Help a N00b: with equipment to get?

[ashishnarang]

Hi all,

1)I have a SD CRT TV and want a dish SD receiver that is compatible with a ReplayTV 5XXX unit. it controls the dish hardware via an IR blaster.

2)Also, I have an EPSON 1080UB projector with HDMI and would like an HD Dish DVR with digital coax audio out. I would use HDMI to connect to projector, and digital coax to connect to my audio receiver. TOSLINK/optical digital audio out would work as well I guess.

3)I would sign a new contract so I am hoping they will give the equipment for free. Which model hardware is bring given free these days?

The last time I had DISH, I had a DP300 or 301 unit that worked well with my ReplayTV. The ReplayTV is tricked out to auto skip commercials, so it would be nice to keep that. Would they give me one of those duo boxes? Could i tell them no? Can I get a DP301 these days with an HD DVR box for the projector?

How much would the bill run for an America's Top 250 package with the setup described above, one SD tv, one HD TV+DVR? Does dish still charge for local channels? I live in NJ, zip 07003. Any good installers you guys would recommend?

thanks!1

 

[MattG@DISH]

1) I'm not sure what the ReplayTV's are compatible with, but I think a 211 may work (a 211 is an HD receiver, but still has SD outputs as well)

2) None of our HD receivers have the Digital coax audio output, so toslink/optical would be recommended. You'd be looking a either a 612 or 722 in single mode.

3) Free receivers depend on what you qualify for. So you may be able to get the free install of receivers without charge (it really does depend, the 922 is the only receiver that is guaranteed to have an upgrade charge).

We no longer offer the 301's, but you can buy one online if you want (keep in mind if you get an eastern arc install, only MPEG-4 equipment will work). You can request to NOT receive a duo receiver. Locals are now included in the core programming package. Also you may look at getting HD free for life.

If you qualify for our offers, you're bill would look like:

$69.99 AT250
$6 DVR Service fee
$6 Service Plan (free for first 6 months)
$7 additional receiver fee
$20 off your bill for the first 12 months

Did I miss anything? If I did, please post back here and I'm sure someone will get you a good answer.

 

[Claude Greiner]

Any receiver will work with a replay tv box. You will need to disable the screen saver mode, and try to get a single tuner box like a 311 or 211. The dual tuners will work on TV1, but I would not recommend it.

The other issue is HD. The replay tv works great, but is SD Only. If you want hd/dvr, you may need to go with a 722.

Also if your looking at new service, Dishstore is offering up to a $125 visa gift card for signing up.

 

[TG2]

I've got to say ... I've got two 722k's, and a 211k ... so all HD ... the 722's have their issues (forward and backward skip is horrendous and I'm told its from that stupid Tivo lawsuit) and the 211 is single tuner .. but it supports dual output.. so if you hook up the 211 to your SD & HD projector, you can have the same signal to both at the same time in their proper ratios (ie SD 4:3 and HD 16:9) Add an external hard drive, and you get a *simple* DVR. In our house, that means that when one of us doesn't get the shows we wanted recorded on our 722's we've set-up a recording on the 211

I should also then note the biggest bite in the ass with this setup, is that the 211 and 722's are mutually exclusive. I can take an external drive from one 722k to the other 722k .. but can not take a drive to or from a 211 and 722. It would be SOO nice if one could.. then you could move the odd recording that you needed the 211's dvr for.. over to one of the 722's .. but no.. thanks dish.. (moronic feature that)

 

[Laddyboy]

I've got to say ... I've got two 722k's, and a 211k ... so all HD ... the 722's have their issues (forward and backward skip is horrendous and I'm told its from that stupid Tivo lawsuit) and the 211 is single tuner .. but it supports dual output.. so if you hook up the 211 to your SD & HD projector, you can have the same signal to both at the same time in their proper ratios (ie SD 4:3 and HD 16:9) Add an external hard drive, and you get a *simple* DVR. In our house, that means that when one of us doesn't get the shows we wanted recorded on our 722's we've set-up a recording on the 211

I should also then note the biggest bite in the ass with this setup, is that the 211 and 722's are mutually exclusive. I can take an external drive from one 722k to the other 722k .. but can not take a drive to or from a 211 and 722. It would be SOO nice if one could.. then you could move the odd recording that you needed the 211's dvr for.. over to one of the 722's .. but no.. thanks dish.. (moronic feature that)

What exactly is wrong with the forward and back skips? I have never noted any problems.

