Windows 7, DirecTV, Paterson Device

[Polypro]

I know there are a few threads on serial changing, but this seemed a little tricky to me, so here it is... (My Vista Install was flawless and working fine)

I upgraded my Server/Client machine in the living room from Vista Business to Windows 7 Home Premium. The only drivers 7 didn't have/couldn't find were for my Xonar and the Syaba USB to Serial adapters. I installed the serial drivers from the mini-CD that comes with the adapter, and the MMUI Serial Bridge installed fine and showed up as the normal COM 4, 5, and 6. At this point I had NO missing drivers in Device Manager. I then installed SageTV and swapped in my SageTV folder from the Vista install...SOP as usual.

(HDHomerun aside: Install the latest software/firmware and set them up in the HDHR setup. Then remove the devices in Sage, add them back and do a scan on both tuners. I also had an -error 12 playback problem come up while scanning, that went away after restarting Sage once)

At this point, everything LOOKED fine and worked...except channel changing! So I tried my usual shut everything down, stagger restart the DTV boxes and computer...nada. I then plugged the Paterson into the computer (USB end normally in the DTV receiver) and it looked fine...it used the MMUI Serial driver...hmmmm Well....I went downstairs and plugged the Patersons in and checked for firmware...Yup. There was 4.21 on 9/17 and 4.22 om 9/29. I nstalled 4.22. I also made sure the settings were at default (Normal, 1.25, .50, USB reset unchecked for HD boxes, etc...). I also noticed....

The Prolific PL2303 driver installer in the Paterson folder!

(Tricky part--->) Now, I don't know about you, but after a year, and with no yellow exclamation marks in Device Manager...I forgot about this one.

I installed the Vista version, but supposedly there is a W7 version out there...the one from a year ago works fine here. I installed it and it went fine, but I didn't get any sounds or anything. I then did another staggered restart, and when I fired up the computer, I saw the driver installation icon...clicking on it showed the Prolific driver being installed for COMs 4, 5, and 6. Channel changing was back.

So, Update your firmware, check the settings, and don't forget that Prolific driver!

P

Edit: Here's the newest Prolific driver, but again, the one from a year ago works for me:

http://www.prolific.com.tw/eng/downloads.asp?ID=31

[sdsean]

Finally found someone who has tried this. . .I am having a bunch of problems. . . wondering if you can help me out. . .

I need step by step instructions on how to get the paterson device working on windows 7.

So far I have had no luck. . .

I did manage to figure out that the USB-Serial driver I needed was from prolific (I am using Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit btw).

I also have a SIIG CyberSerial 4-S PCI board (standard PCI) that ads 4 Serial ports to my machine.

Now on a clean install, I get all my other drivers installed. . . and then I am unsure what to do . . .

What I have been doing is instally the drivers for the Serial Port card (which works fine),
then I install the USB-Serial driver from prolific, which also works fine.

Then I install TV Translator (and tell it not to update the USB drivers, since I just did that). Again this works fine.

Then I plug in the USB end of the patterson device. . . at this point I have 4 COM ports (3-6), and then a 7th for the Patterson device.

I then run TV translator and it gets a connection properly . . . I then go to the RUN test, and all the tests fail. . .

Basically from the point of getting a connection, I don't understand what I'm supposed to do next. . . please help. . .this is killing me. .

[gplasky]

Windows 7 64 bit require that all drivers that are used be signed. If the drivers you are trying to used are not signed then there is a workaround or hack out there to get them to work.

Driver Signature Overrider

Gerry

[Polypro]

sdsean,

I'm on 32 bit and using Serial to USB adapters (so I have USB on both ends, computer and receiver).

You are on 64bit and using a Serial Port add in card. I got your PM, but I don't think I'll be that much help.

First, I'd plug the Paterson USB end, into a computer and run TV Translator to update the firmware. I never try anything else with the software like the tests, etc.. It seems there are a few ways to hook it up and a few tests for each way...too confusing for me. I just update firmware. Then I install the drivers for my Serial to USB adapter (Syaba) and then run the Prolic installer for the TV Translator end. Then I test with Sage. Paterson says to reboot your receiver after plugging the USB end into the DTV box.

