Erratic Response to IR

[MurrayW]

I have several zipperred TiVos (some HR10-250's and several series 2 SD units running 6.2 software). Lately one of the SD DirecTiVo's has been having problems responding to the IR signals from the remote. Sometimes it just ignores the signals and then sometimes it will ignore them for a minute then start responding to 10 or more button presses that were made while waiting for it to respond. Occaisionally it will reboot when in this condition.

When it is non-responsive to the remote, you can still access it over the network using TiVoWeb or transfer shows off of it to another DirecTiVo.

Anyone else ever experience problems like this or have any ideas on what I should try?
thanks,
Murray

[BTUx9]

when it's erratic, check "top" at a bash prompt, and see if the tivo is doing busywork

[JWThiers]

Probably won't help but it can't hurt and its cheap, New Batteries? Its the first thing I try with remote weirdness.

[MurrayW]

Probably won't help but it can't hurt and its cheap, New Batteries? Its the first thing I try with remote weirdness.Batteries are fine...I use the same remote on my other TiVo in the same cabinet (using the DVR1-2 switch) and it works fine. I also have a slingbox hooked up to the problem DirecTiVo and I get the same IR problems with it. Tonight it did not respond to a single IR signal. If I use the buttons on the front of the DirecTiVo I can move around the menus, watch live TV, etc. with no problems, so it definitely looks like there is a probelm with my IR circuit. Guess it is time to retire this DiecTiVo and replace it with another one that I have been using as a MRV only unit. It sure is nice that it is hacked and I can get to all the content that has been recorded on it. :)

Thanks for the responses.

Murray

[JWThiers]

IIRC the IR port is on a separate board and can be replaced with minimal hassle. You might want to take a look and see how feasible replacing the sensor/board.

[supersteve]

This doesn't by chance happen when you are unsuccessful in transferring shows to your tivo via tivoserver does it?

If I am transferring a show and tivoserver gives me an unsupported codec error, I get this exact behavior from my zippered series2 dtivo. I press the 30 sec skip button and I hear the sound but no action. Then, about 10 - 20 secs later, the skip occurs. I can then skip at will but the same thing happens at the next commercial break. The only resolve I have come up with is rebooting the Tivo.

Hope this helps or at least adds some insight into this issue.

steve

[MurrayW]

This doesn't by chance happen when you are unsuccessful in transferring shows to your tivo via tivoserver does it?

If I am transferring a show and tivoserver gives me an unsupported codec error, I get this exact behavior from my zippered series2 dtivo. I press the 30 sec skip button and I hear the sound but no action. Then, about 10 - 20 secs later, the skip occurs. I can then skip at will but the same thing happens at the next commercial break. The only resolve I have come up with is rebooting the Tivo.

Hope this helps or at least adds some insight into this issue.

steveNo, it is not related to transferring shows. Here is some more information from my observations this weekend.


I tried sending it remote control codes from my TiVo Remote 2 setting and got nothing.
My other TiVo that is in the same location uses the Remote 1 setting, so I watched TiVo #2 when I was sending Remote 1 codes and TiVo 2 was responding to Remot 1 codes.
I thought at first that someone had accidentally changed the setting in the system menu and that my problem when it stopped responding entirely was due to the wrong setting :o
I set it back to 2 and sent a few commands and they all worked as they should. After the 4th or 5th command, the TiVo rebooted.
After it finished booting back up, it responded properly to Remote 2 for a little while.
I left TiVo 2 on LiveTV and switched to TiVo 1 and moved through a few channels using the Remote 1 setting.
When I went back to TiVo 2, it was no longer responding to the Remote 2 setting, but did respond to remote 1.
I set it back to Remote 2 and it worked fine for a while until it rebooted.

So I am not really sure what is going on. These random reboots and the Remote code changing have me stumped.

Murray

[73cuda]

I've done quite a bit with IR including building wired repeater circuits that worked through out my last house for years and I've got a couple ideas, what about setting the tivo you're having trouble with to 1 and the other tivo that's working good to 2 ?

And do you have any sort of IR repeater such as a pyramid or leapfrog near the tivo ? I had a similar (not exact same) problem recently when I had a leapfrog transmitter in the bedroom to control another tivo in the den and it affected the tivo in the bedroom, when I covered the leapfrog the problem ended. Pyramids don't seem to do this, evidently the leapfrog transmitter not only sends the RF signal out to the leapfrog receiver but also repeats the IR locally, I've not checked this with a digital camera yet though.

And are the tivos stacked together or are there any sources that might cause any sort of interference ? You might try moving the problem tivo a little further away from where it is now.

Just a few thoughts, hope it helps.

[MurrayW]

I've done quite a bit with IR including building wired repeater circuits that worked through out my last house for years and I've got a couple ideas, what about setting the tivo you're having trouble with to 1 and the other tivo that's working good to 2 ?

And do you have any sort of IR repeater such as a pyramid or leapfrog near the tivo ? I had a similar (not exact same) problem recently when I had a leapfrog transmitter in the bedroom to control another tivo in the den and it affected the tivo in the bedroom, when I covered the leapfrog the problem ended. Pyramids don't seem to do this, evidently the leapfrog transmitter not only sends the RF signal out to the leapfrog receiver but also repeats the IR locally, I've not checked this with a digital camera yet though.

And are the tivos stacked together or are there any sources that might cause any sort of interference ? You might try moving the problem tivo a little further away from where it is now.

Just a few thoughts, hope it helps.
I might try swapping the remote codes between the 2 when I get some time. I have some macros in my automation software that sets TV inputs and receiver settings that are tied to the remote 1 and 2 right now, so I would need a little time to change everything.

My 2 TiVo's are in an equipment closet on the other side of the wall from my TV room. I have a USB-UIRT attached to my TV on the viewing side of the wall with an emitter cable going through the wall connected to a Xantech connecting block and then IR emitters from the Xantech block attached to each of the TiVos. Each IR window is covered with black tape so only the signals from the attached emitters are received. The two TiVo's are not stacked on top of each other but they are on the same shelf, separated by about 8 to 10 inches.

Thanks for the ideas.

Murray

[73cuda]

Yeah, I had HA and touch screens controlling my A/V setup in the last house too, it was great.

Only other thing I can think of right now is, have you tried another remote ? Maybe the remote when set on 2 is the problem but I don't know why that would cause several commands to execute all at once.

Can't hurt to try another remote, or activate a macro on your HA that activates the tivo in question and see if it responds correctly.

"Just thinking"

[willardcpa]

Following 73cuda's "Just thinking" approach. What are the remote addresses under system information for "remote 1" and remote 2"? If one of them were "0" that would cause problems similar to what you are having.

[MurrayW]

Following 73cuda's "Just thinking" approach. What are the remote addresses under system information for "remote 1" and remote 2"? If one of them were "0" that would cause problems similar to what you are having.The remote addresses are either 1 or 2 corresponding to the remote address that is controlling it at the time. It never has been 0. With the frequent reboots, I think that something is dying (I'll check the hard drives when I decomission it) and the IR weirdness is just a symptom of something else going on.
thanks,
Murray