How To: Change Foxtel Channel without “using” IR Blasters.

[brucesm]

How To: Change Foxtel Channel without “using” IR Blasters.
(you still need them connected, but you won’t be "using" them)
Reasons to do it:
IR Blasters are unsightly, less reliable and subject to small hands moving them 
This alternate solution connects a USB port on the HTPC to RF Out on the STB for a direct physical link.

Supported Foxtel Boxes:
Pace 460 (iQ) has been known to work for some time.
Pace 420 (now updated as working on the controller site, following this post).
UEC 720 doesn’t work.
UEC 1000 unlikely to work given the above (will update when I get to test one.)

(The other interesting thing to note is that Foxtel Multiroom works with the 420 as well if you add an amp into the aerial circuit, see http://tvgear.com.au/techtips.php so you can distribute Foxtel and change channel over an aerial cable if you don’t wan to use Media Center.)

How to tell what STB have you have: http://www.foxtel.com.au/6226.htm

What if you don’t have a 460 or 420?
Foxtel will swap your box for a $75 fee (confirm current price with Foxtel when ordering).
Foxtel will also replace your box for free is it has a fault. (My UEC 720 had a dodgy decoder chip when hot, so I got a free replacement.)
Foxtel may also replace your UEC720 for free if you need Component for a plasma etc as the 720 only has composite.)

Additional hardware required: USB Sky Controller from http://www.dusky-control.com/

Setup is straightforward.
1. Set up IR control of the STB as usual, you will need the IR Receiver and blaster to get this working. Test it is working. (As ever follow the lore of the board and when it tells you to press and hold "0", tell it that it didn't work, then program every button manually for best recognition)
2. Connect the controller box to a USB port, and RF to RF (aerial) out of the STB. USB Sky Controller from http://www.dusky-control.com/
3. Add the software to link the box to VMC or MCE. The manufacturers recommended software to link the Hardware to VMC is available here: http://home.comcast.net/~timmmoore/firewire/readme.htm Be warned, this software will only drive the Controller if the STB is listed in the first 2 tuners. If it is the third tuner (as in my case) you can use Zapper. (http://www.xpmediacentre.com.au/comm...do=file&id=111) Zapper can then call the Skycontroller software via a script. (maybe I will get around to writing a real program for this...)
4. Hide the IR buds, and Enjoy channel changes without using IR

[tedebare]

Hi
I purchased one of the dusky control units and can change the channels on my pace 420 foxtel stb using the supplied windows gui app no prob, however I can't work out how to get my vista media centre to interact with it.
Detailed instructions for the zapper part of the install would be greatly appreciated
Thanks

[Ararat]

I take it this is irrelevant for the iQ2 (the high-def box) as it doesn't have RF plugs .

[brucesm]

Originally Posted by tedebare

Hi
I purchased one of the dusky control units and can change the channels on my pace 420 foxtel stb using the supplied windows gui app no prob, however I can't work out how to get my vista media centre to interact with it.
Detailed instructions for the zapper part of the install would be greatly appreciated
Thanks

k,
so if you have the STB as tuner 1 or 2 I would suggest using mytray as below...

If it is tuner 3 or 4.
Download and drop zapper into a directory, I used c:\zapper
Download the skycontrol command line software from:
http://www.dusky-control.com/software.shtml
http://www.dusky-control.com/softwar...2008-04-11.zip
and drop it in the same dir.
Write a script to call the command line software.
Modify the zapper.config to call the script.
I attach my script and config, as examples and aplogise for the standard.
I haven't coded for a living for a while, and it shows...
(I really should make it all into one prog, but it works, so motivation is lacking...)

I hope that helps...
(else feel free to ask for more info)

The Mytray way....
go to:
http://home.comcast.net/~timmmoore/firewire/readme.htm

Instructions are about 1/3 down the page and are pasted below...
Software for Vista is at: http://home.comcast.net/~timmmoore/f...b-vistarc1.msi
(also on the page)

USB Sky Heenan Controller
The USB Sky Controller can be used to control Sky STBs. It plugs into the MCE machine and it does not require any drivers. Once the USB Sky Controller is installed, MyTray.exe will have two new options in the combo boxes “USB Sky” and “USB Sky Plus”, selecting one of these options for a tuner will cause the USB Sky controller to be used for channel change for this tuner. Joseph Heenan supplies controllers that support 1 or 2 STBs. MyTray supports 1 USB Sky controller for either 1 or 2 STBs, i.e. MyTray does not support using two 1 port USB Sky controllers.

[brucesm]

Originally Posted by Ararat

I take it this is irrelevant for the iQ2 (the high-def box) as it doesn't have RF plugs .

I am not sure what OEM model the iQ2 is, but
From what I have read, no support for rf out, so... no go.

[Mappo]

Hi, having bought a dusky control box and found it to work using the supplied windows gui, I cannot get it to work using either mytray or zapper.

At the moment i am trying to get zapper to control the box, but it doesnt seem to be getting the channel change instructions.

The zapper log is showing..

ZapperMediaStatusSink.Initialize()
ZapperMediaStatusSink.CreateSession()
ZapperMediaStatusSink.CreateSession()
ZapperMediaStatusSink.Initialize()
ZapperMediaStatusSink.CreateSession()
ZapperMediaStatusSink.CreateSession()
ZapperMediaStatusSink.CreateSession()
ZapperMediaStatusSink.Initialize()
ZapperMediaStatusSink.CreateSession()
ZapperMediaStatusSink.Initialize()
ZapperMediaStatusSink.CreateSession()
ZapperMediaStatusSink.Initialize()
ZapperMediaStatusSink.CreateSession()


It doesnt seem to show any channel change requests in the log

As im using vista mce, im very keen to get this changer working but am at a loss to work out what the problem is, and any suggestions would be most welcome

[brucesm]

Hi Mappo,
Can I ask how many tuners you have?
What number is your Analog tuner? (Does it show in Mytray?)
Do you still have the MCE IR Receiver connected? (Does it change channels for you?)

I will have a look and see if there is a reason Zapper would catch the change, if it being sent....
Bruce.

[Mappo]

Hi bruce, I have just the one tuner (oddly mytray showed two tuners, and assigned com 1 to both of them which is why i tried zapper in the 1st place)

The mce IR blaster is still connected, and it still changes the channels on the box for me.

Im totally stumped as to what could be causing it.

Thanks for posting back so quick as well

[brucesm]

So, i can't repro this,
zapper always seem to show channel changes in the log.
Now sure where to go from here....

[Mappo]

No probs, ill try reinstall and see if it works then