Feature request ATSC Tuner on TV 2

[n0qcu]

Nope I believe that the ATSC modulator for the Dish 5000 was something like $99.

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Not quite Scott they were $299.00

[Jim5506]

Good thing too, since as of now it's impossible to record the HD content and share it, right Sony?

Yea, right!

[Don Landis]

Lots of questionable info in this thread.

The Dish 5000 didn't have an atsc tuner module. It had an 8VSB HDTV module (4PSK) that only output the dish channels for HBO and Showtime, plus a demo channel at that time. The atsc tuner was never disabled by Dish and continued to work but Dish Network simply ended the transmission in HD 8VSB format and began to deliver the signal using 8PSK which rendered the 5000/HDTV modulator without a signal. This started with the entry of Discovery Channel and soon was adapted to HBO and Showtime HD channels. I believe Dish also stopped their demo loop channel due to bandwidth crunch. The replacement receiver was the 6000 and an 8PSK module. Many people sold their HDTV modulators and 5000 receivers to Canadians who could still use them on their satellite service in HD because they were not using 8PSK

To record HDTV on the dish 5000 / HDTV module, you had to also have a Panasonic ATSC tuner and it's mating DVHS VCR that connected using 1394. I still have this equipment ( in storage)

When the 6000/8psk package was installed it had no way to output HDTV to a recorder as it lacked a 1394 hidef output of the mpeg 2 signal. What I had to do was add a small circuit to the 6000 that tapped into the demodulated signal and then run through a bit bucket dedicated computer to translate the mpeg2 to that which was recordable with the Panasonic, or the Mitsubishi DVHS VCR. It worked but took a lot of effort to do any recording. I also had a DirecTV receiver ( DTC-100) that also had a mod board added for 1394 output to enable DVHS HD recordings. This was a bit more reliable than the Dish equipment as I recall.

The only update to this nightmare of a recording operation was the playback. Using a JVC HM40000 U IIRC, had a built in component out so playback of the DVHS HD recordings was a bit simpler.

All in all I recorded over 500 programs from HBO, Showtime, and Discovery HD. Why? I guess because it was a challenge and I could. I even had the local NBC CE come to the house to see my recording of his first HDTV broadcast of the 2000 Olympics. He said I was the only one in town who could see it not to mention was capable of recording it. They didn't even have the means to record the HD network broadcast.

Today, since the PVR921, we take HDTV recording and playback for granted. Few people on this forum, other than myself appreciate the development work that went into HDTV recording in the home.

[DishSubLA]

I do remember, years ago, that Dish was working on a whole home solution that would have used a central distribution device to send multiple HD signals to multiple rooms modulated in ATSC via coax cable for people to tune directly from the HDTV for access to satellite, but it was kaboshed because it was the broadcasters, who hold the license to the content, did not want ANY re-transmission in HD, certainly not any that was not secure. I believe this solution was killed before even the content providers had a chance to whine.

Similarly, Direc TV was working on its own whole home solution that would send HD signals to rooms through out the home which had a special box for reception. The signals were to be sent by wireless technology, but Direc TV could not make it sufficiently secure to the satisfaction of the content owners, so it, too, was kaboshed.

In other words, we would all have had fairly sophisticated whole home solutions years ago if it weren't for the paranoia and ignorance of the content owners, and, yes, the broadcasters, too.

[whatchel1]

The major "Broadcaster" that threw a fit was ABC who is owned by "ta da" $ony.

[osu1991]

Last I checked ABC was/is owned by Disney

[Don Landis]

Technically, there is no reason why Dish couldn't do today what it is doing with the TV2 SD, then expand on that with a TV3, TV4 etc and have that be for HDTV too. But it wasn't the TV stations that complained it didn't want their signal on more than one TV in the home, it was MPAA that fought on all levels the distribution of movies to more than one TV viewing at a time. They fought the networking of IEEE1394 to the point that they shut down the Panasonic HD DVHS VCR. They did it through an extortion like tactic with Panasonic. I know because I got to read the letter they sent to Panasonic explaining to them that the name Panasonic would be boycotted in the movie making business if they continued to manufacture the DVHS VCR to consumers. They were the fight behind all DRM issues on DVI, and HDMI encryption. They were the ones who fought for the revocation list in the Firewire security handshake.

Today, you CAN distribute HDMI via splitters throughout your home but the cost is still high for that equipment. This was not allowed when HDMI first was released but you can today. As long as your entire distribution system is HDCP compliant everything will handshake.

[Don Landis]

Last I checked ABC was/is owned by Disney

Correct, and it wasn't ABC who threw the fit, it was, indeed Disney who was afraid of HDTV. The only HDTV related ABC deal was they, along with Fox pushed for no higher than 720px1280 HD standard, while CBS moved toward the 1080i x 1920 standard even though there wasn't any technology at the time that could do beyond 1100 lines resolution.

Back in the beginning of Blu Ray / HD DVD we all were laughing at Disney and how they were acting. We all believed that one day soon Disney would not only embrace one or both of the HD Disk formats, they would be one of the best producers of HD Disks in the world. Based on the recent Disney releases, I'd say that has come true.