# 0x452 & Whole Home External Devices ?



## thekochs (Oct 7, 2006)

Just saw my HR23-700s now are upgraded to 0x452. Snooping around the Menu I see under Whole Home a "External Devices" section. What is this ? What/How can I use ? I apologize but I've been so busy at work that have not been on Forum for awhile and was hoping for quick FYI.

Any other cool/new features for 0x452 ? 

Thx !!!!


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## hdtvfan0001 (Jul 28, 2004)

The pushout is just starting to rollout the past few days on this new release, and for a number of models.

There is alot of discussion in other threads about them, including the speed, stability, search tweaks, and a few "under the hood" things cited.

Here's just one of those threads...

http://www.dbstalk.com/showthread.php?p=2658652#post2658652


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## RunnerFL (Jan 5, 2006)

To actually answer your question... The External Devices section in Whole Home now is for you to allow a new feature called IP Control. You can now control your DVR via commands sent via IP. It's not as glamourous as it seems really. Basically you can see what is being watched on your DVR, what's in your playlist, issue key presses without having to use the remote and a few other little things. You can't use it to schedule recordings, modify your ToDo List, etc.

I'm sure the Mods will post more documentation shortly.


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## jdspencer (Nov 8, 2003)

That sounds like an interesting concept.


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## The Merg (Jun 24, 2007)

RunnerFL said:


> You can't use it to schedule recordings, modify your ToDo List, etc.


Yet... Who knows what possibilities it will allow...

- Merg


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## RunnerFL (Jan 5, 2006)

The Merg said:


> Yet... Who knows what possibilities it will allow...
> 
> - Merg


Very true, but I'm not holding my breath.


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## jdspencer (Nov 8, 2003)

There are three options under External Devices.
Each can be set to Block or Allow.
These options are:
External Access
Current Program
Recordings

I guess time will tell what these do.


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## hdtvfan0001 (Jul 28, 2004)

RunnerFL said:


> Very true, but I'm not holding my breath.


I'd anticipate that early next year we'll see some actual purpose behind these IP configuration additions. As others have stated....there are alot of possibilities what might be done with all this, and there's plenty of speculation in other threads about it.


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## Chip Moody (Aug 1, 2007)

These define what other devices on your network can "ask" a given STB for. External Access - if I'm not mistaken - allows for remote control-type calls to be executed. Current Program allows a network device to ask this box "what are you watching right now?". Likewise for Recordings - when that's turned on, the playlist on a DVR can be queried over the network.

- Chip



jdspencer said:


> There are three options under External Devices.
> Each can be set to Block or Allow.
> These options are:
> External Access
> ...


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## RunnerFL (Jan 5, 2006)

jdspencer said:


> There are three options under External Devices.
> Each can be set to Block or Allow.
> These options are:
> External Access
> ...


I already posted about what they do above.


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## RunnerFL (Jan 5, 2006)

hdtvfan0001 said:


> I'd anticipate that early next year we'll see some actual purpose behind these IP configuration additions. As others have stated....there are alot of possibilities what might be done with all this, and there's plenty of speculation in other threads about it.


Oh there are tons of possibilities sure, but I don't think we'll see them because I don't think IP Control was developed for us. It was developed for systems integrators and designers, not your everyday end user.


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## hdtvfan0001 (Jul 28, 2004)

RunnerFL said:


> Oh there are tons of possibilities sure, but I don't think we'll see them because I don't think IP Control was developed for us. It was developed for systems integrators and designers, not your everyday end user.


That's probably true....that's OK...let them do the neat and hard work...then we get more capabilities. Works for me.


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## jdspencer (Nov 8, 2003)

Wouldn't it be nice if you could use the browser of your choice and log into the DVR using it's IP address. There could be a nice html based interface for whatever. But, then this could stress an already overworked processor.


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## Chip Moody (Aug 1, 2007)

Yes, and good point. The interface is there now for an external processor to get data from your DVR, then >that< processor gets to do the work of arranging & presenting the information to you.  Now it's just up to 3rd parties to develop these apps. (Or wait for Copilot, which while not browser-based, might do what you're looking for)

- Chip



jdspencer said:


> Wouldn't it be nice if you could use the browser of your choice and log into the DVR using it's IP address. There could be a nice html based interface for whatever. But, then this could stress an already overworked processor.


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## RunnerFL (Jan 5, 2006)

jdspencer said:


> Wouldn't it be nice if you could use the browser of your choice and log into the DVR using it's IP address. There could be a nice html based interface for whatever. But, then this could stress an already overworked processor.


You mean something like this?


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## jdspencer (Nov 8, 2003)

That's a start.


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## RunnerFL (Jan 5, 2006)

jdspencer said:


> That's a start.


Yeah, and that's all IP Control can do, for now. In fact the description I can't even get from IP Control, I get that from Tribune's data.

Oh, and some things you can't tell just from the image. If I click on the remote control icon I get an on screen remote control I can use, and if I click on the movie slate icon I get the playlist for that DVR.

I'll be adding a quicktune type screen soon. Hopefully by then we'll have more functions in IP Control and I can expand further.


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## waltz49 (Nov 19, 2010)

Sounds similar to my remote from a web browser or mobile phone. (there are some old screen shots there)
http://www.dbstalk.com/showthread.php?t=186693

Since I'm using just AJAX at the moment, I can't fetch the JSON that contains current program, recorded lists, version info, etc but the possibilities there are interesting.

By the way, I just installed 452 about 10 minutes ago. The IP control has been in these DVRs for a long time and are not new with 452. However, 452 does seem to be _significantly_ slower at processing IP commands than previous firmware and they did block the default screen at port 8080 which used to have some instructions on using IP control.

*Edit:* Sorry to bump an old thread, but I wanted to correct an error on my part... The default page at port 8080 does get a 403 (authenticatin error), but the http//:xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx/info/getOptions screen returns a json file with much more info than the original screen did... I rushed to hasty judgement (which some may have noticed I am, I'm sorry to say, prone to do when I'm up 'til 4am). Sorry


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