Tell me why I should wait on the XIP receiver system?

[shaudods]

I have been a Dish customer for a little over 5 years... for the most part, I have really been pleased with programming, price, service, and equipment. I started with a 622 and upgraded to a 922 not long after it came out. The family is growing, which also means that 2 tuners on a DVR is becoming hard to manage. Dish wants me to pay $100 for an extra box right now (mid way through my 2nd year of the contract)... So here is my dilemma... Do i tough it out with the 922 until the new XIP system comes out, or do I switch to Directv and their new HR32 box/system that has 5 tuners and is compatible with their whole home DVR system? I hate to admit it, but to me it seems like Directv has FINALLY come out with a box that can compete with the software and hardware of the VIP series DVRs... it also seems like they have future proofed themselves against Dish's next generation by giving their new box 5 tuners to Dish's 3 on the XIP. They have also added PIP and the quick switch between tuners that I absolutely LOVE about my dish box and hate that i couldnt do when i am at a friends house with DirecTV...

So, i say all this to say, can anyone give me a good reason to stay with Dish as opposed to going to the dark side with Directv? They offer 2 extra tuners, programming package works out to cost about the same over a 24 month period, and most importantly, their new technology is out... we all know about the fiasco known as the VIP922 release with Dish... Dish networks "coming soon" usually doesnt mean a whole lot... I'm all ears!

 

[navychop]

Perhaps it would be worthwhile to wait until CES is over. Jan 10-13. Might be some interesting news for you.

 

[Mr Tony]

Tell me why I should wait on the XIP receiver system?

you shouldn't

 

[mfoster711]

Can you pause and rewind live TV on every TV in the house with the new Direct system? I don't think you can. With the XIP receivers I believe you are supposed to still be able to pause and rewind live TV on any TV in the house.

Also, what is the real difference between getting the new HMC HD DVR as opposed to getting two HD DVR's with Whole Home functionality?

 

[scottbakertemp]

I'm a dish customer. I would wait and see what everybody says about the 5 tuner box and if it's good make the switch. If I didn't have another year on my contract that's what I would do.

 

[mfoster711]

Another thought....I know Dish is famous for saying it will be available "SOON" and it has hard to have faith in them actually delivering a product on time (hello to everybody still waiting on Sling Extender). But, Dish REALLY NEEDS to step up to the plate and hit a home run with the XIP receivers and needs to do it very SOON! Direct has been kicking Dish's a** with their Whole Home DVR offering and noww Direct comes out with this new DVR upping the battle even more. If Dish doesn't come out with something very special and competitive SOON, then Direct is going to kill them. I am a 10+ year subscriber and I have been debating the switch for months so I can completely understand your desire to switch.

 

[whatchel1]

1 more yr on your contract. So for some reason you want to pay the rest of contract off. Why only 2 tuners, can you not get OTA where you live? If you didn't get an OTA module then get it and you can record 4 things at once.

 

[TG2]

First.. lets quote directly from Directv's web site:

http://www.directv.com/DTVAPP/content/technology/wholehome?footernavtype=-1&lpos=header
[SUP]*[/SUP]Limit one remote viewing per HD DVR at a time. DIRECTV Whole-Home DVR service requires a DIRECTV Plus HD DVR, a Whole-Home-enabled HD Receiver for each additional TV, HD Access ($10/mo.), DVR service ($7/mo.) and Whole-Home DVR service ($3/mo.).​

And then there's this post in the DTV forum..
http://www.satelliteguys.us/directv-forum/258346-2-hd-dvrs-whole-home-dvr.html#post2560371

• You can start or schedule a recording on either DVR from any of the non-DVR boxes.
• You can NOT start or schedule a recording on one DVR from the other DVR.
• You can watch anything recorded on either DVR from ANY HD box (including the other DVR).
• You can NOT initiate On Demand downloads from the NON-DVR boxes
• You can watch On Demand that has been recorded on either DVR from ANY HD box

So it seems that the PLUS sides of things are that the HD boxes (one per tv set) can *all* communicate to the DVR's And if you get two DVR's and two or three HD receivers, you would have 5 TV's covered, and 4 tuners to record with ...

Follow this post, and the one right after it, which says questions 1 ~ 5 are answered "YES" and the answer to #6 should be written as above ... one DVR receiver can not create timers to the OTHER dvr receiver.
http://www.satelliteguys.us/directv-forum/254609-whole-home-dvr-limit.html#post2532102

Given *THAT* (the above) .. though the costs might be more.. the DIRECT TV option would be better .. right now ... than waiting for the XiP813 ... because even if they (Dish) announce them in january, when will they really ship? and will they have the TRUTHFUL answers to those same types of questions (play-ability, connectivity) .. and how good will the initial Firmware be ?? .. given Dish's past .. only if someone at dish really got the stick up their a** to not have a flop out the door .. would the firmware have a robust and fully functioning feature set from day one.

