The Official R5000-HD Technical Status Discussion - Page 3

But DirectShow is Winduhs. MythTV (the best PC-PVR in the world) is Linux-only.

Is this just the raw transport stream coming in (at least for Dish)? Does the mod show as a USB video device of some sort? Details, please.

The open-source community is interested.

I'm up and running with my R5000-HD modded Bell ExpressVu 6000 receiver. I agree with what others here have said: it just works. I've spent more time trying to get smooth playback of HDTV content on my PC than I have getting the mod to capture content.

Comments/Questions:
[list=1][*]I'm a little confused about what resolution the mod is capturing at. My STB is set to output at 720P, and as discussed elsewhere ExpressVu (and DirecTV for that matter) typically recompresses the HD content before broadcasting it. Is the R5000 mod capturing at the output resolution (1280x720), or the actual resolution of the channel as transmitted by Bell? Is there any difference in a capture of CBS (1080i) or FOX (720p), as an example? How does the "bit rate" setting in the capture application (which I have set to 19MB/s constant) affect this?

If the mod does have access to the native stream, then it would be nice to be able to see what the actual resolution, bitrate of a given channel/recording is.
[*]With the 1.3 version of ths software, I've had a couple instances when when selecting recordings from the web-based schedule don't actually trigger the recording to start (eventually the PVR window still shows the item, but at the bottom says "Items Queued: 0". Just did a fresh OS install and put the 1.4 version of the app/drivers on, so will keep testing this.
[*]I've recently purchases TheaterTek 2.0 with hopes of using it to play back TS files on my PC. One thing TT2 claims support for is being able to playback a a TS file while its being written (ie, PVR-like functionality). While it is playing back pre-saved TS files great, there appears to be an issue with running both TheaterTek and the R5000 recoding application at the same time (one or the other will crash). This is on a fresh clean-install of XP-MCE2005. I'll keep experimenting, but if anyone else can confirm/deny that they have been able to run both apps and view a TS file in TT2 while its being recorded by R5000, that would be great.

UPDATE: I've been having more success with this one, so perhaps it was an isolated incident. Playing back a live recording is very cool.
[*]I sound like a broken record on this one, but the penultimate experience for this mod would be if you made Windows Media Center Edition "tv" drivers (aka BDA drivers) available for the R5000 so it could be used as a natvie tuner in Media Center 2005. I really love the expereince in MCE2005, and this would create the greatest PVR ever.[/list=1]

Anyhow I'm glad I took the plunge and got the mod. I'm already getting value out of it, and as I learn more it will only get better.

Both the 169time and the R5000 mod capture the raw datastream as broadcast. The settings on your receiver won't change the recording.

You could use a tool like Elecard MPEG stream analyzer to look at the resolution of a paritcular recording.

I think BEV does native resolution for the network chans, and 720p for all their PPVs.

I have done this. I must admit for only a brief period of time, but without either program crashing.

Interesting. I am using MyHD for playback. I do have the line, though. After your question, I tried VLC for my playback. I had to do an install of VLC to try your suggestion, and sure enough it didn't have the line either. However, I had problems with MyHD afterwards and ended up doing a reinstall before I could get it working again. Got MyHD working and the R5000 needed for me to reassociate the .pvr extension.

Things seems pretty good now, except that I can't get TitanTV to work as the MyHD scheduler yet. I'm actually running three systems - two MyHD systems and a HiPix system, so I'm still trying to figure out what software combination might be causing me not to be able to use TitalTV on the new MyHD system.

I'm going to try a fresh install of the R5000 and the new MyHD on a system I'm sticking in the basement, alongside the original MyHD system. With the cost of computer systems being what it is today, the best approach for me has been not to load up the first MyHD system with much of anything except for video related software. I put it in the basement with 4 250 gig hard drives of storage and plenty of cooling. I leave it on all the time and have been able to forget about it. Zero noise problems and everything on the gigabit network.

Thanks all for the feedback on the cause of the band at the bottom of the screen. As I said before, I can live with any of these little problems. I love this unit.

Now if the Cardinals can only get on track in the World Series, all will be right with the world.

