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HDPVR IR Blasting to a Comcast Cisco RNG150 SetTop Box

Posted: Tue Jun 29, 2010 6:32 pm
by pla
Hey Folks

I get most of my content OTA via HD Homerun and antenna in my attic. I'm loving the OTA content but I wanted to get ESPN HD so I picked up an HD PVR 1212 from Amazon for $169.99. I got a Cisco RNG150 settop box from Comcast. I'm new to IR blasting. After searching a bit I get the impression that the Cisco RNG150 is kinda new and unknown. I've tried setting the IR transmitter to a SA cable box but it doesn't change channels. Does anyone have any recommendations on where to start so I can get channel changing working?

Rock on, PLA
MythTV Control Centre IR
MythTV Control Centre IR
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Re: HDPVR IR Blasting to a Comcast Cisco RNG150 SetTop Box

Posted: Wed Jun 30, 2010 6:46 am
by Patrick
Which blaster are you using, the PVR-1212's? If so support is a bit sketchy at the moment. Whatever IR blaster you use make sure it's functioning correctly. I assume you did a search of your STB model & MythTV? If nobody has come up with a working lirc.conf file for that particular model STB then you're going to need create your own. You can record the keys by using the irrecord command. Here are a couple good guides:
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/LIRC
http://www.mythtv.org/wiki/LIRC

As a point of reference I created this wiki entry a while back for my old Motorola DCT-700 cable box:
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Motor ... nge_Script

Once you have the IR codes recorded you should be good to go. Keep a backup of the file as it may be overwritten anytime you update your mythbuntu box. Finally share your working configuration by posting in mythtv-user mailing list, mythbuntu forums and maybe create a wiki entry on mythtv.org.
Let me know if you have any questions.
Good luck.

Re: HDPVR IR Blasting to a Comcast Cisco RNG150 SetTop Box

Posted: Wed Jun 30, 2010 12:18 pm
by marc
pla, also keep in mind that if the cable box supports it, Firewire changing is 99.99% reliable.
Does this cisco box have a firewire port?

If you have to generate your own codes, the HD-HR is the gadget I use to generate all my codes from my hand held remotes using irrecord. It really is quite good for this.

Marc

Re: HDPVR IR Blasting to a Comcast Cisco RNG150 SetTop Box

Posted: Wed Jun 30, 2010 12:20 pm
by Patrick
marc wrote:pla, also keep in mind that if the cable box supports it, Firewire changing is 99.99% reliable.
I'm currently doing firewire channel changing for the Motorola DCX3200 cable box RCN provides. It works pretty well.

Re: HDPVR IR Blasting to a Comcast Cisco RNG150 SetTop Box

Posted: Wed Jun 30, 2010 4:39 pm
by pla
Patrick wrote:Which blaster are you using, the PVR-1212's? If so support is a bit sketchy at the moment. Whatever IR blaster you use make sure it's functioning correctly. I assume you did a search of your STB model & MythTV? If nobody has come up with a working lirc.conf file for that particular model STB then you're going to need create your own. You can record the keys by using the irrecord command. Here are a couple good guides:
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/LIRC
http://www.mythtv.org/wiki/LIRC

As a point of reference I created this wiki entry a while back for my old Motorola DCT-700 cable box:
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Motor ... nge_Script

Once you have the IR codes recorded you should be good to go. Keep a backup of the file as it may be overwritten anytime you update your mythbuntu box. Finally share your working configuration by posting in mythtv-user mailing list, mythbuntu forums and maybe create a wiki entry on mythtv.org.
Let me know if you have any questions.
Good luck.
Thanks for the great tips and resources Pat. I'll be diving into this after I cut the grass. :-(

Rock on, PLA

Re: HDPVR IR Blasting to a Comcast Cisco RNG150 SetTop Box

Posted: Wed Jun 30, 2010 4:41 pm
by pla
marc wrote:pla, also keep in mind that if the cable box supports it, Firewire changing is 99.99% reliable.
Does this cisco box have a firewire port?

If you have to generate your own codes, the HD-HR is the gadget I use to generate all my codes from my hand held remotes using irrecord. It really is quite good for this.

Marc
The Cisco RNG150 has a firewire port. I'll check it out.

Thanks, PLA

Re: HDPVR IR Blasting to a Comcast Cisco RNG150 SetTop Box

Posted: Wed Jun 30, 2010 6:46 pm
by pla
I'm exploring fireware for channel changing. I guess I"m going to try the 6200ch command. I'm also looking at this post http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=977820 by majoridiot. Am I heading down the right path? Any tips for firewire channel changing?

Thanks, PLA

Re: HDPVR IR Blasting to a Comcast Cisco RNG150 SetTop Box

Posted: Wed Jun 30, 2010 7:03 pm
by pla
Got it. I'm using

Code: Select all

/usr/bin/mythchanger -f 6 -c 
.

Pat and marc, are y'all using mythchanger too?

Thanks, PLA

Re: HDPVR IR Blasting to a Comcast Cisco RNG150 SetTop Box

Posted: Wed Jun 30, 2010 7:12 pm
by Patrick
pla wrote:Got it. I'm using

Code: Select all

/usr/bin/mythchanger -f 6 -c 
.

Pat and marc, are y'all using mythchanger too?
Yes, I'm using mythchanger

Re: HDPVR IR Blasting to a Comcast Cisco RNG150 SetTop Box

Posted: Thu Jul 01, 2010 7:45 am
by spotslayer
I am also using mythchanger, but I have a scientific atlanta box and use this code.

/usr/bin/mythchanger -f 4 -c

Has worked 100% so far. :)

D

Re: HDPVR IR Blasting to a Comcast Cisco RNG150 SetTop Box

Posted: Mon Jul 05, 2010 9:20 pm
by marc
Pla:

Yeppers, I took spotslayer's recommendation and use mythchanger with a wrapper shell script to control two boxes.

Works fine with only one time I had a mix up by going to the wrong channel.

Near perfect
Marc