Cancellation issues, what ifs, and keeping my recorded content
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I don't have that option. Instead I have "Upconvert SD and HD-lite to Blu-ray quality and burn to a disc"
I've done hundreds if not a thousand such recordings, even from HBO. All sourced from component video of the Hopper. If the program had DD, it still does. They look fantastic.
But it DOES. You have to turn on a HDMI attached device to record it, which then it thinks it is ok, and, the output still goes to component video.
Another option if you really have a lot to transfer to a PC is to just go down to the 19.99 package and keep your DVR working while you continue transferring.
Just one more question regarding the saving of DISH DVR/EHD content using the Hauppauge 1512 PVR...
Since I'm going to be adding a second hard drive to my home theater PC expressly for use to write this content to, does anyone know if there is an advantage (quality or otherwise) in using a solid state hard drive versus a regular mechanical hard drive for this purpose? I'm going to order the Hauppauge tonight and would like to order the hard drive at the same time but was just wondering if I should choose one type of technology over another. Thanks.
Since I'm going to be adding a second hard drive to my home theater PC expressly for use to write this content to, does anyone know if there is an advantage (quality or otherwise) in using a solid state hard drive versus a regular mechanical hard drive for this purpose? I'm going to order the Hauppauge tonight and would like to order the hard drive at the same time but was just wondering if I should choose one type of technology over another. Thanks.
Have you looked at the price and limited capacity of SS drives ?
Also, SS drives are supposed to be faster, but for this use, speed is little concern.
Also, SS drives are supposed to be faster, but for this use, speed is little concern.
Yeah...I just found a few articles that said the same thing. I have SSDs in other systems and primarily use them to put the OS and a few programs on them only. Never used them specifically for storage. And yep...the $ per GB ratio sucks, although it's getting better. I guess for this purpose, I'll just stick with a good, fast, reliable brand of old school technology. 
For video archiving a HDD beats a SSD. Far more capacity for far less money. Video bit rates are less than 10 mbits/sec, even a BD full speed is only 50mbit/sec at peak. Hard drives easily transfer upwards of 100 mBYTES/sec, 20x faster than needed for video.
It's almost worth the very small inconvenience and price just to buy what you truly treasure on DVD, at a higher quality I might add. For example, I have a David Gilmore Remember the Night, Albert Hall concert that I've watched probably 20 times. How can you beat $15 for a 2 disc set, Blu-Ray, DD, shipped from Amazon.com!
I have a ton of material from TCM, much of which is either unavailable or in order to get it, I have to buy a lot of redundant box sets. The recent Premium preview also allowed me to watch Game of Thrones Season 4. It'll be hard to beat nothing at Amazon. Also going over to Amazon and buying DVDs etc... with a cut cord still runs into the issue of being DVR-less. It means you need to wait more, sometimes never being able to see what you want to see (Broadcast sports OTA).
Additionally, while Blu-Ray is gorgeous, hard drives aren't quite cheap enough to rip blu-rays without spending a good deal on hard drives. This is where DVDs are still great, you can buy them, rip them, and the final product is great for a HTPC On-Demand set-up. But blu-rays look so much better. Which is why I like to get the Blu-ray / DVD / digital releases.
In the end, while you clearly have it in for Dish, Dish does provide a service that meets a lot of people's needs. Whether it meets what you demand, for the price you are willing to pay is another story. People should always be checking their options. Not being under contract with Dish for a long time, I've been looking around periodically (I'm always up for the best long-term deal). Still haven't seen a better deal. And Dish offers enough promos to help stretch a dollar in the premium levels.
Ya know what, price really isn't the issue with me, service and reliability is. Dish has a bad track record for both. I've had Dish since you had to buy the equipment and install it yourself so I know their MO all too well. Apparently Direct is no better.
Don't get me wrong, I like to bargain hunt but it's more for the thrill of the kill than anything else. Wife accuses me of spending $3.00 on gas to go across town to save a buck.
This is why the old FTA box was so popular, the time when folks would down load bin files for their HD hack boxes. Owners were in total control including not having to worry about losing OTA and recordings since the recordings were kept on a HD in MPEG file form.
Dish and the telecommunications industry as a whole have figured out ways to get their hooks in you. Nobody likes the con game.
Don't get me wrong, I like to bargain hunt but it's more for the thrill of the kill than anything else. Wife accuses me of spending $3.00 on gas to go across town to save a buck.
This is why the old FTA box was so popular, the time when folks would down load bin files for their HD hack boxes. Owners were in total control including not having to worry about losing OTA and recordings since the recordings were kept on a HD in MPEG file form.
Dish and the telecommunications industry as a whole have figured out ways to get their hooks in you. Nobody likes the con game.
Dish's accounting is run on an old Vax machine from the 60s and the call-in center can be frustrating. In what other ways is Dish not reliable?
The creation of DIRT has been a major success in helping customers not only solve their issues, but do so quickly.
The creation of DIRT has been a major success in helping customers not only solve their issues, but do so quickly.
Ha! I realize you were being facetious but... #1: Vaxes were first introduced in 1977. #2: If dish's accounting system were still run on an old VAX, we probably wouldn't be experiencing these frustrations.
Man, many fewer Vax Nazis than Grammar Nazis... but still became a victim of one.
Duly noted.
