Recent UPC + HTPC Problems

Sparxy

Hi All,

I have a pretty standard setup as follows:
- Two UPC digital set top boxes
- Scart to s-video covertor connected to two analogue capture cards in a PC
- Microsoft IR receiver & two IR blasters taped to the front of the STBs to change channels.

I've had this setup for nearly two years and it has been working fine. Recently though (after a power cut) the PC was not able to change the channels on either STB. I went through a long-winded debug process trying everything I could think of, and finally concluded that the power cut had blown the IR blasters or something. The UPC remote seemed to still work, but the IR blasters just refused to change channels.

Yesterday however, I pulled out an old satellite receiver that I had and tried the IR blasters - and they worked! Then I found this:

http://www.askaboutmoney.com/showthread.php?p=1151460

Quick summary: it seems UPC recently did and update to change the way their STBs react to remotes, specifically to reduce interference from other sources. The result seems to have stopped my IR blasters from working.

Since I have a pretty standard setup, I was wondering if anyone had experienced this? Does anyone have any suggestions of what I could do to fix the problem? For reference, I'm using media centre 7.

Thanks!

Wheeker

Hmmmm- same here! I had a UPC STB for years with the same set-up as you. Worked 100% perfectly with WMC, though admittedly not the best picture. In Jan the SCART-> S-Video convertor stopped working so I thought to hell with this & got a Sat dish & Aerial installed & changed over to Freesat + Saorview

However a couple of weeks ago I reconnected the STB to my HTPC to get a few other channels only to find I couldn't change channels using the same IR blaster . The original UPC remote worked, though not that well.

After much googling I discovered that although IR cannot be seen by the naked eye, they can be seen by camera. So after testing remotes & the IR Blaster filmed by my iPhone camera I came to the conclusion that my IR Blaster was broken. I've ordered a cheapo eBay replacement but haven't received it yet, I'll let you know how I get on.

Sparxy

Hmmmm....

My IR Blasters actually flash red when they're changing channel - they've always been that way. I also read the thing about the camera being able to see IR, but since mine flash in a way that's visible, looking at the flash through a camera resulted in a...um...flash!

As I said above, it seems my IR blasters *are* working after all, since they work with the satellite reciever I have. They just don't seem to work with the UPC STB anymore...

I'm beginning to wonder whether going the satellite/DTT route is the best (only) option for me too??

tgs

Sparxy wrote: »

Hi All,

I have a pretty standard setup as follows:
- Two UPC digital set top boxes
- Scart to s-video covertor connected to two analogue capture cards in a PC
- Microsoft IR receiver & two IR blasters taped to the front of the STBs to change channels.

I have exactly the same setup. This evening, each set-top box started telling me that normally standard channels were not in my subscription. The usual UPC response to this is to power cycle the STB, so I tried this first. Afterwards, the restarted STB's "phone" icon light on the front blinked for ages. When it eventually came back, it was no longer listening to the IR blaster. The other box was, though of course most channels were still unavailable on it. The regular UPC remote works fine. When I rebooted the second STB, it too stopped listening to the IR blaster.

I went through MCE's TV Signal setup menu, and tried to retrain MCE - basically a process of pressing and holding the various number buttons and +- channel on the UPC remote. It took ages - MCE wanted me to do this about 30 times for each button. In the end, there was no change - the STBs are still ignoring the IR blaster. I also tried altering the speed the IR signal is sent at, so far to no avail.

Wheeker

Ok, so tried a new IR blaster & still no joy- doesn't even register one digit. Even my Harmony One remote, on STB device mode, most times it only registers 1 or 2 digits & defaults to Channel 100 :mad:

So has UPC done an STB firmware upgrade to stop IR blasters & other remotes from changing channels on their STB's? Are they trying to stop people using HTPC's & all-in-one remotes

Surely there's quite a few people out there using a UPC STB with their HTPC- is everyone having the same problem?

Orthanix

Yes I've had the same issue for the last 6-8 weeks. Like you I thought it was the emitter so I bought a new emitter bud but that did not solve the problem. I note that the UPC remote still works and when I use my Harmony One that also works. Even when I use the UPC remote to teach the commands to media centre it still does not work. It certainly seems that UPC have changed something on their side with the STB's. I would be interested to see if anyone has heard of a fix for this.

Sparxy

Quick Update:

I tried a few more things but to no avail. Finally decided to just cancel UPC and have since set up a sat-based system intead. Ho-hum...

Orthanix

I contacted UPC on this issue and got the following reply:

"Thank you for your email. I have consulted with our service support team and they have advised that we do not support any third party equipment such as IR emitters and other forms of equipment customers are using as an attachment to the UPC services. I can confirm that we*not changed any settings in regards our system and IR commands are not an issue UPC will deal with."

Not sure if I believe them though! Anyway I'm moving house soon so I'm going to dump UPC. Think I might try a freesat and saorview setup or might consider moving to Sky.

oisin

I remember reading a post on here recently that UPC have actually changed the way their remotes work via an update because of an issue with their remote controls suffering from interference from LCD and Plasma TV's. If you do a search you'll find a lot of people are having similar problems with IR emitters including me.