What's the solution to tuning multiple boxes in unRAID?

[wayner]

After getting my USB-UIRT working in Linux I was disappointed to learn that the multi-zone capabilities of the device are not supported in Linux. So that leaves me pondering the options for tuning multiple boxes under unRAID and helping to find something that is useful to the SageTV community. This wouldn't be an issue if my SA cable boxes supported multiple command sets but that does not appear to be the case.

Anyone have any ideas on how to do this? Here are what I see are the options.

1. Get multi-zone support in USB-UIRT - This would be a good solution for the broad user base but the device has been out for well over a decade and this hasn't happened. Is this a complex coding exercise or is this something that should be quite doable? It seems like Jon Rhees (the USB-UIRT guy) would be willing to help.

2. Round up used CommandIRs? Stuckless uses this device to control multiple boxes so we know it works. But they stopped selling these devices so you would have to buy them used. One strategy would be to find anyone who ever posted about this device and try to PM or email them and ask if you can buy the device off of them. That is good for the odd SageTV user but won't work for the overall community.

3. Get firewire working. This should be doable as it has worked in Linux in the past but the issue is getting an STB that supports firewire. It used to be mandated in the US but that appears to no longer be the case. For those of us in Ontario we should be able to get Rogers boxes that support firewre so we would be good. But it likely isn't a long term solution.

4. Use multiple IR devices. This likely isn't for the feint of heart as even getting one USB-UIRT device working is a little tricky. Getting multiple devices could be even more of a nightmare. And it is expensive, unless we can get cheapo IR devices to work.

5. Use a Windows box with a USB-UIRT (or firewire) as your tuning device. This should work and hopefully latency isn't an issue, but you need to have a second PC running Windows powered up to accept commands via sshd or a web server. And there is another device prone to fail in the tuning chain.

6. Use an IP2IR or similar device. This also isn't cheap as they are about $100 and I don't know if they even work in Linux.

7. Build a SageTV IR blaster. This shouldn't be hard to do with a Raspberry Pi or Pi Zero (assuming you could buy the things) and a few other pieces. But who would make and support them? Here is a blog entry on this.