 

[TG2]

What exactly is wrong with the forward and back skips? I have never noted any problems.

I would guess then that you don't use pause too?

The other day I was recording the movie Ronin ... one of the scenes looked odd to me.. and I looked it up online. While doing the looking I paused the movie.. then I tried stepping through, or 1/8th and then 1/4th forward and it jumped more than a minute or so ... tried to go back 30 to 40 seconds and with a SINGLE skip back, I was thrown 15 minutes back in the film.

Its not the first time, and I could repeat the same steps, from DIFFERENT SPOTS in the 15 minute segment and *when* the back skip would screw up it would go back to the same spot each time.

another fine point ... near the very end of CBS's Big Bang Theory, is one of Chuck Lorre's Vanity Cards ... pausing the show, and then attempting to either STEP (frame by frame) or slow forward (1/8th speed) half the time you attempt it will jump past, or won't freeze at the same spot when you press the buttons.... And again, when you hit the SKIP BACK button, you get thrown to some arbitrary point back from there, rather than the standard XX seconds.

my previous 625's *never* had this problem, and supposedly the difference "now" is that this is post Tivo lawsuit to have the infringing technology removed.. although I would have expected if the changes had been made that it would have effected *ALL* Dish DVR's similarly... and right up until the day that mean dish tech took it from my dead cold hands ... ok.. swapped it for the 722's I'd never had a problem with their forward/backward, and skip features like there have been with the 722's.

In general, if I'm just skipping forward over a commercial.. usually no problem, and the occassional "back"... but add pauses, steps, and any other moves and it just becomes unpredictable..

 

[Laddyboy]

I seldom use stepping so I cannot comment on that, but I use the 30 second skips all the time with no issues on my 722. That's to what I thought your comment pertained.

 

[TG2]

I seldom use stepping so I cannot comment on that, but I use the 30 second skips all the time with no issues on my 722. That's to what I thought your comment pertained.

Do try... i'll blow your mind ... I mean it couldn't get any more wrong if it were named "Wrong Wrongerson, and his flippity skippin' wrongettes"

 

[ashishnarang]

hi all, thank you for the great advice. i'm actually setting up for a friend who's not such a techie. i'd like to keep things simple for him. how about if i get rid of the replaytv all-together? from what TG2 wrote above, it seems that dish's HD-DVR boxes also have an old-school analog coax out, in addition to the latest HDMI--is this correct?

what entry level dish DVR box can support one SD 36" CRT TV and an HD 1080p HDMI Projector? Both the TV and the Projector are in the same room, TV in the front of the room with the audio receiver, and projector in the back of the room, on a ikea bookshelf-type tall unit.. I would be using one or the other, but never both the CRT TV AND the projector at the same time. The 36" CRT for news and such, the projector for all the other stuff. No need to have the CRT and projector be independent of each other. The same video source could be showing on both, and I would choose which one to turn on, the CRT TV or the Projector.

check out the living room photos in this link to get an idea of my setup:
Picasa Web Albums - Ashish - 249 bellevill...

so the ideal setup would be, a dish box placed near the projector, hdmi running from dish box to projector, an analog coax wire running from dish box to SD CRT TV, and a TOSLINK/optical audio wire running to the receiver in the front. question: if an HD source is recorded on the dish box, would it play on the SD CRT TV via coax, down-coded to standard-def?

thanks so much, again i need to know which entry level box would work, whether dish would give this box for "free" (i understand they will charge the DVR fee). i don't want to make my friend pay for dish hardware. he can sign a one or two yr contract with AT 250 with HD, maybe dish will throw in HBOs and cinemax's for free for first 6 months also.

thanks!!
ash

 

[MattG@DISH]

I would say go for a 722. You'd be able to have TV1 hooked up via HDMI and toslink, TV2 with coax, both TV's with DVR capabilities. Also, when you record something, it will be able to be played on both TV's. Please voice you opinions if you feel a different setup would be better.

 

[TG2]

I would say go for a 722. You'd be able to have TV1 hooked up via HDMI and toslink, TV2 with coax, both TV's with DVR capabilities. Also, when you record something, it will be able to be played on both TV's. Please voice you opinions if you feel a different setup would be better.

There's goods and bads all over the spectrum..

First ... The only problem I'd have with only doing a 722k is that there seems to be an issue using the 722k in *single user mode* and getting simultaneous 16:9 and 4:3 aspect ratios output (or "put out" independently).

