RTV Remote Commander


    RTV Remote Commander (RTVrc) provides a web-based remote control for ReplayTV® digital video recorders.  With RTVrc running on a computer with broadband Internet access, you can log in from any computer with a net connection and schedule/modify recordings on your DVR.

What you need to support RTVrc

RTVrc Features

Obtaining RTVrc

Installation

    There is no installer for RTVrc.  Just extract the .zip file to a convenient location on your hard drive.

Running RTVrc

    First, edit the rtvrc.cfg file located in the RTVrc directory with a text editor.  Read the README.txt file for details about the specific settings in the configuration file.  Next, edit replays.txt and put in a name and IP address, separated by a comma, for each RTV you want to control.  RTVrc runs in a command prompt/terminal window, there is no GUI.  To start RTVrc, start a terminal or command window, cd to the directory containing RTVrc, and run "java RTVrc" (case counts!)  Windows 2000/XP users can also try double-clicking the "start.bat" file located in the RTVrc directory.  If the batch file fails to run, try the command line version.  To stop RTVrc, press ctrl-c on the keyboard.

    After RTVrc is running, bring up a web browser.  Go to http://127.0.0.1:1234/ (replace 1234 with the port you chose in the rtvrc.cfg file.)  You should be asked to log in, after doing so you can choose which Replay to control.  Depending on how busy the Replay is, the screenshot may take up to 30 seconds to appear.  Don't try to update the screenshot without waiting for the previous update to finish - doing so has the potential to lock up the Replay web server and will require a soft boot (hold power button 10 seconds) to work again.

    If you can connect, log in, and control the Replay with the above IP address, you should also be able to use the IP assigned to your computer.  Finding your local IP depends on your O/S and network configuration.  If you have a firewall/router (Linksys, Netgear, SMC, etc.) your IP will probably be in the format 192.168.1.xxx.  This IP will work only within your home network.

    If you want to access RTVrc through the Internet, you must forward a port on your firewall/router to the PC running RTVrc.  If RTVrc is running on port 1234, you will probably want to forward port 1234 from the Internet to port 1234 of the PC running RTVrc.  The specifics for this procedure vary by brand, check your firewall/router documentation.  After this is done, you need your Internet IP address.  It should be displayed in the router configuration somewhere, otherwise a simple way is to check the IP Chicken.  You might also use a dynamic DNS service to more easily keep track of your computer, try a search for "dynamic dns" to find a number of options.  After you have the port forwarded and know your Internet IP address, RTVrc will be available from anywhere on the Internet as http://[internet IP]:1234/.  Note that the Internet IP may not work from inside your network if your firewall/router doesn't support local loopback.

    If you choose to have RTVrc available through the Internet, you should understand the risk involved with running any network service on your computer.  Also note that the username/password is not encrypted as it is sent, don't choose the same name/password you use for any secure transactions.

Limitations

    The biggest limitation is caused by the ReplayTV software.  When you click 'select' on the Channel Guide and Replay Guide screens, the Replay software will register two button presses. See my list of limitations caused by this bug.
    The other feature which does not work is the shortcut keys. Normally you can press ch+/ch-, ffw/rew, IR/QS in Replay and Channel guide to skip pages/categories. These shortcuts don't work remotely.

Support

    You can check and file bugs and feature requests on the SourceForge project page
    Check the README and CHANGELOG for the latest information
    The AV Science Forum ReplayTV area is the best place to ask for help for anything ReplayTV related.  Please search for an answer to your question before filing a bug report.  Chances are good someone else has had the same problem and may have a solution.

Possible Future Plans

    I'm not sure how many of these will happen, but here are some ideas of what may come in the future:

Links

Some links to related items:

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ReplayTV, the ReplayTV logo, and the ReplayTV remote image are © Digital Networks North America (DNNA). RTVrc is not provided, endorsed, or supported by DNNA.