Switch to DishNetwork, is this the end of BTV for me?

[ketchup_gsr]

Hi all

I just switched to Dish Network from time warner cable. I'm getting 20+ HD channels, a free HD DVR and it's cheaper than time warner.

I'm kinda at crossroads with BTV. I've been a with Snapstream for over 3 years, from snapstream pvs back in 2004 to the first iteration of BTV all the way now to BTV 4.6.1 It's been a great ride, and I've really enjoyed tweaking with the software and hardware. I have been enjoying HDTV with the recent 4.6.1 release with HDHomeRun.

The Dish Network DVR has 2 tuners, 1 HD and 1 SD... and I don't know what I should do with my BTV setup. There's a small selection of analog signals... but most are encoded. I haven't had time to try to record the HD shows, but I don't think it's possible. Therefore, I'm not sure what my HTPC is good for anymore...

Has anyone else made the bittersweet change to a satellite service, that came with a HD PVR? What did you do with your HTPC? Thanks

[ZetaVu]

You can still record OTA HD, and output sd from your dish box, letting you archive shows. Otherwise, the dish pvr will record shows for viewback only. If that's all you want, and don't care about OTA, then you don't need BTV. Otherwise, use BTV where it works and eventually maybe we'll have a satellite HD solution that the provider hasn't locked down.

[dirchm0628]

I've got Direct Tv coming out on Aug27 to install the new 5lnb dish required for their HDTV upgrade. Right now I have my SD Sat receiver and OTA antenna going to BTV and a HD Direct TV receiver going straight to the TV. I only use BTV these days to watch recorded programs from the SD receiver. When Direct TV finally gets there future HD channels on the air I am going to move to Direct TV PVR to record shows and just use my BTV box for photos and music. Unfortunately I don't see how BTV is going to compete with dish users PVRs in the future. I know they have a QAM solution for cable tv HDTV but that doesn't help me.

[ZetaVu]

Their QAM is only good for OTA channels, as cable encrypts everything else.

The only solution I see near term is if Nextcom or 169time come up with a firewire mod for the new Directv boxes (I think they have the current generation of Dishnetwork already) so that you can output HD channels to the PC by firewire. Newer boxes are all supposed to have firewire already, by law, but they don't make them available and not sure what the extent of the firewire is.

Sage already works with the R5000 boxes, BTV does not (and hasn't been making any effort it seems) but I think the externinator plugin might work. It's a wait and see game. Basically, I'm not happy about paying extra for HD channels in the first place, and paying on top of that for the pvr, which will be size limited and completely locked down (cant stream, transfer, backup, etc) And quite honestly most shows don't benefit from HD.

[Fonceur]

Originally Posted by ZetaVu

Newer boxes are all supposed to have firewire already, by law, but they don't make them available and not sure what the extent of the firewire is.

Satellite companies don't have to provide Firewire output, only cable companies...

[ZetaVu]

Ah, you're right, same with cablecard, they are exempt. I'm still amazed by that.

[dirchm0628]

I agree Zeta. I don't like paying ten dollars more a month for 7 HD channels but I absolutely refuse to give Cox Communications anymore of my business than I have to. So my only options are DTV or Dish, or hope FIOS makes it to my neighborhood eventually. The ineresting thing will be whether Direct Tv ups the price on HD service. Dish currently offers over 20 channels of HD but also charges 20 dollars more a month for it. I am also sceptical of Direct TV's claims of " soon up to 100 channels in HD". If Dish Network re-aquires the MLB package I may consider switching if Direct Tv can not deliver on their promise of more HD. Having said that, veiwing some of the forums on DTV's site, the dish is currently in space and will be tested internally by Direct Tv and if no problems ready for the consumer by Sept 15.

[ketchup_gsr]

thanks for the replies...

i guess i'll have to see what the Dish DVR can do. I'm not sure how many tuners there are, probably at least 2 (1 for HD and 1 for SD). It's tough to see something that i've been tweaking for the past 3 years, investing my time and lots of my money into, fade into obsolescence, but the deal i got from Dish was pretty good

2 HD DVR's, 20+ HD channels (looking forward to Universal HD and discovery HD for the last season of Battlestar and Dirty Jobs on Discovery), all my time warner SD channels, plus HBO for 1/2 a year, all for 54.99. I'm currently paying 48.99 for time warner, no DVR, no HD (except from HDHomeRun), and a like an extra $15 for all the stupid taxes. It's a no brainer for me...

I hope snapstream figures out a way to record HDTV soon.

