Infra Red Distribution

I'll just say this : if you do it cheap and half assed, it'll only kinda work and your wife will hate it. She will not let you be able to do any more little projects like this.

If you spend money and time on it to find a real solution, she'll think you kick ass and probably let you spend more money on future toys.
 
theacoustician said:
Why not build a HTPC and centralize your recoding, kind of like an ingestion room in a broadcast facility. You could run the signal out of the HTPC over whatever signal you want and split it out to every TV. The HTPC input on each TV could be "input 2" or whatever. You could control the HTPC with a tablet PC or even a PocketPC. Just run upstairs, switch the video input to the HTPC line, and dial up whatever using a PocketPC over 802.11.

At least you'd be getting closer to a good solution rather than trying to ghetto up your house with some frankenstein rig.
There would be nothing ghetto about a box mounted IR port or a small IR receiver plugged into a cat5/coax jack in a box. The tivo itself will be stored in an in wall cabinet either way, and it will be controlled from the main tv via an IR blaster anyway.

The HTPC solutione would be somewhat costly, plus I've had little luck in controlling my directv boxes via serial controls from the PC. Also, I like the idea of an all digital recording, thus the directivo over a standard tivo box.
 
theacoustician said:
I'll just say this : if you do it cheap and half assed, it'll only kinda work and your wife will hate it. She will not let you be able to do any more little projects like this.

If you spend money and time on it to find a real solution, she'll think you kick ass and probably let you spend more money on future toys.
Hence why I'm doing it via IR and not the HTPC route. Chances are the HTPC would be more complicated and take more time to learn. I want her to be able to point the remote at it and make it do what she wants.
 
theacoustician said:
I'll just say this : if you do it cheap and half assed, it'll only kinda work and your wife will hate it. She will not let you be able to do any more little projects like this.

If you spend money and time on it to find a real solution, she'll think you kick ass and probably let you spend more money on future toys.

You sound like you're speaking from experience? :fly:
 
Pancake Wagon said:
Hence why I'm doing it via IR and not the HTPC route. Chances are the HTPC would be more complicated and take more time to learn. I want her to be able to point the remote at it and make it do what she wants.
IR is the bottom of the barrel in terms of control. Its very unreliable over 10ft away. I would suggest anything other than using IR. IR repeaters around the house will pick up any and all IR thrown at it, amp it up, and rebroadcast it. This includes light coming in from outside, fluorecent lights, other remotes, etc. Have fun figuring out why your TiVo randomly turns on and off or some other crazy shit. Tracing down IR leak is a complete bitch. I know from first hand experience. Stay away.
 
theacoustician said:
IR is the bottom of the barrel in terms of control. Its very unreliable over 10ft away. I would suggest anything other than using IR. IR repeaters around the house will pick up any and all IR thrown at it, amp it up, and rebroadcast it. This includes light coming in from outside, fluorecent lights, other remotes, etc. Have fun figuring out why your TiVo randomly turns on and off or some other crazy shit. Tracing down IR leak is a complete bitch. I know from first hand experience. Stay away.
How the hell else are you going to control a device with a remote?