5/9 Tech Chat Summary

[Sean Mota]

Mark Jackson - President of Echostar Technology
Dan Minnick - Software Development​

Agenda

25th Anniversay Highlights
Dish Player DVR 942 HD
Single Mode/Dual Mode Features
Special Guest From HBO
Interactive Update
Spring Quick Tips​

25th Anniversary Highlights

Short Video of Echostar
Echostar offices
First Video Descrambler
Echostar Receiver Assembly Line
etc...​

Dish Player DVR 942 is a Dual Tuner, Two TV set box. The primary TV is HD and the secondary TV is Standard Definition.

Features of Dish Player DVR 942:

250 GB Hard Disk Drive
up to 25 hours HD
up to 180 hours SD
or Combination of SD & HD
Pause, Skip, Fast Forward/Reverse etc
Pause up to One Hour for TV1 and TV2
Records Digital Terrestrial Signal​

TV1 Programming

High Definition
Up-Converted Standard Definition
Off-Air Digital Broadcast using Off-Air Antenna
Display Resolutions: 480p, 720p, 1080ip, 480i (up-Converted)
Displays PG informaiton if you subscribe to Local on from Dish​

Tv2 Programming

Standar Definition
Down-Converted HD
Off Air Digital Programs from the Hard Drive​

Single & Dual Mode:

Similar to Dish Player DVR 522 & 625
Single Mode​

Record two LIVE programs (SD or HD) while watching one from Hard Drive
Picture in Picture
Each Tuner has one Hour Pause Buffer
Both Remotes Operates Receiver
Shared View "Enabled" shows same program on Tv2​

Dual Mode

TV1 & Tv2 Independently view and Record
One Live Satellite Recording while Watching Program From Hard Drive

EPG Option 3 Hours: Gives you three hours of information. If you don't like it there are 5 other options.​

Name-Based Recording:

Record Once, Weekly, Daily, M-F
Record All Episodes
Record New Episodes
Record Dish Pass​

How to resolve Conflicts? Priority are set automatically. You have the option to change the priorities.

Connections to 942: HDMI - Audio/Video together. DVI converter shiped as well.

Tv2: Home cable composite or UHF Cable and Transmit Stereo.

USB 2.o port:


Next couple of months it will be enabled. There will be a software upgrade that will allow you to transfer
JPEG images and MP3 files from USB mass storage devices and copy then over to
the 942 Hard Disk to display on the TV. Connect Digital Camera. It automatically will convert the resolution
of the JPEG to match the resolution of the TV. Looking to add MASS STORAGE. Will be to buy more space and
connect to USB. The Hard Disk will be encrypted and it will tied to that receiver. You won't be able to take
the Hard Disk to another receiver. It will only work with the receiver that it got recorded on.


Pocket Dish out in July. Is a Media Player. Transfer from 942 to pocket dish. Two models 2 inches & 7 inches model.
How fast is the transfer? The average movie will tranfer in about 10 minutes. They are in Beta Test right now.


PocketDish

2.2" (20GB) 4" (30GB} & 7" (40GB) Units
Record Dish Network Content from Supporter Receivers
Store/Use JPEG Images, MP3 Audio, Data, Internet Content.

Dish Comm Technology. Set top Boxes will talk to each other and transmit PPV information. You will only need
one telephone connection for receivers above 942.


Adding a Dish Player 942:

1- Buy one for $699 with an additional charge for installation
2- Ask your installer if Dish Pro Plus installation will work for you. Will work with single line but you need to
change LNB to support it.

Giving away a 942/Explaining Dual/Single Mode.

Question to win a 942: At what frequency our UHF remote operate?

Q/A Section:

1- When we will get a software upgrade of the 921 receivers? Software update L214 is in beta test right now and
hope to have it release by the end of the month. It contains a lot of the clean up that people have been
reporting on the forums and also through the Center.

2 - Keith: Update on the NBR for the other receivers, 921 and 721? No plans to introduce NBR. In the 510s, 508s
will be receiving the functionality later this year.

3- Shane: 942 cannot lock on some OTA channels? We are working with the broadcasters. If the PSIP data is not
available then 942 won't scan for them.

4- David: MPEG-4 upgrade? What's the plan? Will there be a swap program? MPEG-4 is coming. We do not know
what the transtion plan will be. HD subs will be the first to get upgrade to MPEG-4. Charlies said it will be
as painless as possible.

5- If install DSL, do I need filters on my receiver modem? Yes.

6- Can I use 522 on one TV and watch and record? Yes.

7- Why I can't get CC on HDTV? With HDTV models go into setup and turn on CC feature.

8- VOOM HD and has few issues- Can his cascade into SW64? Use Dish Pro plus to look at 4 satellites.

Bob Zitter from HBO, Vice President Technolgy Officer. HBO is big in HD. Dishnetwork one of the first to carry it.
When we began HD only 44% content, we selected 1080i as the highest resolution available. We've grown the amount of HD
content. Today 80% is HD and 20% is upconverted. All HBO produced films are in HD, Boxing in HD, All theatical films are
in HD. New series Rome will be in HD. Last year 16Million homes with HDTVs and manufacturers are tellings us that they
expect to sell another 20Million.

