IR Blaster emitter - what to find

[offroad]

Spent an hour yesterday looking at IR Blaster technology. This is the cable and infrared light that changes channels on your COMCAST or other proprietary cable box. Thinking most users of WMC are going to have to use an IR Blaster, as the signals get more and more encrypted to the cable company box to prevent theft.

Yet when I look at the offerings and discussions, am finding lack of clarity on IR Blasters. Getting a blaster functional under WMC is not that easy. The software settings in WMC have about five paths that can be taken (Manual, automatic, select cable box, etc.). Then if you add in a mix of IR receivers (mouse controlled IR remote, etc.) the confusion starts to accumulate, as WIN7 seems to not keep all these IR USB devices separate (speculate). Problems manifest as WIN7 started to see WMC forgetting the IR blaster settings.

Right now I have an HP IR blaster and WMC remote for about $25 from amazon. Plugs into an open USB slot, and works about 90% of the time. But have recently noticed that WMC forgets the IR Blaster, if I plug in a separate additional IR detector in a USB slot.

Next step is to get a Hauppauge IR Blaster detector cable for my TV video capture card, and see if a different manufacture has better drivers for an IR blaster. The many I see onlime are very expensive in the $50 price rang for a sophisticated IR blaster. Not sure if the Hauppauge blaster will change channels under WMC but hope it will, as supposedly its designed for that, and hope WMC detects it.

[offroad]

This is what I am using

http://www.amazon.com/HP-REMOTE-CONTROL ... laster+wmc

and at the same time I am also trying to use this below, but like I mentioned seems to cause WIN7 to forget the blaster, so is unplugged for now.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00224 ... UTF8&psc=1

[offroad]

would this work better as a great IR blaster and WMC remote combination for WIN7? Ome commenst says this remote will not work under WIN7, but which remote with IR blaster will?

http://www.amazon.com/Azend-MediaGate-G ... GW5LP9HK3U

[barnabas1969]

No, most of us are using CableCARD tuners. It requires no blaster, and you can send the crappy cable box back to Comcast... which will save you money each month.

My personal favorite CableCARD tuner is the Silicondust HD HomeRun PRIME. Found here: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6815345006 It connects via Ethernet.

There are also CableCARD tuners from Ceton and Hauppauge.

Ceton makes several versions. The InfiniTV4 comes in both PCIe and USB versions. It is a quad tuner. They also now have a 6-tuner version that connects via Ethernet.
The Hauppauge is a dual tuner that connects by USB. The model number is DCR-2650.

[foxwood]

If you're using Cable in the US, then as Barnabas says, there's no question that a cable card tuner is far more convenient than IR-Blasters, and that starting at $150, they even make financial sense if you are paying $10-$15/month for the cable-box, and can replace that with a $2-$5 card fee.

That approach doesn't work, though, if you are trying to use Satellite (and even the capture-card and IR-Blaster approach may not work there, these days) or if you're using cable outside the US.

[slowbiscuit]

Spent an hour yesterday looking at IR Blaster technology. This is the cable and infrared light that changes channels on your COMCAST or other proprietary cable box. Thinking most users of WMC are going to have to use an IR Blaster, as the signals get more and more encrypted to the cable company box to prevent theft.

No, most users of WMC here moved to Cablecard a LONG time ago (domestic US cable users, of course).

If you're on Comcast, get a card and tuner and ditch the box. You just missed the every-so-often sale of the HD Homerun Prime tuner for $130 at newegg and Amazon, but it's only $10 more now.

[offroad]

1). My cable box is free. First one is always free with COMCAST. No fee because my apartment includes basic cable

2) tried the cable card path. COMCAST gave me a cable card and it failed to activate for several tries. Then after activated it lost the signal and had to be reactivated. Was very glitchy random repeat failures. So gave up on fighting cable card activation.

3). Have read of many others on COMCAST who have horrible local services. My HBO service failed last night and the signal is still not working. Company refuses to give me a break on the monthly cost. So need to switch to AT&T UVERSE. It's too long of a poor history in my area.

[offroad]

Am not into conspiracy. But if I was a cable company selling DVR services. Would definitely be giving out glitchy cable cards. To cause people to just give in a rent a COMCAST DVR.

[barnabas1969]

What tuner were you using? I've seen posts where the CableCARD would lose activation in the InfiniTV4, and the user received a replacement tuner from Ceton after they determined that there was something wrong with the tuner.

Also, many people have trouble getting a good CableCARD on the first try. You could have asked for a replacement card. Some users go through 3-4 cards before they get one that pairs and works correctly.

[offroad]

Lets say I go through four cable cards to get it working on COMCAST and get it paired correctly. Each time I have to wait in COMCAST tech support for an hour or longer to get an escalates tech who knows how to activate a TIVO kind of cable card. I did spend a whole day trying to get this working with COMCAST about a year ago. Too frustrating to do.

But admit the IR BLASTER can be just as frustrating.

Can cable cards allow HBO recording ? And multiple simultaneous channel recording ?

[foxwood]

Can cable cards allow HBO recording ?

Yes, Cable card tuners can record HBO (when used in conjunction with WMC - MythTV and other PC based DVRs can't record copy protected content).

And multiple simultaneous channel recording ?

There are 2, 3, 4 and 6 tuner Cable Card receivers on the market. You can record or watch one channel per tuner, so you can record 6 simultaneous channels with an InfiniTV6 containing a single cable-card.

[slowbiscuit]

Lets say I go through four cable cards to get it working on COMCAST and get it paired correctly. Each time I have to wait in COMCAST tech support for an hour or longer to get an escalates tech who knows how to activate a TIVO kind of cable card. I did spend a whole day trying to get this working with COMCAST about a year ago. Too frustrating to do.

But admit the IR BLASTER can be just as frustrating.

Can cable cards allow HBO recording ? And multiple simultaneous channel recording ?

Sounds like you called the wrong number (i.e. 1-800-COMCAST). The correct number for CC self-installs is 1-877-405-2298, I've activated 3 cards that way after picking them up from a service center and had no issues with any of them. It's a dedicated Cablecard activation number so you don't have to deal with their clueless frontline reps to find someone who can do it correctly.

Get the HDHR Prime and a new card, use this number, tell us how it goes. Comcast card activations are usually not a problem now, the new FCC card self-install rules that went into effect a year ago have helped. Billing is a whole 'nother issue, don't get me started there.

[offroad]

Thanks slow biscuit. Will consider it. Think cards at $8 a month. While the cable tuner is free. Your suggestion will be the next step.

[offroad]

SLOW BISCUIT - which cable card do you recommend? Know that COMCAST has several. And I need to ask them specifically.

[slowbiscuit]

No, you don't. You'll get what they give you, which is an M-card that works with any Cablecard tuner.

[drtdiver]

Thanks slow biscuit. Will consider it. Think cards at $8 a month. While the cable tuner is free. Your suggestion will be the next step.

This sounds backwards to me

[mdavej]

In the Comcast market nearest me, these are the charges for cable card:

CabIeCARD (first card in device) No Charge
CabIeCARD (second card in same device) $1.50

I think the OP is confusing this with the "additional outlet" fee. If he were to replace his cable box, rather than add an outlet, it would be free.

[slowbiscuit]

Given the last couple of posts from the OP, I think he's confused about a lot of stuff here.

[EZEd]

Thanks slow biscuit. Will consider it. Think cards at $8 a month. While the cable tuner is free. Your suggestion will be the next step.

He may be talking about the Tuning Adapter being free. But agree the cost of $8 for a single card sounds high. I guess it depends on area.

[mdavej]

Cards aren't $8 a month. Outlets are.