Can we show some love for the 811?

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JoeSp

JoeSp

Supporting Founder
Original poster
Supporting Founder
Oct 11, 2003
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Whoa, seems like every time someone posts for response on the 811 the naysayers rush in. It is unbelievable how some people can not get the Point!

And what is the Point! The 811 is for HD viewing. That is why it has an OTA digital/analog tuner included (I kinda wished they had left the analog out!). I can not wait for 2006!!!! Why you might ask? Because that is when analog will go the way of Beta tapes--remember those? That's right---analog tv signals will finally be silent and then folks can concentrate on the Point.

And the Point is? HD baby!! That is the only reason to get an 811. Yes there are bugs to be worked out but Dish has provided 3 updates since the 811 came out in December!!
That works out to an update about every 45 days!! And there are those who would find fault with this?

While I will agree that when the 811 was introduced it was very buggy but the bugs are being stamped out. If anyone reads this and is interested in watching HD content through componet or DVI than this is a very good product. A few quirks but you WILL be watching HD.

If you want to watch analog go buy a $300 26" analog tv at Best Buy and watch all you want! If you want the least expensive way to watch HD content both OTA and satellite than get an 811. Watch your HD and be happy because there will be more to see come this fall--especially after the new satellite goes up at 105!! Have some faith--have none? Then have some patience--more HD will be coming!!

Be at peace--get your 811 and enjoy. When the fall rolls around and there is much more HD to watch most of the bugs everyone is complaining about now will be a thing of the past and you will finally be getting the Point. The Point?--HD Baby!!!!
 
Who let Dick Vitale in here?

Knowing all it's glitches and bugs.. after seeing one I'd still like to have HDTV... I'm sure alot of us Joe Consumer types are waiting for the prices to drop a bit farther... $999 for a TV makes my frugal wallet scream... and my gf cringe when she sees that gleam in my eye when I talk about HD.

Maybe by 2006 things will improve and prices will drop to the $500 level.
 
bcshields said:
Who let Dick Vitale in here?

Knowing all it's glitches and bugs.. after seeing one I'd still like to have HDTV... I'm sure alot of us Joe Consumer types are waiting for the prices to drop a bit farther... $999 for a TV makes my frugal wallet scream... and my gf cringe when she sees that gleam in my eye when I talk about HD.

Maybe by 2006 things will improve and prices will drop to the $500 level.
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the price of recivers will drop some by 2006. but the 999 price isn't just for the reciever. it's for a tv and reciever. i doubt that 40 inch widescreen prices drop below 800$. but if you shop around enough you could buy a 32inch right now for about 400 to 500$ in hd. that's close to regular sd prices now. i bought a 32 in hd advent at best buy for 499.99. they were have a year end sale in december. nebraska furniture is also selling 32 in hd tv's in the 400 to 500 & price ranges.
prices will fall by 2006 but who knows for sure. the fcc has pushed back the analog cut off date til 2007. and analog will only be cut off providing every home has at least one hdtv. so i would think analog could still be here after 2007.

as for the 811. there are some issuses that need fixed. but i agree that we need to be patient. the 301 had a lot of problems when it came out. now it's the best running sdtv reciever out there. voom and direct tv are both ahve issues with thier hd recievers. voom's hd recievers won't zoom to fill in 4.3 screen. while direct recievers had simalar issuse as the 811.
 
JoeSp said:
Whoa, seems like every time someone posts for response on the 811 the naysayers rush in. It is unbelievable how some people can not get the Point!

And what is the Point! The 811 is for HD viewing. ...
Click to expand...

I heartily second this.

When I sit there watching "Over America" or "Arctic Mission" or "Odyssey 5" I can forgive my OTA channels falling out of the guide .... When I hear the gasp from my neighbors seeing a HD set in someone's home I can forgive an occasional "acquiring satellite signal 1 of 5" ....

You think the 811 has problems? Well yeah, it does. But go over and read the forums at AVS re: the Sony Grand VVega. Even Sony can release a product before it is fully tested/ready.

The 811 is buggier than any Dish receiver I've ever had, but then it does about 10 times more than any other Dish receiver I've had.
 
"Watch your HD and be happy because there will be more to see come this fall--especially after the new satellite goes up at 105!!"

Do you think we will need a new Dish to "see" 105? I currently have a Dish 500.
 
