# Connecting Dish Network with Windows Media Center



## tallin32 (May 24, 2010)

This ... could be a tricky one. Here's the final outcome that I'm wanting--I'm hoping some of you more experience DBS types can give me a pointer or six on how to achieve it.
I'm getting Dish Network service with a ViP722 HDDVR to connect to the TV. Major feature I'M wanting with that is the Dish Remote Access--which may not seem like a huge deal to most of you, but here's the issue with that. I'm completely blind, and accessing DVR programming through the on-screen menus is impossible (although controlling said DVR through the PC or iPhone isn't. A discussion on how blind people use computers is beyond the scope of this thread, although I invite you to do your own research if you're really keen to know).
Given that the ViP722 can record, but not necessarily allow you to copy those recordings to your PC (at least as far as I know, although I could be wrong), I'd love to be able to connect my notebook to Dish Network in some fashion (possibly with a ViP211 and a Haupauge HDDVR?). Video quality is not an issue there, although it is with the TV, as both my wife and I are just as likely to watch TV, whereas my notebook doesn't leave my custody due to its tendency to run software that no one is allowed to see.
Eventually, I'd also enjoy upgrading our TV to a Windows Media Center PC, at which point I'd like to integrate Dish Network with the Windows Media Center EPG. Again with the blindness issue, the present setup has me using Dish Network's website to see what's on (please, no puns on "see"--those are so old as to qualify for Medicare at this point. ) and then manually switch channels. I'm sort of all about the integrated experience.
Adding an Xbox 360 as a media extender is probably something else I'm wanting to do at some point (because I get a discount on them working for Microsoft as a software developer (again, a discussion on how blind people can program a computer is beyond the scope of this thread)), but that's probably not covered here. Question is ... how doable is the rest of it?


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## sigma1914 (Sep 5, 2006)

I can't give you any helpful info, but I'd like to say that you are amazing for doing all you do without vision. Good luck getting an adaptive setup.


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## BattleZone (Nov 13, 2007)

You're on the right track - your best bet to do what you want to do is to use a ViP211k and Win7 Media Center, with the Hauppauge HD-PVR. I've never had the oppertunity to hook one of those up (I've used DirecTV SD receivers with Media Center, though), but I've heard of it being done successfully, so that's what I'd do.

What you *don't* want to do is try to use a DVR to feed another DVR. That's just a disaster.


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## tallin32 (May 24, 2010)

BattleZone said:


> You're on the right track - your best bet to do what you want to do is to use a ViP211k and Win7 Media Center, with the Hauppauge HD-PVR. I've never had the oppertunity to hook one of those up (I've used DirecTV SD receivers with Media Center, though), but I've heard of it being done successfully, so that's what I'd do.
> 
> What you *don't* want to do is try to use a DVR to feed another DVR. That's just a disaster.


But ... can you then schedule the WMC machine remotely? Or would I then fall back to the ViP722, leaving three active tuners (the ViP722 on the TV, the ViP211K on the Media Center PC, and the ViP211K going to my notebook (which can also be used to test WMC in upcoming Windows builds))?
... At which point, we'll have hit the point where we have more viewing devices than adults, which I think actually makes us statistically normal.


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## tallin32 (May 24, 2010)

sigma1914 said:


> I can't give you any helpful info, but I'd like to say that you are amazing for doing all you do without vision. Good luck getting an adaptive setup.


Oh--this is nothing. There are blind people that have climbed Mt. Everest. Geeking out on AV equipment's a comparative walk in the park. (Although I must say that occasionally convincing people that I might WANT a decent AV system is occasionally a bit of a challenge, as is convincing the higher-ups at Microsoft that the Xbox 360 could use some accessibility features.)
If you want something that may really boggle your mind, take a peek at Liam Erven's Youtube channel (I'd post a link, but I haven't posted 5 times yet). Guy's eyesight is on a par with mine, and he's a HY00GE video game person (... well, comparatively speaking). Also people are apparently having some luck playing Final Fantasy XIII (XIII? XII?) without eyesight. Eventually, I'll have time to verify the accuracy of their claims.


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## BattleZone (Nov 13, 2007)

I know there are various remote clients for windows for the iPhone and likely for the iPad (if not now, then soon). I would imagine any of those would work fine to remote Media Center.


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## tallin32 (May 24, 2010)

BattleZone said:


> I know there are various remote clients for windows for the iPhone and likely for the iPad (if not now, then soon). I would imagine any of those would work fine to remote Media Center.


For that matter, a plugin with a Web interface that I could spin up and have it listen on, say, port 8080 that would allow control of my media center would also work.
Although ... now I'm contemplating what I'd need to do to write a client for iPhone or iPad.


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## Stewart Vernon (Jan 7, 2005)

Thinking outside the box here... I wonder if a slingbox would help accomplish this?

The slingbox (if the OP isn't familiar) is primarily intended to "sling" the video/audio output from the receiver via internet so you can watch on a computer or iPhone when you are out of the house.

The bonus here in the OP's case, is that the PC software to view the slingbox video/audio is more full-featured to the kind of control he wants from the computer... That being ability to launch DVRed programs, change channels, etc.

I'd be curious if we have any other blind or legally blind users who have used a slingbox scenario like this and found it easier or different to use for what the OP has described his desire here?


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## riah (May 15, 2008)

Check out one of these:

http://www.myhava.com/

I have it connected to my vip722 component interface and it produces and records great video quality in Windows Media Center on both my XP and Windows 7 & laptops as well as streaming over my local network.

It does work over the internet as well, including clients for the IPhone and a small number of others. I can not comment on that quality of the video as I only have about 480KB upload speed on my DSL which means a small SD picture on a lap top but it does work.

The only issue I have had theri support is not the best and you end up figuring it out or finding some in the community that has posted a solution.

Other that support I am very satisifed with the device and have been using it for almost 2 years.


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## AVJohnnie (Jul 27, 2004)

For what it’s worth, once upon a time (two, maybe three years ago or so) the rumor mill briefly babbled about a venture between Dish (Echostar) and Microsoft’s HW development camp regarding a joint effort to produce a PCI based Dish tuner adapter (media extender) for Media Center PCs. There were only a few rather obscure leaks regarding the endeavor, but these ceased around the same time that the rumors began regarding the early work on the 922's development.


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