How are Dish's DVRs?

[antdude]

Hi!

I assume Dish's DVRs are made/created by them and not third parties. I have used Dish's DTV Pals (converter box for old CRT TVs and DVR). However, both are buggy.

Its converter box, for VCRs, was the worse due to crashes, hangs, etc. This is a common issue online as shown in Dish DTVPal / Echostar TR40 digital to analog converter - AVS Forum ... Its DVR was better, but still had a few problems (e.g., timers messing up during the time change weeks) for everyone and me as shown in The Official AVS Dish DTVPal DVR Topic! - Page 474 - AVS Forum ...

Are Dish's DVRs for Dish service buggy as well? I am wondering if I should lease one from them or get a third party like TiVo, Channel Master, etc.

Thank you in advance.

 

[Tyralak]

Hi!

I assume Dish's DVRs are made/created by them and not third parties. I have used Dish's DTV Pals (converter box for old CRT TVs and DVR). However, both are buggy.

Its converter box, for VCRs, was the worse due to crashes, hangs, etc. This is a common issue online as shown in Dish DTVPal / Echostar TR40 digital to analog converter - AVS Forum ... Its DVR was better, but still had a few problems (e.g., timers messing up during the time change weeks) for everyone and me as shown in The Official AVS Dish DTVPal DVR Topic! - Page 474 - AVS Forum ...

Are Dish's DVRs for Dish service buggy as well? I am wondering if I should lease one from them or get a third party like TiVo, Channel Master, etc.

Thank you in advance.

Dish's DVRs are great. The 722k is a wonderful DVR, and I highly recommend it. The new Hopper is coming out on the 15th. If you're not a Dish customer yet, I would say wait and order it then. Check out the Hopper area of the site for information.

 

[antdude]

Dish's DVRs are great. The 722k is a wonderful DVR, and I highly recommend it. The new Hopper is coming out on the 15th. If you're not a Dish customer yet, I would say wait and order it then. Check out the Hopper area of the site for information.

THanks. I am probably get it in the summer so it will be a few months. Hopefully by then, the bugs will be worked out. Is Hopper the new DVR replacing 722k?

 

[Tyralak]

THanks. I am probably get it in the summer so it will be a few months. Hopefully by then, the bugs will be worked out. Is Hopper the new DVR replacing 722k?

Yes, the Hopper/Joey system is going to be the flagship Dish DVR setup from here on out. If it's going to be summer, I would certainly consider it. The 722k will be available for a long time, and it's a great receiver, but the Hopper/Joey system, IMHO is a better technology.

 

[antdude]

Yes, the Hopper/Joey system is going to be the flagship Dish DVR setup from here on out. If it's going to be summer, I would certainly consider it. The 722k will be available for a long time, and it's a great receiver, but the Hopper/Joey system, IMHO is a better technology.

Is there a detailed article/list between these two? Hopper/Joey would be new but with issues I assume.

 

[boba]

Hi!

I assume Dish's DVRs are made/created by them and not third parties. I have used Dish's DTV Pals (converter box for old CRT TVs and DVR). However, both are buggy.

Its converter box, for VCRs, was the worse due to crashes, hangs, etc. This is a common issue online as shown in Dish DTVPal / Echostar TR40 digital to analog converter - AVS Forum ... Its DVR was better, but still had a few problems (e.g., timers messing up during the time change weeks) for everyone and me as shown in The Official AVS Dish DTVPal DVR Topic! - Page 474 - AVS Forum ...

Are Dish's DVRs for Dish service buggy as well? I am wondering if I should lease one from them or get a third party like TiVo, Channel Master, etc.

Thank you in advance.

TiVo will get you a more problem free DVR but the series 3 or 4 can't record from DISH satellite receivers. TiVo does have a satellite receiver with Directv so you can record that service. If you are using cable as your source then your choice of DVRs is limited to theirs or TiVo.

Your experience with the DTV PAL/DVR is probably typical of DISH receivers THEY HAVE BUGS AND PROBABLY ALWAYS WILL. How major or minor depends on your usage and dependence on the DVR. DISH can never leave programming alone, they get a version that is fairly reliable and then they ruin it with a new software version. Hopper/Joey will be reliable about 2013 by previous DISH History. The 922 was supposed to be the replacement for the 722, DISH even had a BETA testing program for it with customers before releasing it for public sales. It still came out with bugs and now that it is pretty much debugged it is no longer available for upgrades.

DISH DVRs are very usable but don't expect them to be bug free, don't buy one within 6 mo. of introduction unless you want to live with problems.

 

[mdram]

dish dvr's are great, very fast
i never had an issue with my 622

 

[TheKrell]

It's also worth noting that the menus on your DTVpal DVR are very similar to the older Dish receivers. Radical change came with the 922 and now Hopper, with a tile-based menu instead of a list.

 

[antdude]

It's also worth noting that the menus on your DTVpal DVR are very similar to the older Dish receivers. Radical change came with the 922 and now Hopper, with a tile-based menu instead of a list.

Good. I hate that GUI. Ugh. Is the new GUI much easier and faster in terms of usability?

 

[isaacmorseMI]

Good. I hate that GUI. Ugh. Is the new GUI much easier and faster in terms of usability?

Yes. The Hopper is really fast thanks to its 750Mhz processor.

Sent from my iPad 2 using Forum Runner

 

[antdude]

Yes. The Hopper is really fast thanks to its 750Mhz processor.

Sent from my iPad 2 using Forum Runner

Sweet. Thanks.

 

[navychop]

IMHO Dish DVRs are the best on the market. Except for the ViP922.

LOTS of postings here on Hopper/Joey. Set aside a day and you can read half of them.

Inside of a week we should have first hand reports on H/J in the wild.

 

[antdude]

IMHO Dish DVRs are the best on the market. Except for the ViP922.

LOTS of postings here on Hopper/Joey. Set aside a day and you can read half of them.

Inside of a week we should have first hand reports on H/J in the wild.

Hopefully, it is stable if I decide to Dish and this latest DVR model.