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FAQ: IR Remote Blaster

Installing the IR Remote Blaster for WinTV

Adding Your settop box TV channels to the WinTV Application

IR Remote Blaster Overview

The IR RemoteBlaster lets the Hauppauge WinTV application change the channel on a satellite or cable TV set top box by transmitting ‘channel change’ commands to the box via an Infra Red (IR) transmitter.
The IR RemoteBlaster for WinTV consists of four components:

The Hauppauge remote control, which sends infrared signals to the IR Receiver.
IR RemoteBlaster cable, which is plugged into the WinTV card. This cable has an IR cable jack and two ends: a IR receiver and an IR transmitter. The IR transmitter has a thin wire and is at the end of the longer “leg” of the cable.
IR32 application, a program which runs in the Windows device tray and interprets signals received by the IR receiver.
IR Blaster Config program, for configuring the codes for the IR transmitter.

Note: if you are NOT using a set top box, you do not need to use the IR transmitter. If you do not want to use the IR transmitter, curl it up and tie it using the tie wrap which came with the IR RemoteBlaster cable.
Note: you can only use the Hauppauge remote control with IR RemoteBlaster. The IR Receiver does not respond to remote control transmitters from other devices like a TV set or VCR..

Note: Before installing the IR Remote Blaster cable, install the WinTV board plus driver and application software from the WinTV Installation CD ROM. Make sure that the WinTV application works properly when using your mouse or keyboard.
During the installation of the WinTV software from the WinTV Installation CD-ROM, the Hauppauge WinTV IR and IR Blaster Applications will be automatically installed. You will be asked during the IR software installation to acknowledge a software license.
You can manually install the Hauppauge WinTV IR and IR Blaster applications from the Installation CD by running irblast.exe from the IR32 directory of your Hauppauge Installation CD-ROM.
Every time you boot Windows, the IR32 application should automatically run. You will notice a small IR icon in your system device tray. You can reset the IR application by running RestartIR from the Hauppauge WinTV folder.

Installing the IR Remote Blaster for WinTV

Step 1: Plug the IR RemoteBlaster cable into your WinTV board. Plug the IR Cable Jack at the end of the IR RemoteBlaster cable into the IR receiver jack on the WinTV card or WinTV-PVR-USB2 box.
Note: be sure the IR Cable jack is well seated in the WinTV board. You might need to wiggle the WinTV board and/or the IR RemoteBlaster cable to get it firmly seated. If it is not well seated, the WinTV application will not respond to commands from the Hauppauge remote control.

Step 2: Install the IR receiver
Place the IR Receiver so that the infrared light from the Hauppauge Remote control can reach the IR Receiver.

Step 3: Check the function of Hauppauge Remote for WinTV
Point the Hauppauge remote at the IR receiver and click the Go button. You should see the WinTV selector pop up. Use the up arrow and down arrow on the remote to navigate through the menu.
Click Go again to close the selector.
Note: If you click the Go button and the WinTV selector does not pop up, wiggle the WinTV board and/or the IR RemoteBlaster jack to get the jack firmly seated. If it is not well seated, the WinTV application will not respond to commands from the Hauppauge remote control. Also, make sure you have installed batteries in the Hauppauge remote.

Step 4: Install the IR transmitter (blaster) at your set top box
Note: The next steps (4 through 7) are optional and only required if you want WinTV to control the TV channels on a satellite or cable TV set top box through WinTV’s IR transmitter (blaster).
Attach the end of the IR transmitter over the remote sensor on the set top box to be controlled.
Placement of the IR transmitter is important! The IR transmitter only works over a 2 inch distance, so you need to make sure it is placed over the remote sensor in your set top box. Some set top boxes have the position of the remote receiver indicated on the plastic front of the set top box. With others, you might need to look carefully at the set top box for what looks like a round or square area underneath the plastic front panel. There is double sided tape on the back of the IR transmitter to hold it in place over the remote sensor in your set top box
Connect the set top box’s audio/video outputs to the WinTV. This is the same as connecting a set top box to a TV set: choose either composite video, S-Video or TV tuner as the way to connect from the set top box to WinTV. Some set top boxes send video via channel 3 or 4, others have composite or S-Video outputs.
Choose one method and make the necessary audio/video connections from your set top box to WinTV.