Joe Clark

I would be interested in hearing if you're able to get TitanTV to work with the R5000 instead of Zap2it. I don't have a terrible preference, but zap2it's guide seems slower for me.

What would be really nice is access to DirecTV's information in an integrated guide as the lack of PPVHD on Zap2it and TitanTV is sort of a downer.

Thanks,
Mark

I just received my modded BEV 6000 back today. There were no border or customs issues whatsoever.I send it using Canada post (ExpressPost)
cost me $38 including insurance.on Itemized list I put receiver model 6000
(for repair) value $250.sending it and getting it back toke one week only.
you should have no problem whatsoever.

Eddie102026

Good point on Titan vs Zap2it. I started using MyHD a week before the R5000-HD arrived, so you know how it is with familiarity. Not much to either app anyway.

I was going to capture OTA HD through the MyHD, but with the R5000 setup, it seems like unnecessary complexity. The MyHD card does support two antenna (the E86 only does 1), which may be nice if I have issues with picking up the network OTAs.

Some software decoders seem to have issues with D* streams (not OTA streams, they seem fine). May just be issues to particular streams. I haven't done enough recording to test. Still, MyHD seems to be fine with it. I believe VLC was fine too.

Mark

For you BEV users, are you getting good recordings of the networks? No audio dropouts?

The problem with the grey bar at the bottom of the MyHD screen is gone. I installed the latest version of the software and the new drivers. No more bar.

Thanks for the info. The latest software resolved the problem.

Joe Clark

I can live with that. The thing I like most about TitanTV is the ability to schedule easily any regular weekly or M-F programs. I like the ability to schedule and record programming from OTA sources with MyHD and satellite sources from Dish at the same time.

The R5000 is my favorite new tool. It's a great product!

Joe Clark

OK, so it must be simpler than I thought. I guess the datastream includes also the encrypted and buffered video, in addition to the unencrypted ts. Set the bus address to the same as audio & video decoders. This would mean alot of software pre-processing. I wonder how much CPU impact this has on various machines? How does it present on the USB bus (in hardware detail)? I'm imagining maybe a bridge, USB interface, and serial EEP. And I'm wondering about the new STBs, which hide the unencrypted ts. Surely they will always need SDRAM... and so sift that. But that's much harder than this. Would need a uproc, like 169.

BTW, I don't understand why ppl are archiving the whole ts, rather than just the video & audio packets of interest? Does the software allow you to save just the video/audio packets, not the whole ts? Why save the program guide, foreign language packets, housekeeping, etc? Being an old sat underground type, maybe this suggestion would help some.

Congrats on a great product, R.



Agh, there's no way we're going to buy Windows for this.

But thanks for the suggestion.

I am inclined to purchase a unit and want to understand how you archive your recordings. What size of a hard drive do you recommend and what speed do you suggest for the computer. It seems that the service and response of the company is good.

as big as you can get

Check out the new recording option thread that is stickied or rs5000's site.

Another option for archiving is DVD. A lot of the shows that I really enjoy are the education, travel and nature programs - Insectia, Great Canadian Rivers, Weird Homes and Wheels, Smart Travels, Beautiful Landscapes of Japan. These and a lot of others are half hour shows and easily fit onto a standard 4.7 gig DVD. Even the hour shows will fit on a dual layer disc (I recorded the pilot for Smallville from HDNet on a dual layer disc). The dual layer discs are rare now but inevitably they will become commonplace and more affordable. From a speedy DVD drive, they play back flawlessly. I've had my R5000 for only a couple of weeks, but I've already collected a few dozen such shows on DVD.

And the company is very responsive to e-mails for questions I've had. With the cost of computers what it is today, you can put together a system fast enough to do the recordings and load it up with plenty of hard drive space very affordably.

The R5000 is simple and it simply works.

The hardest thing I've found about the R5000-HD is finding the HD content that is worth recording.

OTA I do about 8 hours/week for timeshift playback.

Finding decent D* HD programming that I want to watch is a bit more difficult. For reference, I subscribe to HBO,SHO, and the HD package. I've been busy, so I imagine when I have time to pay attention to programming guides, it should be a bit more productive.