JoeSp said:
Whoa, seems like every time someone posts for response on the 811 the naysayers rush in. It is unbelievable how some people can not get the Point!

And what is the Point! The 811 is for HD viewing. That is why it has an OTA digital/analog tuner included (I kinda wished they had left the analog out!). I can not wait for 2006!!!! Why you might ask? Because that is when analog will go the way of Beta tapes--remember those? That's right---analog tv signals will finally be silent and then folks can concentrate on the Point.

And the Point is? HD baby!! That is the only reason to get an 811. Yes there are bugs to be worked out but Dish has provided 3 updates since the 811 came out in December!!
That works out to an update about every 45 days!! And there are those who would find fault with this?

While I will agree that when the 811 was introduced it was very buggy but the bugs are being stamped out. If anyone reads this and is interested in watching HD content through componet or DVI than this is a very good product. A few quirks but you WILL be watching HD.

If you want to watch analog go buy a $300 26" analog tv at Best Buy and watch all you want! If you want the least expensive way to watch HD content both OTA and satellite than get an 811. Watch your HD and be happy because there will be more to see come this fall--especially after the new satellite goes up at 105!! Have some faith--have none? Then have some patience--more HD will be coming!!

Be at peace--get your 811 and enjoy. When the fall rolls around and there is much more HD to watch most of the bugs everyone is complaining about now will be a thing of the past and you will finally be getting the Point. The Point?--HD Baby!!!!
Click to expand...

Well, maybe you bought the 811 for only viewing HD but I bought it so I could connect it to my TIVO, get the digital OTA and for HD viewing. I thought when I got the unit it had all these capabilities. The dark picture issue and the 49% OTA problem are real issues for me and others. Since 70% of my viewing is from TIVO, ~20% live (usually OTA) and only 10% HD, I'd really like to see problems resolved. Sure these percentages will change as more HD becomes available but for now and probably for the next couple years I don't see that much HD being available that I would not use the analog outputs. Just because something is transmitted in HD doesn't mean I watch it. Buying separate analog equipment is not an option for me and since the 811 is supposed to handle analog as advertised, it should! I also take issue with your be patient comment. I've only had to be patient for a couple months. Other posters have been patient since December (or maybe November... I'm not sure when the 811 started shipping). The point for you may be HD but for me it's not the only thing in life.

From some of your posts you seem to be perfectly happy with your 811 or at least willing to be content with it's capabilities with respect with the way you use the unit. This doesn't mean that everyone should be happy and "at peace" when they are trying to use 811 functions different from what you are using and they don't work properly.

And another point. Why do you almost always disagree with anyone who posts a negative comment about the 811? If your happy with yours that's good for you but for those of us who are experiencing problems and chose to air our views on this forum please don't discount us as "not getting the point".
 
bcshields said:
Hmm.. I'll have to do some reasearch. Thanks Jeff.
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hello bcshields. hope i didn't come across rude. i sure didn't mean to pick on your quote. i was just adding to what you had said. thanks for the response.
some wbsites pop ups are offering 811's for free when signing up. new customers only. anyone else see this
 
To me, Joe doesn't get the "point". The point of any consumer electronic device, or any other appliance from a toaster to car, is that it works correctly and as advertised out of the box, including ALL of its features. In the specific case of the 811, many features didn't (and still don't) work correctly, while some didn't (and still don't) work at all.

Sure, it receives HD. Big whoop. That's ONE of the things it's supposed to do. But, since the majority of HD content comes OTA, the fact that the OTA portion of the 811 is the most problematic, sort of takes away from the enjoyment of it. (I would get more HD from the satellite. But, the 811 can't receive the 148 satellite using DishPro gear!)

Sure, they've put out 3 updates since release. It's finally at the absolute minimum level it should have been for its original release. And, yeah, I find fault with an update every 45 days. When it's for a product with as many problems as the 811, they should be coming sooner and fix more issues per release.

And no, The DirecTV HD receivers do not have as many bugs. At this point, I'm aware of only one. (They, too, provided updates to correct the far fewer number of bugs. Also, notice how they withhold release of their HD Tivo until they get the bugs worked out before release. What a crazy concept!

Finally, "love" for the 811? Sorry. It's a device. A machine. A thing. And Dish is a company. They do not get any love from me, nor would any other device or company. I give them money, they give me stuff. There is no love involved.
 