P.S. can you record HD shows coming out of the Dish Network STB?

[ZetaVu]

Only through the firewire hack as far as I can tell, never tried it, no one mentions it here. They discuss them a lot on AVSforums

[roachdaniel]

Originally Posted by ketchup_gsr

Hi all

I just switched to Dish Network from time warner cable. I'm getting 20+ HUD channels, a free HUD DR and it's cheaper than time warner.

I'm kinda at crossroads with TV. I've been a with Snap stream for over 3 years, from snap stream PBS back in 2004 to the first iteration of TV all the way now to TV 4.6.1 It's been a great ride, and I've really enjoyed tweaking with the software and hardware. I have been enjoying HDTV with the recent 4.6.1 release with Homering.

The Dish Network DR has 2 tuners, 1 HUD and 1 SD... and I don't know what I should do with my TV setup. There's a small selection of analog signals... but most are encoded. I haven't had time to try to record the HUD shows, but I don't think it's possible. Therefore, I'm not sure what my HT PC is good for anymore...

Has anyone else made the bittersweet change to a satellite service, that came with a HUD PVT? What did you do with your HT PC? Thanks

I am in the same boat. I just ordered Dish network with the dual tuner PVT. I will also miss the ability to schedule a recording via the INTERNET or the mobile web. Too bad, I have enjoyed using BTV but I think it has come to the end of it's life for me.

[subachad]

Reading this post inspired me to call Dish, but after talking to them realized I would rather stick with cable and just upgrade to Digital which will cost me an extra $10 a month.

Reason? I like that my house is already cabled for cable and I currently have 3 tv's plugged in and a PC in my bedroom which is specifically used as a Link machine. With dish, only the living room and bedroom would work and that's only if I could still use BTV to record.

I dont need 100+ channels, expanded basic has worked fine. The reason I'm changing to digital is so I can get 10HD channels plus more as they come available. I also miss speedvision and some of the Tech channels.

BTV still has me hooked, I just wish it would be updated soon. I want better integration with Beyond Media, I want a Joost Channel, I want integration with Netflix Watch now, Maybe the ability to set some Online Radio Streams, Better HD integration.

[mapleleaf]

I’ve just got Dish receiver with built in PVR that enables me to record HD programming finally. BTV doesn’t offer any viable solution except to downgrade my HD to SD which looks really crappy on my HDTV set. Satellite receiver has no Firewire connector, only component video and HDMI connectors (plus composite & S-video that I can not use - SD). BTV just became useless to me even though there are majority of SD channels available still, I don’t want to schedule recordings on two devices. Since BTV cannot record HD it is goodbye for me, unfortunately…

P.S. I am considering getting FTA HD receiver that has unencrypted HDMI output. I already pay for genuine receiver trough my uncle in US but I want to be able to archive some of my recordings. Is there any way to record video from unencrypted HDMI? If not, some of the FTA receivers come with built in PVR module and USB2 connector for external HDD. That would enable me to archive HD recordings in full resolution but I don’t see any use for BTV in this situation as well…

[mapleleaf]

I consider getting Blackmagic’s HDMI capture card that has HD format support 1080i50, 1080i59.94, 720p50, 720p59.94…
http://www.videomaker.com/article/13256/2/
http://www.engadgethd.com/2006/09/13/hdmi-capture-card-for-249/

$250 doesn’t seem that steep considering that there are hardly any other options of recording HD video without down converting to analog first.

I believe that my HD FTA satellite receiver has HDMI output without HDPC enabled (at least that is what dealer told me – I will see if it is true once I get Blackmagic card). In case that Sat. receiver has HDPC encryption enabled I will try to purchase HDPC stripper box similar to one as Spatz-Tech’s DVIMAGIC HDCP stripper used to be.
http://www.practical-home-theater-gu...strippers.html
http://www.spatz-tech.com/

In any case, in order for my setup to become functional HD recording solution, Snapstream has to support Blackmagic’s card or someone has to develop plug-in similar to FireWire plug-in.

Any ideas?

[Fonceur]

Originally Posted by mapleleaf

I consider getting Blackmagic’s HDMI capture card

Might want to check the various threads about it, like:

Will Beyond TV have support for ..

Any ideas?

For satellite users, the best solution might be the R5000-HD, assuming they have a version for yours...

[ketchup_gsr]

does snapstream support the black magic card? it'd be a great combination and bring me back. i can't stand the limited scope and lack of control of the DVR from dish. I think that the price would be worth it for the simplicity and ease of the snapstream UI, versus the dish ui