MyHD + R5000 is really nice. Start up the R5000 record and use the MyHD to play/pause/rewind. Could be done with TT2.0 too I believe.

Mark

I have not seen the back of a modified unit but I assume that a usb2 port is connected to my computer for recording. Now I have been told that to communicate with my Roku I would use an ethernet port which the Roku has.. If I wanted to connect my computer direct to my TV, what connection cable do I use?

Depends on the tv and type of connections you have available. A common scenario is to use a VGA-to-Component transcoder ($100+). This type of venture can be rather lengthy and frustrating unless you are connecting to a plasma or lcd display which are geared for a pc connection. The HTPC forum will be your best source of information for doing this. I might suggest trying the Roku for playback first. Just put them on a network together (via a switch).

You can connect your pc with an ethernet cable to your roku and watch the files you record with the r5000 through its component cable output , another option would be the one hookedon Tv mentioned or a myhd card with the dvi option if your tv supports that .
Again all depends on what inputs your tv supports.

I just ordered a plexiglas box to house a computer with 4 hard drives 250 or 300 Maxtor in my living room. I have the following choices. I can use the Roku, and connect it through my Zektor 4-1 switch. I am also willing to buy the MYHD card, and tomorrow I am going to a meeting of the local computer club where a representative from Microsoft with speak about their media center. I have limited computer knowledge but I want to try to do it right the first time. I also have a jvc30000, a avxi box from 169. What I would like is your suggestions regarding the design of the box and your thoughts regarding using myhd or Roku and anticipate the Windows media player down the road. At the present time I do not have a DVI port on my TV Thanks for your help David

Has anyone else noticed this problem?

Occassionally if I leave the R5000 app running, it will "loose contact" with the receiver and tell me to check to make sure the drivers are all the way installed. Sometimes, just pressing OK on that dialog a few times is enough, other times the dialog won't go away and I need to go pull and reinsert the USB cable from the reciever.

At this point its just a bit inconvient (so far no recording has been interrupted), but I'm curious if others have seen this and if it sounds like a R5000 problem, or a problem with my PC/Windows config.

I recently had my BEV 6000 modded with the R5000. Being from Canada, I was a bit leary of sending the STB across the border but it actually was trouble free. Following the instructions from the R5000-HD guys and insuring it adequately for peace of mind, it arrived back in just over a week with the only added cost being just PST and GST on the value of the conversion (a fraction of the total cost). Once it was set up with about 15 ft of USB2 cable strung to my 3G HTPC, it took a couple of tries to get it to record - I didn't tell the software that the remote id on the 6000 was 2. Once it was able to talk to the 6000 properly, all was fine. I am now setting up timed recordings with Zap2it...no more missed Enterprize in HD!... I have found that checking the guide and info on the 6000 during a recording impairs communications and will influence the recording quality - sometimes causing the software to abort the recording. I have also just installed another 200G HD just for recordings.

I have been using VLC to view the ts files but find that by changing the extension to mpg instead of ts, VLC has the proper capability of jumping ahead 10 sec or 1 or 5 minutes - much like a PVR. My main problem is viewing live ts files with the ability to pause, rewind, and fastforward. VLC doesn't like to do this very much. What is everyone else using for this functionality? Is TheaterTek the software answer with MYHD being a hardware answer (don't really need another DVI out as my existing ATI 9600 does fine)? Do these handle playing of a live ts file properly for a real PVR feel?

All in all money well spent...I don't have to be a slave to the programming gods...I now have control!

BB

I use MyHD for timeshifting. TheaterTek2.0 is reported to work for timeshifting. I have seen issues with a PPVHD recording (D* R5000 unit) that caused WMP 10 to be unhappy (crash). It was using the FWMM 4.0 decoder. VLC played it back fine. MyHD played it back fine.

Has anyone had success using the Roku HD 1000 over a wired network for playback of the r5000hd .ts files? I haven't been able to playback any .ts files through the Roku using a wired network. I always get a message stating that an error occurred while trying to playback .... file. Or nothing happens when I try to playback the file using the StreamPlayer program. I can play music and photo files through the network just fine. Any help?

Thanks

What size is the file your trying to play back? If it's over 2GB you'll need to split it.