Lower you're expectations with Dishnetwork receivers, especially if they are brand new. IN the past it has taken up to a year to 18 months to get a rock solid receiver. I speak from almost 9 and a half years of Dish experience.
I have had the crappy dishplayer 7100/7200 model- pure nightmare. I have had the 721 which took full 18 months to get it solid. I have had the 921 which I gladly traded in for the 942. I loved the 942 it has been the best dvr or receiver that Dish ever made in my opinion. I sadly traded it in on the 622 receiver , which is based on the same damn software as the 942 . In fact the only differences between the 942 and the 622, besides cosmetics, was no analog tuner in the 622 and the 622 does mpeg4 channels. THat is why I can't understand why I am still having the software problems like video stutters and audio stuttering /dropouts 4 months after I got the receiver.
But one thing to remember is if you stay with Dish you will be a guinnea pig for all the latest , cutting edge technology. Dish has good ideas for tech advances but they lack in the follow through in the actual production of the receivers.
The biggest problem they seem to have with all their receivers is software related. If I was running Dishnetwork I would quit being tight with the money and unass the $$$$ needed to do the best software that you can get for the receivers. It is penny wise pound foolish to scrimp on the software and then spend all this money on refurbished replacements , shipping and handeling etc , not to mention the bad experience for the customers . Everyone knows that a happy customer experience translates into good word of mouth to other potential customers and so on and so on. OF course the opposite is alwasy true as well. IF you get enough bad customer word of mouth , you can bankrupt a company. Look at Enron.
Dish has a lot going for it and I still think I get the most for my money with their platinum pack for hd , but they need to get the receiver right if they want the high tech , big dollar spenders out there for hd . Directv still gets all the press in most a/v magazines and their pq sucks, in my opinion . Dish would have all positive press it can get in a/v magazines if they would quit being cheap with the software and bring new receivers to the market in rock solid condition from the get go.
GET IT RIGHT DISH!!
