Video - 922 Demonstration

[shaudods]

Is there any talk at all about having the option to have TV2 in HD in addition to TV1? I cant believe they aren't addressing this either with a second HDMI output for TV2 or some way of sending a digital signal over coax to be decoded by the HDTV's digital tuner (much like you'd watch HD content on OTA or from cable providers without a box). I mean a 40' HDMI cable is 35-40 bucks at monoprice now! It is becoming more and more common for people to have an large HDTV in their living room and then have a smaller HDTV in the bedroom. The 2 room box feature is such a great feature (especially with the capability to watch DVR material on either TV), its just a shame you cant view it in HD on both (unless you have a second box of course).

On the same subject, i assume if you bought a slingcatcher you could watch HD content on your second TV, although buying a sling catcher is probably as or more expensive than adding a second HD box...

 

[jbernardi]

I like everything about it except the remote. Why take away the number pad? Having to scroll over a virtual number pad is slower than using a real number pad.

 

[ZandarKoad]

I like everything about it except the remote. Why take away the number pad? Having to scroll over a virtual number pad is slower than using a real number pad.

Getting rid of that number pad got rid of all potential customers over the age of 50.
[/over-generalization]

 

[RandallA]

I like everything about it except the remote. Why take away the number pad? Having to scroll over a virtual number pad is slower than using a real number pad.

You can still use one of the current Dish Network's remotes.

 

[KingofKaty]

Is there any talk at all about having the option to have TV2 in HD in addition to TV1?

On the same subject, i assume if you bought a slingcatcher you could watch HD content on your second TV, although buying a sling catcher is probably as or more expensive than adding a second HD box...

The SlingCatcher currently does NOT support HD. A future firmware update is supposed to do that.

You bring up a good point I hadn't thought about. The Slingbox Pro-HD does support HD resolution on your home network. I can even get HD over WiFi.

So I think the 922 should be able to transmit HD through Sling for either TV1 or TV2.

I was also curious about how the Sling enabled 922 worked. Does the 922 convert the MPG4 stream to component video and then pass it on to the part of the box that manages the Slingbox. Or is does it mathematically convert the MPG4 digitial signal into the Sling stream?

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

The firmware to support HD is close. Actually it will be a combo firmware update on the pro HD and the Slingcatcher.

I am not sure what people are saying that the Slingbox Pro HD is limited to outputing video over the internet at 1.5 mbs. To me this is wrong as I watch all the time from my office and see rates over 2150 kbps regularly. I just opened up my Slingbox and tuned into my home ProHD unit and it was around 1874kbps, it just dropped slightly when I took the attached screen shot.

I don't think the pro hd is limited by the amount of data it can send out to the internet, I think its more limted by how much upstream bandwidth you have at home.

 

[ZandarKoad]

You can still use one of the current Dish Network's remotes.

That is true... And I suppose the 'keep it simple' folks won't be begging for the 922 for other reasons as well.

 

[self.inflicktd]

Getting rid of that number pad got rid of all potential customers over the age of 50.
[/over-generalization]

I think most of these customers wouldn't care one way or the other about DVR, let alone Sling. They probably have the same 301/311 anyway. God forbid E* gets rid of those.

 

[Andrewwski]

Getting rid of the number pad got rid of anyone who likes to go easily to a specific channel.

Why they did such a thing is beyond me. I'd like to know what kind of engineering studies went into this, because it seems like an experiment gone wrong (the remote, not the unit itself).

 

[navychop]

I find it quicker, and sometimes with fewer key presses, to go to my favorites guide and select the channel. I almost never use the numeric keypad. But I can understand some people's preference for numeric keypads. They can then use the older remotes.

But I do sometimes use the numeric keypad for entering letters in Search.

 

[jessshaun]

It looks awesome, but I would want numbers on my remote. My 2 year agreement with Directv is up February 9th, 2010.

I'll wait and see. If Dish adds the HD channels I want, and has a good deal for returning customers, I might switch back.

