Easier way to test all HD-PVR + DTV receivers connected to the system?

[wikel]

So I currently have 3 DTV HD + 3 HD-PVRs connected to the system (getting ready to add a 4th). Every now and then I get the "unknown USB device" for one of the HD-PVRs which is easily fixed with a hard reboot of the HD-PVR and I plan to perm fix this with a device which i can script to turn power on and off the devices every night. I also reboot the server every night (2am) to keep everything clean daily.

Outside of the above, I have had problems recently where DTV update or something gets stuck on the receiver and I'm looking for the easiest way to identify which receiver it is. Other than staying down in the media closet and having the family run around an bring up the extenders one-by-one and see which receiver it is hitting, is there a better way to do this?

Would be nice to somehow target which HD-PVR a client is using for troubleshooting. The wife will say something like "One of receivers is having a problem again..." but its difficult to tell which HD-PVR it is on. Additionally it is difficult to identify which device sage HD-PVR#1, #2, #3 maps to which physical device. Is there a mod that lists on the UI which software device id X (HD-PVR#1) and is there a clear mapping of software device to physical device somewhere? Troubleshooting a multiple HD-PVR system is difficult. Any tips????

Don't know if i will have the biggest system but I'm currently at 5 extenders and 3 HD-PVR inputs from DTV and moving to 9 extenders with 4 HD-PVR inputs. All with a 10TB NAS for movies and using an HD300 as my projector input for my theater which is shooting unto a 2.3:1 138" screen.

[wayner]

I occasionally have this problem (I have two HD-PVRs connected to two cable STBs) but my Sage server, HD-PVRs and STBs are all located in the same room. I just start watching live TV and I can see what HD-PVR lights up blue and what STB changes channels. To use multiple tuners I would then start recording on that channel and start watching live TV on another channel which would then cause another tuner to kick in. Do that again to get to your third HD-PVR.

Can you not do the same - why do you need to use extenders at all? Or is your Sage server headless and/or running WHS and therefore not able to view video? If it is then how about using Placeshifter or RDP on a laptop to see if there is decent video?

FYI - I also connect the composite output of my STBs to a 1x3 video switch to an old portable 7" DVD player so that I can directly see the output of the STBs which is helpful when you want to change the settings or make sure that the box is working correctly.

By the way, which device are you getting that will allow you to power cycle your HD-PVRs every night.

[wikel]

I've been looking at this unit which can turn on and off the power via USB and figure I'll connect to the server USB and then make it part of of nighty reboot script. It's around $60-70...

http://www.slashgear.com/powerusb-st...ills-16213802/

I like the record idea, that will help and yes I have a little tv that I hook up down in the equipment room to then do direct control of the DTV receivers etc... it's a pain but gets the job done.

Going to order that USB power strip controller tomorrow so I'll let you know how integration goes.

[wikel]

Waiting for them to answer my question if they have a command line utility that can be used included in a script to turn the power on / off. This will even fix some of the issues I have had with DTV messing up my receivers and needing a hard reboot to resolve.

Figure I'll hard restart the HD-PVR and DTV receivers every night.