DTV USB/Serial Control

[MrD]

Originally Posted by toricred

I have just started doing that after reading this thread, but I'm still after a way to not even need that.

Did you disable 'USB Reset' on the patterson device?

[toricred]

I have now, but I was having the problem on 2 of my systems that weren't using the patterson device as well.

I tracked down some old patterson devices to make sure all my receivers are now using them with the latest firmware, USB reset turned off, and locked to 9600 baud. I did this all yesterday morning. I guess I'll see tomorrow if that fixed the problem.

[natrlhy]

I've been having this same issue! I still have no working resolution.

I worked with Tim from Paterson Technology on this issue and he notified me of the settings to change on the TV configuration utility.

Here's some info on my config and what I've done so far:


Running EXETuner with the directv.exe executable to change channels (I haven't tried the native SageTV serial .dll in a long time)
I have an HR21-200
This has been going on for at least 2-3 weeks now.
I have SageTV 6.6.1 running (I updated this hoping it may help but it didn't)

I can reset the HR21-200 and channel changing works for about 3/4 of a day or sometimes only a few hours. I then have to reset the HR21-200 again and channel changing works again until it breaks. I'm not restarting the HTPC and I'm not stopping/restarting SageTV and the services. That never seems to matter in order to get the channel changing to remain working.

Nothing else has changed. I do apply Windows Updates fairly regularly but I can't imagine how that would effect things.

Hopefully I can get things working reliably again very soon

[toricred]

2 1/2 days and it's still working (knock on wood) after my changes Saturday morning. A few more days and I may believe that it's a reasonable resolution.

[natrlhy]

Ok, I just tried something...

When watching a channel, I pressed the power button o nthe HR21-200 and of course it went black. I pressed the power button again and tried to change the channel and it didn't work. They only way to get it working again (until the unit gets powered off again) is to press the reset button on the receiver and it works again. I'm not sure if my little ones are turning it off and on during the day but this wasn't an issue with the older receiver update (I checked and mine was updated on 6/24).

Can anyone else confirm this?

[ttiller]

Cannot get serial to work. Using serial/null modem/serial to usb. Downloaded "Direct Tv Controller". It will control my h21-200 box perfectly. Why can't STV?

[SWKerr]

Did you remember to set "DirecTV Serial Channel Changing Mode" to Fast in the Sage setup?

[ttiller]

tried it to no avail. Thanks anyway.

[Beefcake550]

are you closing directv control while trying to run sage? Both can't have the serial port...

[ttiller]

no, i did not close. will try.

[ttiller]

went back the patersontech translator (never worked before). Exactly followed the instructions from tim paterson email. Used a 32bit xp machine to set up configurator. Plugged into serial port on vista 64 sage server. Screen freezes briefly while attempting channel change, goes black, the back to original channel screen. UGH!!!

[mtyme]

Try putting the control on FAST and set it to using the old codes. That worked for me on my new install even though my old server worked with Fast and New.

[mickdaly]

Now I'm in this boat too!

I have identical usb/serial/usb cables from my HP server to the directv boxes. Only one will change channels.

I tried switching the cables (from the server to the stbs) and the OTHER STB now won't change channels, so does it look like a port problem?!

Any help will be much appreciated, as always!

Mick
HP Mediasmart EX-470 server with 4.5tb storage, running Sagetv; 2 Hauppauge HD-PVRs; 2 Directv Receivers (H20 and H21 channel changing by usb/serial/usb cables); 4 Sagetv HD-200s; Pioneer KRP-500M Kuro plasma; Pioneer Elite SC-07 receiver; Panasonic TH-50PH9UK plasma; Sharp Aquos LC-C4067U LCD.

[Polypro]

Any time you remove a cable, you probably need to reset your DTV receiver.

P

[mickdaly]

Originally Posted by Polypro

Any time you remove a cable, you probably need to reset your DTV receiver.P

Yes, of course ... many times!

In the end I caved in and installed EXEMultiTunerPlugin ... http://forums.sagetv.com/forums/newr...ote=1&p=393243

Working pretty well so far!