P

[sdsean]

I am doubting that 64-bit matters. . . although it is interesting that you are going usb to serial (syba serial connects to paterson), then paterson usb into DTV.

I can drive the driver signature stuff, but I'm doubting that is a problem also since I'm pretty sure the prolific USB-Serial driver is signed. . .

Ok I will try again and not worry about running tests. . . and just update the firmware. . . Although I just got my paterson device a few days ago so it may already have the latest firmware. . .

Something else interesting here for those of you who care. . .

So I have IOGEAR serial adapters (and I don't belive the type matters so long as its compatible with DTV receivers). Currently I have all this working by using a PCI Serial Port Card --> Null Modem --> IOGEAR ADAPTER --> DTV H21.

Now note, there are no drivers yet for Windows 7 for the IOGEAR Adapter. . .
But the cool part is, you don't need any. . . b/c I never plugged in the USB side of the adapter. . . It just seems to work. . .

IF YOU DO HAVE IOGEAR ADAPTERS, DO NOT TRYING INSTALLING THE VISTA DRIVERS. . . IT WILL SCREW YOUR MACHINE UP with other hardware. . .learned this the hard way. . .

Of course now I want to use the paterson device so that I can solve the -1 problem on dtv (and maybe hide banners as well).

[sdsean]

PolyPro:

Did you install TVTranslator first before plugging in your Paterson device for the 1st time?
If so, did you tell that installer to install the USB Drivers for your device? (and did that succeed?).

I think that this is where my problem has been. . . since there is no USB driver for the Paterson device for Windows 7 64Bit (yet).

Tim Paterson suggested that I use the prolific USB-serial driver (installing that first), and then telling the TVTranslator installer not to install a USB driver. . .

The one thing I'm still confused about though is how the settings get saved for -1 etc for the paterson device. . .

B/C assuming that I have installed a USB driver and TV Translator. . . for me plugging in the paterson device shows up now as COM7. Its at this point that I don't know what to do in the TVTranslator software. . .

Update firmware (ok), and Tim Paterson says to make sure USB reset is unchecked. . OK
So then if i want to turn on channel mapping (-1), I can do that, but how does it get saved to the device?

[sdsean]

OK so I'm still having trouble. . . here are the exact steps I took. . .

1.) Installed the following USB-Serial Driver from Prolific. . .
http://www.prolific.com.tw/eng/downloads.asp?ID=31

2.) Plugged in Paterson Device, USB side to PC.
Windows updated, added the Prolific USB to Serial as a device, to COM7 (since I already have 3-6 as PCI card serial ports).
Windows asked me to reboot, so I did, leaving the cable plugged into the same port.

3.) After reboot, I installed TV Translator. . .
I told it not to install the USB driver.
Installs successfully.

4.) I then ran TV Translator. . .
a.) TVTranslator found Paterson device on COM7.
b.) Checked to make sure firmware is up-to-date (it is).
c.) Unchecked "USB-Reset"
d.) Checked "Normal" mode
e.) Checked "Supress Banner"
f.) Checked "Intially enable channel redirection"
g.) Added channels 704-719 to list, 2nd field all with -1, Action set to "Redirect On"
h.) Saved config to file. . .and closed TV translator

5.) Shutdown PC
6.) Shutown H21 DirecTV receiver
7.) Plugged In Paterson device into COM3 on PCI Serial Port card on PC
8.) Plugged In USB end of Paterson device to H21 DirecTV receiver.
9.) Powered on PC
10.) Powered on H21
11.) Allowed PC to boot up, then shutdown SageTV
12.) Pressed RESET on DirectTV H21, and waited several minutes for it too boot up.
13.) Rebooted machine.
14.) Log in and run sage tv.
15.) Attempted to change channels (this FAILED).
16.) Changed SageTV serial Control to allow for 5 digit channels, and also run in Normal mode rather than Fast
17.) Again attempted to change channels (this failed)
18.) Ran TV Translator Software again, with Paterson device still plugged into Serial Port on PC and USB port on H21
TV Translator reports "Not connected" as expected.
Open test Window. At this point its say both USB and Serial are "not connected" . . .here I believe it should say serial is connected but it does not. . .

Please help. . .

