Initial Reaction

[Pakbackr]

Night #1 with my VIP922, and overall, it was a positive experience. GUI is slick on 1080, and moving around the menu options is a breeze. The guide is lightning fast, and the 'info' screen is greatly enhanced...primarily because you can set up a recording event (one time or series) right from that screen. It took a while for the logos to show up, and they were running off the screen, but I found an option in the menu to adjust the screen display slightly...very cool. Finally, the Sling technology is very impressive...worked well on both my laptop and my iPad.

Things I was not so thrilled about:
1) The OTA module seems to be much weaker than the one built into my old 622. Last night was a crystal clear night here in Raleigh with a slight wind. Yet local channels that I used to get a near 100 signal strength on fluctuated in the 80-90 range and occasionally pixelated on my. Got to the point that we switched over to the Dish local...something that may not always be an option. Very disappointing since I had to pay $50 extra for that module.
2) We had a storm overnight and when I got up this am, I found I had lost my sat signal. Not unusual for Dish. But the storm has passed, and I still have not had the signal restored.
3) Wish the guide had more options...should I say any options. Unless I have overlooked it, it appears the guide is a one size fits all. Its pretty good, but I might prefer having fewer channels displayed if I could get more info shown about a selected show.

More to come, I am sure.

 

[sethwell]

1) with digital signals you will still get a perfect picture even in the 60's, at least on mine i do. pixelation might be caused by multipath that is due to leaves emerging on trees right now. i barely noticed any drop in signal strength with mine. i believe there is a thread about the MT2 catridge that states that you should power down your unit, uninstall the cartridge, then reinstall it. not sure if you needed to power cycle between the uninstall and reinstall, but for others that has cleared up a lot of OTA problems with it.
2) sounds like your dish might be out of alignment if your signal is not back. you may need to give dish a call to repeak your dish.
3)i like the guide, it lets you see more channels and you can always hit the info button to get more info about that program.

overall i love my 922 better than i did my 722. give it time and it will grow on you.

 

[navychop]

OTA signals are subject to varying levels of expertise at the local station, not to mention how many subchannels they are transmitting. I've had pixelation with signals in the 80s at times.

 

[Pakbackr]

10+ days in to the VIP922 experience and I am getting a much better feel for all the features. All I can say is "Wow!" This thing is lightening fast, well organized, visually striking and extremely user friendly. The search feature is greatly enhanced, and many of the most commonly used features are easily customized. I have even had the need to access the DVR remotely via the Dish web site (and the Sling technology) to set a timer for a congressional hearing one day, and process was quick and flawless. Not sure I will post anything else unless I discover a new feature or problem. I give the VIP922 "5 stars" and my highest recommendation!