But the above is my opinion .. and if I had to do all over again .. Directv might have been what I would've done.

 

[shaudods]

Thanks for the input guys! I think I will probably at least wait until CES, just to see what Dish is planning to bring to the table... but i also agree that it will most likely come with the "coming soon" tag, which will be by no means reliable... though I agree, that you have to figure Dish should feel like it needs to get a whole home DVR system out ASAP since everyone else offers it now. By the way, if anyone else is in my same shoes and is thinking about switching, I was at Costco yesterday and they have a deal with Directv which offers you a $120 costco gift card if you switch to Directv through the link on costco.com.

@whatchel: The 922 didnt come with an OTA module and at this point, I dont want to fork out the $40-50 bucks to get something for a box that I know i will only have for another few months tops (regardless of whether i wait for the XIP system or swith to DirecTV)... also, I live in Atlanta, so i do have a fair amount of OTA channels, but I honestly watch very few broadcast networks.. i mostly record things on "cable" networks.

 

[shaudods]

I am pretty sure you can. My sister in law has Directv with the whole home system and I am pretty sure she can pause and rewind any TV in the house.

 

[cosmo_kramer]

Again, I haven't seen confirmation of this, but won't the XiP setup initially only be available to new subscribers??

 

[cosmo_kramer]

Perhaps it would be worthwhile to wait until CES is over. Jan 10-13. Might be some interesting news for you.

Was anything announced/presented at last January's CES actually released this year??

 

[jerryez]

When was the XIP originally promised for release and how late is it now?

 

[Tampa8]

I am surprised by these posts about whole home DVR's. And this is coming from one of the longest subscribers to Dish with no intention of switching. Get Direct TV.

It's that simple. If a whole home DVR set-up is that important, why would you wait, knowing new products are constantly being pushed back in being shipped. Knowing Direct is on their second whole home unit and has been doing this for awhile, and Dish is just starting out.
Go ahead and wait, and you will be posting here in March or April mad you waited, and/or mad that the equipment isn't yet living up to what it is supposed to do.

I have no real use for a whole home unit, but in some cases can see how some might. I am far more interested in what programming I am getting especially in HD, and what programming I get from Dish that I would lose by going to somewhere else, cost, as well as after comparing receivers how the one's I have stack up. Direct hands down would be my second choice if I felt the need to leave Dish, I always tell people to check out both, so since you took the time to post you must feel you really want a whole home DVR, go to Direct TV.

 

[Lt Disher]

When was the XIP originally promised for release and how late is it now?

I don't think a release date was ever announced or promised. The only date I saw was that it was to be turned over from Echostar to DISH in November. They appear to have met that timeframe.

 

[Lord_Vader]

Was anything announced/presented at last January's CES actually released this year??

I could be wrong, but I thought the sling catcher was supposed to come out. ( and did not )

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

I am going to go out on the limb here and say that MOST existing customers will NOT want to upgrade to the XIP.

The XIP is designed for NEW customers. It is designed so the installer needs to run just a single wire into the house from the dish. From there the installer plugs the XIP into your cable television line and from there you now have satellite distribution throughout your house where ever there is a cable tv line installed. Now the tech goes to each TV you want satellite on and installs the joey box and boom you now have satellite tv there with no additional wiring.

It will cut install times and install costs greatly.

For existing customers the XIP setup will probably require rewiring of some sort, as at the moment each room has a wire coming to it from the dish or switch. You wold need to take the additional rooms and unhook them from the dish or switch and hook them up to cable tv splitters making it a cable distribution network for the XiP to work. I don't see many people wanting to do this. And honestly besides sharing recording on your DVR in all rooms you don't really gain anything that you don't have now.

The big flaw I see in the XiP is if your main XiP box goes out then you have no TV on any of your televisions in your house.

So I think it will be GREAT for new customers but not so much for most existing customers... except for those like us who like to tinker.

 

[MikeD-C05]

When was the XIP originally promised for release and how late is it now?

Rumored to be released last month or early spring of 2012. So one deadline missed and another to go. Now the sling extender is still waiting to be released ,but I hear it is coming SOOOOOOOOOOONNNNNNNNNNN!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

No actually it WAS released last month, Echostar released the hardware to DISH.

Now its just the software.

We will see it at CES, and I wouldn't be surprised if it is made available the day they announce it at CES.

 

[Lt Disher]

Rumored to be released last month or early spring of 2012. So one deadline missed and another to go. Now the sling extender is still waiting to be released ,but I hear it is coming SOOOOOOOOOOONNNNNNNNNNN!!!!!!!!!!!

I know you are ticked at the sling extender, but I don't think it is at all fair to hold DISH to a "rumored" release date for the XIP. In my book that is not a missed deadline.