FTA Receivers and IR Blasters

[mastermesh]

I'd never heard of an IR Blaster til doing some googling today. It looks like they are usb gizmos that let you change channels on various cable and satellite boxes from a computer just like you can with a remote.

Has anyone here ever used anything like that successfully with FTA equipment like a Pansat Receiver? Also, does anyone know if using such a gizmo can be set up on a timed channel flipper thingy to set up for use with pvrs?

I'm currently using an all-in-wonder card to see tv from my computer. That all-in-wonder card has an analog tv tuner in it. In other words, it can see anything coming out of the pansat just like the normal tv can, on channel 3. Also, if I had cable, it could see any of the cable channels and be able to flip through them and record automatically at whatever schedule I set up. As far as fta goes, I've not yet figured out a way for the pc to see the channels on the satellite yet, or be able to flip channels in the pansat without manually going downstairs and flipping channels myself manually.

If the pansat's off the ati can see ota signals and can flip channels between them, automatically or manually. I'm wanting to be able for the pc to flip channels automatically in fta channels and start recording various channels at various times just like a tivo or similar type of gizmo can do... or like the ati all in wonder can do with cable.

I was considering buying a dvb world box if it can do that, but if it'd work and be cheaper to use an ir blaster that connects the pc and the pansat, that may be the better route to be able to channel flip automatically, if ir blasters are even set up to do that stuff - are they, or are they just for manual channel flips?

Also, I'm guessing that a IR blaster probably won't work for my setup since I'm guessing there has to be a line of site between receiver and pc to get IR signals going correctly - I'm hoping I'm wrong on that, but am I?

 

[Larry1]

You should be able to program the ir blaster to control the Pansat box. The ir blaster does need a line of sight to the Pansat to control it, just like the remote does. You can use a USB extension cable to extend the ir blaster or a ir wireless transmitter to place the ir signal in another room. RCA makes a cone shapped ir transmitter set. I have not tried your setup, but have a sling box and have programed it for various devices. It does take some time to figure it all out. If the Pansat is not pre-programed in your software, there are learning remotes that can be programed and then downloaded into the computer to obtain the ir codes that the remote sends out to control the Pansat. I had to do this to control my LG PVR from my slingbox. Search for JP1 to find out how to read the codes from a leaning remote. You will have to check the PVR software you want to use to see if this can be done. You can also just set up your timers in the Pansat box to change the channels for you, and you will not need an ir blaster. The Pansat will then be on the channel you want and then you also create a timer with your PC to record your show.
I prefer the satellite card in my PC to capture the shows as it does not have any loss in quality from the signal you receive. The files it produces are generally small as the satellite broadcasters put a lot of effort to squeeze the data stream to be as small as they can make it to allow for more channels to be transmitted on the transponder. Another way of doing this is to upgrade to a PVR satellite box. Then the whole unit is self contained and will come on and off as the timers tell it.