USB or Serial instead of IR emitters???

[Bighouse]

Is there any way to connect a STB to a S2 or an S3 WITHOUT having to use IR emitters? Sure seems to me like there ought to be a way to plug one unit into the back of another with a USB connector or Serial cable or SOMETHING!!!!

[mick66]

Tivo does have a serial cable for this purpose. However, relatively few cable boxes support it's use.

[Bighouse]

Tivo does have a serial cable for this purpose. However, relatively few cable boxes support it's use.

Is there a list somewhere of what STB's support it?

[mdscott]

1) The S3 does not use IR emmitters -- it does notwork with an STB. OTAS or CableCard only.

2) The best information regarding funtionality and compatibility of STB's can be found in this FAQ which is maintained by ccwf. (http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=128743)

Michael

[classicsat]

That list has the details but:

Some DirecTV receivers have DE9F serial ports or home control (telephone handset connector) serial, which a good deal the TiVo can control
Some might need a TV trasnlator from Patersontech.

The D20 and H20 have a USB port which may connect to a TiVo with a USB TVTranslator form Paterson Tech.

Some Motorola DCT2000s might connect with serial, if they have the DE9 port, proper firmware, and the port enabled by the provider.

All connect to the control port on the TiVo.

Everything else needs an IR blaster.

If you are the hacker type, and you own the STBs, You could directly interface the blaster port from the TiVo to the IR logic on the STB. I have done that myself.

if you know your STB accepts serial commends of some sort, you could make your own TVTranslator type device.