Finally a Fix for MPexTuneCMD with DTV Control.

bitbyte · 2005-10-03, 01:04

I have finally gotten a fix for the issues regarding MPExTuneCMD and it not working with DTV Control.

After fighting with the problems you have all encountered in various threads when trying to get this to work. I went to the IRC channel to whine about it for awhile. Fortunately kuerbis2 took pity on me and together we discovered the reasons why.

The problem lies in the fact that the version of DTV Control that the author of the MPExTuneCMDplugin said to download (v1.72) is missing a crucial piece to making it work.

To get it to work you actually need two pieces. THe DTV Control application and the command line module (dtvcmd.exe) which is no longer available from the DTV Control website.

THIS THREAD never makes mention of the command line part of the program. It took a fair bit of googling to discover that was the problem.

Once we established that was the problem, the challenge became finding the command line module (dtvcmd.exe) that wasn't offered on the website any longer. kuerbis2 found it on a web archiving site. Once we obtained the command line module we discovered it won't work with the current version of DTV Control (v 1.82). kuerbis2 then took it upon himself to fix the source code and recompile it . You can find his recompiled version HERE.

NOTE: There is a limitation on the newly compiled version of dtvcmd.exe. It will ONLY work on COM1: and, as far as we know, only with version 1.82 of DTV Control. If someone has a need for a COM2: version of it, kuerbis2 has graciously offered to recode a new one and make it available.

So here is the process to making it work:

Step 1: Download DTV Control from HERE. Also download kuerbis2's fixed version of dtvcmd.exe from HERE

Step 2: Unzip the dtvcon182.zip file to wherever you want it to run from. There is no installer for it. Run it and make sure it works with your directv receiver. Unzip the dtvclcmd_com1.zip file to the same directory.

Step 3: (Note: you no longer need to download the MPExTuneCMD files as they are now incorporated in MediaPortal.) Start the configurator (Configuration.exe) and go the plugins section at the bottom. Scroll to the bottom until you see MPExTuneCMD. Click on "Enabled" then on "Setup". Browse to the place you unzipped DTV Control & dtvcmd.exe and select dtvcmd.exe then click OK. The delimiter should be set to "#" (no quotes) by default.

Step 4: In the configuration utility, go to Television|TV Channels. Click on the channel you want to use the external DirecTV set top box with. Click "Edit" and go to the "External" tab. Change "Type" to "Received by external settop box"; Change "Input via" to whatever input you are using on your capture card; Enter the channel number your STB uses for that channel. (Typically it's the same as the channel number in the channels list). Click "OK" to save the changes and "OK" again to get out of the configurator.

Step 5: Start up Media Portal, go to the guide and select the channel you just edited as a test. It should change channels when you view that channel. NOTE: DTV Control must be running in the systray for this to work. The dtvcmd.exe interface with the, already running, application. Assuming this worked, go back into the configurator and edit the rest of the channels in the same manner.

I hope this helps. Serial control is a very important feature to have working when you have an STB that supports it.

Many thanks go out to kuerbis2 in #MediaPOrtal on efnet for his willingness to tackle a problem that had nothing to do with him. (even after i whined)

brierot · 2005-10-16, 14:24

Bitbyte,

I'm glad you got your DTV to work. I'm not as fortunate. I've been trying to get MPExtuneCmd to work with a external program that changes channel via a IR Blaster, without any success. The program to control the IRBlaster works perfectly from a CMD Window in Win XP but I have tried everything I know and not able to get the same to work from within MP.

In getting it to work with DTV, did you find anything that may help me in my problem? Does MPExtuneCmd works with any .exe or .bat file that works in a DOS Command window? Is there anything else needed within MP to make MPExtuneCmd work with any .exe file?

Any help or pointers you can offer will be most appreciated.

2005-10-03, 01:04	#1 (permalink)
bitbyte Portal Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Posts: 8 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Finally a Fix for MPexTuneCMD with DTV Control. I have finally gotten a fix for the issues regarding MPExTuneCMD and it not working with DTV Control. After fighting with the problems you have all encountered in various threads when trying to get this to work. I went to the IRC channel to whine about it for awhile. Fortunately kuerbis2 took pity on me and together we discovered the reasons why. The problem lies in the fact that the version of DTV Control that the author of the MPExTuneCMDplugin said to download (v1.72) is missing a crucial piece to making it work. To get it to work you actually need two pieces. THe DTV Control application and the command line module (dtvcmd.exe) which is no longer available from the DTV Control website. THIS THREAD never makes mention of the command line part of the program. It took a fair bit of googling to discover that was the problem. Once we established that was the problem, the challenge became finding the command line module (dtvcmd.exe) that wasn't offered on the website any longer. kuerbis2 found it on a web archiving site. Once we obtained the command line module we discovered it won't work with the current version of DTV Control (v 1.82). kuerbis2 then took it upon himself to fix the source code and recompile it . You can find his recompiled version HERE. NOTE: There is a limitation on the newly compiled version of dtvcmd.exe. It will ONLY work on COM1: and, as far as we know, only with version 1.82 of DTV Control. If someone has a need for a COM2: version of it, kuerbis2 has graciously offered to recode a new one and make it available. So here is the process to making it work: Step 1: Download DTV Control from HERE. Also download kuerbis2's fixed version of dtvcmd.exe from HERE Step 2: Unzip the dtvcon182.zip file to wherever you want it to run from. There is no installer for it. Run it and make sure it works with your directv receiver. Unzip the dtvclcmd_com1.zip file to the same directory. Step 3: (Note: you no longer need to download the MPExTuneCMD files as they are now incorporated in MediaPortal.) Start the configurator (Configuration.exe) and go the plugins section at the bottom. Scroll to the bottom until you see MPExTuneCMD. Click on "Enabled" then on "Setup". Browse to the place you unzipped DTV Control & dtvcmd.exe and select dtvcmd.exe then click OK. The delimiter should be set to "#" (no quotes) by default. Step 4: In the configuration utility, go to Television\|TV Channels. Click on the channel you want to use the external DirecTV set top box with. Click "Edit" and go to the "External" tab. Change "Type" to "Received by external settop box"; Change "Input via" to whatever input you are using on your capture card; Enter the channel number your STB uses for that channel. (Typically it's the same as the channel number in the channels list). Click "OK" to save the changes and "OK" again to get out of the configurator. Step 5: Start up Media Portal, go to the guide and select the channel you just edited as a test. It should change channels when you view that channel. NOTE: DTV Control must be running in the systray for this to work. The dtvcmd.exe interface with the, already running, application. Assuming this worked, go back into the configurator and edit the rest of the channels in the same manner. I hope this helps. Serial control is a very important feature to have working when you have an STB that supports it. Many thanks go out to kuerbis2 in #MediaPOrtal on efnet for his willingness to tackle a problem that had nothing to do with him. (even after i whined)

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2005-10-16, 14:24	#2 (permalink)
brierot Portal Member Join Date: Jun 2005 Posts: 20 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Bitbyte, I'm glad you got your DTV to work. I'm not as fortunate. I've been trying to get MPExtuneCmd to work with a external program that changes channel via a IR Blaster, without any success. The program to control the IRBlaster works perfectly from a CMD Window in Win XP but I have tried everything I know and not able to get the same to work from within MP. In getting it to work with DTV, did you find anything that may help me in my problem? Does MPExtuneCmd works with any .exe or .bat file that works in a DOS Command window? Is there anything else needed within MP to make MPExtuneCmd work with any .exe file? Any help or pointers you can offer will be most appreciated.