DISHPVR 721 & OpenTV

[Morgoth]

Could someone clarify whether the Dish PVR 721 is supported by OpenTV? If not does someone know WHY not? As all other PVRs from Echostar are supported and Echostar and OpenTV formed a joint-venture called OpenStar for the development of advanced PVR settopboxes. If the 721 is not supported yet by OpenTV, will it become so if the foreseable future by downloading an update for example? I know OpenTV is supposed to be able to run on Linux. Thank you for all who are able to supply some answers concerning this matter.

[MarkA]

AFAIK it's not because it's a plain old Linux box and OpenTV is it's own OS. I also believe OpenTV does not have a version yet for the x86 processor command set... Now there may be an OpenTV emulator in the future.

[James_F]

Seems like the said they would support LINUX about a year ago...

http://www.opentv.com/company/news/press-releases/2001/04242001.html

Doesn't mean that they will.... Anytime I see a reference to Mosaic browser, it makes me tear up... :crying:

[Scott Greczkowski]

The 721 WILL have OpenTV! (It won't have the OpenTV Guides however it will have all the other OpenTV features)

They have been working on it awhile and I hear it work nicely.

I expect to see it within a few months on the 721.

[Jacob S]

If it would have been capable of receiving the OpenTv guide then would it have looked like the 301 and 501 or would it have looked different than the 301 and 501 and what the 721 looks like now?

[TerryC]

Scott, will it have OTA channel mapping? I'm not sure if this is part of OpenTV.

[James_F]

Do you guys really like the OpenTV guide. I don't have a receiver with one, but I don't like my parents... :shrug:

[kyoo]

Hey James, could ya stay on topic? We don't really need to know that you don't like your parents.

;)

And yes, the OpenTV stuff is pretty much crap. But if that's our only choice for interactive TV stuff, I'll take it..

[TerryC]

James, sadly a lot of people don't like their parents. :(

As for the guide, I thought the 501 looked pretty cool until I got my 721. It pales in comparison. Of course I was used to the guides of my old 5000 and 2800, which had all the flair and charm of an Excel spreadsheet. There used to be a lot of posts on the ng of people complaining about how ugly the 501 guide looks.

Terry

[James_F]

I never knew I had problems with my parents before this thread. Thanks to all for helping me to get it off my chest. :crying:

That said, I don't like my parents 501 receiver...

[James_F]

Oh, I'm not worried. The one positive thing about this merger is that we might have 3 types of PVRs, TIVO, UltimateTV and Dish.

[Scott Greczkowski]

Originally posted by TerryC
Scott, will it have OTA channel mapping? I'm not sure if this is part of OpenTV.

It will, this is required by the FCC. The question now is when. :D

[MarkA]

But what about the DISHPlayer and the fact it may never have the mapping support. Will they give me a free 501 to replace it if I point this out?!?!??!:):):)

[MarkA]

Oh wait... I don't get locals, just a single distant superstation (KTLA)

[James_F]

Maybe you can convince them you deserver a 721 for all the agony a DP user went though.... :D

[Scott Greczkowski]

Originally posted by Mark
But what about the DISHPlayer and the fact it may never have the mapping support.

The Dishplayer will have this support, I understand that it is in testing now. :)

[MarkA]

"Maybe you can convince them you deserver a 721 for all the agony a DP user went though...."

I wish. Heck, a 501 would be nice. They should give all of us 501s.

"The Dishplayer will have this support, I understand that it is in testing now."

Too bad:)

[James_F]

But your Displayer works now... :lol:

[Jacob S]

A new 501, your dreaming, a new 721, your dreaming that your dreaming and drooling on top of that. Wanting another buggy receiver to replace a buggy one? I dont know what to call that. At least they worked out some software issues in the 501 but not the hardware issues bc their 501's go bad all the time. At least the dishplayer is more reliable.

Anybody hear of the hard drives failing in the dishplayer? Not me. What about the 721? or 508?

[James_F]

And they make a great door stop!