Newbie question about digital tv/video

[Erdejo]

Hello everyone,

I am new to this Forum (and digital tv/video as well....) so forgive me any "dumb" questions.
I have the following issue:

I have bought a Hauppauge WinTV-HVR-900 from EBay from a seller who advertised it as being able to use it anywhere else than Europe. He said that the the 950 is the version for Europe. I have not used this card as I just recently ordered it and have yet to receive it. I live in the United States. After ordering it I discovered that the actual US version (as advertised by Hauppauge) is the WinTV-HVR-950.... so actullay the opposite from hat he stated!
Does anybody know whether I can indeed (still) use the 900 in the US in the same way as the 950 would be able to be used?
I am not too much of a video buff ( ), but I do realize that there might be difference between the two systems.... Although everything is digital so....???

What I want to use it for is plug it in to my computer in my bedroom and hook it up to the Satellite cable (which provides HD) that is in there. That way I can watch satellite HDTV on my PC and also use my computer as a kind of Tivo / DVR. Which then allows me to combine tv or video with my home movies. I also want to be able to receive local HD programs by using an Over-the-air antenna.

I found a comment from one poster who commented on this item (i guess in the review part of the site. Do a search for the item in the entire site and I think you may be able to find that comment) and seems to be using the 900 in the US so that makes me kinda wonder?!!?

Is there a way to, for instance by changing the firmware or something, that makes it be usable in the States if it is currently not.

Please let me know.

Thanks in advance. Regards,

Eric de Jong

[jman98]

This isn't going to work. This card supports DVB, which is useless in the USA. Pray that you can get a refund.

I hope you learned a valuable lesson from this. I sympathize with you, I really do, but please remember for the future:
1) Buying from Ebay just to save a few bucks on computer equipment is a bad idea when you aren't familiar with the technology yourself.
2) People on Ebay either lie or talk in ignorance about what they sell. Don't expect anyone on Ebay to know anything at all about what they are selling.
3) Do your research and decide on the model you want to get BEFORE you start looking at prices. I always do this.
4) Comments on Ebay are sometimes lies. Shill postings are common.

By the way, I just did a search on Ebay and can't find any matches on your card. Please do yourself a favor and go to
http://www.doom9.net
go the Forum section and go to the HDTV/DVB/Tivo section and read the "sticky" documents at the top. Had you known this information, you would not have bought the card.

I hope you can get your money back, but the seller may refuse and you should be aware that in any Ebay dispute, Ebay and PayPal seem to almost always side with the most dishonest person in the transaction, which would be the seller in this case.
I advise that you immediately do a screen capture, if possible, of the listing you saw. You may not get any help from Ebay or PayPal (you don't say if you used them, but most do), but if you paid by credit card, proof of a deceptive listing on Ebay might enable you to fight the charge as the ad was deceptive and the item can't be used for the purpose for which it was bought.

[Erdejo]

Thanx Jman98 for your response.

I immediately communicated my concerns (after I bought the item and found some more info....) to the seller. 8) At that point I indeed did what you suggested as well (make a snapshot of the page...) and printed the page to a PDF file so I would have a copy of it (I guess I felt I needed to do that...) since the seller actually stated on his page that he would give a full refund if it didn't work and to show what he actually stated on his page about the product.
He said he has already sent the item so I will see when it gets here.
I will end up trying to get my money back and buy the right product!
I have attached the file so you can see what he states and see if you agree with me that it looks like he says you CAN use it in the States.

Reading the stickies that you pointed me to didn't really clarify anything and probably just made me even more confused. I will read up on it more to get a better understanding for the future since I am trying to get into the whole video thing. So even If I had read it it wouldn't have made a difference.
In fact the sticky about the DVB standard actually mentions the use of the NTSC options in the DVB signal which to me seems one WOULD be able to use the DVB product for NTSC signals.....

Anyway, thanks again and you will probably see me back here asking more questions to prevent future mishaps from occurring.

Thanx, Eric

hauppauge%20wintv%20hybrid%20stick.pdf

[jagabo]

A DVB tuner will not receive a ATSC (USA over-the-air) or QAM (many USA cable TV companies) signals. The MPEG streams the systems carry (which can be NTSC or PAL) is independent of the way the electrical signal is broadcast and recieved (DVB, ATSC, QAM). I believe some Canadian satellite systems use DVB, hence the NTSC details at doom9.

