DTV HDR Receivers vs. Dish

[indychris]

Hey, Guys-

We recently changed from cable to Dish and have been pleased with the picture, but not as much with the service. When we signed up we requested a HD package with locals; however, we weren't informed until AFTER the install that the locals would only be available in SD.

I saw that our Fort Wayne market for DTV now carries our local HD channels.

We have two weeks to get out of our Dish lease w/o penalty, but I've got a couple of questions before we would consider switching.

First, how do the DTV receivers compare to the Dish 722? Recording capacity? Can an External drive be connected to add storage space?

Secondly, I was extremely disappointed with the Dish on Demand offerings. We came off of Comcast which had a LOT of free movies and kids shows, etc. What do most people think of the On Demand offerings from DirecTV?

Thanks for your help!

Chris

 

[jtwex]

First, how do the DTV receivers compare to the Dish 722? Recording capacity? Can an External drive be connected to add storage space?

Secondly, I was extremely disappointed with the Dish on Demand offerings. We came off of Comcast which had a LOT of free movies and kids shows, etc. What do most people think of the On Demand offerings from DirecTV?

Thanks for your help!

Chris

You will get some replies from people that have both Dish & DTV here, but I think "generally" people believe Dish has a better DVR in the 722 in speed/response. Many have commented that the actual graphical interface on the DTV DVR's is more user friendly & easy once you spend some time with it. The speed of the interface improves with most software updates & eventually they get it right. I couldn't stand my H20's when they came out but now they are as fast as anything out there.

All the current DTV HD DVR's offer external hard drive storage but if you use this connection you lose the functionality of the internal drive; it's one or the other.

The On Demand library is new & doesn't compare to Comcast's offering at this time. I check it from time to time but I don't think HBO/CMAX has signed on yet with DTV VOD. Having said this, they have VOD content for many channels & with that type of variety you're sure to find something.

I've been a long time DTV customer & have been very happy with my service. I hope that helps you.

 

[tfultz]

I had a Dish 622 for two years and recently jumped ship to D* because of Dish dropping GOl TV. My biggest fear in the switch was the dreaded HR22 DVR....

Guess what? I actually like the HR22 more than the 622. The scheduling options are easier, it seems to hold 100x more than my old 622 and once you figure out the navigation it flows fairly well.

I have had 1 lock up that required me to unplug it after a software update and I wish there was a way to make the guide go up instead of down while searching through the guide. The only slow downs I've experienced is when I delete an entire folder worth of programs which is understandable considering there is up to 14 hours worth of programming in them after a busy soccer weekend.

The ON Demand is not as good as Comcast's offerings but is light years ahead of E*.

 

[Ira Lacher]

Don't know much about Dish's HDTV (dropped Dish a year ago September to switch to DTV because of Sunday Ticket before I took the HD plunge). But unlike the earlier HR-20 HD DVR model receiver, you cannot plug an antenna directly into it and DVR your local HDTV channels that are not available off the satellite. Don't know whether Dish's 722 allows you to do this. But it was handy when DTV didn't provide Des Moines HD locals until recently. They still don't provide all of them, including PBS and CW.

This is not an issue, of course, if DTV carries all your locals in HD. But if they don't, then you're actually losing some DVR capability.

You could request an HR-20 receiver for your install, but you won't get it. DTV won't explain why; they'll just tell you they can't specify which HD receiver you'll get. (To me, this is a crock. But they are unshakable in this regard.)

DTV has a device called an AM-21 that you can plug your antenna into to simulate what the HR-20 receiver allowed you to do. But insanely, they charge you fifty bucks for it; therefore, you have to pay extra because they choose not to provide all your local HD channels! You may have to dig deep to find a customer service rep with common sense who understands this ridiculousness and sends you the AM-21 free.

Again, none of this is an issue if DTV provides all your local HD channels.

So my advice would be to do your homework. Also, depending on where you live, an install date could take weeks. (Des Moines again.) So that is a consideration as well. Hope this helps.

 

[yourbeliefs]

This is not an issue, of course, if DTV carries all your locals in HD. But if they don't, then you're actually losing some DVR capability.

You could request an HR-20 receiver for your install, but you won't get it. DTV won't explain why; they'll just tell you they can't specify which HD receiver you'll get. (To me, this is a crock. But they are unshakable in this regard.)

DTV has a device called an AM-21 that you can plug your antenna into to simulate what the HR-20 receiver allowed you to do. But insanely, they charge you fifty bucks for it; therefore, you have to pay extra because they choose not to provide all your local HD channels! You may have to dig deep to find a customer service rep with common sense who understands this ridiculousness and sends you the AM-21 free.

It's not like they're trying to mess with you. They're phasing out the HR20 models. Also, there's no harm in requesting that model. I did, and while the CSR reminded me that she could put it as a note but could not guarantee it, the installer brought over 2 HR20s. Good thing they did since the first one didn't work. Keep in mind though I did this a number of months ago when the HR21's were being rolled out so I'm sure the stock of HR20's has reduced significantly since.

Also, it's not like if your locals are not available in your area that D*'s incompetence is the sole reason behind it. The LIN stations were notoriously a pain in the ass for D* to deal with, and it took a while for them to get a deal not only with D*, but with E* and other cable providers to get HD and sometimes even SD service.

In the end this is all likely a moot point since the OP said that D* now provides locals in HD in their area.