HAVA Channel Changer

[Jason]

Originally Posted by mike_15

Elfman, I was able to get this working quite easily. and tied it to sage using the EXEMultiTunerPlugin.


Mike

No joy here yet... I ge the proper response from the exe just as you do (ack=1), but no 'action' from the HAVA...

Disabled my firewall so nothing is getting blocked...

Hmmm... the concept is great... is the command set soemhow hardcoded to a specific provider or IR hardware set... I wonder...

The RTSP method is very agnostic, but with definite commands, there are a number of variables...

[elfman]

I think I know why you get the console flash. I think I need to use WinMain() instead of main() on windoze. I'm hoping to fix for an alpha2 soon. I hope we can fix Jason's issue in channel changing. In alpha2 too in addition to some full quality mpeg capture attempts. We're discussing Jasons problem over on the myhava forum topic.

Elfman

[elfman]

BTW, I've released alpha2 over at sourceforge (https://sourceforge.net/projects/havafun/). Features some assorted updates described in the release notes. Now includes several executables including a version of the channel changer for windows that does not create a console window.... Windows users should make sure that the regular one is working before using the nowin version.

Hoping that we'll figure out why its not working for Jason for alpha3... Thats the fun of trying to figure out protocols... I've created a hava_info program that I'm hoping to expand on to facilitate figuring out when things go wrong.

Elfman

[Graygeek]

Thanks elfman for your efforts! You and Jason have been great help for the HAVA users. If the folks at HAVA would only make 10% of the effort you have, they could sell a lot of boxes to SAGE & Myth folks.

[Jason]

Well folks, were are up to basically an alpha 4 version...

We (Chris!) have hammered out the fact that the HAVA protocol allows for us to send commands to discrete video inputs (Composite/Component/RF/SVideo) and now has allowed us to specify the input variety we intend/need.

So far channel changes work fine, but discrete button selections (power, select, etc) do not. I know it is a result of the input selections, so Chris should have a new version out soon.

In addition, he has changed the status to allow unbound command selections for windows users... This was keeping some of us out... Basically he is now injecting a command into a bound (or unbound...) port regardless if it is/has been used by a previous program (HAVASvc).

Based on Chris' progress so far, there should be a truly workable version quite soon and my hack of a channel changer will no longer be needed!

Just in case anyone has forgotten, the HAVA line is basically a 'poor mans' HDPVR! HD(*) recording at a price we can all afford. In addition, you can use the unit as an internet streamer ala Slingbox.

[Graygeek]

EXCELLENT!

So far I'm still using your channelchanger, and it has been working 100% so I'm a little hesitant to change until elfmans solution has been fully worked out. Sounds like he is almost there.

Any hope this could blossom into a method of running two HAVA's on the same pc? I'm betting this is buried deep in the driver and out of reach for you & elfman. So far the only hope I see is to have the second on another PC as a network encoder ... but that adds a lot of complexity and expense.

[Jason]

Originally Posted by Graygeek

EXCELLENT!

So far I'm still using your channelchanger, and it has been working 100% so I'm a little hesitant to change until elfmans solution has been fully worked out. Sounds like he is almost there.

Any hope this could blossom into a method of running two HAVA's on the same pc? I'm betting this is buried deep in the driver and out of reach for you & elfman. So far the only hope I see is to have the second on another PC as a network encoder ... but that adds a lot of complexity and expense.

Well, I am sure that soon Chris will have the next release... We have worked (he has...) out the codes to change the channels and select discrete buttons as well. The HAVA units have distinct video inputs which were managed seperately, which threw a monkey wrench for awhile...

In short, the next version will add that functionality and hopefully add in channel pre-pends for those of with Dish and/or UVerse boxes which 'go to sleep...'

It should not be long...

As far as the multiple HAVA boxes... unfortunately not until Monsoon re-codes the firmware. The way that they have it coded (driver/unit) only allows one unit.

