Controlling Multiple STBs

[wolfpackmars2]

I have spent a good deal of time trying to sort this out and searching through the forums. I am certain this has been asked hundreds of times already, but I must be searching the wrong thing in the forum.

What are most of you using to control multiple STBs?

Since I last connected my Sage box over a year ago, I was living in an area with Charter. I now live in an area with Comcast, and it appears they have disabled the serial port on their Motorla STBs. Which is a shame, because serial port control worked SO WELL! By comparison, I dusted off my USB-UIRT and while it works, channel changing seems "Slow and clunky" in comparison. Also, while I can easily find how to purchase the USB-UIRT - finding the IR Blaster to use with it is not possible.

If I am going to use the USB-UIRT, how do I use it to control multiple STBs? Also, one of the problems I have with the USB-UIRT is that it must face the STB. If I wanted to get rid of my streamzap IR receiver and use the IR receiver in the USB-UIRT, I would have to face the UIRT forward and the IR Transmitter inside the UIRT would not be able to control the STB. I am really having a hard time picturing how those of you with the UIRT have it setup to allow both receive and transmit functions.

I read elsewhere in the forum about using the UIRT with zones. Will the double-headed IR Blaster from this site work with the UIRT? For that matter, could I use the RS232 IR Blaster featured on the same page? To me, that seems like a much more elegant setup than using the UIRT.

[HelenWeathers]

Originally Posted by wolfpackmars2

I read elsewhere in the forum about using the UIRT with zones. Will the double-headed IR Blaster from this site work with the UIRT? For that matter, could I use the RS232 IR Blaster featured on the same page? To me, that seems like a much more elegant setup than using the UIRT.

For the double headed blaster to work with the USB-UIRT it would need to have a 1/8" stereo plug (this one doesn't seem to - but no picture). The tip of the stereo plug would provide current to the first emitter, the barrel closest to the tip would provide current to the second emitter and the barrel closest to the molded plastic would provide ground for both emitters.

When you use zones for the USB-UIRT, the 1/8" jack provides for zones 1 and 2 and the USB-UIRT itself would provide zone 3 (and thus the USB-UIRT would need to face the third STB.

EDIT: I used a 1/8" stereo plug to 1/8" Mono jack (Left) and 1/8" Mono jack (Right) adapter that I got at Radio Shack and my two emitters from an old MS eHome IR setup.

The USB-UIRT works very well.

[wolfpackmars2]

The only IR blaster I have currently is the one that came with another hauppauge card. It has a combo receiver/transmitter on one cable with a micro connector (I forget the technical term for these connectors, but we'll call the really small one the one that you find on most cell phones).

I don't understand why the UIRT has support for additional blasters but doesn't provide any information one what to use or where to get them.