Simple Utility to Control Multiple DirecTV STBs via Ethernet ports

[jchiso]

This is an adaptation of a configuration I documented here a few years ago. The original system used serial control via USB. As a few other members have posted, it's now considerably easier to tune channels on supported DirecTV receivers via the set-top boxes' ethernet ports. I have recently experienced problems in tuning via serial port on some systems, but ethernet control removes these problems. The critical feature of this configuration is that supports the "dash" designation for applicable DirecTV channels. Unlike the earlier version I created, this version works without remapping channels within the guide.

I. Prerequisites
A. EXEMultiTunerPlugin
B. cURL; a free, open-software command-line tool for data transfer via URL syntax
C. DirecTVMultiChg.bat file
D. A supported network-connected DirecTV receiver

A. EXEMultiTunerPlugin
Obtain a copy of the SageTV-provided plugin.

http://forums.freytechnologies.com/f...33&postcount=7

Place the plugin into your SageTV directory

B. The cURL Program
An easy-to-use command-line program. It's available for a wide-range of platforms. The batch file attached below assumes that cURL is placed in a subdirectory (named 'cURL'; \cURL) of the SageTV directory. You can modify the batch file should you choose to place cURL elsewhere. Otherwise just unzip the contents of the cURL download to a newly-created \SageTV\cURL subdirectory.

C. DirecTVMultiChg_Ethernet.bat file
This is a simple DOS-based batch file I created. It must be placed into the SageTV directory. This is the program that is executed by the EXEMultiTunerPlugin, as referenced by the associated registry command. More on this batch file appears below.

II. Configuration
(Note: If you are using an earlier version of the batch file you can skip to Step D.)
A. Registry edits
B. Sage.properties Requirements
C. "IR" File and Tuner Control Setup
D. DirecTVMultiChg.bat file edits

A. Registry Edits
Create a text file (with a ".reg" extension) with the following contents:

REGEDIT4

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Frey Technologies\Common\EXEMultiTunerPlugin]
"command"="DirecTVMultiChg.bat %DEVICE% %CHANNEL%"

Execute this file to add a command to the Windows registry.

B. Sage.properties Requirements
The key to the EXEMultiTunerPlugin is that it passes both "device" and "channel" parameters to the command it executes. The "device" parameter is that which is referenced in the device_name property for each input of the applicable capture device. In this batch file the device names are set as "DSS1", "DSS2", et cetera, though they can be set to whatever device_name(s) you use in the .properties file.

C. "IR" File and Tuner Control Setup
The plugin requires an ".ir" file, even though it's not sending infrared commands. For what it's worth, in my setup I created a file named "DSS1.ir" which has only one line "DSS1 38000 400 4 600 800". This line must be terminated with a carriage return, so the file should actually have two lines. The pertinent pieces of information here are the filename "x.ir", where "x" is the name referenced in the device_name property and the "4", which specifies the number of digits for the %CHANNEL% parameter. I also believe you can set the number of digits using the "Remote Options" setup under the Tuner Setup menu. This file is stored in the \SageTV\Common\Remote Codes directory. You would repeat this process for each set-top box using the MultiTuner.

D. DirecTVMultiChg.bat File Edits
As it is currently configured this program handles up to five serially-controlled set-top boxes, though it can be easily edited to accommodate more. Also it assumes that your device_name properties are "DSS1","DSS2",... "DSS5", and are assigned to receivers at specifically-identified IP addresses. It's best to perform a manual network setup on each DirecTV receiver and specify a static IP address for each receiver, and associate each box accordingly. In other words, change the "192.168.1.31", "192.168.1.32", et cetera to the IP of your controlled boxes.

Use this batch file at your own risk.

Hopefully this guide helps someone ...

-J.R.

[BarkOLounger]

Thank you very much for this. I just went to buy a new Paterson device for a new HD receiver and they quit selling them. I appreciate such a clear and easy all in one place to find out how to set this up.

Looks a lot better than the old way too.

[bill321]

Is there anyway to modify the batch file to pass the parameter needed for genie mini clients (C31, C41).

My post here describes the problem in more detail and my post here contains an attempt to modify your batch file - I don't have an activated mini client so there is no way for me to test it yet.

thanks in advance for your assistance.

Bill

EDIT: I got one of the mini clients and have tested the modified batch file - seems to work fine to tune the C41.

[Beefcake550]

Have you noticed this post on a "better" way to do HTTP tuning for DirecTV boxes? I found this method to be easier to get working and it was flawless for me...

http://forums.sagetv.com/forums/show...9&postcount=28

[bill321]

Originally Posted by Beefcake550

Have you noticed this post on a "better" way to do HTTP tuning for DirecTV boxes? I found this method to be easier to get working and it was flawless for me...

http://forums.sagetv.com/forums/show...9&postcount=28

Thanks - but the better way involves a hard coded dll that does not take into account the need to pass the MAC address when using one of the mini-clients.

I have used it for H24 tuning, and I agree that it is easier to setup. But, the batch file method provides more flexibility for odd situations.

Bill