Appendix F: Infrared Receivers & Transmitters

= Appendix F: Infrared Receivers & Transmitters =

SageTV has built-in support for use of Evation’s IRMan (www.evation.com) to receive commands from infrared (IR) remote controls, the ACTiSYS IR-200L (www.actisys.com/ac200220.html) to transmit IR codes to change channels on cable and satellite converter boxes, or a USB-UIRT (www.usbuirt.com) to handle both IR reception and transmission. In addition, SageTV can now use the IR transmitter that is included with some of the newer Hauppauge encoder devices.

Evation’s IRMan (www.evation.com)
To use the IRMan to receive remote control IR codes for control of SageTV, first install it and its software, following its instructions. Then, in SageTV, configure the COM port it is connected to in Detailed Setup: Commands Settings by using the Remote Control Configuration option. After that, use the Link Infrared/Keystroke to SageTV Command option to assign the buttons on your remote to each SageTV command that you wish to use.

ACTiSYS IR-200L (www.actisys.com/ac200-220.html)
If you will be using the Actisys IR-200L with SageTV to control an external set-top device, then please follow these instructions before installation:

1.      DO NOT install the Actisys Software or Drivers that come with the IR-200L. If you install this software, you will experience problems using the IR-200L with the Sage software. The appropriate drivers for the IR-200L were already installed when you installed the Sage software.

2.      Shut down any instances running of SageTV and turn off your PC.

3.      Install the IR-200L into any open Serial port on the back of your PC

4.      Turn your PC on and launch SageTV to then setup the IR-200L. Configure the recording source via the Source Setup and choose the IR-200L in Step 5: Select the Tuning Plugin.

If you have any questions about installing the IR-200L, make a post to our discussion forum at forums.sagetv.com/forums or submit a support request at www.sagetv.com/request.html.

Note: SageTV supports the use of multiple Actisys IR-200L transmitters, with each one installed on a separate COM port. When using the Setup Wizard, select a different transmitter COM port in Step 5: Select the Tuning Plugin for each source.

Appendix F: Infrared Receivers & Transmitters

USB-UIRT (www.usbuirt.com)
If you are installing SageTv v9.2.0 and later, the Sage installer will offer to install the proper USB-UIRT drivers automatically; do NOT install any other USB-UIRT drivers since Sage's version is newer. The software and drivers for the USB-UIRT (for SageTv prior to v9.2.0) are available on-line at: www.usbuirt.com/getstart.htm. There you will find resources to help you get up and running quickly with your USB-UIRT. Support for this product, as well as the latest software updates, user guides, and FAQ’s can be found at: www.usbuirt.com/support.htm.

If you will be using the USB-UIRT with SageTV to control an external set-top device, then configure the recording source via the Source Setup and choose the USB-UIRT in Step 5: Select the Tuning Plugin.

If you will be using the USB-UIRT to receive remote control IR codes for control of SageTV, configure the port it is connected to in Detailed Setup: Commands Settings by using the Remote Control Configuration option. After that, use the Link Infrared/Keystroke to SageTV Command option to assign the buttons on your remote to each SageTV command that you wish to use.

If you have any questions about installing the USB-UIRT, make a post to our discussion forum at forums.sagetv.com/forums in the Hardware Support section or submit a support request at www.sagetv.com/request.html.

'''Controlling multiple set-top devices using the same IR code set:''' Recent versions of this device can be used to control three separate external devices with its capability for 3-zone output. SageTV does not have built-in support for these zones, but there are instructions from a SageTV user on our online discussion forums on how to make use of them.

See: http://forums.sagetv.com/forums/showthread.php?postid=48916#post48916

'''Using Multiple USB-UIRT devices:''' While SageTV does not have built-in support for using multiple USB-UIRT devices, a user on our online discussion forums has posted information about a new driver that uses a customization which allows multiple devices to be used. 

See: http://forums.sagetv.com/forums/showthread.php?p=115534#post115534

Hauppauge IR Blaster
Some of the newer encoder devices from Hauppauge now include an IR transmitter. To have SageTV use it, first use the Hauppauge IR Blaster Configuration application to configure the transmitter. Then, when configuring the recording source via the Source Setup, choose the Hauppauge IR Blaster in Step 5: Select the Tuning Plugin.

Notes: Due to Hauppauge driver limitations, multiple blasters can not be used. In addition, it may not be possible to use the blaster if there are multiple encoders and only one has a blaster. SageTV does not use the MCE IR blaster portion of the Hauppauge MCE kits, which come with the MCE remote + blaster.