New Dish Customer-Info Needed Please

[shippy1973]

Hey everyone...Background info follows...

New Dish subscriber here. Installer coming out Thursday to do a 522/322 setup. I was with Directv for almost 5 years. Moved and could not get a signal. Stuck with Cable during another move. I have a Directv dish already up for NFL Sunday Ticket only. I had a Tivo. Sold that. Got a ReplayTV. I love everything about it. Dish man came by. Told me about the 522 and how I could use the PVR service on two TVs with just 1 box and $4.98 a month. Ok..done with that.

What the heck am I doing? LOL Why screw up something I am happy with? Well....Adelphia is lubing me up for $91 bucks a month for basic cable and the internet. F-that. I have been wanting to switch to Satellite service again for a while but never did anything about it. ANYWAY.... I dont record that much with Replay (Price is Right and Jimmy Kimmel is about the extent of my recording ) Ok now my question.....

Is this really that good? I know it is a broad question but does this thing really work? Can I pause live TV and instant replay and all that jazz on both TVs at the same time??? Watch recorded TV shows on either TV, record two shows and watch live shows on both??? It seems to me if that is the case then I am happier than hell.

Does anyone know if Dish will be getting the NFL Network anytime soon? If they got it I would very pleased....

I had Tivo, I have Replay. Both are just fine for what I want. Will this meet my expectations or am I asking for too much??

 

[SimpleSimon]

Well, almost all of that - the box has TWO tuners, therefore, TWO shows can be caught from the sky at one time. Whether you record or watch live doesn't matter - you've got two incoming streams.

That being said, once you've got real integrated PVR, you'll never go back. And you'll rarely watch anything "live" again. Just pick your shows, slam Record on them in the guide and forget about it (especially when NBR finally appears).

Then, when you want to veg out, go to the PVR menu and pick something - it's like VOD, but without it being pushed on you. Oh, and Dish PVRs have a working comemrcial skip - 60 minute shows only have 40-45 minutes of content.

The only downside is you have to stay away from the TV gossips in the office to avoid spoilers until you get a chance to watch the shows.

I've got stuff rom February still waiting to be watched.

As for NFL - who knows - but I sure love doing my own instant replays, slo-mo and freeze-frame - and even with all that, it only takes an hour or so to watch the 3+ hour football game - ever notice that the time from tackle to huddle break is 30 seconds?

 

[mrschwarz]

At first you'll be disappointed in the inability of the PVR to do name based recording. You'll get programs you weren't expecting because the PVR only records time/channel. Sometimes it doesn't even do that right.

A Tivo hooked up to TV1 of a 322 receiver is much more reliable. The picture may be slightly degraded than the PVR, but it gets the program right. In my opinion, the Tivo's program guide is a much more efficient use of screen space, too.

If you don't set periodic timers (daily, weekly, etc.) and manually pick each show you want from the program guide, the PVR will get what you want. It's more work, though.

 

[ignition]

"At first you'll be disappointed in the inability of the PVR to do name based recording. You'll get programs you weren't expecting because the PVR only records time/channel."

True...but the owner of Satelliteguys site says Dish will provide Name based recording" on 522's in software upgrade this Sept.

 

[boba]

If you have moved you may qualify as a new customer for Directv if you do get two DirecTiVos they will run circles around a 522 and Directv has an exclusive contract for the NFL Sunday ticket for at least the next three years, with extentions possibly longer. With the 522 you have A/V connections available at the receiver location at the second TV location you only have RF(coaxial) connections which gives a much softer picture.

 

[typerk]

I few months ago I was paying almost 80 bucks a month for cable with hbo. Now I pay a few dolllars less for dishnetwork and have hbo and showtime and I pay 5 bucks for the dvr. I think you will be more than satisfied with the 522. I absolutely love it.

 

[bcshields]

I totally forgot about The Price is Right!! Thanks for the reminder! Gonna set that daily timer up when i get home.

Barker's beauties.. *drool*

 

[BobMurdoch]

The great thing is that now 24 hrs of TV becomes your playgorund... Go searching a week in advance and unearth old movies you loved when you were younger..... Shows that you may have missed because you weren't around, etc. The biggest problem you will have is that there WILL always be something good on your PVR and your potential to become a severe couch potato will increase exponentially.....

 

[shippy1973]

Update

Well all...got the Dish and boxes today. I must say I had my doubts about the install and everything but it went flawlessly. He was even 30 minutes early. The installer was SUPER. I have nothing but serious kudos to give to him. Walked me through what he was doing, what to do if "X" happened and everything. I am pretty knowledgeable with Directv so I am no rookie with dishes and it said it scared him a little. Didnt want me to start messing around with everything. LOL Had my son help him out with some of the wiring which was nice. It was good clean install. Everything looks good and works as advertised. For now... Setup some of my old timers I had on my Replay and we will see how it goes. I do wish we had "name based recording" but I see that this update will hopefully happen in September. Can't wait!!!

 

[Wishbone]

The great thing is that now 24 hrs of TV becomes your playgorund... Go searching a week in advance and unearth old movies you loved when you were younger..... Shows that you may have missed because you weren't around, etc. The biggest problem you will have is that there WILL always be something good on your PVR and your potential to become a severe couch potato will increase exponentially.....

I've had my Dish installed for less than a week and it has already changed me.. I set it to record my favorite stuff, and it all appears magically.. I never have to be home at a specific time.. Can kiss my kids goodnight without having to wait for commercials. Sometimes I notice that the "recording" light is on and I'm thinking "What the hell is it recording now??" I take a peek and find out that it is my favorite show that I never miss.. HOW DID I FORGET ABOUT IT? I can barely remember when everything is on.. Plus when am I ever home to watch "Matlock", "Murder She Wrote" and "McGyver"???

My wife still doesn't get it.. She freaks out when I'm watching something and she says "Quick! QUICK!!! Change the channel!!! A new 'Divine Design' or 'House Hunters' is on." I have to explain how it all works (again)

The downside is that when co-workers say "Have you ever seen that commercial where...." You can honestly say that you've never seen it.. I can handle that.

 

[Hall]

The downside is that when co-workers say "Have you ever seen that commercial where...." You can honestly say that you've never seen it.. I can handle that.

Same here... commercials ?? What's that ?? You should hear me when we start watching a show "live" and then just pause it for no good reason other than to let the show get far enough ahead so that we can skip commercials. Then when we don't wait long enough, I get (jokingly) annoyed when we have to watch commercials... What do I do ?? Oftentimes I'll watch bits and pieces of some other pre-recorded event.

 

[Wishbone]

You should hear me when we start watching a show "live" and then just pause it for no good reason other than to let the show get far enough ahead so that we can skip commercials.

I go to the bathroom during the show (paused) now.. Why waste a good pause on a commercial, when you can fast forward through the next one later?

 

[maximum]

I've found that I hardly ever watch live TV anymore. It's so easy to record what you want in advance, then watch them at your leasure and skip commercials at will. The only time I watch live TV is when I watch the local news. I usually have to switch to OTA to watch it because both tuners are busy recording other shows