Tech Chat Recap - November 14th, 2005

[Tom Bombadil]

I remembered the Tech Chat at 9:10 CST. Darn!

I tried to find the on-line chat here at that time but couldn't find a trace of it.

So it's been almost 3 hours and nary a word has been posted. I thought this was the place of breaking news.

Any word at all on MPEG-4?

Here are some notes typed up by dfergie

Mark Jackson and Dan Minnick

Tonight on Tech Forum:
. Dish Player-DVR 942 Upgrades
.PocketDISH
. Remote Control Technology
. DISH on Demand

Opened with explaining that if you have a USB mass storage capable digital camera you can plug into the 942 USB port... if the 942 recognizes it a pop-up will appear "You have connected a mutimedia device to the USB port would you like to view and manage its contens at this time? 3 options.... Yes, No and Help.
If you push yes the 942 willl discover all the pictures and create a list and allow you to select and download to your 942. Youi can create a slideshow from these. Once again the 942 is only a viewing device and you cannot store or transfer from your 942...
Pocket DISH

With the pocketDish devices you can take your favorite progamming wherever you want to go...you can transfer any Dvr event from your 942 via the 2.0 USB port to the pocketdish... a typical movie takes from 5-7 minutes to transfer.

The 500e and 700e can record from any audio or video device...
the 402 can transfer digital video but only analog audio from an analog device.
The 402 has a 4:3 aspect ratios
The 500e and 700e have 16:9 aspect ratios

Battery life
Video-Up to 4 Hours
Audio-Up to 12 Hours

Pocket DISH AV402E
. LCD Display 2.2"
. Hard Drive (HDD) 20 GB
. USB Transferred DISH Network Content Up to 20 Hours
. Records Analog video from other sources ... No Audio Only
. Other Source Content Capacity Up to 80 Hours
. LCD Aspect Ratio... 4:3
. Remote Control... No
. MSRP $329

Pocket DISH AV500E
. LCD Display 4"
. Hard Drive (HDD) 30 GB
. USB Transferred DISH Network Content...Up to 30 Hours
. Records Video from other Sources... Yes
. Other Source Content Capacity... Up to 120 Hours
. LCD Aspect Ratio... 16:9
. Remote Control... Yes
. MSRP $499


PocektDISH AV700E
. LCD Display 7"
. Hard Drive (HDD) 40 GB
. USB Transferred DISH Network Content...Up to 40 Hours
. Records Video from other Sources... Yes
. Other Source Content Capacity... Up to 160 Hours
. LCD Aspect Ratio... 16:9
. Remote Control... Yes
. MSRP $599

Explained differences between PocketDISH and the Apple ipod...

Limited time PocketDISH Mail in Rebate offer
. AV402E - $20 Rebate
. AV500E - $40 Rebate
. AV700E - $60 Rebate

PocketDISH must be purchased from Nov. 15, 2005, To April 15, 2006, With Claim submitted by May 15, 2006

Showed flyers and explained that you can download users manuals for these models.

Giveaway: a AV402E Question was Name the 2 ways you can get a software update for PocketDISH
Answer: via your PC or via USB from your DVR942

MPEG4- No encoder in place yet to support(slower rollout than competition)
8PSK- Turbo allows 30 to 40 percent improvement in quailty, improve bandwidth for HD programming
Dish 1000 for 129 programming (showed dish)
Echostar 10 (launching first half of next year) more spotbeam capacity...

211 and 411 replaccments for the 811

Question from Kurt (caller)Can you use the 921 with the PocketDISH? Answer, Not with USB via RCA cable only.
Question supporting XDS on the 921... Answer, still investigating.

Remote technology explanation...

E-mail Questions...

Givaway: what 3 Satellite locations is the Dish 1000 for? Answer: 110/119/129

Dish on Demand now available on the 625 explained how to use...

DishPass explaination...

More E-Mail Questions...

