blaster. Reading what I can find online, it looks like I need to fiind and download an ir file for the VIP222 receiver to get it to work?

Can someone give me an overview of using USB-UIRT to tune?

Thanks!

[Rob]

I'm not at home, so this is from memory.

I have two 311 receivers and one usb uirt. Dish recievers have the abiltiy to change what they call the remote address code of the remote and the receiver. I have one reciever on the default remote address code and one has been changed to "Remote address 2". This means the second reciever uses a different set of IR codes between the remote and the receiver. In sage I have two if files (one for the derault codes and one for the remote address 2 codes). I can post them both tomorrow and maybe your 222 can use them.

The advantage of this set up is that you do not have to try to isolate the recievers so that they do not get codes being sent to your second box.

If I remember right, this is what I did to install them:

1. Used the dish remote and the manual to change one of the receivers to remote address 2 (make sure only one of the recievers is on and in view of the remote when you do this or both will change to remote address 2).

2. Plugged in the usb uirt and installed its driver when xp prompted me to.

3. Copied the two ir files into the sage directory (sorry, but I do not remember the exact directory where they belong). I begged here on the forum and someone provided me with both the ones I use. Not sure if they will work for your 222 or not.

4. In the sage setup of the tuner, selected the appropriate ir file.

[Fuzzy]

Also keep in mind that the Vip222 uses IR only for tuner 1 (the local HD display). The remote SD display uses RF only, and I'm unaware of any method of tuning it from sage.

The USB-UIRT does a very good job of learning the commands from the Dish remotes, so there isn't really the need to try to 'hunt down' .ir files for dish. In sage when you are setting up the source, you set it to use the USB-UIRT, say it is a new device, and it will go through the learning process. HINT: When it asks you to learn a number (starting with 0), wait about a second or two, hold the remote in front of the USB-UIRT, and hold down the number. The USB-UIRT LED should be on solid while it is learning, it will blink off when it has learned the command, and Sage will say it learned it (takes a second or two). then hit enter and go on to the next number.

As for using the second tuner, I'm not sure of a way. If someone has found a solution, I hope they pipe up, as it would be a great addition.

[swats]

Great, thanks guys. One more question-- If you use separate remote codes for each receiver, controlled by one USB-UIRT, do you need to designate something during the USB-UIRT setup in Sage so that it knows it is controlling box one or two?

For example, I go through the setup with my first box and HD-PVR. Select USB-UIRT, and learn the commands. Done.

Next I go through the setup with box 2 and analog. Select USB-UIRT, and learn commands. It won't overwrite what I have already done for box 1, correct?

Again I thank you for the help. It makes it a lot easier anticipating how the setup will go.

[Fuzzy]

Np, it won't overwrite the commands. You will give the first box's ir setup a name when it is learned. When yo go through the second box, after you choose to use the USB-UIRT, it will present you with a list of already configured boxes (the bundles motorola DCT box, and your 1st boxes IR). You choose neither, and it will let you learn a new one (give it another name). For mine, I chose DishNetworkAddress1, DishNetworkAddress2, and so on.

[swats]

Awesome, thanks! Hopefully I can get everything done tonight before primetime