GaryPen said:
To me,.... blah blah blah....I give them money, they give me stuff. There is no love involved.
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I totally agree with everything you said.

But! If we would only lower our expectations we wouldn't be so disappointed. :rolleyes: :D :D
 
I think you are happy because you have low expectations. And actually, you are probably a happier person because of that. I can and have posted on the many times I felt Dish was being bashed wrongly. But some hardware cannot be defended. Why should there have to be three updates just to make it almost work correctly? While one can point to some problems with TIVO, it is nothing like the problems Dish is having and has had. What are the chances that after being released, the HD TIVO will stop shipping because of so many problems like the 921? I know you are only talking about the 811, but even that non DVR receiver to this day does not work correctly. I am a happy Dish subscriber, and one of my 508's work great. The other is about to be sent back because it continues to want to update the program guide as if it was the first time. Both my previous 3900's worked great. So overall, not bad. But I am not buying an 811 or a 921. When I decide I need more than OTA HD (I use an old RCA DTC100 for that) I will have to look long and hard at Direct TV, UNLESS dish is making a stable HD receiver at that time. I do commend Dish on the intent with the 811 - it is a very affordable way to get HD. But not worth the aggrevation at least at this time. But your post is a good one and others may feel as you do.
 
GaryPen said:
To me, Joe doesn't get the "point". The point of any consumer electronic device, or any other appliance from a toaster to car, is that it works correctly and as advertised out of the box, including ALL of its features. In the specific case of the 811, many features didn't (and still don't) work correctly, while some didn't (and still don't) work at all.

HD is still very much a cutting edge technology. The content producers, broadcasters and consumer electronics manufacturers are still in the early to mid stages of getting their act together. The technology, including the displays, still have a way to go before they are "Joe Six-Pack" friendly. Most early adopters realize this and adjust their expectations accordingly. Dish is far from being the only CE manufacturer experiencing transitional problems. Check out www.avsforum.com and you'll find even technically savvy consumers having a variety of problems spanning most major manufacturers product lines.

This is not intended as a defense for Dish or an excuse for the 811 bugs. It is just how I see the technology at this point and time. It will be a while before I can unconditionally recommend HDTV to my less technically inclined family and friends. It's just "not ready yet" IMHO.

NightRyder
Click to expand...
 
NightRyder said:
GaryPen said:
To me, Joe doesn't get the "point". The point of any consumer electronic device, or any other appliance from a toaster to car, is that it works correctly and as advertised out of the box, including ALL of its features. In the specific case of the 811, many features didn't (and still don't) work correctly, while some didn't (and still don't) work at all.

HD is still very much a cutting edge technology. The content producers, broadcasters and consumer electronics manufacturers are still in the early to mid stages of getting their act together. The technology, including the displays, still have a way to go before they are "Joe Six-Pack" friendly. Most early adopters realize this and adjust their expectations accordingly. Dish is far from being the only CE manufacturer experiencing transitional problems. Check out www.avsforum.com and you'll find even technically savvy consumers having a variety of problems spanning most major manufacturers product lines.

This is not intended as a defense for Dish or an excuse for the 811 bugs. It is just how I see the technology at this point and time. It will be a while before I can unconditionally recommend HDTV to my less technically inclined family and friends. It's just "not ready yet" IMHO.

NightRyder
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I have to say there is some merit to that idea. I would just have to counter with it seeming Dish is worse than the average problems and it is not just with HD. (Dishplayer though now apparently finally working ok for most, 501, 721)
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The 811 has bugs. They will be fixed sometime. I have an 811 to play with now. I don't have to wait a year or two.
 
Tampa8 said:
I have to say there is some merit to that idea. I would just have to counter with it seeming Dish is worse than the average problems and it is not just with HD. (Dishplayer though now apparently finally working ok for most, 501, 721)
Click to expand...

I was one of the first owners of a 501 (pre-order from DishDepot $275.00 with trade) so I saw the product at it's worst. At no point during the months of updates and bug fixes could you have forced me to give it up and go back to my 4700. That same 501 is still doing duty today as a secondary receiver although it is a very different animal than what first arrived at my door step in both stability and features.

Maybe having gone through this once already gives me a different perspective on the problems with the 811. I've seen all of the POS, Dish this, Dish that, posts before. All I can say is that I made the right decision with the 501. Will keeping the 811 and living with it's current problems be a wise choice? Only time and upgrades will tell :)

NightRyder
 
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