Will you buy a 942?

[jsanders]

It has no MPEG4 decoding capability, and according to Dish, will be obsolete within a year when they add new HD channels based on MPEG4 encoding.

The 921 isn't finished yet, no reason to believe the 942 will work any better.

Did dish make another really boneheadded decision again?

 

[korsjs]

95 percent sure i am switching to direct when the new receivers come out.

 

[mammothskier]

At this time I won't buy any HD receiver, period. We might not get any new MPEG-2 HD channels. With switch to MPEG-4 looming, investing $750. :shocked

 

[marko]

No, still too much money

 

[ilaudio]

Is it just me or are we waiting for a reason to leave Dish?

If Dish offers the 942 on a lease program--...I'd for sure stay with them. If they added more HD--that would be a great incentive too. Personally I like the programming---I just don't like the lack on HD that's available and that they're failing to provide.

 

[Charise]

What ilaudio said--I'll lease a 942 until the MPEG 4 receivers are available.

 

[BobMurdoch]

Wow. As of 5:30 it is 0-27 against buying it.

This thing isn't even born yet and it looks like it will be stillborn at launch.

The problem is "Osborne" Syndrome (an old computer company that killed the market for its newly announced product by stupidly telling what great things were coming in the NEXT generation of their product).

In order to try and counter D*'s moves, they announced that they too would be going to Mpeg4 in the fall of 2005. But what they wound up doing was killing off any market they had for the product by basically saying that they will not be able to see any of the new mpeg4 channels. Soooo, if you are desperate to split programs between two HDTVs BUT don't mind not being able to see any new HD channels next year, then THIS product is for you. Otherwise, wait for the MPEG4 HD PVRs which will have to follow next year (sounds like the 2006 CES offering - which will then be delayed for several more months per E*'s normal modus operandi).

How are those V* subscriber numbers looking? We need that transponder space already. I can't believe Cablevision's shareholders haven't kicked in the door yet to the CEO's office and demand the thing we terminated already. How many billions do they have to lose before they finally wake up? Then again D* may get involved with the bidding just to weaken E* even further. Given Rupert's past losses to Charlie, I'm sure he'd love to stick it to him.

 

[styxfix]

Do you think these future MPEG4 HD PVRs sat receivers will be capable of a lot more of video storage because of better compression than MPEG2? Could we see as much as 100 hrs. of HD storage? Will they stop lowering the bit rate of the HD channels and the compression on the SD channels? Remember the great picture sat had before locals & esp. must carry locals came on. I would hope that could happen again soon after MPEG4 be comes standard, however I think they'll use the bandwidth for HD LIL.

I'll be surprised if anyone here would be willing to buy the 942 HD PVR when it comes out.

 

[WorkOutMN]

Nope, I won't be buying. In fact, I'm switching tomorrow -- not to DirectTV, but Time Warner Cable. Released at CES today, and being rolled out here in Minneapolis immediately, is the Scientific Atlanta 8300 multi-room, HD DVR. So, let's see -- it's HD, multi-room, and has Firewire that still has some hope of being activated in the near future unlike the 921 which is "never" and the 942 doesn't even have it in the first place. And even before this announcement, I was (and still am) having installed a hi-def box with a working Firewire out.

Bye, Dish. Don't let the door hit you on the arse on the way outta my house.

 

[Larry]

Maybe I'll buy one...when pigs fly!

What a toss-up with the 3 "no" categories. Any of the three are tempting to select. First there's the job the 921 users (me too) got, then the fact that from what we have learned so far, the 942 is dead meat out of the box. Both selections point one toward switching providers...but here I sit after all these years still paying E*.

 

[long_time_DNC]

Not a chance! The 942 is toast before it ever sees the light of day. They killed it with the MPEG-4 for HD announcement. At least they made that announcement before I spent any money on a dead-ended 921 that I was planning on buying this month...

 

[BobaBird]

Soooo, if you are desperate to split programs between two HDTVs ...

It has independent viewing for 2 TVs but TV1 is HD only and TV2 is SD only.

 

[jsanders]

Nope, I won't be buying. In fact, I'm switching tomorrow -- not to DirectTV, but Time Warner Cable. Released at CES today, and being rolled out here in Minneapolis immediately, is the Scientific Atlanta 8300 multi-room, HD DVR. So, let's see -- it's HD, multi-room, and has Firewire that still has some hope of being activated in the near future unlike the 921 which is "never" and the 942 doesn't even have it in the first place. And even before this announcement, I was (and still am) having installed a hi-def box with a working Firewire out.

Last April? the FCC mandated that HD cable DVRs are required to have working firewire ports. In my area, Comcast started giving out the boxes with the firewire turned off. People on the AVS forum went to their offices, sited the FCC requirement, and they were given boxes with the firewire ports activated! You may have to be a stickler about it, but you can get firewire active!

 

[n0qcu]

IF it has a decient OTA guide, it MIGHT be worth it for the NBR but not at the msrp.

 

[jsanders]

Wow. As of 5:30 it is 0-27 against buying it.

How are those V* subscriber numbers looking? We need that transponder space already. I can't believe Cablevision's shareholders haven't kicked in the door yet to the CEO's office and demand the thing we terminated already. How many billions do they have to lose before they finally wake up? Then again D* may get involved with the bidding just to weaken E* even further. Given Rupert's past losses to Charlie, I'm sure he'd love to stick it to him.

I agree with you on the Osbourne computer fiasco. Those were neat boxes at the time, actually portable. We have to be mindful that Dish is even stupider than Osbourne was because Dish could have learned from Osbourne! They should have just fixed the 921 and then delayed the 942 and make it MPEG4 compatible. Funny thing is that when they come up with a stupid idea, it doesn't get changed and they still do it.

As far as Voom goes, we really do need thier transponders. I've been thinking about scenarios on this one though. It seems a lot cheaper to let V* go under w/o buying them. Just license their transponders, offer their HD, and a large portion of their 25,000 subscribers will probably move to you. That way you don't have to buy the whole value of the company.

Unfortunately, I suspect there will be users that don't know about the MPEG4 issues in conflict with the 942, and those will probably buy them. I doubt many, if any, on these message boards would buy one though. We need to get the word out to warn people about this. I like that Scott asked his question at CES in front of all of those reporters, so they would know what a boneheadded move this was.

 

[DWS44]

I'd be all over a lease option for a 942. I want a DVR badly, but want to have it and HD in the same box. It isnt worth the huge pricetag to purchase them...especially in the light of the MPEG4 deal. I hate the thought of getting a boat anchor from day one, but I also hate the thought of having to wait another year or more for an HD DVR!

Frustrating!

 

[korsjs]

whoever has voted yes, could you please tell us why?

no one should attack him/her. i would just like to know the reason.

 

[DWS44]

i would just like to know the reason.

The last part of my post above pretty much sums up the only reason that I would even consider it.

 

[jsanders]

I wish this thead didn't get moved. Since the other place was where, according to Scott, Dish is supposed to be monitoring, I wanted them to see this poll.

A boycott of the 942 would be a really powerful way to send a Dish a message that they messed up big time.

 

[korsjs]

The last part of my post above pretty much sums up the only reason that I would even consider it.

sorry about that, looks like we posted at the same time.

i could see using at a lease, but unless you have money to blow, the average person would be insane to purchase it.

i agree, this should be moved to the part that dish is supposed to be monitoring.