External input to hopper system

[grifftek]

Hi Guys

is there any way to add an external input (hdmi) to the hopper which could then be viewed from any of the tvs connected to the system?

any way to up convert an hdmi signal to a channel and input it through the switch and then tune into it as if it were another hd channel?

Thanks for any insight

Bill

 

[navychop]

No.

 

[navychop]

The only inputs are sat and USB OTA tuners. Emulating an OTA tuner would be expensive.

 

[ScottChez]

Now that they have the USB OTA tuner, they need to come out with a similar device that only did Channel 3 or 4 input on Coax or maybe a Yellow Red White input.
It would show up on the Guide as AUX. One could use it for a Front door camera or something.
Dish really already has the hardware (The USB TUNER), they just need to tweak it and write the software.
Dish would make tons of money on the add on (hope the Dish DIRT and Dish bean counters read these posts).

 

[garys]

My bet is that Dish will not do this, their ota tuners used to be both analog and digital on the HD receivers until they came out with the 622. That receiver and each one after that has only had the digital signal incorporated. I don't see why Dish would put more money into something that most people do not or will not use (this is probably why most of the dvr's and dual sat tuner receivers have the OTA module as an add on.)

 

[harshness]

No.

Hell no!

 

[harshness]

any way to up convert an hdmi signal to a channel and input it through the switch and then tune into it as if it were another hd channel?

It may be possible at some point to set up a media server and view the external content via DLNA.

HDMI is a poor choice for relaying content as HDCP must be involved (as a condition of HDMI certification) every step of the way.

 

[grifftek]

Thanks for the answer.

I just seems like such a natural thing to do, have an external input for a dvd or other source which then could viewed by any tv hooked to the system instead of having to have a dvd player at every tv location.

I have my hoppers located in a media closet and only have the tv mounted to the walls in the various rooms. Having to run additional cables to every tv or placing additional equipment in every room with a tv is just not a clean way to go. I was originally planning on using a matrix switch to distribute the content to the rooms but when I heard about the hopper system, its almost as good, its only missing the external input. Even if it only had one input, a much simpler source selection switch could be used to switch between a number of sources (home security cameras, DVD, Video game console, Media PC, etc)

Any links you can share where I can learn more about hooking up a media server to the hopper?

Thanks
bill

 

[navychop]

I wonder if there are copyright issues? Since there are Media Servers out there, I woul think not. Perhaps it is an economic or technical issue.

 

[John Kotches]

I wonder if there are copyright issues? Since there are Media Servers out there, I woul think not. Perhaps it is an economic or technical issue.

It has to do the encode on the fly -- as the output is uncompressed for these formats. It can be done, but the added $$$ in the BOM (Bill of Materials) isn't warranted for the few people that would actually do this.

Most people that are interested in distributed content like this have probably come up with a solution in their houses. I know I have.



Sent from my ASUS Transformer Pad TF700T using Tapatalk HD

 

[JerryDowning]

Is there a digital modulator that can attach to the OTA on an unused channel? I have used analog modulators back in the days of NTSC.

 

[rglore]

I combine my Hopper's composite output and my security camera system's composite output using modulators with my amplified OTA and distribute it to all TVs in the house. Any TV can view the Hopper or the security cameras or any OTA channel on it's antenna input or switch to the Hopper or Joey on the HDMI input for HD.

 

[oryan_dunn]

I combine my Hopper's composite output and my security camera system's composite output using modulators with my amplified OTA and distribute it to all TVs in the house. Any TV can view the Hopper or the security cameras or any OTA channel on it's antenna input or switch to the Hopper or Joey on the HDMI input for HD.

Here's one, probably pretty expensive
http://thorbroadcast.com/sklep-205/produkt-139

You'd probably also need something to strip HDCP from HDMI to get it to work. Once modulated to 8VSB, then the OTA module could tune that and send it to any TV in the house. Bonus points for 8VSB modulation because it'd work without any Hopper/Joey at all since most TVs have built in ATSC tuners now.

Too bad 8VSB modulators won't ever become as common as the old analog RF modulators.

 

[harshness]

Is there a digital modulator that can attach to the OTA on an unused channel?

Absolutely! The problem is that they cost hundreds of dollars per channel. Converting sources to streaming media is a significantly cheaper solution that uses networking instead of the significant complexity of modulators, tuners and distribution amps.