# USB ports on R15-500



## Belinrahs (Aug 25, 2008)

This may be a noobish question, but here goes:

On the front (behind a cover) and in the back among the other cables, there's USB ports. According to the manual for my receiver, they are for undetermined future use, but does anyone have ANY idea what they're for?

I have a USB fan and a USB coffee warmer. They work with it =D

Any ideas?


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## Tom Robertson (Nov 15, 2005)

It's for the USB backlight option that hasn't been released yet. 

Cheers,
Tom


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## Belinrahs (Aug 25, 2008)

USB backlight option? Care to explain exactly what that is, please? Thanks


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## Tom Robertson (Nov 15, 2005)

Belinrahs said:


> USB backlight option? Care to explain exactly what that is, please? Thanks


A bad joke.


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## Belinrahs (Aug 25, 2008)

So um...what actually is it for? I mean, jokes are nice but I actually wondered


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## Tom Robertson (Nov 15, 2005)

Belinrahs said:


> So um...what actually is it for? I mean, jokes are nice but I actually wondered


Potential future expansion or features. At this point, your guesses are better than my joke(s). 

I think they are there in case they think of a use and because it wasn't too expensive to have them. (The base chips support USB, so all they didn't have to add much to create the ports.)

People have hoped external disk drives, network ports, keyboards, memory sticks, etc. might all find some usability.

There is one feature that is supported today, sorry I forgot about this. A USB serial device can be connected so the R15s can be controlled by an RS-232 control system, like Crestron.

Cheers,
Tom


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## ThomasM (Jul 20, 2007)

Belinrahs said:


> So um...what actually is it for? I mean, jokes are nice but I actually wondered


The USB port can be used to do some amazing things if you are really nosy. Complete specs and details are contained in the publication:

DIRECTV Set-Top Box Information for the Installer

It's supposedly proprietary but *I* found it out there on the web (and I'm not an installer except for my own DirecTV installation). 

If you want a PDF copy of it, send me a PM with your email address.


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## Tom Robertson (Nov 15, 2005)

The links have been posted before at DBStalk.com.


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