[FarmerBob]

Samsung 2012 SmartTVs will access DirecTV without a set top box, minimalists rejoice . . .

http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/10/samsung-smart-tv-directv-without-stb/

 

[phrelin]

Samsung 2012 SmartTVs will access DirecTV without a set top box, minimalists rejoice . . .

http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/10/samsung-smart-tv-directv-without-stb/

That would be good if there was no risk you would need to change providers. Some folks seem to get mad at their current provider. Others have to move and find because of LOS problems can't get satellite.

But getting rid of those unsightly boxes would be considered real progress by some, like my wife for instance.

 

[MCHuf]

But getting rid of those unsightly boxes would be considered real progress by some, like my wife for instance.

I've said it before and I'll say it again. Sat TV providers should come up with a "cable card like" device to give people more choices. Between DirectTV and Dish Network, there are enough subscribers out there to make it worthwhile for manufacturers.

But there has to be savings to the consumer for these to work. And sadly, knowing how Dish operates, the card would still cost the same as a leased stb/dvr.

 

[klang]

I wonder what happens when the hard drive for the DVR function goes bad? Swap out the TV?

 

[jadebox]

TVs don't need special hardware - just an app that connects to the "Hopper" - something like ... I don't know ... a ... Sling player app.

-- Roger

 

[Herdfan]

I wonder what happens when the hard drive for the DVR function goes bad? Swap out the TV?

The harddrive is in the HMC (a DirecTV HR34 in this case). The TV is merely acting as a "dumb" client. No reason DISH could not have an RVU server as well.

 

[Stuart Sweet]

RVU is a multi-company alliance, and there's no reason Dish couldn't get on board.

The way it's implemented in the Samsung TVs is, there's an input choice, like HDMI or component, labeled RVU.

 

[BobaBird]

The Joey client box can be mounted to the back of a wall-mounted TV. The larger main Hopper box, like the Joeys, uses an RF remote so it too can be placed out of view if you desire (just allow for ventilation and wiring runs).

 

[dsw2112]

But there has to be savings to the consumer for these to work. And sadly, knowing how Dish operates, the card would still cost the same as a leased stb/dvr.

You're probably right, but to be fair D* is charging the same leased stb (mirror) fee when using an RVU Tv.

 

[FarmerBob]

The Joey client box can be mounted to the back of a wall-mounted TV. The larger main Hopper box, like the Joeys, uses an RF remote so it too can be placed out of view if you desire (just allow for ventilation and wiring runs).

Been looking at the new gear a lot today. But I guess it's limited to 3 remote units. I need 11 at the moment. Unless . . .

 

[P Smith]

How long the companies would try to hide own technology under the DECA/MoCA/RVU/etc proprietary obscure standards ? To protect own market ? To guard content owners ?

There is universal well known and robust solution - computers, apps and NETWORK.

What would be better then a media server with ATSC/CableCard/CI slot for DTV or dish cards or both with 1/10 Gbps backbone to 'managed' (internally, from the server SW) switch to 100/1000 Mbps nodes: Smart TV, BR players, etc ?

Should need more security ? DRM is not enough ? Develop and provide one PCIe card with your decoding/encoding algos, protect it by compound as military block !

Nay, the company will fight to the own dead against the technology ... Man, but erosion is started, remember a few years ago they used proprietary OS what very little developers knows ? - now Linux is in each box !

 

[FarmerBob]

. . . What would be better then a media server with ATSC/CableCard/CI slot for DTV or dish cards or both with 1/10 Gbps backbone to 'managed' (internally, from the server SW) switch to 100/1000 Mbps nodes: Smart TV, BR players, etc ? . . .

That would be a dream come true!! Now I'm all tingly.

 

[djlong]

That was the Draco tuner from Dish. Some pics of it leaked out sometime before MS released Win 7 - the theory being that Win 7 had the DRM to keep files from getting "out of the house". I saw screens of Windows Media Center with a Dish Network tuner offered as one of the options - and it would be backed up to your MS Win Home Server box if you had one - and ANY MS Win PC on your LAN could watch whatever you'd recorded - and you could expand your storage by plugging in more drives.

