# DVR fee? We don't need no stinkin' DVR fee...



## TNGTony (Mar 23, 2002)

Well folks with my new computer I came accross yet another reason why I will never pay a DVR fee to Dish....NEVER EVER.

I just had a new PC put together that kicks ass! Included in the PC is a little video card: the ATI All-In-Wonder. Included software in this thing includes a complete DVR including EPG and remote control. It also allows you to DVR to AVI, MPEG2, MPEG4 or what it calls Video VCR which is the default proprietary and very pretty looking video stream. Since I plan to burn my own dual layer DVDs of the programs I want to keep, I am recoding in the MPEG2 format for now. I just got this thing so I will be experimenting for some time.

Of course the AMD Athlon 64 chip helps the performance just a tad.  

With something like this at my disposal, there is no way in hell I'd ever pay Dish a nickel for the DVR capability. If all else fails, I can connect the Dish system directly to the PC via S-VHS and audio connections. But for now I have my cable connection hooked up to it and the internal tuner is doing most of the work right now. This thing even does AC3 and DD5.1 for audio inputs!

Granted with the amount the video card cost I could have had 3 years of Dish DVR service. But even then I could never just plop it onto a DVD without some serious jumping of hoops.

See ya
Tony


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## djlong (Jul 8, 2002)

One problem I've had with the ATI software is that you can't record on a timer from the S-Video inputs. It *always* reverted back to using the tuner and I'd have to manually switch it over to S-Video/Composite. So it wasn't good at being unattended.

Other than that, though.......


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## Link (Feb 2, 2004)

Well I can see Dish charging the one 4.99 fee per account, but not per receiver. That is ridiculous a person would be charged $4.99 x 3 if they had 2 510s and a 522 receiver. You aren't getting anything for your money. I have 721 receivers and 508 so I don't pay at all. Now if it was name based recording the fee might seem more reasonable.


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## David_Levin (Apr 22, 2002)

I'm guessing that your PC didn't include an HD Tuner. But, you can get that anytime. In any case, you can't record from Sat in 5.1 with the PC PVR.

Also, the WAF (Wife Acceptance Factor) of a PC in the family room is an issue for many people.

So, you're PC can encode MPEG4 in realtime? Is this a Software or Hardware encoder? At what resolution?

I do like the concept of a PC based PVR, but, it does have it's downsides.

If you go with Cable, you should be able to work out a firewire solution to getting HD onto the PC.


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## Danny R (Jul 5, 2002)

_Also, the WAF (Wife Acceptance Factor) of a PC in the family room is an issue for many people.
_

You can easily avoid this by getting a case that looks like a piece of audio equipment.


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## Jacob S (Apr 14, 2002)

Also couldnt you transmit the signal wirelessly or with a wire to the pc to the room that it is in?


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## TNGTony (Mar 23, 2002)

David_Levin said:


> So, you're PC can encode MPEG4 in realtime? Is this a Software or Hardware encoder? At what resolution?[/quote}
> 
> Sorry I haven't fiddled with this thing long enough to tell you lines. However it looks pretty darned good! However the MPEG2 still looks better on the DVD setting. My guess is that MPEG4 is strictly for cramming more on the disk with reasonable picture.
> 
> ...


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## marko (Jan 9, 2003)

Yes, computer DVRs are nice. Also, Windows MCE edition is now available to OEMs, so end users can build their own computer and take advantage of this without having th purchase a specific computer. This (improved computer DVRs)could be the turning point for me to make the switch to cable though, unfortunately (maybe). Not sure I really want to do that though.


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## Guest (Oct 13, 2004)

FYI

Plextor the leader in the cd/dvd drive world has just introed a 
DVR of their own about $200.00

Awhile back Creative offered their Soundblaster video card which was a PVR as well for $99.00................but for some reason it dissappeared from their product line. Anyone know what happened?


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## Guest (Oct 13, 2004)

marko said:


> Yes, computer DVRs are nice. Also, Windows MCE edition is now available to OEMs, so end users can build their own computer and take advantage of this without having th purchase a specific computer. This (improved computer DVRs)could be the turning point for me to make the switch to cable though, unfortunately (maybe). Not sure I really want to do that though.


Why would you switch to cable ? and what is Windows MCE?


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## marko (Jan 9, 2003)

cococo said:


> Why would you switch to cable ? and what is Windows MCE?


Windows media center editionMCE

Probably won't switch to cable, but thinking about it. Somewhere along the line, my dish network bill has gotten quite high (HD pack hurts). Right now I am paying $55 a month for AT100, HD Pak, second receiver, warranty, tax (currently without locals, but really need locals). I could get Time Warner digital cable package with HD for about $60. So really, the bill would be about the same and honestly TWC gives me more HD channels/other channels.

MCE would be nice to extend my recording to other tvs through their upcoming extenders (xbox extender). That would be nice. I currently have MCE 2004, and it is ok.


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## CoriBright (May 30, 2002)

marko said:


> Windows media center editionMCE
> 
> MCE would be nice to extend my recording to other tvs through their upcoming extenders (xbox extender). That would be nice. I currently have MCE 2004, and it is ok.


Extenders will only work with MCE 2005. Contact your OEM to see if the upgrade is available. HP is available and about $9.95. Dell apparently say on 10/19.


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## marko (Jan 9, 2003)

CoriBright said:


> Extenders will only work with MCE 2005. Contact your OEM to see if the upgrade is available. HP is available and about $9.95. Dell apparently say on 10/19.


Downloading and installing 2005 now actually. MSDN is on the ball with putting MCE 2005 out there.


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## CoriBright (May 30, 2002)

marko said:


> Downloading and installing 2005 now actually. MSDN is on the ball with putting MCE 2005 out there.


Me too... got half of it WiFi from Burbank Airport then Southwest interrupted me. The Launch at the Shrine went very well. Look for an HD/SD card from nVidia around March if you don't want/like ATI's effort.

Linksys MCE Extenders look way cool. Don't have an X-Box but that will be the way for component connection, all other Extenders will be S-Video.


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