Blastcfg Issues

[rsmereka]

Hello,

I have a Dell GX280 which I did a wipe and re-install of XP. I also have a WinTV-HVR 1600 card with IR receiver and transmitter option. My STB is a Bell ExpressVu 4100. In this post, I am referring to Blastcfg 7.1.27188, API=2.4, FW=2.1.0.

My issue is that I cannot get Blastcfg to reliably send the correct codes to control the STB. First of all, Blastcfg has no entry for this STB so I am guessing by using the entry Bell ExpressVu 3100. The Power On/Off button in Blastcfg is grayed out. I did a Test All and I think CodeSet 307 is correct but my success is highly intermittent. I also tried a Learn but everything always fails with ERROR: LearnKey(1) failed

This is extremely frustrating, there are so many variables.

Any suggestions would be helpful.

Rick

[ArcAiN6]

same problems here mate.. learning ALWAYS fails... oddly enough.. also fails if i try to use the included remote (was just testing)

apparently, this thing is junk

[rsmereka]

same problems here mate.. learning ALWAYS fails... oddly enough.. also fails if i try to use the included remote (was just testing)

apparently, this thing is junk

I gave up on it especially since I could not get a straight answer from here and other places. I unplugged the blaster cables and purchased a USBUIRT. Works really good with the stock remote. The remote is ok. The IR transceiver is junk, especially the IR transmitter.

Rick

[ArcAiN6]

I just find it EXTREMELY irritating that buying a product, and then finding you have to buy more hardware to compensate for the original product not living up to it's claims a real pain in the arse...

I bought this card for use with SageTV, and the blaster to control my cable box, yet the blastcfg application won't " learn " new codes... not even from it's OWN REMOTE!!...

Several attempts to contact hauppage have not been fruitful, e-mails are never responded to, and worse than that, after trying via long distance phone calls, i get put on hold, then told " no one is available "...

Seems to me that instead of buying more hardware to make up for thier shotty work, i should just buy something that WORKS, and not have to deal with the headaches.

----------------

Control your cable TV or satellite set top box with WinTV-HVR-1600’s IR Blaster. Both the WinTV2000 and WinTV-Scheduler can automatically control the channel on your set top box, so you no longer need to manually change set top box channels.

BOLLOX!! with the winTV-HVR-1600 you can watch the red light blink for hours on end while you try to search for codes that work with your STB, or you can spend days trying to contact hauppauge, or you can try to " learn the codes " for your STB remote, none of which will work...

[TheNewGuy]

Just so you know, the 'Learn' capability uses a different type of IR cable, not shipped with standard products. Instead, it's intended the user selects their set top box from the predefined list shipped with the BlastCfg app.

It may not be the answer you want to hear, but I thought I should at least make it clear to you why your attempts to 'learn' have been failing.

[ArcAiN6]

this is the first I've heard of this. nowhere in the product information does it specify that specialty hardware would be needed for this feature.
and where would one purchase this special cable from?
http://hauppauge.lightpath.net/manua...ster-eng_5.pdf

