MCE + analogue cable

["Adam Stevens" <adam@xxxxxxx>]

Morning all,

I've been playing around some more with XP Media Centre, and am just one
step away from getting it working correctly.  Unfortunately, it's appears
t=
o
be quite a large step!

A couple of years ago, I switched over from Telewest cable to Sky Digital.
There were a couple of reasons for this, but the main reason was that TW
Digital use those crazy Pace STBs which use IrDA rather than RC5, meaning
that controlling them using TiVo or another PVR was complex if not
impossible (although I know there is a dongle for TiVo).

I was on the old analogue Telewest system, using a General Instruments
Jerrold Impulse 550 STB.   After switching to Sky, we kept Telewest for a
while, and what with one thing and another, I never got around to
cancellin=
g
the TW Cable (mainly because if you phone TW asking to cancel, invariably
they'll offer you 1/3/6 months free).

I had always assumed that the Impulse box used RC5 rather than IrDA.  I
can't remember quite *why* I thought this, but it might have something to
d=
o
with the fact that I'm pretty sure the Pronto could change channels on the
box.

So, I finally get the MCE remote control and blaster shipped over of the
States, and think to myself "I know, I'll set it up with the old
Telewest
cable to have a play with".  However, I can't get MCE to learn the
Impulse
remote (and it doesn't appear to just "know" about the Impulse
STB either).

I placed a message on one of the MCE newsgroups, and although I didn't have
any positive results, I did see a post from a chap using a Pace 4000 on TW
and getting virtually the same problem as I have.

I know that the Pace 4000 uses IrDA (I believe they *can* also use RC5, but
a recent-ish "upgrade" from TW disabled this).

So, my question is, does anyone know what the Impulse box uses?  I've tried
all the "normal" places (Google etc), but can't find a great deal
of data
about it.  Ideally of course, I'd like someone to say "Yes, it works
just
use this setting" :-)

Otherwise, it's going to have to be a Digital freeview STB for me (any
recommendations?).

TIA,
A.
---
HA Site: http://www.the-firs.org/=20