Any Dishnetwork DVR 522 Users?

[Racer2x]

I am about to make the switch from Directv to Dishnetwork, due to the bad customer service I recently recieved. I am going with the DVR 522 reciever/PVR unit. Anybody here have any experience with one of these, and, if so, what are it''s strengths and weaknesses. plus any additional pointers. Thanks.

[samijubal]

I had Dish Network for a year and wasn't very impressed with the picture quality, more like depressed with the quality.

[gcutler]

If you goto www.dbstalk.com there are alot of people who have the unit.

Were you a DirectTV*TiVo user with DirectTV? The Dish Digital Video Recorders (522, 510, 921) are not as feature rich or stable as the DirectTV*TiVo units.

If you wish, the Manuals are online...
http://www.dishnetwork.com/content/products/userguides_manuals/receivers/522/index.shtml

[JohnnyCNote]

I have DishNetwork DVR and a Pioneer DVR 210. They work great together. We get a great picture and sound. I've recorded dozens of movies, etc., onto DVD and they come out fine and play on all the other DVD players I've tried. I just gave over 40 disks to my brother, most with an average of 4 hours of programs and he says they play back great.

So I can recommend the combination based on my own experiences. However, remember Johnny C-Note's #1 Rule:

Individual results may vary!

[TBoneit]

A Couple of thoughts, It can support 2 Tvs w/2 remotes so they both can record or watch different shows or it can record two shows and play back two more previously recorded shows to two TV sets. $4.99 a month service fee unless everything pack. Data is encrypted on the drive so if you want to record anything to a DVD get a TV Card ot a standalone dvd recorder. 2 TVs on 1 receiver so you avoid the $5 mirror fee a second rec. would cost. I Use Dish and like the quality myself.

Weakness no season pass, no name based recording, supposed to be coming though.


I prefer Dish DVRs over Tivo but that is because I like to control what I record> I also use a Tivo and first thing I did was turn off suggestions.

Overall Both services have their good points.

Good Luck

[Racer2x]

Tboneit, you sound like the man to talk to, since you have both Tivo and Dishnetwork DVR. You said you prefer Dish DVR over Tivo, cause you like to control what your record. Could you explain what you meant? I knew about the Season pass, and Name-based issues. Any sign of the name-base issue being addressed anytime soon?
I am stilll currently a Directv customer, but only until AFTER I have successful installation of the Dish system. I do not have DTV Tivo, but that's what caused all this stir in the first place: I had ordered, from Directv, a reciever w/Tivo, and scheduled the installation, but got screwed by the installation company that Directv contracted to do the job. Directv did nothing to resolve the issue, other to say "sorry" (words are cheap), and apparently, they don't have any other contracted company in my area to do it, and I'm NOT giving those A-holes another chance. Directv will NOT let me do it myself, even though I was the one who installed my system in the first place! (was cakewalk) Never mind the fact that I can go down to any Best Buy, Circuit City, or CompUSA, buy one, go home, and install it, tonight, myself. Seems once a company already has your business, they don't give a damn about you.
Anyways, I do have a capture card in my PC, and was going to do the transfers THAT way, till I find any possible better ways to do it. Any suggestions would be great. Thanks.

[TBoneit]

Well When I say control, I just prefer to go throughthe guide once a week and set things to record. I have two single tuner DVRs and a dual tuner DVR. When I say control I mean from week to week I don't watch the same things so that season passes aren't useful and for me are counterproductive. Name based recording is not needed unless the show switches time within the same week it is programmed.

Both services have problems for me in that shows on networks do not seem to start and stop on time so I more or less do not watch them. CBS is unwatchable on sundays due to sports.

Plus the 522 is kind of neat as it is a DVR that can feed two different recordings off of 1 drive to two TVs so both Tv sets can watch at different times. Or you can start watching in one room, go to another room and watch the rest (One caveat, you'll have to start at the beginning and FF at 300X to catch up). Other handy point is that Tivo says they are going to bend over and let PPV and such set lengths it can stay recorded and so on. Tivo you need to set a special key sequence to enable a 30 second forward skip.

One other point on either DVR/PVR it is only temporary storage as with anything storing on a hard disk the drive can die and take your recordings with it.

Anyway Good Luck.
Cheers

[Racer2x]

Thanks for the pointers. Quite helpful. They will be coming on Sat. the 18th, so I am just trying to get as informed as possible.
I've heard lots of bad press on the 522, so I am getting a little nervous about the switch from Directv or Dish. Hopefully, my worries will be all for naught.
Somebody, earlier in this post gave me a link to a Dish Forum. Thank you . It has proven quite informative. I appreciate the hints/opinions/pointers form you guys. You have been quite helpful. That is why I continue to come back here.

[gcutler]

I have a Stand Alone TiVo with a Dish Reciever and a 508 DVR Dish Reciever. I feel the exact opposite of TBoneit. Since I tend to watch the same shows from week the week, the Season Passes are essential. When I recorded shows on my 508 the shows would sometimes move or have special double length episodes and the Dish DVR would only record what was in the queue (missing episodes or not recording the extra length episodes). But with TiVo it would see that the shows moved and and adjust appropriately.

But like TBoneit I also turned off Suggestion, just because I don't like clutter (and I watch way tooo much TV as it is, don't need suggestion)

The benefit of the Dish DVRs is cost, the TiVo will cost you alot more because of the lifetime subscription or monthly subscription of $13, where as Dish has $5/month DVR fee but that can be avoided if you have one of the higher level of programming. For me I would say paying for the TiVo service is worth it, but if you've never used TiVo you may not care...