New DISH Player-DVR 625 Makes Hit Movies Available to Satellite TV Customers

[BFG]

DISH Network Introduces Video On Demand At Consumer Electronics Show; New DISH Player-DVR 625 Makes Hit Movies Available to Satellite TV Customers

LAS VEGAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 6, 2005--EchoStar Communications Corporation (NASDAQ: DISH) and its DISH Network(TM) satellite TV service announced today that for the first time it will offer a Video On Demand (VOD) service called DISH On Demand. DISH Network will roll out the VOD service by March to new customers with DISH Network's new digital video recorder (DVR), the DISH Player-DVR 625. DISH Network will demonstrate DISH On Demand at the 2005 International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas Jan. 6-9.

"DVR customers will be able to choose from hours of Hollywood hit movies and watch their favorite stars whenever they want using DISH On Demand," said Michael Schwimmer, executive vice president of Marketing and Programming at DISH Network. "DISH Player-DVR, with its advanced pause, reverse and fast forwarding capabilities, offers a better VOD experience than any other satellite or cable TV provider."

DISH Network's VOD service will eventually offer as many as 100 movies shown on TV for the first time, with new movies premiering every week. The DISH Player-DVR 625 will receive movies via satellite, and DISH On Demand will be accessible by pressing the DVR button on the DISH Network remote.

The DISH Player-DVR 625 enhances the TV viewing experience by allowing viewers to watch recorded programming on the DVR, as well as pause live TV for up to two hours, perform slow-motion instant replays, fast forward and fast reverse. The DISH Player-DVR 625 features 100-hour tapeless recording capabilities and gives viewers complete control of their television, to watch what they want at their convenience, including network programs, movies, sports, news or special events.

For information about DISH Network, please call 800-333-DISH (3474) or go to www.dishnetwork.com. For print-quality images go to www.dishnetwork.com and click "About Us," then "Press Room."

About EchoStar

EchoStar Communications Corporation (NASDAQ: DISH) serves more than 10.4 million satellite TV customers through its DISH Network(TM), the fastest-growing U.S. provider of advanced digital television services in the last four years. DISH Network offers hundreds of video and audio channels, Interactive TV, HDTV, sports and international programming, together with professional installation and 24-hour customer service. DISH Network ranks No. 1 in Customer Satisfaction among Cable/Satellite TV Subscribers by J.D. Power and Associates. Visit EchoStar's DISH Network at www.dishnetwork.com or call 800-333-DISH (3474).


CONTACT: EchoStar Communications Corporation
Marc Lumpkin, 303-723-2020
marc.lumpkin@echostar.com

SOURCE: EchoStar Communications Corporation



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http://www.corporate-ir.net/ireye/ir_site.zhtml?ticker=dish&script=410&layout=-6&item_id=660074

 

[gpflepsen]

Looks like a 721, painted black, with different software.

Yawn.

 

[BFG]

Isn't the 522 painted black, with different software?

 

[Ransack]

LAS VEGAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 6, 2005--EchoStar Communications Corporation (NASDAQ: DISH) and its DISH Network(TM) satellite TV service announced today that for the first time it will offer a Video On Demand (VOD) service called DISH On Demand.

Hey, we all know about VOD...aren't we paying $4.98 a month for it?!?! But wait, if it's not available yet, then what the hell is the current VOD fee used for?

 

[BFG]

Actually they changed the name to DVR Service Fee, look at your current bill

 

[Foxbat]

The picture of the 625 looks like a 522. Hmmm, up the 522's HD to 250GB, doesn't that give you room for 100 hours of SD video AND 150 hours of SD movies?

 

[drod]

Any release date info?

 

[Smith P.]

That's really 522 with 250 GB disk ; as it was reported new software supporting the disk. Same trick as for 501-508-510.

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

Its a 522 with a larger hard drive and VOD software. You can record 100 hours and Dish can record up to 100 hours of VOD as well.

 

[Stargazer]

Maybe one can get a 250 GB in the 522 (those that know what they are doing). I wonder if they will make a 250 GB model 522 or hault 522's in support of the 625.

 

[Pyrophoric]

Kinda lame, Comcast came out with that almost 1 month ago and its a free service for ALL customers with digital cable. You dont need a special box to play anything.

I got my own taste of it just before I switched to Dish. It was really nice and actually made me think twice before leaving Comcast. Ontop of having movies, Comcast offers some of the latest tv shows.

Now Comcast even has DVR's ...


Edit : Just saw a pic of the box .. it IS the 522.

The DISH Player-DVR 625 features 100-hour tapeless recording capabilities and gives viewers complete control of their television, to watch what they want at their convenience, including network programs, movies, sports, news or special events.

I dont see where it has a larger HD but it seems the same as the 522 cept it can view on demand.

 

[MikeD-C05]

Isn't the vod movies nothing more than the pay per view movies you can get on the satellite anyway? If they could download shows from the premium channels and the networks I might see it being a good feature but you will have to pay to use the movies just like the pay per view. I don't see this helping anyone except Dish ,who can now cutback on the pay per view channels they put up on the satellite. Besides this receiver is still not mpeg4 compatiable. It will have to be replaced too.

 

[gpflepsen]

VOD allows E* to offer more programming within the same bandwidth constraints. You'll just have to have the receiver installed for a few hrs or days before you see the full offering of VOD features. With one channel, they can deliver 12 movies per day, instead of offering 12 channels of different movies all day long. That is the driving force here, IMHO.

 

[Pepper]

Hmm. this could explain why, when I put a 160GB drive in a 522, it builds the system(1) and data(3) partitions the same size but the second one (reserved dish area?) takes up all the extra space. Still the same 100 hour recording space, the rest is available for who knows what?

 

[David_Levin]

So you were able to simply swap a new hard drive into the 522. That in itself is good to know (the 501/508/510 don't allow this).

It would be nice if they allow a user to "turn-off" the VOD and get the entire drive back for user storage (I can pick my own movies to record).

 

[maximum]

Sounds like it just downloads the PPV movies on the hard drive so you can watch them instantly rather than waiting for the next showing on one of the PPV channels. The movies are probably locked and get unlocked when you pay the PPV fee. I wonder if there is a limit to the number of times you can watch a show once you've paid for it?

 

[goose61282]

After the movie is unlocked does it move it to your regular PVR space? Or would it disappear when they brought in new content. The one thing I like about PPV is being able to record it and watch it again.

 

[BFG]

LOL!!! totally off topic, but this is the thread I noticed gpflepsen's new avatar? So have you grown accustomed to scott's face?

 

[Foxbat]

LOL!!! totally off topic, but this is the thread I noticed gpflepsen's new avatar? So have you grown accustomed to scott's face?

I half expected the eyes to follow the mouse araound the screen!

 

[korsjs]

bfg, you should add a pole to this to see how many people think the receiver will work when purchased vice waiting for fixes.