digital cable box question

[g1zzmo]

I see that there is serial cables for direct tv but havent seen much info on digital cable boxes, I have a Motorola DCT 2224 digital cable box and i noticed it has a serial port in the back, has anyone found a way of getting this to work with PVS , is there a custom driver written out there?

would be wicked sweet to use the box directly instead of with one of those IR things....

Thanks in advance for the info....

[artofwar427]

Yes this is very important since about 95% of all digital cable companies use this box I think it would be a very wise decision to support this!!!

[Tuck]

Originally posted by artofwar427
Yes this is very important since about 95% of all digital cable companies use this box I think it would be a very wise decision to support this!!!

I think that your 95% estimate is unrealistic, considering that this is one of only two threads in which the string "2224" shows up...

To address the question, the serial tuning apparatus is used by some people, but I've heard nothing of your specific model; In fact, I came here to help someone with a problem with his IRBlaster setup on the same box. More often, the IRBlaster is used because it facilitates the use of a remote control with 3.0's full screen interface, and leaves your data port open for other uses (PPV perhaps, I don't have any experience with tuner boxes).

I do not know the status of the DSS.DLL, which controls interface with tuner boxes. It is clearly in need of widespread updates, but you must understand that while the IRBlaster is a (nearly!) universal solution considering that it uses remote control codes that the user can (re)program, the serial - to - low speed data port solution is less popular because the data port "language" on each and every tuner box is different, necessitating constant, eternal updates to the DSS.DLL based on information that is very difficult to obtain.

[CO_Coding_Cub]

Hey Tuck, I understand your view on this matter, but I must say that I do believe 95% is a good estimate. All the Digital Cablers out there might not be using that exact model, but every one of my friends and relatives across the country that have digicable are running a Motorola box. We recently got a new box that has the serial, our former box didn't. I think the reason not many posts crop up for these boxes is simply that they're a pain in the arse. I'm buying an ATi All in Wonder so that I won't have to deal with our box for recording. I have an IRblaster and, well frankly the remote that comes with the box doesn't work too well half the time...the blaster's worse. Also, considering you only need the box for the digital channels (everything below 100 is analog) it's a whole lot easier to use a PC-based tuner. I decided that loosing my one digital recording (Daria on channel 120) was worth the expense just to rid myself of the cable box problem.

Anywho, it would be nice to have serial tuning, but I don't even know if it's possible with these boxes.