R5000(VIP211) for DISH and SageTV

[HawgGuy]

Originally Posted by OldPCGUY

1. How Long Have you been using it
2. Do all the Video and Audio play back well for HD channels? If not what kind of issues have you seen?
3. Does the USB interface connected to the VIP211 ever get lost? How Often?
4. Do you depend on the USB interface to the R5000 for channel changes or do you use a USB UIRT to blast the Channel on the R5000? If so why?
5. Can you tell me what your Settings are for Audio/Video Renderer/Decoder.

1. In use here for around 18 mos.
2. No problems on any channels (using HD Extender). Had all kinds of problems with codecs & video cards on h.264 channels.
3. USB solid.
4. Yes, works well.
5. See #2. I use extenders exclusively.

Note. I also have an HD-PVR. The r5000 picture is much sharper IMHO and the AC3 audio from the r5000 beats the HD-PVR AAC. I have not tried the latest driver upgrades which supposedly fix the lack of AC3 on the HD-PVR.

[jerryt]

Originally Posted by sic0048

Well, with those sales prices, if I was in the market for two units, I'd probably pick up to of the DIY R5000 kits instead of two HD-PVRs.

Two HD-PVRs = $400
Two R5000 kits = $350 for 1st + 175 for 2nd + $100 for software - $50 coupon = $575

That works out to be approx $90 more per unit. But I have a working HD-PVR (although no 5.1 sound and slow channel changes), so I guess I don't have to worry about making this decision.

EDIT - even better would be if they would give you 50% off the Qty Discount price which is $262.50 for 2 units or more on the DIY kits. Then it would be $262.50 + 131.00 +100 - 50 = $443.50 for two units. That would definitely make the R5000 mod a better option IMHO, but I'm sure the Qty Discount price already reflects the current sale (at least the math adds up to indicate that it is already included).

You might add the cost of a USBIRT for the HD-PVR, I had to buy one.

(EDIT) Beware of two things with the R5000 mod on dishnet. You can not mod the VIP211K, (but you can mod the VIP211) and there are no Closed Captons on H.264 channels with the R5000, beacause there is no available directshow CC decoder for H.264

[btrcp2000]

getting even cheaper. i just ordered my second vip211 mod for $285 (40% discount). click the link above and look for the "unadvertised specials" for october, which I could swear were not there a week ago.

If you are patient, set up a saved ebay search for the following, and have it email you

dish vip*

I did this after just missing a used $99 211 w/ free shipping a few weeks ago, and picked one up for $90 a few weeks later. They don't last though, so you have to snap it up right away. The ones I'm referring to were "buy it now" of course. Plus, there are ways to get to ebay via live.com that will take another 25% (currently) off. So unless something goes nuts on me, I will have another r5000 vip211 for $375.

If you buy on ebay, you MUST MUST MUST call dish beforehand with the serial number to confirm it is free and clear. If the seller won't share it, you can assume it's no good.

[Fluffdaddy]

Wow !!! $285

They would have to come out with this price a week after I got my 2nd HD-PVR


Edit to add: This proves one thing, Competition is good for the consumer

[stanger89]

Unfortunately premodded boxes went back up $200, to $800.

[btrcp2000]

yeah, i noticed that too. if you're in the market but can wait, it'a a good idea to check it every few weeks or so to find what you need. ever since the hdpvr came out, they seem to be a lot more actvie in price changes.

I do enjoy the concept of "unadvertised specials", as if everything else appears in my neighborhood grocery store circular

By the way, since this thread was originally about how well it works, here's my contribution:

I have had one since July or so with Dish's HD Only package, which is not available anymore and supposedly will go away for me in February. I originally had issues with it becoming unresponsive within sage unpredictably. I connected the s-video output of my 211 to the analog line in of my trusty rusty pvr150 so I could what the 211 box was doing without having to drag a tv to it, and that's how I learned about the standby problem. Fixed that with help from these forums. Now it's pretty reliable, except that it sometimes takes a couple clicks/restarts on a live show to get it to work, but I don't believe I have missed a recording at all, so maybe that's a live tv thing. Haven't looked into it at all, probably somebody around here knows how to fix it, but it's tolerable. I am in the "down" part of the phase where I am sick of %$#ing with the server and am just actually watching TV for a while. I'll go the other way soon as the weather gets colder, and probably break some things so that I can fix them.

