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Directv's new HR21 Pro Rcvrs RS-232 Control

ipssheldonipssheldon Posts: 106
in AMX General Discussion
Has anyone worked with the new Directv HR21 Pro receivers and used the DB-9 RS-232 control port? I have one on an upcoming project and am curious if anyone has had any luck with control from an AMX processor. I have heard that Directv has recalled all units and that prior to the recall, there were serious issues with lockups and lack of control.

Just curious if I should expect the same issues or if anyone has these working properly.

Thanks.
Sheldon Samuels
IPS Resources LLC

Comments

  • DHawthorneDHawthorne Posts: 4,584
    I haven't worked with them recently; the last I did was through the USB port. I gave it up as a waste of time. There was virtually no feedback, and even that you had to query for every change. I didn't feel the serial protocol gave you enough over using straight IR to be worth it.
  • TonyAngeloTonyAngelo Posts: 315
    You can get the current channel, that alone makes it worth it for me. Like also like the direct channel entry command.
  • perm182perm182 Posts: 15
    RS232 port piece of junk

    We had tons of freeze up issues on the 21pro RS232 port, we where forced to switch to USB adapter 232. After about 3 commands you get a freeze up and it takes 8 -10 minutes to reboot. Also the receivers tend to go to sleep (directv logo moving around.) There is still audio but the video goes to screen saver randomly. It drives us crazy.. The only way we found around it is to send an exit command every 5 minutes and it solves the issue for now. Theses boxes update and reset almost every day, this is a huge problem in a 24hour casino environment. These boxes are not ready for use in the pro market or any really. We have a test box in our shop and it will go to sleep in the middle of a movie after only 15 minutes. The sleep issue is really random. Right now if they could fix the sleep issue they would work out if you don't need full feedback.
  • Adam GershonAdam Gershon Posts: 23
    Have you seen this "sleep" issue on multiple HR21 Pro units?

    perm182 wrote: »
    We had tons of freeze up issues on the 21pro RS232 port, we where forced to switch to USB adapter 232. After about 3 commands you get a freeze up and it takes 8 -10 minutes to reboot. Also the receivers tend to go to sleep (directv logo moving around.) There is still audio but the video goes to screen saver randomly. It drives us crazy.. The only way we found around it is to send an exit command every 5 minutes and it solves the issue for now. Theses boxes update and reset almost every day, this is a huge problem in a 24hour casino environment. These boxes are not ready for use in the pro market or any really. We have a test box in our shop and it will go to sleep in the middle of a movie after only 15 minutes. The sleep issue is really random. Right now if they could fix the sleep issue they would work out if you don't need full feedback.
  • perm182perm182 Posts: 15
    Sleep Sleep sleep

    We have it with 5 receivers. We got replacements and they still do it. Now when you wake them up you get an instructional page.
  • Chip MoodyChip Moody Posts: 727
    I have a Pro that I haven't touched yet, but word is that the latest software release takes care of the com port lockupts...

    - Chip
  • perm182perm182 Posts: 15
    What about the sleep issues, the Directv logo coming up all the time.
  • Chip MoodyChip Moody Posts: 727
    Okay, so now the "word" is that an October-ish firmware update to address the RS232 lockup is pending...

    No idea about the screen saver.

    - Chip
  • ericmedleyericmedley Posts: 4,177
    I still think that it was the most underwhelming experience of my programming career. For the time/trouble of getting it to work, there's not that much there to make me think IR is, in the end, just fine.

    I hope that DirecTV gets serious about working with integrators some day. It'd be nice.
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