| Updates | |
| 17 Sep 2005 | New firmware revision E adds Sky+ support and support for Telewest PVR. |
| 2 Feb 2005 | Support is included in v0.1.0.6 of Mediaportal. |
| 18 Jan 2005 | Red-Eye serial has been confirmed as working with Sky Italy STBs |
| 2 Sep 2004 | Telewest Scientific Atlanta Explorer 4000/4200DVB users - please see this info |
| 10 Mar 2004 | Driver now available for Linux VDR PVR Project. Updated Snapstream/Beyond TV driver posted - see the Downloads page |
| 14 Dec 2003 | Snapsteam driver now available - see the Downloads page |
Red-Eye serial, a development from the Red-Eye IR translator, allows Pace Digital cable TV and Sky Digital set-top boxes (STBs) to be controlled from an RS232 serial port, to allow use with PC-based home automation and Personal Video Recorder (PVR) applications, as well as high-end home automation systems, including systms from Crestron and AMX.
Red-Eye serial supports all UK models of Pace, Samsung and Scientific Atlanta NTL/Telewest digital cable STBs, Sky and Sky+, as well as the NTL DC221 STB used in Ireland.
Red-Eye serial can be configured to use any of these threee infra-red protocols, and the setting is held in internal nonvolatile memory, so once configured it will always use the same protocol unless explicitly reconfigured. Once configured, the key commands are the same for all modes, so if a cable STB is replaced with a different model, or swapped with a Sky box, everything will work as before once the IR mode has been changed to suit the new receiver.
The default setting when shipped is NTL/Telewest IRDA (Pace 1000,1010,2000,4000, Scientific Atlanta DVB4000/4200 STBs), and a serial command needs to be sent to switch it to NTL RC-5 (Pace 4001,4010, Samsung , telewest PVR STBs), Sky or Sky+ mode. The RedDemo demonstration application (see downloads page) can also be used to configure the STB type setting. The setting is nonvolatile, and only needs to be done once. For quantity orders, units may be ordered with the IR mode setting pre-configured as required.
Red-Eye serial consists of a 9-way 'D' type connector (containing the electronics), 3 metres of cable, and a small Infra-red emitter/red LED assembly which is stuck onto the front of the STB. The emitter is enclosed in clear heat-shrink sleeving for protection, and comes with a double-sided adhesive pad to fix it to the STB window.