Configure the IR transmitter to control your set
top box
If you are using a WinTV-HVR-1600 or the WinTV-HVR-1950, there is a list of set top
boxes which the IR Blaster is pre-configured to control. See the section entitled “Using
the pre-configured list of set top boxes”.
If you are using the WinTV-HVR-1850 or the WinTV-HVR-2250, or you have a set top box
which the Blaster Config program does not know about, you must use the Learning
Mode for the IR Blaster. See the next section “Learn mode: learning the remote control
codes for your set top box”.
Learn mode: learning the remote control codes for your set top box
(WinTV-HVR-1600, WinTV-HVR-1850, WinTV-HVR-1950 and WinTVHVR-
2250)
The WinTV v7 application can “learn” new remote control codes for most cable TV and
satellite TV set top boxes. To access the learn function, in the Blaster Config program
click on Advanced Config. You will need to ‘learn’ the 0 through 9 keys, plus Power
on and Enter.
Note: You will need the remote control
from your set top box to complete
the configuration in this section.
Note: this proceedure is only necessary
if you are using WinTV v7. If you
are using Windows Media Center, it will
configure the IR blaster as part of the
Media Center setup.
To learn the new keys:
- hold the remote control from your
set top box as close to the IR
receiver and learn sensor as possible.
If you do not hold your remote
control close enough to the learn
sensor, you will not get accurate
results
- in the Blaster Configuration program,
click the Key Number you
would like to learn (for example: 1)
- then depress and hold the corresponding
key on your set top box
remote control. You will be instructed
in the message box when to release the key on your remote control.
- Do this for the keys 0 to 9 plus On and Enter
You should receive a LearnKey(key#) Succeeded message. Then move on to the
next key.
If you receive a LearnKey(key#) Failed error, this means that the key was either held
down too long, or not long enough, or that the remote was not held close enough to the
IR sensor. Try again.
Once you are finished with the numbers 0 to 9 and On and Enter, you can test the learning
by clicking the Send button in the Blaster Configuration program. It will send the
numbers 123 to your set top box. Your set top box should now be on channel 123.
Close the Blaster Configuration program to save the configuration.

[TheNewGuy]

this is the first I've heard of this. nowhere in the product information does it specify that specialty hardware would be needed for this feature.
and where would one purchase this special cable from?

To be honest, I have no idea - and its possible I'm leading you down the wrong path (now that I read the text you posted above). I'm not in the US, so not that familiar with US products.

I'd never used the learning feature myself, but when I was in the NY office last, and asked about it, they said I'd need one of the special learning cables. I'm holding that cable right now, its receiver is physically different looking to the blaster/receiver cables I've seen supplied with some of the retail unit. I'm not sure if those cables are sold, or if they're compatible with all hardware or only certain devices.

Probably best just to ignore my comment. I obviously dont know enough about the learning feature to provide you any useful definitive insight.

That text above seems to slightly conflict itself though. Its starts out sounding like the HVR1600/1950 has to use the predefined list, and the 1850/2250 has to use the learning feature, but confuses things after that by mention all those models in brackets.

[ArcAiN6]

Agree. the documentation seems a bit self-conflicting, as well as probably outdated.

It would be nice if hauppauge would take the time to learn these new codes and add them to the list of supported devices.

What i think would be even better is if hauppauge took the time to redesign the blastcfg app to read the codes from an INI file, that is formatted in such a way as to allow an individual to manually add codes or soemthing.. i have seen several lists of remote codes that have been claimed to work well with these new DTA boxes, but they are generated by the USB-UIRT apps (i think ) wich serves as no help for someone like me who feels it's irresponsible to spend almost as much for a new IR reciever / transmitter as the original card costs.

[TheNewGuy]

The DTA devices that cant be learned is another issue again. They use the oddball XMP IR protocol which is unlike the IR signals used by other consumer devices.

You'd most likely even have issues with capturing these signals from learning remote, or controlling this STB from a universal remote etc. These signals are just plain non-standard.

[ArcAiN6]

i could be wrong on this, so stop me at any time..

The way I understand how an IR remote works is it sends a series of " flashes " of IR from the remote, to the sensor on the device. The device then performs a function based on what set of " flashes " it recieved.

So to me, the " standard " shouldn't actually mean anything when it comes to the IR Blaster, or the learning features, as when learning it should simply " record " the series of "flashes" per button. and then when time comes, repeat these " flashes " when it receives the signal that a button on the hauppauge remote has been pressed.

Just my opinion on the matter.

This still doesn't solve the issue that blastcfg won't even learn the buttons from it's OWN remote, so if if can't learn it's own format, it probably won't learn ANY format.

I did however get an e-mail from hauppauge saying they are working ont he issue with the DTA's. I wonder how long it will take, as soon i will be converted to full digital with no analog signals at all (other than the 3 or 4 local stations)

e-mail from hauppauge:

Hello,

We are currently working on this problem to make the tuner IR Blaster to work with the DTA boxes from comcast.



Best Regards,

Jose Hernandez
JoseH@Hauppauge.com

Technical Support

Hauppauge Computer Works
New York
http://www.hauppauge.com