Beta testing external HDD storage solutions for 942

Alpha testing NBR for 501/508/510 (maybe Jan)

Charlie Chat
Monday, December 12, 2005
9:00 PM EST
Channel 101

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

Sorry the site has been down most of the night (in fact it has only been up for about 10 minutes now)

Al Noland has done a good recap at http://www.dbstalk.com/showthread.php?t=48091

With the server issues I did not get to pay close attention to the chat on TV.

One thing is for sure, it looks like the 411 will have a short shelf life, it looks like they are going to push the 211 instead.

 

[SimpleSimon]

In addition, they are downplaying MPEG-4. Apparently, the necessary real-time encoders do NOT have the 100% compression improvement everyone was expecting, and it's going to be months/years before they do.

However, they said they'll be moving more transponders to 8PSK, which in and of itself is a 100% improvement. All receivers from the last 3 years (over 10 million) are capable of handling 8PSK, but I've no doubt that Legacy boxes (except maybe the 6000?) are going to be history.

Maybe someone can find out which receivers are 8PSK capable?

 

[RandallA]

Tony has a "Receiver Comparison" list for most receivers here. At the bottom it shows if the receiver is 8PSK capable:

http://ekb.dbstalk.com/101

 

[dfergie]

I have a recap... cannot post until the attacks end...

 

[DWS44]

soooo...as MPEG4 goes bust on E*, are they likely to add any new HD while they try to figure out how to make MPEG4 work the way they want it too?

 

[SummitAdvantageRetailer]

Of course they'll add more HD. They have room to bring new HD channels, though not enough to do HD LIL for the same markets D* will be doing shortly.

Speaking of MPEG4, is D* also ONLY realizing 20 to 30% additional capacity like E*? If it is, that's not good for long-term receiver deployment. But then again, I don't run D* so who knows if they got the capacity benefits or they're just going to do it no matter what because of the capacity restraint now.

 

[BuckNasty]

3900 and up has 8psk hardware, but will have to be software activated

 

[goaliebob99]

I think that dish is taking it from a standpoint of how many recivers they would rather swap out.... Millions of mpg2 recivers or legacy???? Legacy wins in my book as they have a smaller amount and saves the company more money.. I think new hd will be uplinked in 8psk format on wed...

 

[OoTLink]

damn.

I was kinda hoping for a Dish 1500 [5 LNBs ] and HD LILs!

:

Just kidding

 

[hdtvtechno]

I think new hd will be uplinked in 8psk format on wed...

Is that an Rumor ?

 

[goaliebob99]

Is that an Rumor ?

mear speculation of course

 

[DERRICK]

The only thing you will see from D* is multiple satellite dishes, thats there trend. Bunch of Jerks. Spend some Money! Try to be #1 , FOCUS!

 

[pdxsam]

However, they said they'll be moving more transponders to 8PSK, which in and of itself is a 100% improvement. All receivers from the last 3 years (over 10 million) are capable of handling 8PSK, but I've no doubt that Legacy boxes (except maybe the 6000?) are going to be history.

Acoording to that chart the 301 is not 8PSK capable. The 301 was their workhorse and I'm sure there are a LOT of them installed.. so that swapout won't be cheap. Good speculation would be how are they going to manage switching to 8PSK with the 301 installed base if they start swapping SD promming into 8PSK.

Sam

 

[RandallA]

My guess is that they will start with HD content first, all their HD receivers are 8PSK capable. Then they will move to SD programming and that can take another year.

