I just replaced my two FIOS TV set top boxes (Motorola/General Instrument) with their newer Fios Quantum boxes (Arris). One is a DVR set top box and the other is a tuner only set top box.
On the back of each of these units is a female 3.5 inch jack labeled SERIAL IR IN.
So I am thinking great, I don't have to glue an IR emitter to the front of the boxes like i did with the old ones. I should now be able to take the IR signal directly out of the repeater and plug it into the set top box and it should work fine. First time I tried it, it was with a two conductor cable with tip and sleeve plugs. No go, it needed to be a three conductor cable with tip, ring, and sleeve. Unfortunately, I found that just the "tuner only" set top box would work this way, the DVR can't be controlled via the serial IR port. I plugged the IR emitter back in to the repeater, stuck it on the front of the box, and it works fine; just not as clean an install as the cable would have been. Also, if a cable is plugged into the serial IR port, then the built IR receiver on the front of the box is disabled.
When I was on the phone with the tech who was provisioning these boxes I asked him about the Serial IR input on the back of the boxes and he had no idea what is was for.
My question is has anyone had any success using the serial IR jack on a Fios Quantum Arris DVR Set Top Box? Maybe I just get a bad box?
Before I ask Frontier for a replacement, I would like to hear from somebody that says this actually works before I ask Frontier to send me a new box.
Thanks in advance.
HA Silver
On the back of each of these units is a female 3.5 inch jack labeled SERIAL IR IN.
So I am thinking great, I don't have to glue an IR emitter to the front of the boxes like i did with the old ones. I should now be able to take the IR signal directly out of the repeater and plug it into the set top box and it should work fine. First time I tried it, it was with a two conductor cable with tip and sleeve plugs. No go, it needed to be a three conductor cable with tip, ring, and sleeve. Unfortunately, I found that just the "tuner only" set top box would work this way, the DVR can't be controlled via the serial IR port. I plugged the IR emitter back in to the repeater, stuck it on the front of the box, and it works fine; just not as clean an install as the cable would have been. Also, if a cable is plugged into the serial IR port, then the built IR receiver on the front of the box is disabled.
When I was on the phone with the tech who was provisioning these boxes I asked him about the Serial IR input on the back of the boxes and he had no idea what is was for.
My question is has anyone had any success using the serial IR jack on a Fios Quantum Arris DVR Set Top Box? Maybe I just get a bad box?
Before I ask Frontier for a replacement, I would like to hear from somebody that says this actually works before I ask Frontier to send me a new box.
Thanks in advance.
HA Silver
