Robert, the fact that you have got some response to learnt buttons proves that your NTL box uses conventional IR (You`ve most likely got the 4001 box) so I wouldnt worry.If you had the Cable & Wireless box you would not get ANY response from it as it uses IRDA.

Following on from using TiVO to control the Pace Digital Box:

As a followup to a reply on www.avsforum.com tivo Uk forum, Tivo_Ted (tivo employees) posted:


You are correct that it is an IrDa format that the Pace digital cable box uses. The protocol is proprietary. We are working with the company that owns this protocol to license it from them, and we are determining whether we can emulate it via the on-board microcontroller. If not, we will have to use an external adapter. Once we have something that is ready to test, I will let you know. In the meantime, I think you might be out of luck, unless the box has the ability to accept an RC5 or RC6 code (try under Philips).

Looks like that won't be the solution for a year or so. In the meantime, I've gone back to analogue, gaining control of everything from the RC5000 and the TiVO controlling the cable box - it's quite cool, when you press the channel up, it sends the full channel number - i.e. you are on 05, it sends 0,6 to the cable box. It succesfully recorded a few programmes for me last night. Sure beats having to set the cable box to switch for the video!

Good luck, people - I'll monitor the thread to see if anyone has any success with the Pronto/Pace/TiVO combinations.

I don't hold out hope if TiVO are unable to emulate the codes - they'll be pouring a lot of money into it.... having said that, the man in the street quite often comes up trumps!

Let's not let this one die. After all, if we find a solution then the Pronto can once again claim to be a one box solution, and we can all use those channel icons we've been dieing to add.

From a quick review of the thread, it appears that the use of an external adapter has been mentioned but not investogated or a report made to rule it out...

"I'm hunting for an IR extender solution." and "How about operating the box if it's in a cabinet. Do you need to use an NTL kit or can I connect it through my existing IR Remote Eye connection being used with other components at the moment? Also, is it definitely the case that this direct connection still has the IrDa problems associated with it?"

I've tried a simple external extender and obviously you still require an IrDa remote (not the pronto) and the one I tried couldn't receive IrDa any way.

Can anyone explain how the connection on the back works and what it does and does not do?

Could a remote eye put signals into the cable box, through the socket on the back, from a non IrDa source (i.e. a Pronto)that gives the same instructions as the IrDa remote does to the detector on the front?

I have just found this thread and read through it as I have been considering Digital Cable (my landlord won't let me install a dish).

Unfortunately I am in an Ex Cable&Clueless area. I have found that the NTL merger has just confused the entire company! The askNTL website is wholly misleading and many telephone staff do not have any idea about the technology they are allegedly selling and supporting.

I guess I'll just have to dream of moving somewhere where I can install a dish!

Dom

Just found this thread and as a frustrated Telewest / Pace user found it very interesting.

My only thought is this.....

How difficult would it be to make a simple box that accepted normal IR codes, translated them and output irda? Surely the bits needed are real cheap. And there needs to be no flexibility in the translation - that can all be done in the pronto. The box just needs to be able to output all of the required irda codes, and the pronto can send (using "normal" ir) whatever is required to trigger the box to send the specific irda code.

I know a number of techies who would love to knock this sort of heath-robinson device together, and it sounds like there might even be a small market for it.

Can't imagine this would cost more than a few quid. (and an enthusiasts time!)

What do you think?

Mark.

Can I suggest [Link: media.mit.edu] . I don't have the time to develop this but it looks like a good starting point.
Regards,
Graham M Stuart (telewest digital/pronto user)

Check out the following link... [Link: remotecentral.com]

G.R.

Well, that is a Grim view!

It is possible to make a converter, using a Velleman 15 channel IR Receiver Ive also uploaded a set of IR codes for the Velleman recently - (See files section)

See below cut/pasted from my reply on 08/17/00
(17/8/00)(Page 2 of this thread)

Ive been working on an idea which, in electronic terms is crude but would work as a "converter" for the Pace
IRDA problem.It uses a 15 Channel IR receiver with reed
relays on the output, connected to a spare Pace Remote
circuit board. The Pronto sends out conventional IR codes to the receiver and the Pace remote sends out the IRDA codes
Well I said it was crude!

Someone techie go to

[Link: slashdot.org]

and see if they can make some sense.. There looks to be some promising leads here. It looks like you could theoretically use a laptop PC with an IrDA port to receive and send IR..?

Obviously that's a very expensive solution, but surely a laptop could at least be able to "learn" the IrDA commands coming from the Pace remote so as to aid this process?

Unfortunately my problem is that I'm not a whizz in electronics, damn!

Teresa,

Could you move to another country?

PLEASE?

If you move to the US, yoy won't have to read words like whilst or techie anymore. Please, come here. I'll sponser you, and to hell with Pace!

yoy? I meant you.

Yoy to the world....

...and Pace to all men?

For what it's worth, I just got an e-mail fron somewhere, and it said anyone answering this thread ever again will be poxxed. I don't know, but I would be weary. What is a pox? Is it bad? Whilst I'm not a techie, it seems to me it would be bad. Listen to me! Teresa has all the information she needs! Please, no more!