Comments | twwombat: Help w/TiVo and Cable Box??

twwombat

Help w/TiVo and Cable Box??

Sep 30, 2008 15:00

So the tech install upheaval is done except for the cable box sync aspect of things (an hour late and with very little help from the onsite tech), but that leaves me with a quandry...

( Cut for TiVo techweenerie... )

Comments 8

profesor September 30 2008, 20:04:20 UTC

I'm not aware of any way to control a cable box over USB from a TiVo. We upgraded to an HD TiVo that uses cable cards (pain in the ass getting the cable company to set up the cablecards, btw).

I may have some spare TiVo IR cables at home. I'll check tonight.

zonereyrie September 30 2008, 22:27:30 UTC

Yeah, cable MSOs still don't know what they're doing with CableCARDs. I was the first person in the area to have a TiVo with CableCARDs, since I had the Series3 for review before it released in 2006, and I knew WAY more about them than the Charter folks. I've pretty much trained the techs who have come out to my house on CableCARD calls, and eventually got the direct number for someone in my local office who handles my issues now since I got sick of needing a truck roll to handle things I can do easier myself. ;-)

lizzielizzie September 30 2008, 21:08:13 UTC

I hate my IR cable with a passion...I wonder if the serial cables work any more reliably. I'm tired of having things recorded on the wrong channel.

zonereyrie September 30 2008, 22:22:38 UTC

Serial cables are more reliable - but work ONLY with the Motorola DCT2k series of cable boxes, or some models of DirecTV receiver.

zonereyrie September 30 2008, 22:25:22 UTC

Sorry, no USB hacks that I'm aware of. And I don't have any spare IR blasters, the ones I have are in use. But they are generic and you can use any of them, so you might be able to get a set locally from Best Buy or RadioShack. Some are actually better than the included style - like this one. It sticks right to the front of the cable box, so it is easy to make sure it is pointed to the right place.

profesor October 1 2008, 14:49:04 UTC

I've got a TiVo cable here at work with me in Littleton - let me know if you still want it. I tried to email you but it looks like your gweep.net address forwards to charter whose SMTP server says '550 Invalid recipient'...

twwombat October 1 2008, 15:57:02 UTC

email forwarding from Grweep is fixed.

I think I'm going to shoot for a stick-on version if I can find it locally.

Thanks!
-w

profesor October 1 2008, 16:05:00 UTC

OK. Let me know if you change your mind.