VIP722 DVR questions (Switching from TiVo)

[bryus]

A little background:

I had Dish back in 2002-2003 but switched because they didn't have any deals on their new DVR and DirecTV had a deal on their TiVo receiver.

Last year my TiVo died and I couldn't get a new one since DirecTV ditched TiVo. So, I went with a pair of TiVos and Comcrap cable.

I was OK with paying $26/mo for the crappy limited cable I had because of the TiVo, but I'm not paying the new $56/mo bill for the same package now that my promo period is over.

I am interested in going back to Dish and getting the VIP722. I have read through the manual but still have some questions. Before I can commit to Dish I have to make sure that the 722 does a few critical things that my wife demands that our TiVo does now.

1. Are timer recordings by time or show? If the show is bumped a few hours or is on a different day will it still record the show?

2. Can we watch any show, recorded or live, in either room?

Also, I would like some clarification about the live buffer. Does it work on both tuners or just one at a time? If I pause live TV can I navigate the menus and even watch a show then come back to paused live TV? Can I switch between live buffers, watch one pause it, watch the other then pause it, continue?



Thanks for your help!

Warning: This is an Old Thread This discussion is older than 90 days. information contained in it may no longer be current

[HailScroob]

1. The 722 has named-based recording; picking up a show either on just one channel (normal timer) or on all channels (DishPass). So for a show like American Idol which, as the season goes on, shows up on different nights and different times, a standard "New Episodes" timer on my OTA Fox station picks them all up... season after season.

2. Absolutely. I have mine in Single View mode (so both TV1 and TV2 see the same thing), but Dual mode lets TV2 work totally independent of TV1.

[Fiveft20in]

Also, I would like some clarification about the live buffer. Does it work on both tuners or just one at a time? If I pause live TV can I navigate the menus and even watch a show then come back to paused live TV? Can I switch between live buffers, watch one pause it, watch the other then pause it, continue?

Thanks for your help!

If you are in Dual Tuner mode, which you have to be in order to have independent programming in two rooms, you cannot view live programming using the tuner that is dedicated to the other TV.

You can pause live TV (on either TV) and you can rewind up to 60 minutes, provided you have not changed channels. Once you change channels, the live buffer is cleared.

You can navigate the menus with live TV paused. Just don't change channels. You can also navigate menus while you watch TV. The picture appears in the upper right quarter of your screen, while the menu takes up the other three quarters.

[ncted]

If you are in Single Mode, you have dual live buffers a la Tivo.

Ted

[bryus]

Get Rid of this Ad! Register Today!

Thanks everyone for the great information. That really clears up those issues. I think I'm going to be ordering this weekend.

Anyone want a pair of 6-month-old Series 2 TiVo boxes?

[kvnfl]

---

ADVERTISING BOX

---

The 722 has a pretty nifty feature were it time shifts recording if conflicts arise. So if you try to record "ABC" but already have your two tuners tied up recording other events, it will automatically search for "ABC" airing at another time and record it.

It remembers what you recorded so you do not record the same thing twice.

When setting up TiVo-esque Season Passes it gives you the option to record All Episodes so that you can record all New episodes as well as all previous episodes without recording duplicates.

You can search by genre. Such as Movies>Action and view all movies in the specified Genre. The genre list is nowhere near as extensive as TiVo.

It has a working Wish List feature were you can auto record by keyword in Title or Description. One glitch, It does not work with genre. All keyword searches must be done on All programs to work.

The Univeral Remote that comes with the unit is pretty good for Home Theater. Mine is set up to turn on/off the TV/DVR/Receiver. It controls the DVR tuning and functionality, Receiver volume and TV source. My Harmony remote feels neglected.

PS. My TiVo has Lifetime Membership and I still use its EPG to find things to record - use it like TV Guide. The TiVo EPG is easier to navigate.