Can you tell us how complex is HD production? As you know is totally different, totally new cameras, tape
equipment, new processs. Company has to gradually convert the equipment. What you have is essentially is two type of
programming. 35mm Film is higher resolution than HD. The sopranos are transfered to HD master based on 35mm film. It is a
gradual process. We like the transfer of the HD master rather than the HD video since the HD master keeps the resolution better.


Interactive:

Dish Karaoke available through channel 100.
Dish Mobile

Quick Spring Tips

Rain Fade
Leave Fallage.

More 721 and other questions None which has not been answered here.

copyright of Satelliteguys.us

 

[dfergie]

Thanks Sean someone paid attention...

 

[Sean Mota]

No problem. Sorry for the spelling errors but I was typing real fast.

 

[dfergie]

I tried, man this is hard , kudos to those that keep up with chats... feel free to add anything I caught and delete mine

 

[Sean Mota]

I love the option of buying more Mass Storage... But given that MPEG-4 will be around the year, how feasible is the extra Mass storage. I also loved the part about HD subs being the first one to be transfered to MPEG-4.

 

[dfergie]

Me too.... wish I had the 942... but, with MPEG-4 looming and the fact that I have hd E*dvr and D* mpeg 4 upgrades coming up I will stand pat... ( my Replays do D*Hd justice on my X1)

 

[larrystotler]

I was pissed because they told that guy he couldn't do 4 sats with an SW64. I called and complained, but they didn't offer a correction. Sent email to ceo about it. And those guys were the experts???

 

[dfergie]

Larry, I think we have more knowledgeable folks on all the forums... SatelliteGuys, Dbs talk, Avs and Dbs forums...

 

[James Long]

Thanks for the summary ... I was taking my groundhog out for a one way drive and forgot about the chat! (Finally caught the bugger that was digging up my yard - he now lives five miles from my house. )

JL

 

[BFG]

you captured the bugger then let him go again?

Didn't want him as a bet?

 

[TNGTony]

Thanks Sean

 

[richard_rd]

Thanks for the summary ... I was taking my groundhog out for a one way drive and forgot about the chat! (Finally caught the bugger that was digging up my yard - he now lives five miles from my house. )

JL

A bullet would have been cheaper then the gas!!

 

[John Kotches]

Interesting development on the receiver and USB 2.0.

I could live with tieing the storage to the receiver. Not perfect, but livable, until the receiver failed or I upgraded the receiver.

Cheers,

 

[James Long]

A bullet would have been cheaper then the gas!!

The gas cost about $1 ... the gun would have been more expensive. The silly thing is that once I opened the cage he wouldn't leave! It took a couple of minutes for him to saunter out and then slink off in to the woods.
(Much like Charlie does when asked about Name Based Recording. We have that on 510's now, don't we? Oh ... we don't, but we will!)

Why do I get the feeling that NBR will either barely make it on the 501/508/510 series before MPEG4 DVRs are pushed out the door for bleeding edge customer "beta testing" or not make it on the 5xxs at all?

Why are they pushing the obsolete 942 receiver? Do they have a warehouse full of them and nothing better to do?

JL

 

[nuts4scuba]

Why do I get the feeling that NBR will either barely make it on the 501/508/510 series before MPEG4 DVRs are pushed out the door for bleeding edge customer "beta testing" or not make it on the 5xxs at all?

JL

I don't think they will implement NBR for the 5XX's. They will keep pushing it out until they can say that they are getting ready to replace the units for MPEG4 and don't feel it is a compelling upgrade.

 

[shanewalker]

Likewise, thanks Sean, for posting the summary. I had small hopes my question would actually make it on the show, but voila. I watched the first half then had to run and help with dinner prep so hadn't checked out the Q&A section yet. Will tonight--still seems they edited my full question (understandable I quess) and may not have really answered it to the extent of my issues with the 942s OTA tuner. We'll see...

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

Nice recap Sean! Its nice to actually see an actual recap instead of a recap made up of all bullet notes like I have seen elsewhere.

I am looking forward to getting the Media Viewer on my 942. I saw this technology last year at Team Summit, and liked it VERY much.

Now add web browsing to the 942 and its almost a perfect machine / home media server.

 

[korsjs]

very nice recap.

 

[David_Levin]

meda viewer:

I'd rather see a dongle that allow transferring the video to a laptop. 1 gig per hour (10 mins to transfer) sounds like they are not converting video resolution. Kind of a waste for such a small screen. May not be able to transfer HD source (especially after HD goes to mpeg 4).

Still might be a nice toy if you don't already have a Hard Drive mp3 player.

 

[jlhugh]

Sounds like they are trying to make the 942 receiver like the mediaportal that 2 wire is going to release. I see them failing miserably.