Homechoice IR Trouble

[BodieCI5]

I've had Tivo for many years and decided to hook it up to my Homechoice box today now that I no longer have Sky+ since moving. The IR codes under 'HOMECHOICE' work but there's a real problem when channel numbers have similar digits - eg. 111 and 551

It looks like the Tivo is sending an IR pulse that lasts too long as the Homechoice box reads 551 as 5551 and 111 as 1111

If the '5' button is held down on the Homechoice remote then the number 5 is sent repeatedly - and very quickly, just like the volume function on most remote controls. I think the Tivo needs to send shorter IR pulses to avoid this happening.

The major point is that I really want Tivo to record the upcoming rugby union matches on Sky Sports but the Sky Sports channels are on 551, 552, 553 and 554... the damn channels that won't work properly!!!

I called the Tivo help centre but there's no mention of this problem on their system. However, reading the old forums it appears to be something that's been reported before - the last time being March '06.

Can anybody please help???

[GarySargent]

I've dug out the old emails from when we setup support for this box, and the IR control for this box was problematic. I'll get TiVo to add some shorter IR codes but you might find you then get missed digits...

[BodieCI5]

Thanks very much, Gary. It would be great to get the two boxes talking to each other properly... I'll have a word with Homechoice if the shorter blasts end up not working.

The Homechoice setup allows for two other IR frequencies to be used if there's a clash with other equipment. Do you think finding the appropriate Tivo codes for these other two frequencies might solve the problem???

But, I guess, if Homechoice are using a dodgy IR reader in their boxes then there's little that can be done overall.

Do you have any idea when the shorter blast IR codes will become available???

Many thanks.

[GarySargent]

Codes available in tomorrow mornings download.

Select code 88880 under manufacturer TIVO.

If they don't work then there isn't much more I can do as we've been down this loop already. Let me know if they are any better.

[BodieCI5]

Thanks for sorting out the new codes, Gary. Combining the new codes with the front IR blaster rather than the dongles works almost all the time. It trips up every now and then but it's a lot, lot better.

By the way, using just the IR dongles produced the same effect as before. And I phoned Homechoice who said they didn't support Tivo and would 'get in trouble' for even logging a technical call with a Tivo problem. Idiots.

[GarySargent]

When you say trips up every now and again - do you mean missed digits, or double digits?

[BodieCI5]

It's still the double digits problem but with the Front IR it's much less frequent - maybe once every 10 times as opposed to every other time or every time with the IR dongles and the new codes.

I tried using one dongle and shielding the IR signal to make sure it's not bouncing off anything reflective to give a ghost signal but it didn't make any difference.

The three figure code seems to enter the first digit quite slowly, there's a bit of a delay and the last two digits are sent very quickly - I'd have thought that they would have been sent evenly spaced apart but it seems like they aren't.

The new codes and front blaster have turned a 100% failure rate into a 90% success rate so thanks for taking the time to fix the problem, Gary.

[GarySargent]

Can you try code 88882 after Wed mornings download - see if it is any better than 88880.

[BodieCI5]

Well, the new codes are a complete success, Gary.

The IR Dongles now change channels with a 100% success rate on 'medium' speed. This will give me many more options as to where to put my Homechoice box so thank you very much for continuing to try and fix the problem.

If there's anybody out there having problems with Homechoice and Tivo with the 11x and 55x channels then 8882 on medium speed has worked brilliantly for me.

Long live Tivo!!! It ain't dead yet...

[tonym001]

Can you try code 88882 after Wed mornings download - see if it is any better than 88880.

I can't seem 'em! i've got a new(to me, at least) tivo box, and i've just run through the guided setup - all that shows under Tivo are the 88881 codes. I'm using the "homechoice" codes for now, but they do keep missing digits..

Any Ideas?

[GarySargent]

The new codes have now been promoted to production. Please stop using the 8888x codes, and instead use code 20066 under manufacturer Homechoice.

[tonym001]

That seems to of done the trick, Thanks!

[tonym001]

Bodie (and possibly gary, or anyone else that might read this..)

Is there a work around to the Homechoice box time out issue (other than using a "smart" remote to send a timed macro every few hours?) the most obvious solution to me, would to build a module ala Irblast that resends the current channel number either every 2 hours or so, or at another scheduled time, via cron. I can't see anything that could do this out there, and seeing as i I know nothing about writing itcl's I thought I'd ask.

thanks in advance

[BodieCI5]

The timeout situation with Homechoice is an absolute pain and it seems that even setting up dummy recordings to keep the box active doesn't work all the time.

I've got season passes set up for 5 minute recordings throughout the day and night to ensure that the Homechoice box doesn't time-out but I'll still come home sometimes and find that the Homechoice box has still switched itself onto standby.

Homechoice don't support Tivo and mentioning Tivo to their support staff is like mentioning the worst four-letter-words known to mankind. When I was having problems with the IR situation, I thought I'd ask Homechoice to consider moving Sky Sports and the other 55x and 11x channels to other numbers to help out the Tivo community. The woman on the phone had to stop me half way through saying that there were people listening in to the calls and if she didn't stop me discussing Tivo with her then she'd get into trouble.

Unbelievable.

So, unfortunately I'm not aware of any fix to the Homechoice problem which is a real shame as it's a great way to watch PTV if you don't have access to a cable or satellite connection.

[GarySargent]

What exactly is the timeout issue?

It is possible for TiVo to send a "power on" IR sequence before each channel change, but this would:

a) Need to work in all cases, even when the box is already on
b) The box would need to be able to accept a channel change VERY shortly after turning on

[BodieCI5]

I bet you hoped the Homechoice situation had been fixed once and for all, Gary...

It appears that the Homechoice box periodically goes into standby mode. There are two buttons on the remote to wake the box - one is the straight 'on/off' button which would turn the box off if used when it was on. The other is the Homechoice 'diamond' which is on the top right of the remote. If this was sent before the channel numbers then it would certainly wake the box up but wouldn't interfere with operation when the Homechoice box was live.

Sounds like it could be worth a try, Gary. Thanks again for all your help on getting the two systems talking to each other. The new IR codes are chaging channels perfectly.

[GarySargent]

So can you try turning the box off, then on your Homechoice remote pressing the diamond button, waiting for half a second, then entering a channel change. Does it work?

[BodieCI5]

Once the box has gone to sleep, waking it and entering channels numbers won't work as it takes a few seconds to get to the viewer selection screen.

However, the diamond button is actively recognised by the Homechoice box when it's on. I reckon pressing the diamond button resets the timeout but it's very hard to say without sitting infront of the TV for a whole day.

If you could set up the successfully tested Homechoice codes with the diamond being pressed before the channel numbers are entered, I think there's a good chance that it would keep the box on and prevent it going into standby.

[BodieCI5]

Gary - is there any chance of giving the 'Homechoice Diamond' a go before the channel numbers being entered??? It would be great to try and solve the timeout issue. Many thanks.

[GarySargent]

I don't have the IR signal for that button.

Why do you think this would solve the problem?

[BodieCI5]

Pressing the 'Diamond' button briefly displays a diamond logo on screen. As this is the button that wakes the box from a snooze, it seems possible that pressing the button while the box is active will reset the timeout.

It's a bit of a longshot but might be worth a try - except that you haven't got the IR code which makes it rather tricky.

[amh15]

Anyone using the new Tiscali "Telsey" boxes with a TiVo? My TiVo's in Cambridge but I'd move it to London if I thought it would work.

Is this thread the latest news - i.e. the box works but has timeout issues?

Cheers

Alan

[ozsat]

There are only a couple of Tiscali TiVo users that I know of - this is the best thread to ask in.