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To: dale_laroy who wrote (71364)	2/10/2002 3:05:52 PM
From: g_w_north	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 275872

>First of all, HDTV is coming. Not within the next year, but probably within the next 3 years Yes, HDTV is coming (It is here now (albeit limited). In fact, I'm watching it now :-).) but the initial deadline of 2006 laid down by the FTC has flexibility. Not to mention there are 17 (I believe) 'standards' of HDTV. 720p, which should be the standard, will give way to 1080i initially. >DISHNetwork will probably be making all their receivers HDTV ready, and since computer screens are the cheapest display devices that have the resolution to display true HDTV, these receivers will probably have SVGA out ports to enable viewers to watch HDTV without investing in an HDTV capable television. Not necessarily true. These companies want to drive the market. They will make their receivers HDTV ready but they will most likely have RGB component outputs (as it seems to becoming the standard). Although the new 'Replay' units do have a component VGA output (which in itself baffles me) . Besides, there's basically no difference between 480p and true HDTV on a small screen such as a computer monitor. >Second, one of the problems with satellite receivers is that, even with the ability to watch TV in a PIP window while viewing the menu, if one is making a recording and wants to see what is on next, the recording will be ruined by the display of the menu. Additionally, the resolution of the set unduly limits how much information the receiver is able to display at one time. Both of these issues can be addressed through the provision of an SVGA output port for the display of the menu on a separate monitor. Not quite sure where you're going with this one. Are you saying that we should have a separate monitor just for the menu? Sorry, but my home theaters does not have room for a second monitor just to surf the menu (unless it would display on my Crestron remote -- but that's a whole different story) . Besides, would not the added room on a 16x9 television provide incentive to the software developers to utilize the 'extra space' for menu's. Remember, most people still have the 'full-screen' mentality. A 16x9 ratio would also nudge people towards buying new televisions. >The DishPVR721 has two tuners but only one output, the next logical progression is to provide two outputs, with each output controlled by a separate remote control frequency. With such a unit a parent could, in theory, allow their child to have one remote keyboard in their bedroom while keeping the other in the living room or sometimes moving it to the master bedroom. The parent could then use PIP to view in a window what their children are accessing on the web while either watching TV or accessing the web concurrently through the same receiver. Upgrading such a receiver to more than two simultaneous outputs would also be possible. In theory, both parents could watch different programs, while up to two kids watch two other different programs in their own rooms, and it would even be possible to have four users on the Internet concurrently through a single receiver, with the master control enabling a parent to keep track of their children's Internet usage through PIP windows Wow, big mother or father are watching you! These units than two tuners so they can record as you watch another station. They would have to add more tuners for this kind of functionality. >The DishPlayers have printer ports to print out web screens. My current receivers record programming on hard drive. In the future, I will probably be able to purchase a receiver that allows me to back up my recorded programming to CD-R and/or DVD-R. These receiver are also programmable. If they wanted to, DISHNetwork could install Linux on my current receiver. It would be severely limited because of the capabilities of the current receiver. But once DISHNetwork gets around to adding CD-R/DVD-R drives, USB ports, and other features, the DISHNetwork receivers will essentially be fully functional computers, using a proprietary non-MS OS that is accessed through the receiver menu. I think we'll have to wait for the DISHNetwork/GM Hughes merger for them to have the capital available for such endeavors. Adding a CDR and/or DVD-R will bring up a whole new round of digital rights management litigation. Although the 'Replay 4000' units are selling like crazy, they did not allow you to make a hard copy of programs. Yes, I know you can purchase D-VHS now, but I do not think that studios will be too happy with such receivers. Forget USB... FireWire! >I would look for DISHNetwork receivers to become the substitute for PCs in over 10 million households within six years. I would look for X-Box2 to become the substitute, or at least the set-top box/gaming unit/PVR/DVD player of choice, in at least 20 million households! Their initial plans were not for a gaming uni -- t that is just a ruse to get around the DOJ. What we need is BROADBAND! Not the crap we have now... real broadband. I would love fiber to home. I am using two DISHNetwork (ExpressVu) HDTV receivers right now but the compression schemes are basically lousy. The audio sounds equal to a 160 kbps MP3. Right now the market is all over the place. I don't think anybody will be able to predict which technologies will pan out and which ones will fail. We'll have PCs for a while yet but we're do Intel and AMD fit into the convergence picture I don't know.