[mythtv-users] Has anyone figured out a way to change channels to an external box (like DirectTV) and get directtv listings in the program guide?

Ray Olszewski ray at comarre.com
Tue Jul 22 13:25:14 EDT 2003


At 10:46 AM 7/22/2003 -0700, Toby Koenig wrote:

>Has anyone figured out a way to change channels to an external box (like 
>DirectTV) possible using a serial interface or infared, and get directtv 
>listings in the program guide?

This is really two separate questions.

1. "change channels to an external box (like DirectTV) ". There is a lot of 
information in the list archives about this (and a bit of general info in 
the HowTo as well). With appropriate add-on hardware, a Myth host using 
LIRC can readily control pretty much any external device that can be 
operated by a standard remote control. The details are box specific, and 
getting a working transmitter is either difficult or expensive (at least in 
my opinion; those who will disagree with me don't have different facts, 
just more lenient definitions of "difficult" and "expensive"), so look in 
the list archives for the actual device you want to control for better 
help. Or check the LIRC site.

2. " get directtv listings in the program guide". If you mean access the PG 
that DirecTV transmits as part of its service, then forget it. Myth can't 
do that. Nobody can do that, unless they sell a device that is integrated 
into the receiver box (some digital providers have offered integrated PVRs 
in the past, but I've only seen the advertising so do not know exactly how 
they work).

OTOH, if you mean download a DirecTV schedule using your country's schedule 
grabber, that may be possible, depending on what country you are in and 
what providers the grabber's source site supports. I'd expect the US site 
to provide DirecTV schedules, for example, though I have not actually checked.

TiVo uses a subscription-based method of providing schedules, one that is 
not available to non-TiVo users.

>  I would really like to use DirectTv with it, but will concede to use 
> cable service if necessary.  Tivo does this but don t know if its 
> possible to do through the MythTV.  I am currently building the box 
> (waiting on vid card) so am a bit of a newbie but didn t see anything 
> listed in documentation on it.
[...]





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