HDPVR, USB UIRT Sadness

[ytulpan]

The way I use Sage and USB-UIRTs is different. I have EventGhost own the UIRTs. When Sage wants to change the channel, I use the ExeMultiTuner plugin to fire an event to EventGhost. In order to remotely control Sage, a standard Sage plugin can be added to EventGhost. The plugin fires the WM_messages that control Sage. Works very well, my setup has 3 USB-UIRT's and 9 emitters and I use IR to control not only Sage but other applications and devices. One could see it as a kind of server app controlling IR send/receive operations.

[StephaneM]

Originally Posted by ytulpan

When Sage wants to change the channel, I use the ExeMultiTuner plugin to fire an event to EventGhost

And you do this on Windows 7?

[ytulpan]

Actually no, it runs on a Windows 2008 server running all my 24/7 applications, like Sage server. I can't see why this wouldn't work on Win7 as well - the beauty of the thing is that the USB-UIRTs are owned by one app only.

OK, it's a bit more complicated; I oversimplified. All the IR receivers and emitters are on that 2008 server box. This is fine for changing channels operating air conditioners and what not. However, when I want it to control a client PC running Sage client with a remote control, I need to run EventGhost on the client PC as well (it's a tiny app, runs at startup). I programmed the "master" EventGhost to relay the IR event to the "client" EventGhost (this is a standard possibility in EG) who then controls the Sage client. This is really easy to do with EG; needed only a few lines of python code, the rest are just regular macros. EventGhost is a really marvelous application.

BTW, the clients are Win7

[StephaneM]

Originally Posted by ytulpan

Actually no, it runs on a Windows 2008 server running all my 24/7 applications, like Sage server. I can't see why this wouldn't work on Win7 as well - the beauty of the thing is that the USB-UIRTs are owned by one app only.

And how Eventghost is running on your box (as it is not a service)?

So basically this solution implies: one plug-in, one executable sending events to eventghost, and eventghost running. The SageTV service is running in Session 0, so as will the plugin and therefore the executable launched by the plug-in, depending on what session eventghost is running and how the executable is communicating with it: this can lead to issues, especially as there is no interface to set up the whole thing.

Whereas with LM RKM: you have one plug-in talking directly to the blaster (blaster is handled by a service) : everything run in Session 0, nice and clean: no issues (doesn't requires a user logged on to work).

There is also no issue for using the USB-UIRT as a receiver as the LM RKM client (to handle the remote) is talking to the service (therefore you can even use the native SageTV tuning with the USB-UIRT as both SageTV Service and LM RKM Service can share the USB-UIRT at the same time, provided they do run with the same user account).

And everything can be set up with a very intuitive interface.

[Fuzzy]

I'm not sure about how dual USB-UIRTS work in win7 to be honest, the same time I went to just a single USB-UIRT, is when I went to Win7. (I now primarily use R-5000 boxes, so dn't use the blasting USB-UIRT). previosuly, and even currently, sage doens't 'OWN' my receiver USB-UIRT, Girder does. It then controls the sage UI via windows messages. As much hardware seperation as win7 has, I figured the two USB-UIRT's would be handled by multiple copies of the driver. As long as the service is only using one of them, and the client another, i had thought it might still work. Though, as said, i haven't tried.

[StephaneM]

Originally Posted by Fuzzy

As much hardware seperation as win7 has, I figured the two USB-UIRT's would be handled by multiple copies of the driver. As long as the service is only using one of them, and the client another, i had thought it might still work.

No it will not work because processes are accessing the usb-uirt(s) through one dll only (uuirtdrv.dll).

[ytulpan]

Stephane,

I was not aware of your LM-RKM, looked at it at it's quite nice. I guess that for the task at hand it might be very good.

However in my case, the programmability and versatility of EG are really necessary. Let me give you an example of many. In order to control A/C's one has to send a command containing the whole state. It is 16 bits long. You cannot really teach 65536 codes , so one needs to generate the IR code *dynamically* from the temperature, fan speed, mode, on/off, etc. Also, synthetic codes are always "cleaner" and more reliable.

I also use EG in other ways, for instance communicating serially with those devices that support it, like my living room receiver/plasma/projector. It's a bit like Girder, but I found it simpler and with Python scripting that I really like. So, it's not directly comparable with your software.

By the way, you can tweak EG to run as a service with some tools. I autologin my server anyway, so it's not a problem for me. Also, different instances of EG, even in the same PC can talk via TCP/IP. I did have problems with different user contexts, so that's what I used for the command for ExeMultiTuner:

c:\Program Files\Eventghost\eventghost.exe -n 127.0.0.1: port Password EventName %CHANNEL% %DEVICE%

So, there are many ways to skin a cat.

By the way, I use your XMLTV importer. Great software. I have a problem though - If I mark a channel as HD in the channel list, Sage doesn't see it as HD. Doesn't bother me too much though.

[StephaneM]

Originally Posted by ytulpan

By the way, I use your XMLTV importer. Great software. I have a problem though - If I mark a channel as HD in the channel list, Sage doesn't see it as HD. Doesn't bother me too much though.

Flagging the channel as HD, means that it allow the HD flags to be passed on shows for this channel (otherwise it is not). So the shows must be flagged as HD in the XMLTV file (So the HD option in the XMLTV importer doesn't turn on all the show on this channel to be HD)

Regards,
Stéphane.