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If my receiver were to die, could I send it to Nextcom with the new STB and have the R5000-HD unit removed from my broken STB and put in the new one?
Yes, $100 (s/h extra) would cover our cost to remove and
re-install the modification. back>
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If
I was to switch to a different satellite provider or cable, could I send the
satellite box back to you and have the R5000-HD unit installed in the
new box?
Yes and No. Receivers using similar type hardware can be swapped
out for $100 (s/h
extra)
to cover our costs. Newer mods like the Dish
211/411 and all Motorola types use different hardware than the
original R5000-HD modifcations. Please check with us first.
back>
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I
am interested in self-install... I've had 20+ years doing component level electronic repairs,
SMT, etc. I have access to SMT rework tools and routinely work with parts as small as
0603 and 10mil pin
spacings...
We now offer DIY installation kits for the most popular
receivers. Please see are on-line store (sales page) for
details. Please contact us first to obtain installation
instructions so you can see exactly what it entails. back>
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Will
there be new hardware upgrades?
There are no hardware upgrades planned. Functionality and
additional features are all controlled via software upgrades.
The exception maybe if additional receiver models are added
which have different interfacing requirements. If you are
upgrading to one of these receivers, then new hardware maybe
required. back>
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How about interfacing with some of the existing HTPC (Home
Theater PC) apps or a web interface?
The popular SageTV Media Center is supported using a
special version of our DVR software. In this case the R5000-HD
becomes a "Networked Encoder." Web-based control is possible by creating a driver
around the command line
interface of the R5000-HD. back>
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Will
you be supporting additional STBs or Cable boxes?
Support has been added to cover Motorola set top boxes
for StarChoice, 4DTV and Cable. We have also looked into the
possibility of capturing MPEG4 broadcasts from new DirecTV
receivers and have determined that a modification will not be
possible. Check the R5000-HD product page for any changes or additions in this area.
back>
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Will the R5000-HD software support multi-STB setups?
Yes. Multi-tuner configurations are supported with the
standard DVR software. A special version of the DVR allows for
simultaneous captures from up to 4 receivers on a single PC. back>
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I
get a good transfer rate, no failures but my files won't play...
Some USB controllers have trouble streaming data in
real-time and there ends up being missing chunks of data in the
stream delivered to the R5000-HD. The user can troubleshoot this
situation by making an "av" type recording
(Options->Preferences->"Record As: *.av").
Examine* the file in a hex editor and scan
through it. It should have continuous, random-looking data
patterns. If there are long chunks of all 1's (0xFF) interspersed,
then chances are the USB controller is not delivering. The
easiest solution is to use a different USB card.
*You can also contact Nextcom to make arrangements to have the
file uploaded to them for examination. back>
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Recording
starts off OK, but then quickly the buffer meter maxes out
and/or failed transfers occur and recording stalls. What gets
recorded is playable...
This typically is an indication of a lack of system
resources or resources that are being maxed out. System memory
should be at least 512MB. Make sure that there are no other USB
devices (external drives, etc) that can hog bandwidth. If
recording to a networked drive, make sure the network is able to
operate at 100Mb/s and that there is not a significant amount of
other traffic. back>
There is a possibility that your USB port is not running in
2.0 mode. There is a known bug causing Windows XP to use the
wrong driver with Via chipset motherboards. The easiest fix is
to install an inexpensive USB PCI card. Read the AVS
Forum posts about this. back>
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My
Embedded USB controller isn't working properly with the
R5000-HD. What can be done about this?
Most embedded controllers provide the best possible
results but occasionally there are problems. Make sure it is
operating in USB 2.0 or "enhanced" mode. A driver
update maybe required. A simple, inexpensive solution is to add
a USB 2.0 PCI card to your system. back>
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I
can't install the R5000-HD driver. Windows insists on installing
something called "USB HDTV" device every time I plug
in the R5000-HD USB connection to my PC.
Certain HDTV tuner cards are known to ship with a driver
by Sasem that incorrectly uses the VID & PID values of the
USB chip itself. These values are unique to each vendor and
should under no circumstances be re-used. A good explanation and
the fix are found in this AVS
Forum post, or see below.
back>
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What
STB's or Service Providers are recommended?
We do not recommend any particular brand or service provider over
another. All of the supported STBs provide identical quality
results with the R5000-HD. There are many websites and forums that provide feedback about the quality and features of the various STB models. Try the
AVS Forum
HDTV Hardware thread for starters.
The R5000-HD is currently fully compatible with the new Dish
Network MPEG-4 HD offerings. This is not the case with DirecTV
and it will not be possible to modify their newer generation of
MPEG-4 receivers. back>
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Are
there any problems activating used or modified receivers?
No. The R5000-HD modification adds a USB port to the
device but does not change the way the receiver operates in any
fashion. Nor does it change the receiver's firmware or interfere
with its updating procedure. The receiver can be activated and used in exactly the same manner
as before. The different service providers have their own set of
rules for activating used receivers. DirecTV, for example, will
not re-activate a card that has previously been in service and
you will have to get a new one from them, possibly for a small
fee. The CSRs may be trained to discourage the activation of
older STB models and sell subscribers on the latest equipment
but in the end it is your choice. back>
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Can
transport stream files be edited and converted to MPEG-2 or VOB
files?
Yes. A freeware utility, "HDTVtoMPEG2"
can be used to trim the beginning or end of a file as well as
chop out sections from a transport stream. It will also save as
an MPEG2 type file. A simple utility, "TSCutter", is
also supplied as part of the R5000-HD software package. Transport streams can be converted to VOB
files for easy DVD creation using the Replex32 utility found here.
To create playable DVDs most applications require strict
adherence to D1 (720 x 480) resolution. Since satellite
broadcasts are rarely in this form, transcoding maybe required.
In this case, an excellent freeware utility, "ffmpeg"
is recommended. back>
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What
will happen If/when small dish services switch to MPEG-4
encoding?
Dish Network MPEG-4 is supported while DirecTV is not. Other
providers like StarChoice have made their equipment compatible
with the new format and it is fully expected that existing R5000
installations will work with the new format. back> |
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