Considering Dish - 2 Questions (VIP 722 Dual Output & Insurance Related)

[coloradogiant]

Hey Everyone -
I am looking at switching from Comcast (ick) to Dish and have been researching online. Of course there are horror stores with any provider, but I've found a few messages and links in various places on the web with facts that I'd like to clarify before I sign up. I figure I might be able to get some of the most accurate and unbiased info from a forum full of experts like this than from Dish themselves

Question #1:
I would be getting the VIP 722 Receiver and hooking it up to a HDTV and to a standard TV. I've read that splitting between two TV's results in the HD Signal being dropped to 480P. Of course, I find no mention of this on Dish's website so it may be untrue, but I wanted to see if anyone knew anything about this

Question #2:
With the monthly insurance program, if I need to have my receiver replaced, does that automatically extend my contract?

Thanks in advance for any help!

 

[Islandguy43]

Hey Everyone -
I am looking at switching from Comcast (ick) to Dish and have been researching online. Of course there are horror stores with any provider, but I've found a few messages and links in various places on the web with facts that I'd like to clarify before I sign up. I figure I might be able to get some of the most accurate and unbiased info from a forum full of experts like this than from Dish themselves

Question #1:
I would be getting the VIP 722 Receiver and hooking it up to a HDTV and to a standard TV. I've read that splitting between two TV's results in the HD Signal being dropped to 480P. Of course, I find no mention of this on Dish's website so it may be untrue, but I wanted to see if anyone knew anything about this

Question #2:
With the monthly insurance program, if I need to have my receiver replaced, does that automatically extend my contract?

Thanks in advance for any help!

480p would be signal sent to TV2, which in your case would be a SD tv. Your SD TV would still receive HD Channels, only they would be down converted.

The HDTV would be hooked up on the TV1, to the most preferred way by HDMI cable.

Both TV's would have access to the dvr.

As for the insurance, you would not be extending your contract if you had your receiver replaced while carrying the DHPP (insurance). However you don't really need to carry it, because you can always add it anytime and then make a claim on it. If saves you the cost of sending old receiver back, plus if a service call is required you would get discounted service call of $29. Then again I have never paid for any of my service calls, and don't carry the dhhp at all.

 

[NickG]

The answer to your first question is no. You are not actually "splitting" the signal. There is a second modulated output on the Vip722 to connect to the second SD tv. The HD will be either 1080i or 720p depending how you set the receiver. The second tv is SD only but you can watch HD channels, they will just be downrezzed to 480i.
I can't answer your second question as I don't subscribe to the home protection plan but there are others on this forum that I'm sure can.

 

[jbenn]

The 722 has two tuners in it. One of those is designated for a Standard Definition of 480i, the other is capable of HD of 1080i. Your strategy is to hook up the SD tuner to your SD TV, and the HD tuner to your HD TV. Of course the HD Tuner is also capable of rendering the plain ol' SD channels on your HD TV, and your SD Tuner can display the HD Channels (in a downgraded resolution) on your SD TV as noted above.

I'm pretty sure that this tuner also has the option of running in either Dual or Standard mode (as my 622 does) which means that, if you prefer, you can send both signals to one television and utilize Picture in a Picture capabilities.

Another possibility I'm pretty sure of, the 722 should be capable of internet hookup. If so then it should be possible to download stuff from Dish Network via a seperate broadband connection. I'm too lazy to do this, so I don't. But I believe that this "stuff" to be downloaded is meant to compete with Comcast's "On Demand" capabilities. Whether or not it does so effectively I'll let others comment upon.

Cheers!

 

[garys]

The 722 has two tuners in it. One of those is designated for a Standard Definition of 480i, the other is capable of HD of 1080i. Your strategy is to hook up the SD tuner to your SD TV, and the HD tuner to your HD TV. Of course the HD Tuner is also capable of rendering the plain ol' SD channels on your HD TV, and your SD Tuner can display the HD Channels (in a downgraded resolution) on your SD TV as noted above.

Both tuners have HD, only tv1 outputs in HD, tv2 outputs the HD but downrezzed to sd. Don't confuse tuners with outputs.

 

[KAB]

The 722 has two tuners in it.

Cheers!

To further clarify, it has three tuners...one OTA plus 2 sat.

 

[Caeboy]

Hey Everyone -
I am looking at switching from Comcast (ick) to Dish and have been researching online. Of course there are horror stores with any provider, but I've found a few messages and links in various places on the web with facts that I'd like to clarify before I sign up. I figure I might be able to get some of the most accurate and unbiased info from a forum full of experts like this than from Dish themselves

Question #1:
I would be getting the VIP 722 Receiver and hooking it up to a HDTV and to a standard TV. I've read that splitting between two TV's results in the HD Signal being dropped to 480P. Of course, I find no mention of this on Dish's website so it may be untrue, but I wanted to see if anyone knew anything about this

Question #2:
With the monthly insurance program, if I need to have my receiver replaced, does that automatically extend my contract?

Thanks in advance for any help!

FYI, I just place and order for Dish and they told me that the standard receiver I would get would be a 722K which does NOT come with an OTA tuner. I had to pay $30 to get the OTA turner. The good thing about the 722K with an OTA modual is that I will get 2 OTA tuners instead of one like the 722. Be sure to ask about OTA tuning if you have a need for that.

good luck

 

[kvnfl]

You have to buy an HDMI cable if you want to use the 722s HDMI output to feed your TV or Receiver. It does not come with 722. Neither does a TOS Link optical cable. What does come in the box is cheap component cables with L/R audio. Both HDMI cables and optical cables are available online for less than $5 each, but the delivery may take longer than schedule installation.

 

[Jim5506]

If you get the 722K plus the OTA module you can record 4 HD streams at the same time.

HDTV can either be connected to the 722/722k with HDMI or component output. 722 also has RF modulated, composite output and s-video and TOSLINK audio on TV1 output and RF modulated and composite output on TV2. All outputs are active all the time (one exception is when playing 1080p from VOD - only HDMI in this case).

All tuners are HD but output TV1 is HD on HDMI and component and TV2 is 480p/i depending on the connection.

New subs usually get Dish Home Protection Plan included for 1 year. After that, cancel and only add it if it is needed.