Serial Tuning for Motorola DCT STB

[AudioMstr]

Thinking about switching from beyondTV and trying out SageTV for one of my 3 PCs. This is a simple configuration with one hauppauge 150 tuner connected to Motorola cable box using serial port for channel changing. Also have Firefly remote.

Simple questions are:

1) how to get serial port channel change to work
2) Should I just use Girder for the remote or is there some 3rd party support for this as a plug in... ?

[mayamaniac]

1) You need to download the MultiDCTTuner plugin from HERE. Follow the installation text to install it.

2) Girder works with firefly. There's a free one called HIP if you don't own or want to pay for Girder.

[JMTBerserker]

Will this work with the Motorola DCH3200 STBs, or if not is there a similar plugin? I have 3 DCH3200s and 3 HD-PVRs and will be setting up Sage in the next few days.

[DOS64K]

Originally Posted by JMTBerserker

Will this work with the Motorola DCH3200 STBs, or if not is there a similar plugin? I have 3 DCH3200s and 3 HD-PVRs and will be setting up Sage in the next few days.

Yes, I've got firewire working great with my 3200.

[mayamaniac]

Serial should work too since you are using the same IR commands. I think most motorolla boxes use the same IR command for channel changing.

[JMTBerserker]

I had the IR blaster working fine before but recently set up a new server and now I can't seem to get channel changing to work at all. Same HD-PVR and HD200, though it's a new DCH3200 STB, which shouldn't matter since it sounds like that box works with serial, firewire, and IR. However, I'm now on the Hauppauge 1.5.6 driver and Sage 6.6.2.

I guess it's just as well, since I should probably not be using IR in the first place. Is serial the fastest and most reliable way to go? Is there a guide on how to set serial up, or is it essentially plug-and-play? I've seen posts regarding plug-ins but I'm a newb and need some setup help.

Hope I'm not hijacking this thread due to the different STB model.

[gplasky]

Did you install the IR blaster software BEFORE you installed SageTV?

Gerry

[JMTBerserker]

Yes, I installed all the Hauppauge stuff first, then SageTV.

[JMTBerserker]

OK I'm disconnecting everything, uninstalling all the software and drivers, and starting over for the third time.

If there is a post anywhere regarding setup that would be helpful to a new Sage user, I'd really appreciate a link or any other advice.

My setup is 4 HD200s, 3 HD-PVRs, and 3 Motorola DCH3200 STBs. In the meantime I'm going up to Fry's to get a serial-to-USB cable to see if I can even get just 1 box to work. Thanks in advance.

[JMTBerserker]

Update: The Motorola DCH3200 does not support serial. The small port on the back (not a standard 9-pin serial port) is "service only."

In fact, at least here in Sacramento, serial is not an option on any Comcast HD boxes, including the new models Motorola DCX3200 and Pace RNG110 available here.

I called first and got this info, and then drove in to the Comcast office and looked at the back of all the available models. None of them have serial ports.

All of the boxes have USB, but I was told the ports are not enabled.

[hanki]

Did you get the firewire port to work on the 3200, inquiring minds want to know... (I have the same setup and battled the PVR IR blasting on this box (no luck) the firewire seems like the best opportunity.

H

[nuhro83]

Hanki, I got the Firewire working on the DCX3200 with Drivers from these guys: http://home.comcast.net/~exdeus/stbfirewire/

It's not without some tricks and I'm not sure combination of vodoo, luck, and reboots got it working but I've rebooted a few times now and it seems solid. Note, I've not got it working on a tuner, just playing in VLC player at this point.

[tvmaster2]

Originally Posted by DOS64K

Yes, I've got firewire working great with my 3200.

I'm trying to get this setup as well: motorola 3200 and firewire, and am not succeeding. Can you give me some advice on what I might be doing wrong?

[gplasky]

Originally Posted by tvmaster2

I'm trying to get this setup as well: motorola 3200 and firewire, and am not succeeding. Can you give me some advice on what I might be doing wrong?

Well hopefully you're running a 32 bit OS because the firewire drivers don't work on 64 bit.

Gerry

[tvmaster2]

Originally Posted by gplasky

Well hopefully you're running a 32 bit OS because the firewire drivers don't work on 64 bit.

Gerry

yes, I am running 32 bit for that very reason. I have dropped the ini and dll files into Program file\sage\common, and created a dir in 'remote codes' named 'MultiDCTTuner plugin', which contains the 'another receiver' and 'stubdevice' ir files.
My Motorola shows up in W7 when connected, but is of course missing drivers for AV/C Tuner and AV/C Panel.
When setting up a video source, I get as far as 'Select a Tuning Plugin' to use with source.
I can SEE the MultiDCTTuner Plugin, but when I select it, Sage shuts down