new plugin for changing channels (DirecTV w/serial port) (1 Viewer)

[elektrik]

thanks elektrik, I'll try the other plugin what can it hurt right

I'll also roll back to the last release should make trouble shooting easier

EDIT: OK I think I found the other plugin, or atleast the last one posted in this topic, and I set up the zap2it guide, it seems to be working great so far

I have the drd435rh RCA box I looked around the net it seems there are 2 versions of this box one has to have the power on signal set, which happens to be the one I have

thanks again elektrik

hey-no problem! Just glad I was able to help someone else out...

...Now, if we could just get some other bugs worked out

 

[pedra]

Command Set

Hi,

I live in Brasil and my DirecTV stb is a RCA DB200, there is a way to change the command set to adjust it to my decoder?

 

[pedra]

Just up! (The last one)

 

[twemperor]

This plug-in seems abandoned. I downloaded the latest source I could find (in sourceforge, here? SourceForge.net Repository - [mp-plugins] Index of /trunk/plugins/DirectTv/TVE 3 DirecTV Plugin)

It seems to compile fine against a later SVN. Is there any reason this plugin was abandoned? Other than the obvious that this is limited to a single STB, it seems very powerful and complete for controlling a DirecTV box. Why is this no longer part of the standard plugins?

Well, I recompiled it, added support for multiple tuners, and started an auto-detection feature (not quite done yet). If you'd like to try it, this works with 1.1.3 (not 1.2 beta, yet). If this works, or doesn't work for you, let me know!

 

[David Abineri]

The link for this software seems to be dead. Does anyone have a working copy?

Thank, Dave

Never mind, found it. Does it work for the D-12 100 box?

 

[twemperor]

The link for this software seems to be dead. Does anyone have a working copy?

Thank, Dave

Never mind, found it. Does it work for the D-12 100 box?

It worked for my D12-100. If you have problems, let me know.

 

[David Abineri]

Since you guys are mostly Directv folks and I am new to MP and am trying to build my PC DVR, may I ask which tuner card you are using with the latest (2011) Directv set top box for HD?

Thanks for any advice.

Dave

 

[mm1352000]

Hi again Dave

Keep in mind that we support *a lot* of tuners (including tuners with AV inputs), but we only support 2 capture cards (the Hauppauge Colossus and HDPVR).

mm

 

[David Abineri]

Thanks, mm. Can you clarify for me the difference between a Tuner and a Capture Card? And when you say 'we' are you referring to MP?

I am assuming that the capture card is not tuning the signal but is somehow able to decode the Directv signal coming from the tuner?

Thanks again, Dave

 

[mm1352000]

Hi again Dave

Thanks, mm. Can you clarify for me the difference between a Tuner and a Capture Card?

In layman's terms, a tuner is a device that is able to receive signals from the air (via aerial or satellite dish) and/or a cable connection to a local provider and manipulate the received signal in such a way that software installed on your computer can receive the available channels. You need a tuner to receive DVB-T, DVB-S/S2, DVB-C, ATSC, clear/encrypted QAM, FM radio and analog (NTSC/PAL) signals.

A capture device on the other hand does not "demodulate" signals. It is simply an interface to connect video to a computer, much like a computer video/graphics card output is an interface to connect video to a display or TV. Capture devices generally fall into one of two categories: analog and digital. Analog capture devices commonly have composite (yellow "RCA" plug) and/or s-video ("din" plug) input(s), and sometimes component (red, green and blue "RCA" plugs) input(s). Digital capture devices may have a range of inputs including firewire, HDMI, USB, and DVI. Some capture devices may have both analog and digital inputs. When you connect an STB to a computer, you generally connect it to a capture device of some kind.

Finally, some tuner cards also have capture inputs. For example, this is a picture of Pinnacle PCTV 7010ix; it has four tuner inputs plus a capture input that has a breakout cable which allows you to connect composite or s-video sources.

And when you say 'we' are you referring to MP?

Yes - I'm a member of the development team so I often use the term "we" to describe MediaPortal. Sorry for the confusion. :sorry:

I am assuming that the capture card is not tuning the signal but is somehow able to decode the Directv signal coming from the tuner?

Yes, a capture card doesn't tune the signal. The chips inside the STB tune (select a specific frequency, demodulate (too complicated to explain), digitise (convert voltage/current signals to 1's and 0's for the STB's digital chips to handle), decode (remove the copy protection/encryption from the signal) and decompress (video and audio are almost always compressed, and they must always be decompressed before they can be shown on a TV or heard through speakers) the signal, and provide it to the output connections on the back and/or front of the STB. Depending on the output, the signal may be in a digital or analog format. If analog, you connect it to an analog input on a capture card, which will digitise the signal so that the computer can understand it. Digital capture cards mostly just manipulate the signal a little and then pass it on to other software (the signal is already digital).

Complicated stuff - hopefully you can make at least a little sense out of my ramblings!

mm