Dish ViP722 DVR Best HD DVR on the market! - Page 2

Correct. The EHD will only work with a fully functional receiver. Not sure about the protection plan. I have not received my first bill yet, so I am unsure if it is a separate line item.

Ted

I just signed up and Dish enrolled me in the protection program for $ 5.99 per month but is waiving the first 12 months. After that I can cancel it if I want.

As a former D* customer, I would say *E is just different. Better in some areas, lacking in others but all in all I have been pleased.

Recording 3 shows at once (1 being OTA) and having a dual live buffers is Awesome especially when I hear that D* has removed OTA recording and DLB from the H21 model.

Don't forget to add that TV2 is only controlled by UHF remote. No IR blaster or god forbid to be able to use this in a custom install. If you plan to, you will have to have separate receivers and they count each outlet as a receiver for leasing purposes. So if you have 2 receivers, then you have 4 outlets even if you are using in single room mode. WOuld be nice if they had a dual tuner SINGLE output box since they won't enable control of TV2 via IR. That's my biggest problem with dish. They are not thinking about all of their customers. True most won't need TV2 as IR. But there are some of us with Pronto Remotes with IR Extenders and would like to use it or even some of us with Crestron or AMX systems. Sucks to have a $2k remote and have to give your guest a dish remote too when you are trying to eliminate the need for a bunch of remotes.

Please pardon my newbie-ness, I'm a recent Dish subscriber. There have been some HD shows that I'd have liked to be able to record. So if I understand this thread, whatever you record is not really yours, and you can only watch it as long as you remain an active subscriber. Once you cancel the subscription, whatever you recorded is useless, can't be played back at all. You would have to remain a subscriber for life. Am I correct?

Thanks,

BINGO!

Does anyone have any idea as to what would happen if you didn't have the protection plan and the DVR dies? Would you have to pay for a new one? If you didn't want to pay and didn't have a contract, could you just cancel and give them back their broken box?

I'm about to jump to Dish because I like their DVR and HD selection although they do seem to nickel & dime you with all the little "add-on" fees. I have 2 SD TVs and 1 HD TV, so paying for the leases, protection plans, etc just doesn't make it seem worth it all.

I believe the 722 comes with a one year warrantee. If it malfunctions dies in that time they fix it free. That means usually they swap it with a new or refurbished one. After one year it is your nickel. I suspect they will swap it also with a new or refurbished one for a fee.

However most electronics have what is known as infant mortality. That means that most electronics malfunction in the first 90 days or year if there is a problem.

Rick R

I love my 722. Here's something I discovered it does after leasing it about a month. Even if you're not recording a program, you're recording a program. It has a 60 minute "buffer" that you can "rewind" back to. The only thing it can't do that I'd like it to do is record 2 OTA programs at the same time. How did I ever live without one of these things?

My VIP722 went 'tits up' the other day - however the DVR content was still viewable. I talked to Dish and searched the Interent trying to find a way to copy my DVR content to the new unit with no luck. Although Dish never suggesed it, I gather I might have been able to copy the info to an external drive and watch it via USB.

However, I did remove the hard drive from the old unit and installed it into the new unit (very easy!) and everything seems to be working okay. Swapping the hard drive between units was very simple - with a little wrangling I was able to remove the drive with out breaking the warranty seal next to the fan.

Did you have to pay for a new unit? Or did dish warranty the DVR? If so, how long have you had it? I've been on the fence for a while and would be interested to know.

Thanks

Guys is this unit still the best out so far compared to lets say the latest HD DVR from Directv? I have heard really bad things about the Directv HD DVR's, but a lot of good things about this model by Dish.

Also do you guys know what dish they give you with this ViP722 receiver? I know it does OTA, anyone got that working with this receiver to record from it? Did you guys get the bundle OTA antenna from Dish as well and how much did that cost you extra?

dja2k

I have had the 722 for about 2 months now. Other than it locking up 2 times in those two months and missing some recordings during that time until I found it locked up, it's been pretty good.

I have a small 3 foot directional antenna on the roof of my house from an old system I had called "Voom". I plugged that antenna in and let the 722 do a search for channels and it found a few at about 60 to 70 strength on the meter. I'm around 52 miles from our nearest HD towers, so I thought that was pretty good. I found a power injector that I had laying around from that same Voom setup, plugged it in, and it boosted the reception on those 4 or 5 channels I was getting in the 60 to 70 range up to 90 to 100. Then it picked up 3 or 4 more channels.

After I had the OTA antenna hooked up, I really started to like my 722. I can record 3 HD shows at the same time, and watch something off the DVR at the same time. The OTA really is a big plus and I wasn't aware it would be able to record 3 shows when I bought it. The only problem I've found is one or two of my OTA channels as listed in the GUIDE in the receiver, don't show any programming information. I have to scroll down to the same channel delivered via satellite to view the info. Not sure if that's a DISH issue, or local channel issue.

Also, I was expecting to have recording times separate. I think my 722 says 55 hours of HD and 300 or 350 of standard? Those are combined. If I record 10 hours of HD, then my standard def hours go way way down. I'm really surprised how fast I've filled up my 722. I'm constantly going through DVR shows and figuring out what I can delete to free up some space. Probably some time this summer, I'll buy a 750 GB USB drive and have the USB expansion enabled.

