Can we please compare the DSR530 with the EV 9200?

[miguelaqui]

I will be going HD soon. I am considering EV and SC, but I wanted to see which receiver was really the best deal.

I noticed that the DSR 530 has a 160 GB hardrive, the 9200 has a 250GB hardrive. They both say 25 hours of high def recording. Does this mean that the SC receiver would be a lower quality recording, since the recordings take up less hardrive space?

From reading about these receivers, the 9200 has an over-the-air tuner, but the DSR 530 does not. So with the 9200, you can record 2 channels while watching a third. Am I correct on this issue?

How many days of guide does the EV 9200 hold? The DSR 530?

I read that the DSR 530 was a receiver that Motorola originally made for Voom. If this is the case, can we expect to see a newer SC HDPVR after all the DSR 530s have been sold?


Thanks to all who have more knowledge than I do on this issue!

 

[pretzelboy]

I'd like to see a real-world comparison as well. I'd also like to see what actual users think. I'm quite interested in the DSR530 but I stumbled across another website yesterday and there were huge problem discussions going on for the DSR530.

 

[Kryspy]

Well...

As a DSR530 owner let me tell ya..... right now Motorola is actually making Echostar engineers look good.

I take huge offence to paying money to be a beta tester. Even the worst ExpressVU hardware has never had these kinds of problems.

Kryspy

 

[pretzelboy]

Wonderful. So, apparently the issues I've been reading about are true. I was so looking forward to getting the 530.

 

[Jumbo Dumbo]

Typical Motorola sloppiness and incredible incompetence by Star Choice management allowed this pathetic Motorola firmware on the market. One can understand why Motorola bought Ucentric - total lack of competence in house.

When I saw a live demo of the 530; I bought a 500 instead

 

[Jumbo Dumbo]

I

I read that the DSR 530 was a receiver that Motorola originally made for Voom. If this is the case, can we expect to see a newer SC HDPVR after all the DSR 530s have been sold?

The DSR530 and the DSR580 were to be the same hardware except NDS encryption for Voom and DCII for SC. The project was actually started by Motorola and SC long before Comcast started Voom.

The big difference was to be the firmware - with stable Ucentric/Voom firmware in the DSR580 that actually worked and Motorola firmware in the DSR530.

 

[Satellite Expert]

Not to be an apologist for either SC or Motorola (who seem to be running QC like the US automakers did in the 70s); but this is their first kick of the can at satellite HDDVR.

Expressvu rejected the 921 clone because it was ... well, not up to standards. The 942 had some bad bugs when first launched. In addition, Expressvu has the advantage of being able to watch the experiences of Dishnetwork customers, or should I say "people who pay Charlie Ergan to be beta testers"; before launching their version.

On the plus side for SC/Motorola, the problems are not hardware related except for the fan housing attachment. Now it's up to Motorola to get it's act together and for Sc not to believe anything that Motorola tells them.

 

[miguelaqui]

a few more questions

Has anyone heard if *C will be lowering the price of the DSR 530, since the EV 9200 is less expensive and seems to be a nicer receiver?

Does the 530 come with a UHF remote?

Can the DSR530 be used on a standard def. television? I would assume that you could just connect the S-Video and everything would be OK.

If you record a high def program, can it be played on a standard def TV?

Thanks to all!!!

 

[Jumbo Dumbo]

The answer to all your questions is "Yes"

 

[miguelaqui]

Is all of this correct?

OK So here's all the info I have gathered. Please, correct me if I am wrong about any part.

1. The DSR530 is a dual tuner, but can only be used for one TV; 2 TV's can't watch 2 different shows.
2. The DSR530 does not have an over-the-air tuner.
3. The DSR530 has a 160 gig hardrive.
4. Retails for $689 CAD (KuSat)

1. The EV 9200 is a dual tuner, which can be set to be used for a 2 TV solution. It even has the coax output and second remote, just like the 5200.
2. The EV 9200 has an over-the-air tuner, so it is possible to record 2 shows and watch a third in HD.
3. The 9200 has a 250 gig hardrive.
4. Retails for $595.89 CAD (KuSat)

Other than just preferring to have the *C's service over EV's,
are there any advantages *C's HD DVR over EV's?

 

[rkrenicki]

The DSR505 is the reprogrammed/rebadged Voom DSR550 for the Starchoice system, not the 530

The 580 and 530 were (supposed to be) physically and electrically identical, just software dependent, when Voom went under, I am sure that any 580s were just wiped, and loaded with the 530 software. Its too bad, because the 530 and 580 has the physical slots for the ATSC tuners, but the software wouldnt turn it on.

Voom was not a Comcast property, but Cablevision.. if it was Comcast, it probably wouldnt have flopped, due to the financial backing it would have had.

I have a DSR500 and DSR550 (aka DSR505) and I will be doing a physical hardware comparison on them shortly. (probably on my Voom OTA Research page)