Using Hauppauge IR Blaster with MP? (1 Viewer)

[ktalley]

Source#1: Dish Network (S-Video input) on Hauppauge PVR-150 (comes with 45-button remote & IR Blaster)
Source#2: Hauppauge HVR-950 USB stick (for watching local OTA/ATSC digital channels)

This is my first "experiment" with MP (I installed RC4 on Monday), and so far so good (I think). I do, however, have two questions -- and can't really proceed until I get a better understanding on both:

1) Can anyone tell me the *best* way to set up channels from two different sources? I have an annual SchedulesDirect subscription (for U.S. -- and yes, I've got the SD plugin installed), but currently have things set up as two different lineups (one for Dish Network, and one for local digital OTA channels). Does anyone know if the SD plugin will get channels from both lineups, or do I need to do something differently?

2) How do I get the Hauppauge IR blaster to work in MP? I've seen forum postings about IR Server Suite, etc., but when I install it, there is no "transmit" checkbox for Hauppauge remote. But I see quite a few postings indicating that it *does* indeed work, so there must be a way. Obviously, I need the blasting only for Dish Network set-top box, but not for the OTA/ATSC channels (they'll tune using built-in tuner on HVR-950).

Thanks in advance!
Kevin

 

[ktalley]

Actually, I may already have unknowingly discovered the answer to #1. It appears that the SD plugin grabbed both lineups and merged/mapped them appropriately, because my TV Guide looks perfect!!!! (channels from both sources appear in the guide) Imagine that -- something actually works BETTER than expected!

So I guess my remaining issue is the PVR-150 IR Blaster. SURELY this is simple -- there's a .EXE utility provided by Hauppauge that lets you send channel change requests from the command-line, so I would hope there's an easy way to get MP to use this .EXE (if there's not built-in support that I'm missing....).


Thanks!

 

[shmil_y]

joining the question regarding IR Blaster

I'm using Hauppauge Win-TV PVR 150 MCE kit.
When I'm in the TV Server configuration window, I am able to map the remote control and the setup box switch channels, but on the MP itself I cannot change the channels with the remote, and it doesn't seem that the IR blaster sends any commands to the setup box as the red light of the blaster doesn't blink on the setup box.

 

[geeps]

Hello,

I have similar problems with remote blasting based on the Hauppauge PVR 150, I have been skimming through the IR Server Suite post but not seen an update that indicates that it works (I have tried it in the past but could not get it to actually blast).

I hope you guys have some success as I would love to be running TV Server and not an old verisoin of MP, which is 0.2.3.x that I am using now.

 

[shmil_y]

I have no success...

still hoping someone here will help...

 

[ktalley]

Cheers...
Well, I *almost* have some good news. Since I do C# software development as my "day job", I decided to download the source code and take a look at the plugin architecture to see if there was an easy way to get something to work. As I said earlier, Hauppauge includes a program "BlastCfg.exe" that can be called from the command-line (e.g. DOS window) to issue channel change requests (it also has a GUI, if you run it with no parameters/arguments). Since channel changing is 99% of what I need (at this time), I decided to write a plugin that does nothing but hook to the "zap channel" event, and take the channel#, validate the current tuner/card that the request is tied to, and then "invisibly" (hidden window) call Hauppauge's "BlastCfg.exe" passing it the channel#. While I haven't had time to test the actual IR blast, I *did* verify by looking at my logs that the plugin is working (verifying that it only sends request for PVR-150, uses correct channel#, etc.). Keep in mind that this solution won't send anything but numeric digits, but it's better than nothing (at least in my personal situation).

For now, I've got the plugin using an XML configuration file for a few of the settings (vs. having a real setup screen in the plugin part of TV Server configuration).

Once I can verify that this plugin is TRULY working (I actually see the channel change...), I'll post it here with instructions. As already stated -- this plugin depends on BlastCfg.exe being on your computer where the PVR-150 blaster is attached.

Wish me luck!!!

Kevin T.

 

[shmil_y]

Thanks Kevin

Hi Kevin,
Thanks for looking into this issue.

One thing that I don't understand is how the IR blaster works perfectly fine within the TV configuration server screen, however in the media portal itself it doesn't work at all, and it seems that it isn't sending any commands to the blaster. So r u sure it's relates to BlastCfg.exe ?

Cheers,
Shmil

 

[geeps]

Hi Kevin,

It sounds like you are on some kind of track to get somewhere with this. Just bear in mind IR is based on certain 'codes that need to be blasted, changing to channel 131 is not as simple I don't think as sending 131 to the blaster .exe? Just guessing here.

I have heard of the MCE PVR 150 blasting correctly if any of us have it. S, do you have the MCE version or non MCE? I know the standard Mediaportal plugins in 0.2.3.x support blasting with the non MCE versions, and the MCE versions work fairly simply I think with the IR Suite.

I am happy to do some testing over the weekend, and try anything you guys may think of. I really need to run TV server so I can do things on my laptop and watch TV

Update: Take a look at and-81's post a little down relating specifically to Hauppauge PVR 150s:
https://forum.team-mediaportal.com/...-server-suite-feature-requests-roadmap-33468/

 

[ralphy]

HaupBlast.exe

Hauppauge includes a program "BlastCfg.exe" that can be called from the command-line (e.g. DOS window) to issue channel change requests (it also has a GUI, if you run it with no parameters/arguments).

Can't wait for this plugin ktalley!

My system actually uses the HaupBlast.exe (24 May 2005) program in GBPVR to do the blasting.

My BlastCFG (4.0.0.4286) doesn't seem to accept parameters/arguements and always runs the config app. However, I use IRBlasterCfg.exe (5.0.0.5086) for the configuration instead.

I hope your plugin will allow the use of HaupBlast too. Can't wait to getting MP usable again.

 

[ktalley]

geeps:
You are correct -- that's the simplicity of this solution. By using pre-existing BlastCfg.exe, *IT* translates the digits into the correct IR transmission data -- my plugin doesn't have to even deal with IR codes. HOWEVER, the downside (with this approach) is that I can't blast anything but digits (to my knowledge, BlastCfg.exe doesn't support anything but digits).

ralphy:
Sub's (GBPVR author) "haupblast.exe" is actually where I got this idea. When I asked him about this some time ago, he said that all haupblast.exe does is wrap a call to BlastCfg.exe with the appropriate parameters. Heck, if it turns out that my direct call to blastcfg.exe doesn't work, I may just ask Sub if we can "borrow" haupblast.exe. Since it's nothing but a simple wrapper to Hauppauge's utility, I'm guessing he wouldn't mind. Obviously, since GBPVR is free, any MP user is technically free to install GBPVR and use/borrow HaupBlast.exe. But I wouldn't want to "evangelize" this approach without getting Sub's blessing. The plugin is designed to allow the user to specify (in config file) the path/name of the external EXE, so it definitely would support calling something alternative like HaupBlast.exe (as long as it takes a string of digits as the single parameter).

I am on vacation Friday & Monday, so I'm hoping that I'll have time over the weekend to finish my testing. Once I get something that is actually "testable" (by others), I'll post it a.s.a.p.

--Kevin