The GPL code they have released is not the *entire* code base, so modified firmware is not soon forthcoming.

[Jason]

Originally Posted by Jason

In short, the next version will add that functionality and hopefully add in channel pre-pends for those of with Dish and/or UVerse boxes which 'go to sleep...'

We are up to version 6 of our 'test' versions... So far we have everything we need with a few tweeks to do... For example:

hava_channel 192.168.1.70 Component C0858 Select 122

... using this will send the defined input to my UVerse box, which is connected to the HAVA unit via component with the command set C0858. In this case the commands are Select (wake up from sleep...) and then Channel 122!

I have asked Chris to add in a user definable wait period between commands/channel selections via an argument, but right now it is hard coded to 3 seconds... You can chain as many commands as you need limited only by the 3 second rule...

[elfman]

Originally Posted by Jason

We are up to version 6 of our 'test' versions... So far we have everything we need with a few tweeks to do... For example:

hava_channel 192.168.1.70 Component C0858 Select 122

... using this will send the defined input to my UVerse box, which is connected to the HAVA unit via component with the command set C0858. In this case the commands are Select (wake up from sleep...) and then Channel 122!

I have asked Chris to add in a user definable wait period between commands/channel selections via an argument, but right now it is hard coded to 3 seconds... You can chain as many commands as you need limited only by the 3 second rule...

Hi all,

I have posted alpha3 over at https://sourceforge.net/projects/havafun/. It includes everything discussed so far on this thread. The syntax for hava_channel is much richer than it used to be but requires a bit more looking up your configuration details to customize for your set top box and hava input connection. Jason tested about 7 different attempts for me as we worked thru some Vista anomolies and what bytes in the control packets we needed to tweak and assorted invocation syntax.

Note that there is a diagnostic mode for hava_channel_nowin for folks having issues with it. See the usage and release notes for details.

WRT using this versus the earlier RTSP one... If you ever want to upgrade your hava firmware, there isn't too much choice. You might try this one out for a bit before switching over.

On getting video from multiple hava's, It might theoretically be possible but would require some heavy lifting. Do you actually have multiple Hava's now? I'm working on capturing the hava mpeg2 stream (I'm a MythTV guy at the moment)... http://myhava.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=3648) and am not seeing anything yet that would preclude multiple havas (except for possible UDP packet drop rates). Unfortunately, I suspect that it would take someone creating another module for SageTV? I really don't know how capture works for you guys.

Note that I think hava_channel should be working fine to multiple hava's today

[Graygeek]

Originally Posted by elfman

Hi all,

On getting video from multiple hava's, It might theoretically be possible but would require some heavy lifting. Do you actually have multiple Hava's now? I'm working on capturing the hava mpeg2 stream (I'm a MythTV guy at the moment)... http://myhava.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=3648) and am not seeing anything yet that would preclude multiple havas (except for possible UDP packet drop rates). Unfortunately, I suspect that it would take someone creating another module for SageTV? I really don't know how capture works for you guys.

Note that I think hava_channel should be working fine to multiple hava's today

I have been thinking of picking up a second, as a backup. As soon as I do I'll see what happens ... nothing to loose, if by chance SAGE can see both it will mean a celebration brew But, I suspect HAVA's driver will only see the one it finds first .... I'd sooooooo like to be wrong on that.

[elfman]

Originally Posted by Graygeek

I have been thinking of picking up a second, as a backup. As soon as I do I'll see what happens ... nothing to loose, if by chance SAGE can see both it will mean a celebration brew But, I suspect HAVA's driver will only see the one it finds first .... I'd sooooooo like to be wrong on that.

I am fairly confident that Hava will only see one too. . I do not see anything so far in the protocol that would indicate a limitation of one but the software definately is designed for one today. I believe that that question has come up on Hava's forums. If someone has two, I could easily hack up a version of hava_record that would try to capture both into mpeg files as a test. That is a long way from integration into something like sage even if it worked.

