10. Controlling A Cable Or Satellite Box

You now have the software set up and your remote is working fine. The only problem is that you realize that you have digital cable and an analog tuner isn't going to cut it. Once again, if you have a PVR 150 you're not out of luck since it comes with an IR Blaster (a magical device that can be used to change the channel on your cable or satellite TV box).

The PVR 150 and PVR 150 MCE also come with an S-video input that can be connected to your cable box to use it as a capture source. The only downside to this setup is that you can record only one channel at a time, so no dual tuners for you unless you want to spring for a second cable / satellite box.

GB-PVR works out of the box with most IR Blasters once it is programmed to mimic your cable or satellite box remote. (Note that GB-PVR is limited to simply changing the channel on your box.) A short list of known compatible channel changers and their requirements is listed here.

USB-UIRT (image courtesy of usbuirt.com)

My PVR 150 MCE doesn't have an IR blaster, but since I'm stuck in the analog cable Stone Age, I have no use for one. I am considering buying a USB-UIRT (Universal Infrared Receiver Transmitter) and using either a free program called EventGhost or Girder to program other IR signals such as those to control the TV itself. Since I have as yet to try this, I would encourage others to do so with the understanding it might not be easy or even possible with the free software. Girder, however, is known to work.