R5000-HD capture via USB2 & SageTV

[Kirby]

I am interested in this as well, to get my Dishnetwork r5000 and cable box r5000 connected into sage. Got anything for us to test?

[lobosrul]

I thought there was already a working solution with firewire (well i know there is for Cable STB thats how im setup), from 169time. Except they dont have mpeg-4 setup. Is there some other benefit that networksolutions has over 169time, other than that theyre a bit cheaper and seem to be on the verge of DirecTV mpeg-4 streams? Or do you really want USB and not firewire (firewire cards are quite cheap u know).

Im definantly interested in this because my cable box 5C's HBO, and the analog channels do not come in over firewire.

[Kirby]

Originally Posted by dbfresh23

I was doing some thinking about this system. With DirecTV switching to a STB rental system, which I would imagine would prevent people from getting newer MPEG4 STBs R5000-HD modded, this could wind up being a fruitless venture.

Hardly fruitless. You can still buy and activate receivers from other channels (ebay etc) and mod those. You can probably also mod a leased receiver. You wont see a DirecTV MPEG4 mod anytime soon from the information I have though.

The R5000 software is universal across all the supported platforms, BUD, Directv, Dishnetwork, BEV, Starchoice, as well as all motorola cable box companies.

Its probably best to consider this thread as a R5000 & Sage TV solution, because the r5000 is available on all those systems, and also records all SD channels as well.

[Kirby]

Originally Posted by lobosrul

I thought there was already a working solution with firewire (well i know there is for Cable STB thats how im setup), from 169time. Except they dont have mpeg-4 setup. Is there some other benefit that networksolutions has over 169time, other than that theyre a bit cheaper and seem to be on the verge of DirecTV mpeg-4 streams? Or do you really want USB and not firewire (firewire cards are quite cheap u know).

Im definantly interested in this because my cable box 5C's HBO, and the analog channels do not come in over firewire.

The benefit of the R5000 is that it needs no external stream manipulation like the 169time product. It also works much better, and streams come through perfect all the time for me.

I already have a Dishnetwork 411 mod, which is a MPEG4 receiver. Works flawlessly. I also have a Moto 2000 cable box mod, and it works as well, for all HD channels too, provided they are not tied to the HD Tier. In my case, showtime, hbo, cinemax are tied to the SD program pack, so I can tune/record those, as well as HD locals, all through the DCT-2000 box.

[dbfresh23]

Originally Posted by Kirby

Hardly fruitless. You can still buy and activate receivers from other channels (ebay etc) and mod those. You can probably also mod a leased receiver. You wont see a DirecTV MPEG4 mod anytime soon from the information I have though.

Sure you can buy and activate receivers that will not be able to pick up new HD channels that DTV broadcasts in MPEG4. We probably wont see any MPEG4 modded receivers for a while. While Nextcomm did some in house testing with some modded Dish boxes, they weren't actually using a dish signal - since Dish wont be transmitting in MPEG4 for at least another - going by the R5000 site anyway.

[Kirby]

Originally Posted by dbfresh23

Sure you can buy and activate receivers that will not be able to pick up new HD channels that DTV broadcasts in MPEG4. We probably wont see any MPEG4 modded receivers for a while. While Nextcomm did some in house testing with some modded Dish boxes, they weren't actually using a dish signal - since Dish wont be transmitting in MPEG4 for at least another - going by the R5000 site anyway.

Well I have a Dish 411 MPEG4 receiver modded sitting in my equipment rack right now. Its an active product for them, but they are not doing the DirecTV MPEG4 units yet, because there is no MPEG4 signal other than locals on DirecTV.

Dish has 5 new Voom channels as well as Universal HD, and ESPN2 HD that are being sent in 'quasi-mpeg4', and I can record off of those just fine.

I would also suggest that anyone that wants a r5000 modded DirecTV mpeg-4 receiver should email them and tell them that you want one. The reason it doesnt exist right now has nothing to do with technical issues, or leasing of receivers.

