[mythtv-users] Best deal on premade lirc receivers?

[Robert Denier]

On Fri, 2005-09-02 at 13:03 -0700, Blake wrote:
<snip>
> I've been following this discussion trying to figure out what I actually  
> need. So, let me see if I've got this:

(Someone correct me if I have any of this wrong.)  Myth TV is divided
into frontends and backends.  Backends encode the video and cache it on
the hard drive.  Front ends play the video.  For a back end you need
typically a PVR 150, and a moderate computer.  For a front end you need
a way to play the video and audio and some kind of remote control unless
you like the keyboard.  There are other types of remote controls, but
infrared is one of the easier ones.  (Note that if you combine the front
and backends in one machine you can sometimes use the pvr's remote, but
I'm not interested in that.)

> 1. IR Remote

Presumably there is a useful one at walmart.  I suspect a search of old
messages might be useful.

> 2. IR receiver on the computer

This is what I ordered.  It plugs into the serial port, and should, in
theory, work with lirc, whenever I figure that mess out again.  This kit
also contains a remote, but no one seems to like the remote much.  The
receiver would go in the front end and allow you to change channels and
such.

> 3. IR transmitter on the computer (because I'm going to be controlling the  
> cable box, at least, from the computer.)

The transmitter goes in the backend, unless of course your lucky enough
to get a device that can be controlled directly with a serial cable.
Some Direct TV satellite receivers are in this class.

> So far I think people have put up packages that are just one of the three  
> or two of the three (think I've seen remote & receiver and the above  
> appears to be receiver and transmitter.)
> 
> Now, I have an Audigy breakout box which has an IR Port (and, yes, it does  
> go with the card in the machine). Any chance of making that work?

I suspect the answer is unlikely.  Check out lirc.org and for that
matter the mythtv pages, and I suspect much of this will begin making
more sense.  From what I can tell, before I'd consider spending a lot of
money on myth, I'd do at least several hours reading...  A few hours
research can sometimes save a few days debugging...

Good luck..
-Robert