Why bother with Dish PVRs?

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Please don't take this as DISH bashing. I want to find an affordable PVR for my father-in-law who has terminal cancer and can't do much but watch TV. He currently has DISH with a 301. He loves my Ultimate TV.
It would be easier to keep him on DISH and get him a 508/510 so it would just be a plug and play swap. The problem is... Dish PVR/DVR products appear to be totally bug filled and unreliable, at least I gather that from reading many forums. I can switch him to D* and get a DirecTIVO for a hundred bucks installed. Can anyone convince me why I should go with a more expensive single tuner 50x that doesn't appear to work most of the time?
 
Kenster said:
Dish PVR/DVR products appear to be totally bug filled and unreliable, at least I gather that from reading many forums.
When the 501 first came out it worked but it did have it's share of bugs. However they've cleaned up their act and at least my 501 and 508 are working great. I'll let the 721 folks chime in on what they think. Bottom line is get a 501/508/510, they're working fine.
 
My 501 works great... I have only had a few probs. Nothing a reset did not cure. But I bought an Replay TV box yesterday, hooked it to a model 6000 and I love it. I thought tivo but the replay came with a 3 year sub. It cost more...but I think in the long run it will be cheaper maybe.
 
I think the 50x Dish series are pretty stable, it's when they first roll out they take a while to shake the bugs out.

I'd suggest that you go with whatever you think that he can use reliably. Tivo-based units have a lot of features compared to the Dish DVRs and if you think your f-i-l can enjoy and work those features then I'd go with that one.

Now that I've used a Tivo-based DVR I'd really hate to go back to a more basic one.
 
I have a 721 and I'm very happy with it, but if you're starting from scratch and have no compelling reason to stay with Dish, you're better off going with DirecTV and Tivo, IMO. For what Dish charges for their DVRs without name-based recording just isn't worth it.

Dennis
 
I haven't read all the posts but i'm sure i can add to it. If he has the 301 then he'll feel very comfortable with the 508 since it has the same interface as the 301. I have never really had any problems with my 508.
 
I've been using my 510 DVR for over a month and its been nothing but great. I'd dismiss all of those bug riddled comments as internet bitch'n. Sure there are a few "examples" but for each on of those there are thousands that are running just fine.
 
I have been using my 501 for 2 years, and love it! I just upgraded the 501 to a 510, and am waiting for my 721! I bought the 721, because I am tired of waiting for the pipedream 522 system!

Rich
 
Both the 510 and 522 have minor bugs but your father is already used to the system so go ahead and get it for him. It will be much easier than learning a new system and he may qualify for a free DVR-510 with a 2 year commitment. Yes I have both DISH and Directv and Directv is better software but in this case go with what he knows.
 
The 501/508 used to have bugs but they cleaned them up nicely. I had more hardware issues than anything with those (at least with the 501's).

The 721 has more bugs but has not been out as long. I have had less hardware issues with the 721, only one had to be replaced vs. three 501's. I had no more replaced because I quit using them, sold the replacement cheap when I got the fourth 501. I think the more complex the receiver (more tuners, more functionality), the more complications there will be causing more bugs.

I have heard of people getting DirecTivo's for $100 or less. I stay with Dish because thats what I have been used to all along, and they have the SuperStations. They also give you a discount when you prepay for one year so you only have to pay your bill once a year.
 
I love my 721. Never a problem. Never a missed recording (I have about 10 repeatable timers). It's quiet. Dual tuner is great, etc.

This has been said before, but "satisfied customers are typically quiet". I don't praise Dish and my 721 just because they actually do what I paid for them to do. However, if I had equipment that did not live up to its promises, I would be vocal. Therefore, don't base your opinion on the volume of complaints versus the volume of praises. That number will inherently be skewed.
 
For the most part I am satisfied with the DVR's until hardware failure begins. Software issues is not an issue with me most of the time but is occassionally.
 
Dish PVRs

Thanks for the positive comments. I was afraid someone would get offended and turn this into a negative thread. I do have some concerns about the TIVO being a bit complex for him. He calls me frequently when he has a problem. (knocked himself off the air during the first quarter of the Super Bowl last year! Talk about panic. After several minutes of trouble shooting by long distance, he mentioned that the red light on his SAT receiver wasn't on. He had accidentally turned his receiver off!)
I think going with a 508 would be best. If only they weren't do darned expensive. Any upgrade programs for existing customers in the works?
 
I have been with E* for many years. They have a really bad habit of releasing receivers before the software bugs have been worked out. They have the "release it now, fix it later" attitude.

When I first got my 501, it had numerous software problems. It took about ONE YEAR for the software to become stable. Now, my 501 works great. I think that if you stick with a receiver that has been out for at least a year (like the 501/508/510), you won't have any serious problems.
 
Re: Dish PVRs

Kenster said:
Thanks for the positive comments. I was afraid someone would get offended and turn this into a negative thread. I do have some concerns about the TIVO being a bit complex for him. He calls me frequently when he has a problem. (knocked himself off the air during the first quarter of the Super Bowl last year! Talk about panic. After several minutes of trouble shooting by long distance, he mentioned that the red light on his SAT receiver wasn't on. He had accidentally turned his receiver off!)
I think going with a 508 would be best. If only they weren't do darned expensive. Any upgrade programs for existing customers in the works?

Give Dish a call. IIRC they are offering the 510 to all customers for $99 with one year commitment to at least AT50, or free with two year commitment. If you don't have CC autopay (or start it with your order) they will charge you about $26 for shipping/handling.
 
Good Experience with 508

I've had my D* and a 508 for about 4 months now. My friends are getting tired of me saying "I'll never watch live TV again".

No problems here.

Also, remember that a switch to D* means a new dish pointed in a different direction. In my case, some pretty big pine trees would stop the signal cold.
 
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