DVR options????

[ghoticov]

Hey everyone...

I currently have a 322 (running two tvs in my house - bedroom and living room) and I have an 811 in another room with a big screen and have been a DHP customer for almost a year (Dec. my lease is up).

I am wanting to get DVR for my living room and bedroom (preferably a 522 that I can use in both rooms) but when I spoke to a CSR at Dish they told me I couldn't get a 522 (which I figured since I have read that on here). I could barely understand the lady I spoke with so I figured I would just ask here...

What are my options? Should I get TIVO? a 721 (but that isn't a dual tuner, right?)? I really only need it for one tv (the bedroom, which is were we watch most of our recorded programs) so I was thinking I could just get TIVO and use it like a VCR. I don't care that much about pausing live tv or recording shows by name and so forth, I just want to be able to set a timer and record a show on any given day that I want to (like a VCR) but I would like to do it digitally instead of using a tape.

Also, if I did get TIVO, I noticed that the 322 "goes to sleep" or something during the night. When I turn it on the next day there is the DISH logo and says I have to press a key, then it "turns on". Wouldn't that screw with the TIVO if I set the TIVO to record during the night? The TIVO would only record what the 322 sends to it, right? Thus it would record that "screen saver" or whatever it is. Can I turn that off?

Thanks!

Marc

 

[ghoticov]

I found this unit at the Dish Store.. (a 721).

http://www.dishstore.net/product_info.php?manufacturers_id=10&products_id=132

I should be able to just plug this up, using my current 322 set up (since it is a dual tuner)...right?

Also, are the 721's better than the 522's (even though I can't even get a 522 it seems)?

 

[Grandude]

I found this unit at the Dish Store.. (a 721).

http://www.dishstore.net/product_info.php?manufacturers_id=10&products_id=132

I should be able to just plug this up, using my current 322 set up (since it is a dual tuner)...right?

Also, are the 721's better than the 522's (even though I can't even get a 522 it seems)?

The 721 is an excellant dual tuner DVR, BUT, it doesn't work quite the same as a 322. The 322 can output two different programs but the 721 can output only one program. It can record two different programs and also feed an already recorded program to the output. I believe that the 522 would do what you want but, like you say, we current customers just can't get one.
If you would be content in having the same program going to your living room and bedroom, the 721 would be a great choice.

 

[Ned Dorsey]

I've got a TiVo, and prefer the Season Pass name-based recording and "Keep at Most" features that the Dish DVR's currently don't have. To keep from recording the bouncing Dish logo, I turned off automatic software updates on the 322. Also, to keep the 322 from going into sleep mode in the middle of the night, I've set a manual 5-minute recording of the Weather Channel at 3AM every morning. With TiVo's "Keep at Most" feature - which I set to "1" on that recording - the 3AM recording automatically deletes the previous morning's 3AM recording every day.

Hope that helps.

 

[charper1]

If you decide on a stand-alone unit, look REAL HARD at a ReplayTV unit before you jump on TiVo. The menu and DVR recording are 99.99% exact, and you can even up the drives just like TiVo, but there are more user features and 3rd party open source features & add-ons (FREE) that TiVo can't allow because of their partnership agreements. AND before anyone pipes in, they are 1000% legal add-ons. They are also in no better or worse financial shape than TiVo.

 

[mmdieter]

so can you watch the 721 on 2 tv's?

 

[ShadowEKU]

it would be the same thing on both tvs but yes you can watch the 721 on 2 tvs