[bhyman1]

Originally Posted by dbfresh23

Actually I just setup a pvr system for a friend on Time Warner, in his case it wasn't a matter of the firewire ports not working, it was the fact that TW in his area is now 5C encrypting EVERYTHING.

That could very well be my case as well.

Either way, they dont work and it aggravates me to no end.

[Jesse]

Hi,

Maybe I dont understand what is going on here, but I do know that the DTV H20 mpeg4 receivers are for sale right now. You can buy them from solid signal (http://www.solidsignal.com/) today. It is my understanding that this receiver will give you access to all DTV HD channels, both mpeg2 and mpeg4. Would it not be possible to mod one of these boxs? What am I missing here?

Thanks.

Jesse

[Jesse]

Hi,

BIG BUMP.

Any news on this?

TIA

Jesse

[Kimper]

I am very interested in this. I really haven't come across any solution I like for HDTV and PC based PVR... DOWN WITH DRM!!!

Anyway, from the Nextcom website..

"MPEG-4 Ready" solutions now shipping for Dish Network

So any progress on this Stealth?

[Stealth1971]

Update - I have been talking to one of the engineers at Nextcom Wireless. They have been in touch with Sage. I have offered to add support for the R5000 to HDNE, but they plan on their own implementation. If I decided to fork over the cash to buy one, I will create the software if dont beat me to it.

[Jesse]

Hi Stealth,

I have offered to add support for the R5000 to HDNE, but they plan on their own implementation.

Do you mean that sage will build in native support for the R5000?

Did they give you any sort of timeline?

TIA

Jesse

[Stealth1971]

Jesse -

Nextcom Wireless is writing their own network encoder to work with Sage - Sage has given them the protocol specs but Nextcom is writing the code.

[Kirby]

Originally Posted by Jesse

Did they give you any sort of timeline?

Your wait wont be long And I think you are really going to like its features too!

[stanger89]

I take it I'm not the only one that emailed them

[dbfresh23]

Originally Posted by Kirby

Your wait wont be long And I think you are really going to like its features too!

Got the inside track on this? Care to elaborate?

[Jesse]

Hi,

Thanks guys. Now I'm really stoked.

How about some details......


Jesse

[stanger89]

You could email them

[Kirby]

Ok folks, here some info. First try was to use Anders' network encoder, and it didnt work out so well. Things have no progressed into a full fledged Sage network encoder. I have yet to test this new version, however I know that its able to capture from at least 3 R5000 units simultaneously. 4 should be doable on moderate pc's (1GB ram, decent processor, say 2ghz or faster on the Intel scale). In fact the test platform they used internally was recording from a Dish 6000, Dish 411, and DirecTV DTC100, while also playing a HD stream through a MyHD card with no issues at all. Granted the myHD is hardware based on the card, but its still accessing the disc, so 4 HD streams were going on all at once.

I am not altogether sure when I will have the new version in my hands for testing, but once that happens, it should be released shortly after. Nextcom is wrapping up everything on it, and its working quite well. In case anyone knows anything about the current r5000 software, you will know that it is not able to capture 2 different R5000 mods at the same time. Its always been a pre-req that you either have a separate PC for each R5000, or you time your recordings to only do 1 at a time, with no overlap from different tuners.

I do expect that I will probably get my hands on the next version from them in the next day or two. Of course my two R5000's are just waiting to be plugged into my setup and go right into testing. It wont take me long to get testing results to them.

if you guys have any specific questions, fire them at me, and I will do my best to answer. I would have posted more earlier, but due to my constant NDA status with nextcom, I needed to wait before posting too much. I'm sure you guys can understand.

[Jesse]

Thanks Kirby. That is pretty huge news.

I guess my next question (modded DTV mpeg4 box) needs to go to nextcom directly.

Thanks again.

Jesse