2nd USBUIRT device to control BeyondTV

Issues relating to installation of your USB-UIRT device.

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2nd USBUIRT device to control BeyondTV

Postby luca » Thu Dec 28, 2006 2:12 am

Hi All,
I've been using a USB-UIRT blaster to change channels on my sat box via BTV. I couldn't be happier with the product, not a problem in over a year of daily usage, thanks for that! :-)

I've been using the Firefly remote to control BTV and it works fine, but this means having two remotes around. I was thinking to finally integrate both into one IR remote (I use a Harmony 659).

If I get a second USB-UIRT, and use it just as a receiver to control BTV?
How long a USB extension can I run, I'd imagine I need at least 25ft... What other software would I need. Would the 2 blasters work fine side by side?

Sorry if this exceeds the boundaries of a 'usb-uirt' install typical question... :-)

thanks,
Luca
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Postby Bitmonster » Thu Dec 28, 2006 4:47 pm

Haven't got the point.

Why can't you use an extension for the IR blasters to control your sat box and place the USB-UIRT in a way, that you can use it as a receiver to control the PC? So you can stay with one USB-UIRT.

Is the PC that far away from your "line of sight"?

If your PC is always running while you use your sat box and other equipment, you can control everything with your Firefly. The PC with the USB-UIRT acts as an RF-to-IR gateway in this setup. All you need is a program that allows you to do the needed macro-programming, as the one in my signature. Here is a similiar setup explained:
http://www.eventghost.org/wiki/Controll ... EventGhost
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Postby luca » Thu Dec 28, 2006 6:27 pm

Bitmonster wrote:Haven't got the point.

Why can't you use an extension for the IR blasters to control your sat box and place the USB-UIRT in a way, that you can use it as a receiver to control the PC? So you can stay with one USB-UIRT.

Is the PC that far away from your "line of sight"?


My bad, I wasn't clear on this. The PC and the sat box are in a different room from the rest of the HT equipment.

If your PC is always running while you use your sat box and other equipment, you can control everything with your Firefly. The PC with the USB-UIRT acts as an RF-to-IR gateway in this setup. All you need is a program that allows you to do the needed macro-programming, as the one in my signature. Here is a similiar setup explained:
http://www.eventghost.org/wiki/Controll ... EventGhost


We do like our Harmony remote, lazy people I know :-) I suppose I'd still need something like eventghost. Hope this makes sense...


Luca
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Postby Bitmonster » Thu Dec 28, 2006 6:39 pm

Well, USB is only specified over a length of 5m directly. If you want a longer cable, you have to use an "USB Active Extension Cable Repeater" or an USB-Hub to get another 5m. You can stack up five of them, so the theoretical longest length for USB is 25m.

But then I still don't understand, why you need two USB-UIRTs. Do you want to control the PC from both rooms with an IR remote?
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Postby luca » Thu Dec 28, 2006 9:14 pm

Bitmonster wrote:Well, USB is only specified over a length of 5m directly. If you want a longer cable, you have to use an "USB Active Extension Cable Repeater" or an USB-Hub to get another 5m. You can stack up five of them, so the theoretical longest length for USB is 25m.

But then I still don't understand, why you need two USB-UIRTs. Do you want to control the PC from both rooms with an IR remote?


No, I just need a way to control BTV via the Harmony remote. This is the logistic:

- room 1: HTPC w/ USB-UIRT + 1st satellite box - the PC is controlled by the firefly remote
- LR: TV, 2nd sat box, receiver, etc. - all this equipment is controlled by the harmony remote

We'd like to be able to control everything with one Harmony remote (if this is possible). We don't want to move the HTPC in the same room with the electronics (not enough room, noise)...

I'm not sure that a second USB-UIRT would be the right way to go, I thought I'd need some kind of IR sensor, and at the same time I know that USB-UIRT is widly supported by software like eventghost. OTOH, suggestions are welcome. I only setup my system once, a long time ago, and never touched it since. :-)

I should mention that even though the firefly remote has been working fine, the signal reception is not a 100% thing... :roll: We'd like to kill two bird with one stone.

Thanks for helping,
Luca
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Postby Bitmonster » Thu Dec 28, 2006 9:24 pm

Ok, first idea:
Move the USB-UIRT to your living room. Use an active extension as mentioned above. Then add an additional external IR blaster to your USB-UIRT and wire it back to your PC. This way you can receive IR in your living room and send IR in both rooms.

Second idea:
Get one of these wireless IR extenders. Place the receiver part in your living room and the transmission part before your USB-UIRT at the PC. This way you can receive IR in both rooms and transmit IR near the PC without many cables.
EDIT: And this way you can also directly control the 1st satellite box with your harmony.

BTW: Most RF-receivers for PCs work better, if you connect them through an USB-Hub that has its own wall power supply with a normal transformer. Don't use one with a "switching power supply". These receivers are very sensible to noise on the power line.
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Postby luca » Fri Dec 29, 2006 5:20 pm

Bitmonster wrote:Ok, first idea:
Move the USB-UIRT to your living room. Use an active extension as mentioned above. Then add an additional external IR blaster to your USB-UIRT and wire it back to your PC. This way you can receive IR in your living room and send IR in both rooms.

Second idea:
Get one of these wireless IR extenders. Place the receiver part in your living room and the transmission part before your USB-UIRT at the PC. This way you can receive IR in both rooms and transmit IR near the PC without many cables.
EDIT: And this way you can also directly control the 1st satellite box with your harmony.


The 'second idea' seems the most appealing. I did a bit of googling and found this iR extender:
http://www.nextgenerationhomeproducts.com/
It sounds wonderful on paper... Have you heard of it or can you recommend a particular brand?

If I place the receiver of the iR extender by the existing USB-UIRT that should be it, hardware-wise. I guess I still need some software to interpret the iR signals and redirect them to the BTV app, right?

BTW: Most RF-receivers for PCs work better, if you connect them through an USB-Hub that has its own wall power supply with a normal transformer. Don't use one with a "switching power supply". These receivers are very sensible to noise on the power line.


Didn't know that, but it does make sense. Thanks for all your help Bitmonster, much appreciated! :-)

Luca
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Postby Bitmonster » Sat Dec 30, 2006 5:15 pm

Well, there are many of these IR extenders arround and you can't get all brands in all countries. So I can't give any special recommendation. Best thing you can do, is to buy one with a suitable return policy.

I have no experience with BTV, but since it already supports the USB-UIRT for channel changing, it might also support it as a general control receiver itself.
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