I just tried again this morning ... put my 722k into single user mode (unplugging the SlingAdapter) and the TV2 output was a *mirror* of TV1 ... when I tuned into an HD station (like HBO HD) the TV1 screen correctly showed a 16:9 screen formated picture. TV2 plugged into the Coax showed what I call a squished picture.

If I channeled down, to the non-hd hbo, the 16:9 tv correctly showed black on the sides, with a centered 4:3 picture .. and TV2 showed a normal 4:3.

The benefit I get from my 211k ... is that I could have both my 16:9 32" flat screen, and my 27" Tube TV turned on ... have the channel on that same HD HBO .. the the BOX will correctly adapt the output signal for both outputs at the same time.

And again, if I put my 722k back into DUAL mode, TV1 gets its 16:9 settings, TV2 gets its 4:3 settings independtly.

It seems the only problem in using a 722k in dual mode for our OP .. is if he wants to use TOSLINK for BOTH sets ... ie. you may not always want to do the HD projector, but you might always want TOSLINK active, and in dual tuner mode, the toslink would only be active for "tv1" which is the HDMI/component out, etc.

Before just jumping to the 211k as the answer, the specs I have say the 211k maxes display at 720p .. so you'd be missing 1080i/p if you used it.

MattG .. is there a receiver like the 211k that is able to simultaneously output different resolutions but with dual tuner, DVR, and 1080 options? Would the Solo 612 fit? and what options would be lost (I see it has an ethernet port, but no mentions of any of the "k" options)

seems damned if you do, damned if you don't ...

 

[KAB]

Before just jumping to the 211k as the answer, the specs I have say the 211k maxes display at 720p .. so you'd be missing 1080i/p if you used it.

The 211K DOES output 1080i. Dish website is wrong.

 

[TG2]

The 211K DOES output 1080i. Dish website is wrong.

Figures.. I didn't do the leg work up one flight of stairs to double check it on my own box and what do I get... DISH WEB SITE WRONG AGAIN... LOL ... I did just go up and look and sure enough see the 1080i in the menu there on the 211k!!

so that puts the 211k back on the playing field!!

And Dish did upgrade/add that for free (not mine to own outright) but looking on line the 211k is $115 at Amazon ... so then if single tuner doesn't bother ya and you don't want DVR right away ... that would probably be the cheapest... though I'd probably still go the 722k and sling adapter. (Yes I know i've b*tched a mighty one, with the things I don't like about the 722k ... but its better to have one than not)

and if you want the DVR right away, plenty of 1TB external drives for under 70 bucks. Note that if you do the External with the 211k ... 1TB of storage gives you 100hrs of HD recording space (or a little more).

 

[ashishnarang]

hi all,

just checked dish website, they are giving RCVR 612 HD SOLO DVR free with subscription. one tv setup. like i have mentioned, i intend to watch only one tv at a time, be it the projector or the 36" CRT.

my next questions:

1) some of you mentioned problems with the 722. does the 612 have any problems?
2) will the 612 correctly adapt an HD signal (like HBO-HD) for both HDMI and coax SD outputs at the same time, like TG2 mentioned with the 211k?
3) record two programs while watching a pre-recorded program -- does this feature cost extra?
4) what's the size of the included harddrive?
5) can i plug in an external 2 tb usb drive?
6) i plan to hide the dish box behind sofa, will the remote work still? is it IR and need line of sight?

i found a pdf specs file for the 612 on this site, but don't want to screw up, so i thought i pose the above q's to you experts.

also, still wondering, should i call a local company or just order thru dish site and let them send an installer? retailmenot site has some coupon codes for new orders..are they any good?

is dishstore (mentioned by site staff) all over US? are they legit--the $125 deal? thanks!!

 

[TheKrell]

1) I have two 612's and 1 722, and for years I've seen little difference in the severity or frequency of the quirks and foibles between the two models. Both have deleted recordings, both have crashed. One of my 612's occasionally claims it can't access it's disk, while my 722 has often gone blank (except for guide) and required a reboot.

2) I believe "Yes", but I have only the HDMI connected.

3) You can record 3 things (1 OTA and 2 sat) at once while watching a 4th recorded program and downloading a 5th.

4) I believe it's 320GB.

5) Yes.

6) Mine came with a UHF Pro 6.3 remote, so "Yes you can hide it."