Elfman

[Jason]

Originally Posted by elfman

I am fairly confident that Hava will only see one too. . I do not see anything so far in the protocol that would indicate a limitation of one but the software definately is designed for one today. I believe that that question has come up on Hava's forums. If someone has two, I could easily hack up a version of hava_record that would try to capture both into mpeg files as a test. That is a long way from integration into something like sage even if it worked.

Elfman

I believe that it is a limitation of the driver... However, if (IF?) you could set it up as an online video source, then maybe...

[vallancen]

This is excellent just what i was looking for.

This is all working with the LATEST Hava beta (272.325-32-32) I used exeMultiTuner but did have to make sure that openRTSP.exe file and the cygwin1.dll where NOT copied into my sage folder (these files seem to crash SageTV)

[Jason]

Originally Posted by vallancen

This is excellent just what i was looking for.

This is all working with the LATEST Hava beta (272.325-32-32) I used exeMultiTuner but did have to make sure that openRTSP.exe file and the cygwin1.dll where NOT copied into my sage folder (these files seem to crash SageTV)

I would change to the new changer that elfman has provided... It is MUCH more reliable and does not rely on separate DLL's...

[vallancen]

Originally Posted by Jason

I would change to the new changer that elfman has provided... It is MUCH more reliable and does not rely on separate DLL's...

Yes sorry I wasnt very clear it is his new one that I am using.

[ChaOConnor]

Hello all! Been turned on to HAVA now thanks to some folks here. Question, does this allow for the fullest "HD" experience possible w/ Hava? Ergo, none of the down converting that happens w/ VLC? I understand it's not recording true 1080, but it's as close as it will ever get, correct?

What's the speed of channel changing w/ this? Can you integrate this into your EPG so if you select one of the premium channels it will go to the Hava network tuner and you'll be good to go?

Thanks!!!

NV: http://myhava.com/press_releases_monsoon_volcano.html I can wait for this I suppose. :-)

[Graygeek]

The HAVAFUN solution works great with HAVA's built in IR Blaster. Channel change is as fast as keying in the channel number on your remote. This setup is actually more relable than the cable box it controls, since a channel will occasionally freeze on the cable box and HAVA is 99.9%

[elfman]

current technology hava's downconvert to something like 480i before streaming locally via mpeg2 at that resolution or remotely via mpeg4 at a lower resolution. vlc accesses the lower resolution. Windows systems like sage users can use the hava as a remote tuner to access the 480i-ish MPEG2 stream.

So if you have a 1080i source via component input, the net result with current havas on sage (as far as I know) will be a 480i MPEG2 result (full D1 streaming at 3-6Mbps). http://www.cisco.com/en/US/docs/app_...guide/appa.pdf

The big question is whether the volcano is going to be the hava product that avoids the downconversion to 480i and streams higher resolution. I'm not seeing anything in the press release about local streaming resolution/rates. I'd love to see if the volcano is that product.

I didn't make any havafun updates in December. The month was lost to move across town and I didn't have any time to have fun with havafun. However, I think most of the outstanding havafun questions right now relate to video capture (not of great interest to SageTV users who already can capture the video stream but of interest to MythTV users like me).

There are a few minor updates that folks have sent to me regarding "learned remote codes" instead of "builtin remote codes". But those users seemed to have good workarounds using the hex command mode so I haven't prioritized pushing a beta1.

Regards,
Elfman.

[Graygeek]

Thanks for your efforts Elfman .... using HAVAFUN channel change has been 100% so far.

[mike_15]

Agreed Thanks Elfman .

I have had a recent event where I had my channel not catch all the digits, instead of 127 it recorded 12. I believe that it was due to my emitter being misaligned. but to satisify my curousity what do you have for the timings, ms between signals and ms between channel changes.? I wonder if I have my set poorly, or maybe they are not used.