That said, the companies that make the chips for this type of device usually include all the standards one chip. So if you're lucky the difference between the 900 and 950 might just be the software or firmware.

[TBoneit]

Keeping in mind that DVB in the USA would be Dishnetwork for example. Dishnetwork and DirecTv both encrypt their signal and that there is very little any DVB card will show.

If you wanted to view either of those services get one of their HD IRDs.

AFAIK in the USA there are almost no free DVB broadcasts available, someone will correct me if I'm wrong. You could get a FTA receiver for what sat tv is available free but a DirecTV or Dishnetwork dish won't be pointed right for that.

True, I agree DVB is not a OTA standard here in the USA. Unless that unit also supports ATSC no OTA.

[Erdejo]

Thanx guys for your responses.

Jagabo:

That's one thing I thought about as well: Looking into maybe contacting the manufactrer (Hauppauge) to see if they can provide me with a solution of "unlocking" the ATSC/NTSC possibilities of the item. I think that most of these type of devices have all the electronics and hardware included on their products and just by using diferent types of soft/firmware they will be able to lock/unlock features.
I just hope that is the case here.

TBoneit:

I have the Dish HD setup (using the Vip-622) and that is why I want to use a computer device. I have one connection in my bedroom where my computer is located. Instead of buying a new tv I want to be able to use my 19" LCD computerscreen. I also would like to be able to capture programs to my computer and use it as a type of DVR.
Newbie question: What is an IRD?

Thanks again guys.

[TBoneit]

Addendum: after looking at the pdf you posted, DVB-T is terrestial OTA not satellite. Nowhere does it mention Digital OTA, is says Analogue (analog) - SDTV not HDTV reception.

Did you notice that little whip antenna showing with the magnetic mount? That would be the DVB-T antenna. Since the listing says terrestial (DVB-T) and analogue you may be stuck with no recourse. The good news if any is that it looks like you can use it OTA TV until the analog broadcast shutoff in 2009. Bad news not what I'd call a capture card since it doesn't appear to have A/V inputs.

Good Luck

[Erdejo]

TBoneit:

I see what you're saying, but .... It also mentions the following:

"WinTV-HVR-900 is easy to install. Just plug it into your PC or laptops’ USB 2.0 port and connect to any kind of TV reception (cable TV, antenna, etc.) Load the software from our installation CD and you’re ready to start watching analogue or digital TV on your PC or laptop screen.
WinTV-HVR-900 also includes a portable digital DVB-T antenna, so you can receive
digital TV while you travel!"

And:

"You’re prepared for the future. If you live in an area where you can’t currently receive Freeview digital TV, the WinTV-HVR-900 can still be used to watch and record analogue TV from cable TV or a TV aerial."

Doesn't that mean I should be able to hook it up to my Dish incoming cable and watch tv (provided of course it would be abel to handle the NTSC signal but that's a different issue...

Thanx, Eric

[TBoneit]

Your VIP622 is an IRD. I like the 622 myself.

The 622 has a RF out that depending on whether you are in single mode or dual mode will feed one UHF or two different UHF signals to another TV. It will only be SDTV. The remote 2 is a UHF remote and should work through the walls to control the 622. As I read it, what you are buying it should receive the UHF signal and let you watch or capture it on your laptop. The VIP622 will convert any HD to SD when it feeds it out over its UHF out. So you can watch whatever you are subscribed to that way on the laptop with any TV card and your USB device seems like it should work for that.

If you want/need hints and tips go to http://www.dbstalk.com/forumdisplay.php?f=107 which is a forum for VIP622 users. There is ahints and tips sticky @ http://www.dbstalk.com/showthread.php?t=64185

BTW I wouldn't expect it to support ATSC.

In answer to your other question, No it won't let you view "ANY" digital. Dishnetworks signal is encrypted and your dish has a switch either built-in or external so it can switch between more than one satellite.

