# Dish HD to Media Center PC



## Tydo_Maepifi (Jan 3, 2008)

I've been looking at upgrading to a Dish HD receiver, but I haven't been able to find any information on how to connect a HD receiver to the PC without down converting the signal by using a s-video cable.

Have any of you been able to find a way, and is Dish ever going to coming out with a receiver made to connect to a PC?


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## Lancelink (Feb 6, 2007)

HDMI (1080p) into PC is the stuff that drives the copyright hawks in Hollywood even more postal than they already are. The last thing these guys want is for you to be able to dupe a full res version of a movie and post it or otherwise share it. That said there is at least one solution made by blackmagic-design that does HDMI in, but only handles up to 1080i (this is the max output of your satellite box anyway). I would just post a link but alas, I am not link worthy even though my name is link. Anyway, quickly back on topic, they have a PCI Express x1 capture card. None of this is as straightforward as we would hope so I would be sure I could return it before I fork over the money.

Keep in mind there are a number of solutions around to get component into your computer. Try Googleing 'component video to PC' or 'component video capture' to see what you can find.

The future will change all this, but just how is pure speculation. There is some effort to make 1080p into pcs an everyday kinda thing, but there will be some attempt at copy protection involved, to be sure.

Good luck, and please post your results here is you try the HDMI thingy.

Link


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## texaswolf (Oct 18, 2007)

just curious on why your connecting to your pc?


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## CoriBright (May 30, 2002)

There are cable card Vista PCs (HP make a couple) which do record HD, but with plenty of copy protection. There is nothing yet (AFAIK) on the satellite side. I got a 311 from eBay to connect to my Vista PC, didn't seem to be any point in connecting either the 622 or the 411 since the only extra I'd get would be the HD channels in SD. Seeing as almost all the HD channels have SD equivalents, I'd gain nothing except perhaps Voom stuff which I'd never record anyway).

I connected mine so that I could easily convert the programs to DIVX and then burn Data DVDs of whole seasons. 22 hours (minus commercials) fits nicely on 2 DVDs, which is more economically viable than buying the full set of DVDs retail, and our DVD standalone player likes DIVX files. Of course the HD DVD won't even see them, but we only have one of them whereas we have 3 DVD players that take DIVX Data DVDs. It saves a LOT of space in the DVD rack as well, since you can get the cases that that 2 DVDs!


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## texaswolf (Oct 18, 2007)

CoriBright said:


> There are cable card Vista PCs (HP make a couple) which do record HD, but with plenty of copy protection. There is nothing yet (AFAIK) on the satellite side. I got a 311 from eBay to connect to my Vista PC, didn't seem to be any point in connecting either the 622 or the 411 since the only extra I'd get would be the HD channels in SD. Seeing as almost all the HD channels have SD equivalents, I'd gain nothing except perhaps Voom stuff which I'd never record anyway).
> 
> I connected mine so that I could easily convert the programs to DIVX and then burn Data DVDs of whole seasons. 22 hours (minus commercials) fits nicely on 2 DVDs, which is more economically viable than buying the full set of DVDs retail, and our DVD standalone player likes DIVX files. Of course the HD DVD won't even see them, but we only have one of them whereas we have 3 DVD players that take DIVX Data DVDs. It saves a LOT of space in the DVD rack as well, since you can get the cases that that 2 DVDs!


I used to do that...record and burn...same with DVD's...since E* has enabled the external hard drive function...I no longer do it...to much work...much easier to record on dvr...pop it over to external...and be able to view it with the click of the remote...I'm hoping they will add the folders option to the external as well...make it much easier to keep seasons organized.


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## Jim5506 (Jun 7, 2004)

If you buy your Dish HD receiver, look at the R5000 modification. It intercepts the stream from the satellite and sends it via USB to your PC. Not cheap, but it does MPEG2 and MPEG4.


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## Tydo_Maepifi (Jan 3, 2008)

texaswolf said:


> just curious on why your connecting to your pc?


Because I have a 30" lcd monitor connected to my computer.

It seems that there is nothing out right now that's in my price range. Guess I'll just have to wait till something more mainstream comes out. Thanks for all your help guys.


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## phrelin (Jan 18, 2007)

Jim5506 said:


> If you buy your Dish HD receiver, look at the R5000 modification. It intercepts the stream from the satellite and sends it via USB to your PC. Not cheap, but it does MPEG2 and MPEG4.


OK, you got me - somehow this one I missed so I looked it up at http://www.nextcomwireless.com/r5000/products.htm and it is cool technology, but you'd really have do want it badly at that price. Know anyone who has one?


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## Ressurrector (Jan 1, 2008)

phrelin said:


> OK, you got me - somehow this one I missed so I looked it up at http://www.nextcomwireless.com/r5000/products.htm and it is cool technology, but you'd really have do want it badly at that price. Know anyone who has one?


You ain't lieing!!! LOL and send them your DVR too??


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## James Long (Apr 17, 2003)

Ressurrector said:


> You ain't lieing!!! LOL and send them your DVR too??


Which also requires that you OWN the receiver (since you can't mod a receiver that you lease).

The r5000 mod taps in to the receiver before the hard drive ... reading their site they warn that you can't dub content from the hard drive via the r5000 ... so if one goes that way they will have to rely on the external device to record everything.

(BTW: The deeper question of removing content from the internal or external drives attached to a DISH Network receiver is beyond the scope of this forum. Any discussion we notice will be deleted.)


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## Ressurrector (Jan 1, 2008)

James Long said:


> Which also requires that you OWN the receiver (since you can't mod a receiver that you lease).
> 
> The r5000 mod taps in to the receiver before the hard drive ... reading their site they warn that you can't dub content from the hard drive via the r5000 ... so if one goes that way they will have to rely on the external device to record everything.
> 
> (BTW: The deeper question of removing content from the internal or external drives attached to a DISH Network receiver is beyond the scope of this forum. Any discussion we notice will be deleted.)


Ahh I wondered what happened to that post. BUT that answers my question NO WAREZ or even slighlty warez post allowed. Thx for clearin that up.


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## chrisc16 (Jan 8, 2004)

phrelin said:


> Know anyone who has one?


I have a (leased) Dish 211 that is R5000-modified. They install a USB cable that runs out of an existing hole in the back of the receiver. I use SageTV to record SD and HD content this way. The biggest advantage (besides being able to get all HD channels into my PC) is that it handles channel changes through USB also, so I don't have to worry about IR blasters.

Yes, it was expensive, and yes, it's not for most people, but for those who love their SageTV (or BeyondTV, etc) systems, it's a great way to go.

-Chris


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## texaswolf (Oct 18, 2007)

Tydo_Maepifi said:


> Because I have a 30" lcd monitor connected to my computer.


AHHH...makes sense now


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## 4HiMarks (Jan 21, 2004)

texaswolf said:


> AHHH...makes sense now


No it doesn't. A simple KVM switch would get the picture onto your monitor. You weren't planning on watching HDTV in a window while surfing the net or reading email at the same time were you?

-Chris


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## phrelin (Jan 18, 2007)

chrisc16 said:


> I have a (leased) Dish 211 that is R5000-modified. They install a USB cable that runs out of an existing hole in the back of the receiver. I use SageTV to record SD and HD content this way. The biggest advantage (besides being able to get all HD channels into my PC) is that it handles channel changes through USB also, so I don't have to worry about IR blasters.
> 
> Yes, it was expensive, and yes, it's not for most people, but for those who love their SageTV (or BeyondTV, etc) systems, it's a great way to go.
> 
> -Chris


Veerrry interesting. Will look further into this approach. Thanks.


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