 

[dfergie]

Chat recap I did it after the chat (rewatched and froze for the major points) and could not upload until now... I like Al Nolands better over at DBS but.... here it is

Mark Jackson and Dan Minnick

Tonight on Tech Forum:
. Dish Player-DVR 942 Upgrades
.PocketDISH
. Remote Control Technology
. DISH on Demand

Opened with explaining that if you have a USB mass storage capable digital camera you can plug into the 942 USB port... if the 942 recognizes it a pop-up will appear "You have connected a mutimedia device to the USB port would you like to view and manage its contens at this time? 3 options.... Yes, No and Help.
If you push yes the 942 willl discover all the pictures and create a list and allow you to select and download to your 942. Youi can create a slideshow from these. Once again the 942 is only a viewing device and you cannot store or transfer from your 942...
Pocket DISH

With the pocketDish devices you can take your favorite progamming wherever you want to go...you can transfer any Dvr event from your 942 via the 2.0 USB port to the pocketdish... a typical movie takes from 5-7 minutes to transfer.

The 500e and 700e can record from any audio or video device...
the 402 can transfer digital video but only analog audio from an analog device.
The 402 has a 4:3 aspect ratios
The 500e and 700e have 16:9 aspect ratios

Battery life
Video-Up to 4 Hours
Audio-Up to 12 Hours

Pocket DISH AV402E
. LCD Display 2.2"
. Hard Drive (HDD) 20 GB
. USB Transferred DISH Network Content Up to 20 Hours
. Records Analog video from other sources ... No Audio Only
. Other Source Content Capacity Up to 80 Hours
. LCD Aspect Ratio... 4:3
. Remote Control... No
. MSRP $329

Pocket DISH AV500E
. LCD Display 4"
. Hard Drive (HDD) 30 GB
. USB Transferred DISH Network Content...Up to 30 Hours
. Records Video from other Sources... Yes
. Other Source Content Capacity... Up to 120 Hours
. LCD Aspect Ratio... 16:9
. Remote Control... Yes
. MSRP $499


PocektDISH AV700E
. LCD Display 7"
. Hard Drive (HDD) 40 GB
. USB Transferred DISH Network Content...Up to 40 Hours
. Records Video from other Sources... Yes
. Other Source Content Capacity... Up to 160 Hours
. LCD Aspect Ratio... 16:9
. Remote Control... Yes
. MSRP $599

Explained differences between PocketDISH and the Apple ipod...

Limited time PocketDISH Mail in Rebate offer
. AV402E - $20 Rebate
. AV500E - $40 Rebate
. AV700E - $60 Rebate

PocketDISH must be purchased from Nov. 15, 2005, To April 15, 2006, With Claim submitted by May 15, 2006

Showed flyers and explained that you can download users manuals for these models.

Giveaway: a AV402E Question was Name the 2 ways you can get a software update for PocketDISH
Answer: via your PC or via USB from your DVR942

MPEG4- No encoder in place yet to support(slower rollout than competition)
8PSK- Turbo allows 30 to 40 percent improvement in quailty, improve bandwidth for HD programming
Dish 1000 for 129 programming (showed dish)
Echostar 10 (launching first half of next year) more spotbeam capacity...

211 and 411 replaccments for the 811

Question from Kurt (caller)Can you use the 921 with the PocketDISH? Answer, Not with USB via RCA cable only.
Question supporting XDS on the 921... Answer, still investigating.

Remote technology explanation...

E-mail Questions...

Givaway: what 3 Satellite locations is the Dish 1000 for? Answer: 110/119/129

Dish on Demand now available on the 625 explained how to use...

DishPass explaination...

More E-Mail Questions...

Beta testing external HDD storage solutions for 942

Alpha testing NBR for 501/508/510 (maybe Jan)

Charlie Chat
Monday, December 12, 2005
9:00 PM EST
Channel 101

 

[BFG]

My guess is that they will start with HD content first, all their HD receivers are 8PSK capable. Then they will move to SD programming and that can take another year.

The HD is already in 8psk.

 

[BuckNasty]

301s have the hardware for 8psk. i noticed it wasn't listed on that chart. that is incorrect. they do have 8psk tuners

 

[RandallA]

I meant new HD content. Sorry.

 

[cebbigh]

Didn't see the 508/510 on the list. Do they have 8psk hardware? Think I recall mention in the chat that 508/510 would get NBR. Is that wrong?