Just for the record each 722 only counts as one receiver for billing purposes as long as the box is connected to a phone line.

Has anyone used the external hard drive feature on this device? Is the programming that is transferred to the drive visible in a PC or is it only data visible to the VIP722? If so, the only way to view these video's portable is with the pocketDISH players from Archos.

dja2k

Data is encrypted and cannot be viewed on a PC. But you can take the drive to another VIP receiver in your house and watch the content there.

So then I am better off buying an Archos unit that is PocketDish compatible like the 605 or 705 Wifi units. They are good enough, have a 160 GB hard disk. They sell a docking station which will let me stream the video to any tv that I connect it to.

dja2k

There is a serious glitch with the 722 and no known cure. There is a thread on this.

A glitch with what? - If I may ask....

dja2k

Just started subscribing to Dish. My wife and I love it so far!

I love the 722, but I'm still struggling with the dual TV setup. If anyone can help, I'd appreciate it.

When recording two programs, from the primary TV position (remote 1) in dual mode, it seems to make the default record tuner #2. Then if that tuner is occupied and I still want something recorded, it'll go to tuner #1. Question is: Can I switch which tuner is actually displaying the live TV?

Example: it's 6:45 pm now, and I sit down to watch tv. I have a timer set for tuner #2 to record a movie from 9-11pm. Tuner #1 is set to record a different movie from 7-10pm (this can't be done by tuner #2 since there is one hour of overlap from 9-10pm). At 7 pm, the DVR tells me that my tuner wants to record the movie and that I can no longer watch live TV (unless it's to watch the movie), but tuner #2 is currently unused, and will be until 9pm. Is there a way to have the live TV switch to tuner #2 to watch tv at least until 9?

If you switch to single mode you can change swap between the tuners using the "swap" button on the remote. Otherwise you are stuck watching either recorded material, OTA programming, or whatever is being recorded on Tuner #1 on TV#1.

Ted

You can switch which timer is the default timer. Yours is currently set to timer 2 as the default apparently. You can change this to timer 1. I forget the sequence to do this. If you do this it will use timer 1 and only use timer 2 if timer 1 is already scheduled to record something at the same time.

Rick R

I think the option is called RecordPlus. With it on, you can set the default tuner (TV in dual mode) to record to. So when you record something it will go to this tuner. If you then record something else at the same time it goes to the other tuner. Also keep in mind the OTA tuner is separate so if you have an antenna you can record 3 programs.

If you turn off RecordPlus then which ever TV you create the timer from is the one it records on.

i have my 722 setup with my HDTV in my living room, and i am planning on buying a new HDTV for my bedroom...

point blank - is there ANY (e.g. ordering another 722, getting a converter, etc.) way whatsoever I can get an HD satellite TV signal on this upcoming secondary bedroom TV?

I want to make sure I don't waste money buying an amazing 2nd TV that just won't partake in my HD satellite service.

thanks in advance for the help.

Sure, you just need a second receiver. I have 2 HD and 2 SD TVs in my house and they all work fine with my VIP722 and VIP222 (the 222 doesn't have recording features, but it's a $100 fee to add a second DVR).

I'm about to switch from TWC to Dish. I have 2 HDTV's and would like a VIP722 and VIP211. I'm going to order the DishHD package (+locals+2movies). If I request these 2 receivers will I get them? Their advertizing for the package says free upgrade to our best receiver... so that would infer the VIP722.

Doing their on-line build, the 722 appears to come up with 1 HDTV, but if you add another HDTV it appears 2 211's show up with no option to change one to DVR. I did chat, and she said no problem, just add a $7 STB fee. I just don't want them to send out a 612.

I don't have a phone line close to where the 722 would be, but if I order it as "single", they shouldn't charge the extra fee if not connected, right?

Bummer on the fee, but at least that clarifies it. Hope that doesn't mean an extension on the contract though. Thanks for the answer.

Just to be clear, the 222 isn't a DVR, so there's no fee for one of those in addition to the 722.

There may be no up front fee, but there is an additional monthly fee for having an additional receiver. I have a 622, a 625 and a 211 (don't ask). I pay additional monthly fees for the other two receivers and a leased fee for my 622 (plus those annoying DVR fees).

Just called Dish. I asked about getting a 2nd receiver (given my issue with the 722 and my 2nd HDTV) and there is a $100 upfront fee to do so, along with either a $13 monthly ongoing fee for an HD-DVR (the 612 I think she called it) or $7 monthly for the non-DVR HD receiver.

What ticked me off, aside from having to pay $100 for something I'm going to be leasing anyway, was the customer rep, who initially said that adding the 2nd receiver had no effect on my contract, and after 20 mins. backtracks and tells me my 18 month contract would actually restart if I add the 2nd box.

I find that ridiculous.

Seriously? They want to make you sign an entirely new contract because you're adding service? That's outrageous.

I think the breakdown of fees is $5/month for a normal receiver, $7/month for an HD receiver, then there's a $5/month fee for upgrading your receiver to a DVR. Right now there's a promotion running (I think) that allows you to basically get the upgrade to the DVR for free.