Problems with Myblaster (1 Viewer)

[kurtko]

Hi,

I have a mce receiver with 1 ir blaster+ mce remote + MP 2.0.4.

I have some problems with Mediaportal and Myblaster:

1) My set-top box needs that I press ENTER key after entering the channel's number. But I don't see where is this function. ENTER key is correctly learned

2) When I'm trying to learn some keys... Myblaster says "Press key..." but it disappears suddenly (without I press any key!). Sometimes it works fine, sometimes not!

3) When I press "configure Myblaster" from Plugins menu in MP... nothing happens!! I need to execute Myblaster.exe directly

4) After I have learned some keys.. I return to execute Myblaster and the keys learned before... not appear! it's normal??

Anyone can help me???

 

[kurtko]

I need help!

 

[waveslam]

My only suggestion is for 2. where MyBlaster often vanishes unexpectedly when learning: Make sure your IR receiver is out of direct sunlight, or any other source of IR light. It make be that the receiver is detecting some IR signal of some kind and deciding thats a signal from the remote control. Another possibility I read about is if you are using a laptop, disable the IR port.

Overall, its just you, me and about 50,000 other people who are all having the same hassles trying to get MP to control an external STB via IR. I am keen to grab the MyBlaster code and extend/modify it so it does what I need, but that will require some integration with the MP TV engine, which apparantly is about to change soe everybody is waiting for that.

Good luck
Cheers
Brett

 

[Johnny-D]

Well, I found the myblaster instructions to be..well I couldn't find them actually so I documented what I did and hoped to post it as part of a help doc with a wider scope. Hence the Sky references- so just read your-set-top-box

Quick instructions are in bold to keep it simple.

[Disclaimer: this was all done with a Hauppage-supplied 2-port SMK transceiver (the box the blaster plugs into). It should work for Microsoft ones, but no guarantees as I don't have access to one to test.]

Ensure the transciever led isn't flashing without pressing anything- I found mine did when I put it on top of the tv and it turned out it was 'receiving' from the energy-saving bulb in the hall!

Download myblaster. It's posted several times on the forums by 'scoop' and I hope he doesn't mind me linking straight to it instead of the thread
[EDIT]: link removed; download from the plugin repository on the homepage now.
The thread I got it from is https://forum.team-mediaportal.com/viewtopic.php?t=13147

Put blaster.exe in MP directory.
Put myblaster.dll in MP\plugins\process directory

N.B. I cannot configure Myblaster from within MP setup, but it still works fine.

If you have only 1 IR port on your blaster, ignore the next bit
[plug the 'blaster' cable into port 2 on the transceiver. (weird, but the test never worked when it was in port 1)]
[/end ignore]

Grab your SKY OR CABLE (NOT MCE or MediaPortal) remote <===== This drove me crazy for a day, no-one thought to point the obvious out. Please do!
run blaster.exe (from the MP directory), go to the 'Set-top box #2' (unless you have only one port, in which case use Set-top box #1)
highlight 0
click 'learn' and it changes from '0' to a countdown timer. Now press 0 ON THE SKY REMOTE and point it at the MediaPortal transciever (not your stb), it should return to simply saying '0' (useful!)

Ensure the blaster 'eye' is over the infrared input on the sky box. (This bit is trickiest, to find out where exactly it is, hold the 'non-sticky' bit of the 'sticky-side' of the blaster over every possible hole in the front of the stb.
I got it in 2 goes, but for the non-technical out there this is a pretty dead-cert method. Tip: it's probably NOT the bit that flashes red when you press the remote.)

Highlight 0 again.
Press 'Test'.
The led ON THE SKY BOX should flash to tell you it's got the signal from the SMK transceiver.

If it has, repeat for the rest of the digits. (Obviously not moving the blaster this time )

Note: Re-entering Blaster.exe will make you think the 'learned' settings have been lost, b/c the test button no longer works but it's fine.

(If you have only one port, stop reading)
Follow the instructions on the 6th post up from the bottom of the first page of this thread https://forum.team-mediaportal.com/viewtopic.php?t=13147 which mentions mediaportal.xml and adding a forceport entry.

 

[waveslam]

Awesome post mate - much appreciated!
I will give this a go tonight and see how I get on.
Cheers
Brett

 

[snarlyboy]

...click 'learn' and it changes from '0' to a countdown timer. Now press 0 ON THE SKY REMOTE and point it at the MediaPortal transciever (not your stb), it should return to simply saying '0' (useful!)
...

hi, Mine doesn't go to a countdown after you click learn - either nothing happens or it just automatically highlights the next one in the list (i.e. it highlights 1 if you clicked learn on 0) Is this something weird because I'm clicking learn using the MS MCE IR Keyboard? Do I need to plug in a real keyboard during this learning phase? any ideas? thanks!

 

[Johnny-D]

Thanks Waves, put a bit of work into getting it right.

Hey Snarly I've not tried it, but I'd say yes.

The transceiver is picking up ANY IR signal and assuming that it's the correct code. Why shouldn't it, a signal is signal right?

Plug in a regular keyboard (and mouse!) and if you still have problems- like my lightbulb thing- then try building a 'barrier' of say, cushions or something pretty thick, around the front of transceiver while you're getting it to learn (obviously placing the remote IN FRONT of said barrier when you want it to learn...)

 

[Smac]

Hello,
Some time ago I could not use my IR MCE remote remote until scoop compiled a modified version which recognized my device
(see thread in:
https://forum.team-mediaportal.com/showthread.php?p=41252#post41252)

Last week I got a new set-top box which also needed the ENTER (or select) key be pressed after the channel numbers, and the IR refused to obbey although I was sure that myblaster had learnt the right ir stream.

After playing a little bit I had come to a solution: I have included by brute force the following to mediaportal.xml:

Code:
<section name="myblaster">
<entry name="confirm">yes</entry>
</section>

(make sure it's between the <profile> </profile> tags and not between another <section> </section> pair. Also backup your mediaportal.xml before you do so)

AND NOW IT WORKS!!!

Hoping we could see a new version of myblaster making this patches unnecessary, best regards

Smac

 

[Tazman]

My problem with MyBlaster is that i would like to change to speed. But if change i to medium and exit, it seems to forget the setting. Reentering MyBlaster and it still says "fast".

50% of the times i change channel it sends out the wrong number. if i push 32 i only sends 3 or 2. sometimes it sends 322... irritating...

/brian

 

[kurtko]

My problem with MyBlaster is that i would like to change to speed. But if change i to medium and exit, it seems to forget the setting. Reentering MyBlaster and it still says "fast".

50% of the times i change channel it sends out the wrong number. if i push 32 i only sends 3 or 2. sometimes it sends 322... irritating...

/brian

Yes, same problem here...

When a new MyBlaster version?