[gplasky]

Windows 7 64 bit will not allowed unsigned drivers to load. What is probably happening is after the reboot the driverds are no longer loaded. They will install and may appear operational but after any reboot Windows 7 64 bit will not load unsigned drivers. Please see my first post on this. You may be having another issue but any of those drivers are not signed they will not load.

Gerry

[sdsean]

For which driver do you think? The USB-Serial driver?
See I'm doubting that is the case b/c of the steps I took. . .
I installed the Prolific-USB-Serial driver, windows 7 asked me to reboot, which I did. . .
Then when windows 7 came back up the device was still there since the TV translator found it. . .

Doesn't that nullify what you are saying? I'm pretty sure the driver must be signed in this case. . .I could be wrong though, maybe its not signed and by virtue of leaving it plugged into the USB port it reloaded the driver. . .?

[gplasky]

If the driver wasn't signed you would see a warning when installing it telling you it wasn't signed but then it would give you a choice to go ahead and install it or not. If you don't see that it must be signed and it wouldn't be your issue. WHQL are signed drivers. And I don't have the patterson device or DirectTV so that's about the extent of my suggestions.

Gerry

[sdsean]

Yeah that's not the problem then. . .I'm not seeing any such dialog nor do I think that driver isn't signed from what information I can glean. . .

I'm going to try one more approach before I give up on the paterson device. . .

I have 2 IOGEAR USB-Serial Port adapters. . . rather than using my PCI card that gives me 4 serial ports, I'm going to try using those as the default serial ports 1st. . . I seem to be having trouble when trying to use both the IOGEAR and my PCI card. . the devices keep disappearing on me. . .

I wish Mr. Paterson would respond though. . . I have my stepwise post above and other questions out to him and so far no response in the last 2 days. . .

[sdsean]

OK so I figured out the problem. . .

If you are using a USB-Serial Adapter to create a serial port on your pc, or you are using a PCI card to create serial ports. . . you must first connect your Paterson device(s) via USB and configure them beforing installing those drivers.

Of course the paterson device also needs a USB-Serial driver, currently the only one available for windows 7 is the one from Prolific.

So you install that thing 1st before any other serial port/usb-serial port software.

You then plug in a paterson device (one at a time if you have multiple). . and configure them. . .this will also create COM ports.

Then shutdown, and unplug your paterson device.

Then reboot and install your hardware for your serial ports on the PC (either via adapter or via card).

Then check the COM ports that get created. . .

Then shutdown, plugin you Paterson device to your new serial ports.
Shutdown your DirecTV receivers as well.

Then re-boot. . .and also make sure to exit SageTV (completely).

Then run TV Translator. . . select Test Window from the Tests menu.

It will tell you what COM port is connected for the Paterson device.
Note also that if you have multiple you'll need to do each one seperately/one at a time b/c the TV Translator software doesn't tell you about multiple ones. . .


Apparently there is some issue where either the Paterson Firmware/TV Translator software, or the Prolific USB-Serial driver is continually assigning incrementing different COM port numbers.

So while in Sage you may think that your paterson device is connected to COM Port 3 lets say (cause that's what windows says), its not what the TV Translator software says. What TV Translator says is the one that needs to be used. . .

Of course it only took me 15 re-installs and several 10s of hours to figure this crap out. . . :-)

[markds]

Has anybody been successful installing the Prolific 64 bit drivers through their install program on a Win7 system that is using just the usb to serial cable for the DTV box without the dreaded exclamation!

[SteveD]

I can tell you that the paterson device will work in windoews 7. I got it to change channels, but I had to give up because wife was getting upset without sagetv.

[panteragstk]

If directv will give you a "media gateway" or whatever it's called you can use HTTP channel changing which is much easier to use. If your boxes have ethernet ports you can use it without the need of the gateway.

[markds]

There have been past cables that have been sold that claim to have a Prolific chip but have really been hack jobs from China, not Taiwan. Although these hack chip cables have worked in Xp and Vista, they will not work in Win7 with the most recent Prolific signed drivers.

Real Prolific chip cables will work in Win7. Without any dreaded exclamation Code 10.

The so called certified Prolific chip cable I bought at Fry's in 2009 is going back tomorrow with I suppose a chip on it's shoulder.