[ttiiggy]

I have four Pace-DC551P Cable boxes installed in one location. These cable boxes were supplied to me by TimeWarnerCable, if that matters. Each individual cable box is feeding one TV. Whenever I push a button on the remote controller to control any one of the cable boxes, they ALL may respond. I need to find a solution to be able to individually control one cable box at a time.


It is NOT going to be easy to physically separate the cable boxes from each other. Presently, the cable boxes are stacked in one location in the ceiling 16 feet above the floor. Anytime I have to change channels or even turn the power back on to the cable boxes, I have to get the big ladder out. Even if I install the cable boxes down by the floor, they still would 'pretty much' have to be installed in one cabinet and would all still see and respong to the signal from the one remote controller.


It would be fine if there was a way to program a '#1' remote to control a '#1' cable box and program a '#2' remote to control a '#2' cable box... I don't think the cable boxes or the remote controllers are capable of this level of programming.


It would be fine if I could find a wired InfraRed Receiver for each box that would plug in to the IR Receive port that is in the back of each cable box. A wired IR Receiver 'eye' for each cable box would be easy enough to physically separate so that IR signal from the remote controller would only go to one cable box at a time. I have not been able to find anything that appears like it would work. The IR receiver 'eyes' that I have been able to find seem to be an input that is supposed to go into an amplifier/hot powererd device and get directed to multiple devices. Would one of these IR receiver devices plug in 'cold' and get IR signal to the cable box?


Most of the wired 'solutions' that I have been able to find seem to be directed towards using a remote controller to control multiple devices that probably have discrete control codes. I don't WANT to combine signals. Each of these four boxes use the exact same signal codes. I need to KEEP the signals separate. I need to have only one cable box at a time to receive the signal from the remote controller.


I have even gotten to the point of considering installing a switch to each of the cable boxes so that I could turn off the power to all three other cable boxes while I am changing settings/channels on one cable box.


Anybody have any easy & cheap solutions? Anybody have any wild, convoluted & expensive fixes?

 

[stickyfingers]

I'm a bit confused as to how you're *currently* controlling all the boxes, but if they have IR control jacks on the back, this seems like it would work fine (which what I use to control my equipment).

 

[ttiiggy]



Quote:
Originally Posted by stickyfingers /forum/post/0


I'm a bit confused as to how you're *currently* controlling all the boxes

Currently, I am just getting up on the ladder and getting up there close enough to the boxes so that I can make sure that only one cable box gets signal from the IR Remote control. Each cable box does have the IR Receive port in the back. Will it work to plug in a Xantech 291-80 directly into the IR port of the cable box? or do I have to have a connecting block and power supply included? Does the jack on the cable box supply the necessary power?

 

[stickyfingers]



Quote:
Originally Posted by ttiiggy /forum/post/0


Currently, I am just getting up on the ladder and getting up there close enough to the boxes so that I can make sure that only one cable box gets signal from the IR Remote control. Each cable box does have the IR Receive port in the back. Will it work to plug in a Xantech 291-80 directly into the IR port of the cable box? or do I have to have a connecting block and power supply included? Does the jack on the cable box supply the necessary power?

The 291-80 *is* the connecting block (though you do have to buy the PS separately).


Obviously, I've not used your specific cable boxes, but I'd suspect you should be able to plug directly from the IR ports on the connecting block into the IR ports on the cable boxes.


Of course, this presumes you have some manner of providing the connecting block with the IR signals.


I suppose, worst case scenario, you could run IR receivers down from your cabinet and locate them in four discrete-enough locations so that there's no signal cross-over between receivers - and do away with that ladder.

 

[ttiiggy]



Quote:
Originally Posted by stickyfingers /forum/post/0


The 291-80 *is* the connecting block (though you do have to buy the PS separately).


Obviously, I've not used your specific cable boxes, but I'd suspect you should be able to plug directly from the IR ports on the connecting block into the IR ports on the cable boxes.


Of course, this presumes you have some manner of providing the connecting block with the IR signals.


I suppose, worst case scenario, you could run IR receivers down from your cabinet and locate them in four discrete-enough locations so that there's no signal cross-over between receivers - and do away with that ladder.

Getting rid of the ladder is VERY necessary.

Their numbering system leaves me with something to be desired.


I think it is the Xantech 291-10 that is the IR Receiver. I am hoping I can get FOUR of them and plug one into each Cable Box. Then I could mount all of the Xantech 291-10 Signal receivers closer to where they are accessible so that I can be sure to get the IR Remote Controller signal to one box at a time. I am just not sure if the Xantech 291-10 receivers will work without having to plug each one into a connecting block with a power supply. I am trying to find out if the Xantech 291-10 will plug DIRECTLY into the Cable Box WITHOUT a connecting block? I might even get away with getting only one Xantech 291-10 receiver and put in a switch to control which ONE Cable box it is currently connected to.

 

[CyberGawd]

If I understand you correctly, it sounds like you need an IR router so that you can select which box you want to control while not sending the "signal" to the other boxes, is this correct?

 

[golovemd]

You could go with a Universal MX-850 coupled with a MRF-300. In the setup, you can assign a specific emitter to whichever box you want. So when you select cable box #1, it will only send a signal to say emitter #1. When you select Cable Box #2, it will send a code to emitter #2 and so on. It may be a pricey path to take though. Just wanted to throw out another option for you. By the way, this is a RF based system.

 

[ttiiggy]

I ended up getting a XANTECH 291-KIT. Includes 291-00 infrared receiver, 789-44 connecting block, 781RG power supply, 4 - 283M infrared emitters.


I mounted a 4 position switch in a box and wired an input from one of the output ports of the connectiong block and an output pigtail for each emitter to plug into. That works fine for what I need for now.



I tried plugging the XANTECH Infrared Receiver directly into the Input port on the back of the cable box. No Response.

I tried plugging a wire directly from the connecting block into the Input port on the back of the cable box. No Response.

I am just going to use the emitters. I can't seem to find any info on what sort of device is supposed to supply signal to the Input port on the back of the cable box.