Even with a receiver that awesome tho, as of right now, it would take a miracle to win me back.

....hmm.... I'll give it some thought.

 

[Joewee]

I can confirm the upgrade fee will be $200 and no other
charges. No increase in DVR fees. They expect to have it
available in March. I played with the remote
some and it will take some getting use to. I am use to
just paging or arrowing down the guide. With the touchpad
you have to kind of slide it down. It was weird at first.

 

[cybertrip]

I would really hate to use that touch pad. Give me my keys so I can change channels quickly. If they want to implement a pointer then they should either use accelerometer technology which is rather cheap or an eraser head style nub that you can use with your thumb.

 

[cybertrip]

Also, when are they going to add ATSC out to TV2, or, I would even prefer to have a 211 or any other HD receiver in the other room that streams video from my main DVR via network or some other means.

 

[TheForce]

I agree with the loss of numbers pad if you remain on the older DVR's but the touch pad is also nice and will greatly speed up channel selection.

What you also need to consider is that with the new GUI you will be less likely to be needing the number pad than ever before. You will be setting up picons on your screen to select from rather than channel numbers. Once you realize the transition from a channel based selection to a picon on the screen you will discover how much faster it becomes.

Look at it this way- After some of you old timers discovered windows and the ability to click on a picon on your desktop to launch a program, how many of you launched the C:\ prompt in a dos window and then typed out the path to the *.exe file to launch the program? No, you added a picon to your desktop and now click on that. The 922 with the touch pad will work the same way. You glide the pointer over the picon for that channel and click the button on the bottom of the remote control. It will be as easy as the pointer pad on a laptop.

Furthermore- punching in the ATSC channels has become a real mess now with the sub channels too. Let me use the GUI with that touch pad pointer and it will be great.

 

[halsan40]

Is there any talk at all about having the option to have TV2 in HD in addition to TV1? I cant believe they aren't addressing this either with a second HDMI output for TV2 or some way of sending a digital signal over coax to be decoded by the HDTV's digital tuner (much like you'd watch HD content on OTA or from cable providers without a box). I mean a 40' HDMI cable is 35-40 bucks at monoprice now! It is becoming more and more common for people to have an large HDTV in their living room and then have a smaller HDTV in the bedroom. The 2 room box feature is such a great feature (especially with the capability to watch DVR material on either TV), its just a shame you cant view it in HD on both (unless you have a second box of course).

On the same subject, i assume if you bought a slingcatcher you could watch HD content on your second TV, although buying a sling catcher is probably as or more expensive than adding a second HD box...

I am wondering about this to. Anyone know the answer?

 

[mushadow]

So how will this box work with aftermarket remotes? I have a Logitech remote I use to control the multitude of electronics I have. It doesn't have a touch screen, so will I still be able to use it? I don't know about this touch screen and mouse interface, in my opinion it isn't the right direction for the GUI. Icons are great, but not for speed. Keyboard shortcuts are much faster and easier to use. I would equate the keypad to the keyboard. There is a higher learning curve, but once you have it down nothing is faster. For example people on these forums use shortcuts like press Menu-6-1-5 or Menu-6-8 all the time. How easy is that? Without the numbers\keypad that would not be possible.

 

[mushadow]

The firmware to support HD is close. Actually it will be a combo firmware update on the pro HD and the Slingcatcher.

I am not sure what people are saying that the Slingbox Pro HD is limited to outputing video over the internet at 1.5 mbs. To me this is wrong as I watch all the time from my office and see rates over 2150 kbps regularly. I just opened up my Slingbox and tuned into my home ProHD unit and it was around 1874kbps, it just dropped slightly when I took the attached screen shot.

I don't think the pro hd is limited by the amount of data it can send out to the internet, I think its more limted by how much upstream bandwidth you have at home.

Looking at your post, I've never used the slingplayer, but I see the virtual remote next to the picture. On the 922, are you going to have to use the virtual touch pad on the remote to contol the mouse on the slingplayer/reciever?