[Fuzzy]

Install kit for "New Dish Network" Modifications - $269.95

Prices continue to drop. good thing my B-Day is coming up... Even the pre-Modded are on sale:

Pre-modified Dish ViP 211 Receiver - $589.95

[OldPCGUY]

Hauppauge has probably given up trying to get DISH AC3 through the HD-PVR to work. They know about the problem and still don't have a software fix. I don't expect them to deliver a fix soon.

But they have come out with full CC support on WINTV 7.
Too bad they don't have an HD-200 like extender.

I am keeping my eyes on the VIP 211 and Nextcom Sales.

Big thanks to the poster who warned about VIP 211K!!!!!!!!
You can't mod the K models.

[stanger89]

Originally Posted by OldPCGUY

Hauppauge has probably given up trying to get DISH AC3 through the HD-PVR to work. They know about the problem and still don't have a software fix. I don't expect them to deliver a fix soon.

Really, it works great for me, not an issue since I changed my wait after tuning delay.

[OldPCGUY]

The test I ran to prove the problem to Hauppauge was as follows.

1.Dish VIP612 Driving Component to TV and SPDIF DD5.1 To Yamaha
No A/V Sync Issue.
2. HD-PVR Playback through Total Media or Sage shows a modulation of A/V delay (ie the delay between A/V is not constant). If it was a constant then I could just put static offset and be done with it. The delay was going back and forth between about +700 miliseconds delay to ~0seconds delay to -700miliSeconds delay and then back. Very very low frequency (about 5 Minute Period)
3. This only is a problem when the DISH is set for SPDIF out at DD 5.1. If you set the SPDIF out to 2.0 then the problem goes away. I have been running in this mode for 4 months with no issues. Also you could use the stereo out which I also tested and does not have the A/V Modulated Sync issue.

So If you do not have this issue it would be great if you could tell me a few things about your setup.
A) DISH model # (ie. VIP 211 etc...) I have model VIP 612
B) Dish SPDIF settings
C) HD-PVR Rev # (I have model REV E1)
D) Power Supply Filter for anything?


I emailed Hauppauge a picture of my setup and test and they were able to duplicate the problem on Some Dish Boxes and Some Verizon FIOS boxes. In other words not all models from Dish have this problem. In fact Hauppauge knew about this issue before I emailed them.

They stated that is a firmware issue that was fixed on the FIOS boxes with a Harware fix from Verizon. They stated they were still trying to find a solution for the Dish issue which would be a driver update from Hauppauge.

Describing the problem above makes me think about some other things to look at (Hmmmm?)

here is the copy of the Hauppauge Email
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Happy New Year to you also.

We have not yet come up with a software resolution to the issue. The problem
happens specifically on some Dish Network boxes and Verizon Fios boxes only.
We have found on Verizon that a hardware box change has fixed the problem.
Verizon released some new model boxes. So at least that's an option for such
customers.

But we are still looking for a software solution.

regards,

Jerry Henriquez
jhenriquez@hauppauge.com
Technical Support
Hauppauge Computer Works
New York

Another Email
-------------------------------
Sorry for the delay. We know about the E1 models fixing the SPDIF audio
issues but they cause an A/V sync problem. Our engineers are working on
resolving the issue.

-----------------------------------------

I will look at adding wait after tuning delay, but the AV is always in Sync after I change a channel.

[stanger89]

I've just got a C1 or C2 (not sure which off hand) connected to a VIP211. I think the 1.0.5.3 WHQL drivers fixed some issues for me as well.

[OldPCGUY]

Okay so C1 + VIP 211 does not have the issue with updated drivers.

Looking at my email trail it mentioned the Rev E1 devices have the A\V sync problem.

I am going to try and pick up a cheap VIP 211. I don't know how I would get a REV C1.

The new drivers work for Rev Cs RevDs and Rev Es but the new A/V sync problem is only showing up on Rev Es.

I think they changed the Optical to Electrical convertor component on rhe REV E.

Or I am just going scrap all this and get an R5000.

Thanks for your help