First Look: Dish 942 HD/SD Receiver (Updated 1/24/05)

[joemama]

HD tuners will receive SD too. 2 HD + 2 OTA tuners are enough.

-Mark

Proposal: No more referring to them as SD or HD tuners, that just confuses people who don't know the technology as well. Technically, the tuner has nothing to do with the encoding format, only the modulation scheme.

It has 2 satellite tuners and 1 OTA tuner.

 

[GaryPen]

It has 2 satellite tuners and 1 OTA tuner.

...and needs a 2nd OTA tuner.

 

[jsanders]

Such an INCREDIBLE waste of effort!

Who is the brain dead executive that comes up with two products that have almost identical feature sets and two completely different code bases??? That hurts Dish's bottom line, and it hurts the customers! Dish has to invest more $$$ in R&D to develop a new code base, and the customers have to suffer with another buggy product for six months. Why not just take the 921, use its code base to augment the product to do what the 942 does??? The hardware and software would be negligable investments, and the product release would be more stable! This is just so idiotic I can't believe it!

BTW, you can watch separate sets of local channels on the SD TV and the HD TV, but it means you need to spend another $5 on satellite locals. It solves the problem of one OTA tuner, and it costs the customer more money.

 

[SimpleSimon]

Who is the brain dead executive that comes up with two products that have almost identical feature sets and two completely different code bases??? That hurts Dish's bottom line, and it hurts the customers! Dish has to invest more $$$ in R&D to develop a new code base, and the customers have to suffer with another buggy product for six months. Why not just take the 921, use its code base to augment the product to do what the 942 does??? The hardware and software would be negligable investments, and the product release would be more stable! This is just so idiotic I can't believe it!

Well, maybe. On the other hand, try this scenario: they'd already been sinking money into the 921 and needed to get something to market. So, they release it knowing they're shafting guys like me in the process (unless they're gonna take care of us later ). Isn't the 921 based on the 721?

Anyway, they find that Eldon can't code their way out of a paper bag and decide to move forward with their newer code base - the x22.

Just a thought.

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

Having Eldon do the software on the 921 was a huge mistake. I few from Dish told me this at team summit (I felt bad for the guy from Eldon who was there)

I feel that the 522 software modified for the 942 could actually be very robust software.

 

[Stargazer]

Perhaps they chose to go with the design such as the 942 because it would give at least a little better functionality and lower the cost a good bit.

 

[rickd2000]

At Team Summit 2004 we were given the first look at the upcoming Dishplayer-DVR 942 High Definition Digital Video Recorder.

I believe that the 942 will replace the 921 when it is released.

So there you have it, your first look at the 942 receiver!

So if we were to follow Dish's release schedule for the 921 and other assorted receivers, this one should be available around 2008?

--Rick

 

[SimpleSimon]

So if we were to follow Dish's release schedule for the 921 and other assorted receivers, this one should be available around 2008?

--Rick

Well, that'd at least make me feel better about buying a 921 a couple of months ago.

 

[GaryPen]

BTW, you can watch separate sets of local channels on the SD TV and the HD TV, but it means you need to spend another $5 on satellite locals.

No sh*t.

It solves the problem of one OTA tuner, and it costs the customer more money.

That is the problem. (One of them, anyway. The OTA PQ is a bazillion times better than Dish Locals. I'd be able to lose that 2nd dish, as well.)

 

[jsanders]

Having Eldon do the software on the 921 was a huge mistake. I few from Dish told me this at team summit (I felt bad for the guy from Eldon who was there)

I feel that the 522 software modified for the 942 could actually be very robust software.

Let's hope your right about a more stable product with the 942, time will tell! It sounds like you're implying that the 942 isn't being developed by Eldon? Good! Either way, it isn't very economical to develop two code bases for two almost identical products... Maybe Dish will learn from the mistakes made with the 921. We can always hope.

 

[Stargazer]

I think Dish is trying to put the same type of software into ALL of their new receivers. I am thinking that the new receivers coming out later this year with the 4 in their model number (341, 942, etc) will all have the same software that the 322 and 522 now have. I wonder if it will be possible for Dish to change the software that is currently on the 301, 501, 508, 510 receivers to make it like the software that is on the 322 and 522 receivers.

 

[David_Levin]

Isn't the 522 a Linux based box. 322 is something else (open TV)?

Do you need a hard drive to install a Linux OS?

 

[WeeJavaDude]

Isn't the 522 a Linux based box. 322 is something else (open TV)?

Do you need a hard drive to install a Linux OS?

No you don't need a hard drive to install Linux OS. There is embedded Linux and also if you have enough Flash you can run Linux off Flash.

 

[Stargazer]

The 322 and 522 are not Linux but have the same type of software.

 

[larrystotler]

942 will probably be DHA only

You guys are missing this. The 942 has a 2 at the end, which means it will probably only be available to NEW customers via the Digital Home Plan(DHA). All receivers that end with a 1 are available for outright purchase, but Dish has stated that they have no plans to sell any of the DHA promotion receivers anytime soon. This kinda sucks, but then again, we have always complained to Dish that they will give away stuff to get you as a customer, but they make you pay to get upgraded. I managed to get a 721 through the Retailer DVR upgrade, and got the DP Quad, for a $249 upgrade with a one year commitment. While I have had a few issues with it, I must say that it is definately a better unit than my 501.

 

[SimpleSimon]

You guys are missing this. The 942 has a 2 at the end, which means it will probably only be available to NEW customers via the Digital Home Plan(DHA). All receivers that end with a 1 are available for outright purchase, but Dish has stated that they have no plans to sell any of the DHA promotion receivers anytime soon.

That's an interesting take on model numbers. We've always thought that 1 vs. 2 was the number of TV outputs the box had, but it could go your way, too.

 

[Stargazer]

I wonder if they will lease the 942 then or allow us to purchase it outright as we had with the other expensive HD DVR's. Perhaps Dish will try to be the first one to lease an HD DVR (if Voom does not beat them to it). I would say that there may be an extra fee involved with the lease of this receiver, perhaps an extra $5. If that were to happen though then we would be looking at a $5 DVR fee, $5 additional outlet fee (maybe $10 if no phone lines are hooked up if the 942 is an additional outlet) and $10 to lease the receiver for a possible total of $16-20. Even if you own the receiver yourself and want the warranty on it then it would be at least $16 to use the receiver ($5 DVR Fee, $5 additional outlet fee, $6 warranty) unless you already have a DVR, warrany, and this is your own receiver on your account and you have both phone lines hooked up to it. It would be the same case for the 522 receiver as well.

 

[GaryPen]

The way Scott first talked about the way the Dish folks were lauding the anticipated low price point, it sure sounded like they would be for sale.
Remember, the "2" does not mean "leased". The prevailing wisdom is that it means what Simon says...2 independant outputs. (I said "Simon says"... heh heh heh)

 

[SimpleSimon]

... The prevailing wisdom is that it means what Simon says...2 independant outputs. (I said "Simon says"... heh heh heh)

That's how I know when I'm right. If we agree, it's bulletproof. Luv ya man!

 

[Stargazer]

The 942 receiver would probably be too expensive of a receiver for Dish to put on a strict lease only option like the 322 and 522 are (unless the consumer would be willing to give up some of the other receivers that would be given to them free - it does have two tuners anyways).