Controlling DirecTV H20 with Series2 TIVO

1401 Views 7 Replies 4 Participants Last post by 4DThinker, Jul 11, 2007

4DThinker

Discussion Starter · Jul 9, 2007

I can get my TIVO to change channels of the H20 using the IR wand. What I need the TIVO to do is turn the H20 ON to record and OFF when it is done. Both devices are in a guest bedroom that is rarely used except to watch TIVO recorded nightime shows during the following day. I don't want to leave the H20 on all the time.

I'd also like to know if anyone has figured out how to control the H20 using a USB/serial cable. If so, how?

Thanks

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vikecowboy

· #2 · Jul 9, 2007

Good Question. I have been wondering if my Sony 3000 can control the Directv H20 as well. I don't think you can control it via a serial cable but am not 100% sure. Hopefully someone knows for sure.

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JimSpence

· #3 · Jul 10, 2007

Sorry, that functionality is lacking in TiVos.

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4DThinker

Discussion Starter · #4 · Jul 10, 2007

What bothers me is that the TIVO could control my old SONY A4 DirecTV receiver via serial and could turn it ON if it wasn't on when a recording was scheduled.

I realize that USB control is out. I'm still trying to find out if there is any way or hack to give it more control of the H20 than just number entering.

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4DThinker

Discussion Starter · #5 · Jul 10, 2007

OK, I did some digging. The DirecTV H20 now has RS232 enabled on it's USB port. Some companies make transcoder cables 9-pin to USB for using TIVOs with DirecTV receivers. Apparently a simple cable won't work, as the data rate on the H20 is high speed and the TIVO is low speed.

Go to patersontech_dot_com

then /products/usbtvtranslator.aspx

What I have not found is anyone saying specifically that with a certain transcoder cable a direcTV H20 can be controlled by a TIVO series 2.

Still looking.

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Stanley Rohner

· #6 · Jul 10, 2007

It would be a whole lot easier to just get a DIRECTV HR20 HD DVR.

If you give DIRECTV a call they'll swap the H20 for the HR20 HD DVR for free.

You can sell the TiVo on EBAY.

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4DThinker

Discussion Starter · #7 · Jul 10, 2007

Thanks, Stanley. Yes, new technology is always better than old technology. In my case, though, this H20 and the TIVO are byproducts from having been replaced by an HR20. They are free. I already own them. Both work fine. Great for a guest bedroom and an older CRT HDTV. I've got two HR20s, in the main rooms I watch TV in.

The room this TIVO and H20 are in is a basement room with no easy way to run new cables to. The single existing cable is RG59. HR20s do better wth two sat feeds, and prefer RG6. It was easy to run new cables to them. It is not easy (may even be impossible) to run new cables to the H20/TIVO location.

This thread is all about the potential. The TIVO got demoted from the master bedroom because it's IR control of the H20 was not reliable. My wife would get very irritated when the TIVO would record the wrong channel or an hour of black because it had failed to change the H20's channel correctly.

I've got the summer off (as a college professor) and a desire to make the TIVO work better with an H20. The TIVO has great features that the HR20s don't have. It will be very satisfying to get it working, and I suspect many others will benefit from the information.

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4DThinker

Discussion Starter · #8 · Jul 11, 2007

I'll ask again... Does anyone know of anyone using their TIVO serial port to control a newer direcTV receiver with USB RS232?

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