Mythtv and Bell Expressvu for condos-vdsl channel tuning

[Teddy David Mills]

As some of you know I been having some channel tuning problems.
Because the Mythtv and Hauppage themselves alone cannot change the 
channels on some set-top cable boxes.
(Motorola may refer to it as DCT2500, or very similar)
The RG-2400V DCT2500 seems to be relatively common.
The RG-2400V that Bell provides seems to require an IRblaster

Until I can find an IR blaster that will work for the RG-2400V/Hauppage 
PVR-250,
I seem to have found something that seems to work.

What is it?
The AUTOTUNE capabilities of the Bell ExpressVu for Condos.
The autotune works because it is the RG2400V cable box that has been 
programmed to change the channel,
and it does automatically changes the channel 2 minutes before an 
AUTOTUNE SCHEDULE is due to start.
And since MythTV is always on channel 13, then it works!
I still cannot use "Program Guide" of course.

---------------------------------------
I have to MANUALLY SCHEDULE the mythtv default's "channel 13" at day X, 
time Y, for Z minutes  to match the AUTOTUNE schedule.
(either a one-time or re-occurring recording)
---------------------------------------

The nice part of this, is I believe the AUTOTUNE will work on each of 
the 3 TV stations that VDSL uses.
In this case channels 3,8 and 13. In other words I believe I could built 
3 Mythtv box's and use AUTOTUNE
to record 3 programs at once.

I am not sure if other VDSL/cable set-box's have AUTOTUNE or the 
equivalent built into their systems,
but it would be a good bet that they do.

Now, I just schedule MythTV to match the AUTOTUNE summary page.
AUTOTUNE can do a one time or based on a schedule. (Just make sure you 
AUTOTUNE only only programs in the future.
If you do it for the current time slot, autotune is greyed out.

I will still get an IR-blaster for the RG-2400V, but only when I find 
one that will work.
I was told today at the KnoppMyth event that the "us-cable" setting 
works for Rogers cable. Must be nice :)

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