That was 2 years ago in the lab. So where are we now?

 

[Michael1]

That was the Draco tuner from Dish. Some pics of it leaked out sometime before MS released Win 7 - the theory being that Win 7 had the DRM to keep files from getting "out of the house". I saw screens of Windows Media Center with a Dish Network tuner offered as one of the options - and it would be backed up to your MS Win Home Server box if you had one - and ANY MS Win PC on your LAN could watch whatever you'd recorded - and you could expand your storage by plugging in more drives.

That was 2 years ago in the lab. So where are we now?

I wish they would get that darn Draco out of the lab and into the field. I'm sorry, but Dish's DVR's cannot compete with a full on PC with Media Center. The search tools alone in Media Center are worth the price of admission. Dish's hardware just does not have the processing power to have all the bells and whistles, and it's just plain sloooooow. Even the Hopper only has a 750 MHz processor. That can't compare to a PC at 3.4 GHz and four cores. With Media Center, I can type in the first few letters of a show, and the listings start popping up. I can sort movies by the number of stars, date released, and filter by genre, actors, directors, descriptions, and more.

Michael

 

[phrelin]

My understanding from MS insider info that the Draco project was carefully brought out of the lab and thrown into the trash a couple of years ago. I haven't seen anything to the contrary.

 

[BobaBird]

With Media Center, I can type in the first few letters of a show, and the listings start popping up.

The 922 does this, its dual threaded 350-MHz processor takes about 2 seconds to refine the results after each added letter. I expect the Hopper will be quicker.

I can sort movies by the number of stars, date released, and filter by genre, actors, directors, descriptions, and more.

That's where Dish falls short. They wanted to collect a monthly fee like TiVo, so they invented a DVR "service" fee. The actual service that TiVo offers, though, is a subscription to an EPG with detailed listings. Dish would have people believe that the device's ability to record is a service, and provides the same brief listings that non-DVR receivers get.

 

[Davenlr]

What would be better then a media server with ATSC/CableCard/CI slot for DTV or dish cards or both with 1/10 Gbps backbone to 'managed' (internally, from the server SW) switch to 100/1000 Mbps nodes: Smart TV, BR players, etc ?

That is what I use now..almost. I have 2 ATSC tuners, and DirecTv via HDPVR x 1 tuner, and FTA satellite x 1 tuner. Any and all tuners, are available to record to the server, stream live to my network, stream live from my network via internet to remote location, or play any format video file stored on the server. Its really nice. The HDGUI is totally customizable.
And unlike DirecTv DVRs, if you are watching a program that is recording, say, 30 minutes behind live, when that recording is over, this program does not pop up a "Keep/Delete" box, but lets you keep right on watching the same channel, as long as another recording didnt change it. Skip forward and Backwards times are all programmable. Its great.

Unfortunately, Google bought the rights to it, and stopped its production. Its pretty much like Windows Media Center, but you could buy inexpensive extenders to watch it, whereas Media Center requires an Xbox.

 

[wizin]

Just new TV's? I just bought 2011 model

 

[HobbyTalk]

Samsung 2012 SmartTVs will access DirecTV without a set top box, minimalists rejoice . . .

http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/10/samsung-smart-tv-directv-without-stb/

The problem is each RVU TV uses a tuner in the main unit. DirecTV's HR34 has 5 tuners so if you are watching on 3 RVU TVs that leaves only two for the main TV. If you network in additional HRxx boxes to the HR34 they use their own tuners so the HR34 still has 5 tuners available.

 

[Ray [email protected] Network]

The Hopper has a 750 MHz processor so it is quick with displaying results when searching or the different receiver features. Thanks.

The 922 does this, its dual threaded 350-MHz processor takes about 2 seconds to refine the results after each added letter. I expect the Hopper will be quicker.

That's where Dish falls short. They wanted to collect a monthly fee like TiVo, so they invented a DVR "service" fee. The actual service that TiVo offers, though, is a subscription to an EPG with detailed listings. Dish would have people believe that the device's ability to record is a service, and provides the same brief listings that non-DVR receivers get.