Your card would have to say compatible with Dishnetwork to work, it doesn't, where would you put the Dishnetwork card, thirdly to control the switch there is more voltage and current needed then a USB port can handle. That card has no way to control the switch, it has no slot for dishes access control card and has no way to decrypt the signal. At one time Dishnetwork floated a possibility of a PCI card from them (only) that would have a access card, it never came to fruitition. Speculation is that the programmers that supply the channels you watch kiboshed the idea. The possibilty that you could get the data stream into you computer unencrypted scares the he** out of the studios supplying the video you watch.

[Erdejo]

TBoneit.... Wow, you'are on top of things aren't you......

I appreciate your help.

I have the Vip-622 in my living room. I have the TV2 out option going through my home satellite cable network (the coax cabling put in by my Dish tech) going to my bedroom. Now, if I had a tv in there i would be able to hook it up to the tv and use the #2 remote to operate the receiver in my living room. So far it is all exactly as you describe it. The only thing I want to do is not use the laptop like you say but my desktop that is in my bedroom to connect that cable coming into my bedroom to my desktop using the device that I have bought (the Hauppauge Wintv-hdr 900) to watch my satellite feed from the home network cable on my pc (19" screen) so I don't need a tv....
Did I explain what I want to do clearly enough? It actually still confuses me every once in a while..... And if it is clear will I be able to use that device to do that?
As far as ATSC (what I understand is the over-the-air broadcasting/signaling) is concerned that is not what I am looking for. I will be doing that directly on my IRD in the living room using an indoor HDTV aerial antenna. All I want is to feed my tv2 satelite signal to my computer so I can watch tv on it.

I also have found the DBStalk forum via another thread here. And I will be spending some time there I am sure! Thanks for that tip though.

Thanx again guys.

Regards, Eric

[TBoneit]

Assuming the USB device supports Analog NTSC broadcasts you should be good to go. There is a place in the VIP622s menu that allows you to set the uhf channels frequency. I forget what the defaults are.

Most likely single mode would work for you. Dual mode is so two different programs can watched at the same time on two TV sets. Single mode puts the same show on all TV sets. Nice thing about the 622 is that the HDMI, Component and S-Video are working at the same time so you could hook up to a HDTV and via s-video to a dvd recorder for example.

Good Luck

[theewizard]

I have the Dish HD setup (using the Vip-622) and that is why I want to use a computer device. I have one connection in my bedroom where my computer is located. Instead of buying a new tv I want to be able to use my 19" LCD computerscreen. I also would like to be able to capture programs to my computer and use it as a type of DVR.
Newbie question: What is an IRD? redface.gif

unless you want to record, on the PC what your viewing .

you could look into the stand alone external Tuners that are designed to feed recive OTA and digital signals and connect to the PC monitor via VGA or HDMI port

i have no experience with them, but i have looked at some of them as it is almost impossible to find an HDTV under 26"

it seems almost all smaller TVs have SD analog tuners or cable ready but not HD astc tuners

[Erdejo]

Thanx guys, for your responses.

I guess I will have to wait until I have the thing in my hands and can experiment a little with it. The next thing I want to do is find out if I can hook up the VIP622 to my home network (for instance through the Ethernet connection in the back or using a USB wireless adapter like I use for my laptop) but I will most likely go to the DSBTalk forum for this that specializes in the Dish hardware, like TBoneit already mentioned earlier. 8)
I would like to be able to either copy my homevideo's and photo's to the VIP622 for viewing on my TV or be able to link to my VIP622 (through my network) be able to do the same. And I don't want to use a memorystick or portable USB harddrive, 'cause it would be too much of a hassle.

Thanx again I will keep you posted on the USB hybrid stick thingy.....

Regards, Eric

[TBoneit]

The ethernet isn't active for that sort of use. It is there for a specific purpose that hasn't been enabled yet. As I understand it in the future it will be able to use broadband and a specific dish service to download video to the 622.

To get video into the 622 it has to come in over the satellite or via the Tuner (ATSC only) as the unit has no way to convert video.

The only way to get pictures into the unit for display is via the USB port. I hae tested it with a external hard drive and it picked up all the pictures on the unit. thousands of them. They could then be selected to store on the 622's drive

eventually, promised for this year is to be able to hook up a USB drive and store video on it instead of on the internal drive. However it will most likely not be extractable or be able to add your own video. The external drive will most likely be locked to the particular 622 and is supposed to be able to be transferred to a replacement 622 if needed. How well this will work if at all is unknown until the external drive via usb is enabled.