Step 5: Set your set top box output in the WinTV application
After you make the video connection from your set top box to WinTV in step 4, you need to tell WinTV where the audio/video from your set top box is coming from. Many set top boxes use a channel 3 or 4 out via a RF output connector.
Other boxes use S-Video or Composite video for output. In either case, you need to tell WinTV where the video will be coming from.
If your set top box has an RF output (a coax cable going from the set top box to the TV input on the WinTV board), click Menu / Suite Manager / Sources. Under Input Sources, click Analog Source. In Channel, select the channel (channel 3 or 4) where the video comes from. Click Add.
If you connect to your set top box via composite or S-Video, click Menu / Suite Manager / Sources. Under Input Sources, click the A/V connector which is connected to your set top box (Composite or S-Video) and click Save. A channel will be created and given a Preset number.

Step 6: Configure the IR transmitter to control your set top box
Like universal remote controls, the Hauppauge IR RemoteBlaster has a list of common set top boxes which it can control. And like universal remote controls, you must test various codes from the list to see which one applies to your specific set top box. Here is how to do this.

Run IR Blaster from Windows Start / Programs / Hauppauge WinTV menu. Note: if some of the controls are greyed out, it means the IRRemote Blaster hardware is not found on your WinTV.
Select your Region. Chose either Europe or North America. There is a special region for Hauppauge if you want to control Hauppauge DEC boxes.
Select the Device (cable or satellite), then Vendor/Model of your set top box.

Remote Codeset configuration

The CodeSet will contain a list of codes which IRRemoteBlaster knows about the selected Vendor.
There might be as many as ten codes for the Vendor chosen. Click the Power On/Off button. You should see the IR transmitter blink after each click of the Power On/Off button.
If your set top box turns on or off, then this code is the correct one for your set top box. If not, click Test Next. Continue to click Test Next until your set top box turns on or off, at which time you have found the correct code.
If you cannot find a code which works with your set top box:

First make sure the IR transmitter is positioned over the remote sensor on your set top box. Remember, the IR transmitter has a very short distance and needs to be positioned over the remote sensor on your set top box.
Next, click the Test All button. This button will go through all of the codes in our database of set top boxes (over 200 devices at present). After clicking Test All, watch your set top box. If it goes on or off, immediately click Stop Test. You have found the correct code for your set top box. If your set top box does not turn on or off even after going through all the codes, then either the IR transmitter is not positioned correctly or your box is not supported.

Once you have determined the Code, click Next to go to the IR Channel Test menu. You can click the Send button to send a number sequence to your set top box. If your set top box is on, you should see 1 2 3 appear on the channel indicator of your set top box.
Click Next to go to WinTV IR Blaster Source Channel menu. This is where you specify which tuner channel or video source on the WinTV is connected to your set top box. Select the channel from the pull down list which corresponds to the way your set top box is connected to WinTV. For example, if your set top box is connected via the TV tuner connector and uses channel 3, select Ch. 3. Make sure that Use Hauppauge IR Blaster Hardware is checked. Click Next and Finish to save the configuration for your set top box.

Note: You must close the WinTV application in order for the IR Blaster configuration to take effect.

If you configured the IR Blaster with the WinTV running and notice that the set top box is not working correctly (yet the power on/off and 1,2,3 test works) you must close WinTV and reopen it for the IR Blaster to function properly.

Adding your set top box TV channels to the WinTV application

So that the WinTV and WinTV Scheduler applications can automatically change channels via the IR Blaster, you need to add set top box TV channels to WinTV Channel Manager.

In the WinTV application, click Menu / Suite Manager / Sources. Click IR Blaster Source
Add the channels on your cable network by choosing the channel number and clicking Add. You must give the channel a name. Do this for each set top box TV channel you want to add to WinTV. When you’re finished, you will have a list of set top box channels WinTV can automatically tune to.

Hauppauge Remote Control layout

Click image to enlarge.