Mick
HP Mediasmart EX-470 server with 4.5tb storage, running Sagetv; 2 Hauppauge HD-PVRs; 2 Directv Receivers (H20 and H21 channel changing by usb/serial/usb cables); 4 Sagetv HD-200s; Pioneer KRP-500M Kuro plasma; Pioneer Elite SC-07 receiver; Panasonic TH-50PH9UK plasma; Sharp Aquos LC-C4067U LCD.

[mickdaly]

Originally Posted by mickdaly

Yes, of course ... many times! In the end I caved in and installed EXEMultiTunerPlugin ... http://forums.sagetv.com/forums/newr...ote=1&p=393243

It worked fine for a few days, now a few hours after resetting the directv receivers, channel changing is unreliable again!!!!

Mick
HP Mediasmart EX-470 server with 4.5tb storage, running Sagetv; 2 Hauppauge HD-PVRs; 2 Directv Receivers (H20 and H21 channel changing by usb/serial/usb cables); 4 Sagetv HD-200s; Pioneer KRP-500M Kuro plasma; Pioneer Elite SC-07 receiver; Panasonic TH-50PH9UK plasma; Sharp Aquos LC-C4067U LCD.

[TechBill]

Originally Posted by mickdaly

It worked fine for a few days, now a few hours after resetting the directv receivers, channel changing is unreliable again!!!!

Mick
HP Mediasmart EX-470 server with 4.5tb storage, running Sagetv; 2 Hauppauge HD-PVRs; 2 Directv Receivers (H20 and H21 channel changing by usb/serial/usb cables); 4 Sagetv HD-200s; Pioneer KRP-500M Kuro plasma; Pioneer Elite SC-07 receiver; Panasonic TH-50PH9UK plasma; Sharp Aquos LC-C4067U LCD.

You saying that EXEMultiTunerPlugin is not working out for you now?

I was getting ready to try EXEMultiTunerPlugin next since serial and UIRT isn't working out for me ...


Bill

[sportera]

For what it is worth, I lose Directv Serial control to my DTV H20 STB's everytime I run a SageTV update install. The only way I can get serial control back is to replace the latest DirecTVSerialControl.dll file with an old one that always seems to get it back working again. I found this trick in an old forum post years ago while trying to get my initial setup for H20's channel changing serial control. The old one I'm using has a date of 5/1/2006.

[TechBill]

Originally Posted by sportera

For what it is worth, I lose Directv Serial control to my DTV H20 STB's everytime I run a SageTV update install. The only way I can get serial control back is to replace the latest DirecTVSerialControl.dll file with an old one that always seems to get it back working again. I found this trick in an old forum post years ago while trying to get my initial setup for H20's channel changing serial control. The old one I'm using has a date of 5/1/2006.

Yeah I am using the older dll for serial but I am having the same issue even on UIRT IR controller too so it not the dll.

I am feeling that the Direct TV is having a memory leak somewhere after the last firmware upgrade and channel changing is being lagged that the problem will go away when you reset the Direct TV.

Perhaps I am wrong but I tried everything else however I have not tried using
EXEMultiTunerPlugin yet but reading someone else post here it seem that it not gonna make a difference now since he is experience the same problem as other methods of changing channels.


.

[mickdaly]

I discovered the problem.

First one of my DTV receivers had 'lost' the HD versions of most of my local channels, so Sagetv was unable to change to those channels.

Then, after resetting that receiver, while talking with DTV tech support I discovered that both receivers were only showing the SD channels, even though I had selected "Hide SD Channels".

In fact, both receivers were hiding the HD channels - the opposite of the setting I chose!

I haven't finished troubleshooting that problem, but it's not a sage or EXEMultiTunerPlugin problem. I'm thankful for that!

Mick
HP Mediasmart EX-470 server with 4.5tb storage, running Sagetv; 2 Hauppauge HD-PVRs; 2 Directv Receivers (H20 and H21 channel changing by usb/serial/usb cables); 4 Sagetv HD-200s; Pioneer KRP-500M Kuro plasma; Pioneer Elite SC-07 receiver; Panasonic TH-50PH9UK plasma; Sharp Aquos LC-C4067U LCD.