Dishnetwork replayTV at Costco

[Easygoing]

I just bought a new dishnetwork reciver at Costco which has the harddrive recording feature. At Costco it is $269. If you buy it from Dishnetwork it cost $299 plus shipping. This model has an 80Gig drive which is 60 hours of recording. Very simple hookup. No programming fees.

 

[Pliablemoose]

Which model is this?

 

[ucb2001]

 

[ucb2001]

The Dish Network has a deal where you can get a similar reciever for 49.99 on top of your current receivers if you have like the plan on the brochure that shows 4 receivers. I dont remember all the information, but it should on their flyer

 

[Jeraden]

That would be the PVR508 he's talking about.

 

[Easygoing]

Sorry, yes it was the 508.

 

[Bouncer2k]

If you're in the market for a PVR 508 AND are a first-time subscriber to Dish network, ya gotta check out 4-Star-Trading.
(In case the link comes out misconfigured, type this: http://4-star-trading.com )

Under "Specials," you'll find Package 3 for $89.95 (plus $29.99 shipping) which includes PVR 508, antenna, and installation. Better yet, check out Package 4 which includes all the above PLUS the 301 receiver, all for the same price. I just ordered Package 4 plus the additional remote control for $24.99 (half the usual).

In return, I'm obligated to subscribe to Dish network's programming for a year at $30 per month, after which I'll own the equipment.

Personnel at 4-Star were very responsive and helpful in getting the order processed. Seems like a good way for a first-timer to get on board, huh?

 

[Matt L]

It's a good deal if you know what you're getting. The 508 is not a Replay or a TiVo PVR, it is a VR, video recorder, very much like a VCR. It doesn't have the features that put the P in PVR. All it's recordings are timer based, if your show moves it won't be recorded. Replay and TiVo are title based recorders, they follow a show around no matter when it's on.

If you don't have Sat. service you are much better off getting the DTiVo fro $199. Very easy to upgrade to 240 hours, and bug free.

 

[Johneverd]

Originally posted by: Bouncer2k
If you're in the market for a PVR 508 AND are a first-time subscriber to Dish network, ya gotta check out 4-Star-Trading.
(In case the link comes out misconfigured, type this: http://4-star-trading.com )

Under "Specials," you'll find Package 3 for $89.95 (plus $29.99 shipping) which includes PVR 508, antenna, and installation. Better yet, check out Package 4 which includes all the above PLUS the 301 receiver, all for the same price. I just ordered Package 4 plus the additional remote control for $24.99 (half the usual).

In return, I'm obligated to subscribe to Dish network's programming for a year at $30 per month, after which I'll own the equipment.

Personnel at 4-Star were very responsive and helpful in getting the order processed. Seems like a good way for a first-timer to get on board, huh?

So , let me get this right. Deal #4 is a dual-receiver dish, and has two boxes (one being the PVR 508)? If so then that is a VERY hot deal.

 

[RobsTV]

Originally posted by: Matt L
It's a good deal if you know what you're getting. The 508 is not a Replay or a TiVo PVR, it is a VR, video recorder, very much like a VCR. It doesn't have the features that put the P in PVR. All it's recordings are timer based, if your show moves it won't be recorded. Replay and TiVo are title based recorders, they follow a show around no matter when it's on.

If you don't have Sat. service you are much better off getting the DTiVo fro $199. Very easy to upgrade to 240 hours, and bug free.

Are you sure about this?
While I don't have the newer version, I do have a couple 7100, 7200 units, which were replaced by the 501/508's.
You simply do a search either with remote, or better yet with the included keyboard, and it finds your program.
You then have many options, one of which is to record that program anytime, which means if it's on Tuesday,
it will record it Tuesday. If the following week it is not on Tuesday but instead is on both Wednesday and Thursday,
it will not record on Tuesday, and will record the show on both Wednesday and Thursday instead. Not timer based,
but show based. Sure, you do have timer based as one of your options, and you can also have it simpy turn on your
VCR to record with that if you wish. Also, the 7 day guide is nice, but is supposed to be updated to 10 day guide
end of the month. Again, this is with the older unit that the 508 replaces, but would think newer would have more
features?

Also, quality of recordings is a little better with Dish PVR's than it is with either Replay or Tivo.
If you don't have Dish, then it's not for you.

Here is a very old link comparing the 3 type's of PVR's.
http://www.iwantptv.com/compare/UltimateComparison-page3.htm
Since then, huge improvements have been made in the Dishplayers, and probably the others.
But, even back then some things that stand out from the comparison:

DishPlayer Picture Quality - DishPlayer records the raw bitstream from the satellite receiver.
So, it's picture is exactly the same as the original.

ReplayTV Picture Quality. - While ReplayTV has to encode the Picture again, the loss of quality
(in the high and medium record modes) is only discernable on rather fast moving pictures.

TiVo Quality - The quality loss in TiVo is similar to ReplayTV in most modes. However there is a
difference when the input is already a below average quality picture, such as cable or satellite
satellite superstations. It appears that TiVo is doing something to the picture. I have been
told that it is a softening filter and will be removed in the 1.3 release.

EDIT:
Also just saw that ReplayTV Files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, so drop that one from consideration.
http://apnews.excite.com/article/20030322/D7PTSC7O0.html

BTW, does TiVo have jtag pads

 

[Bouncer2k]

To Matt L: Your elaboration about the capabilities of the 508 are interesting and will hopefully help the uninitiated make a selection that is right for them.

To Johneverd: Yes, package 4 includes a 20-inch dual-receiver dish plus one 301 and one 508 receiver. In addition, if you sign up for programming that requires access to an additional satellite position (as is the case for my local programming option), then the additional 18-inch dish is at no charge.

To Robs TV: what are jtag pads?

 

[huesmann]

Can you dump shows from the 508 to PC?

 

[JuanTabonia]

Originally posted by: huesmann
Can you dump shows from the 508 to PC?

Yes you can, plus other mods. See the
Dishrip Yahoo Group

 

[Ginta]

Originally posted by: RobsTV
TiVo Quality - The quality loss in TiVo is similar to ReplayTV in most modes. However there is a
difference when the input is already a below average quality picture, such as cable or satellite
satellite superstations. It appears that TiVo is doing something to the picture. I have been
told that it is a softening filter and will be removed in the 1.3 release.

A friend has the special DirecTV Tivo unit and from what he tells me the quality is identical as the signal since it records the straight digital signal coming down the line. In comparison to the Dish PVR they should be identical in quality. One thing my friends said compared to his old standalone tivo is you can't get more recording time since there are no quality/compression settings with the all digital unit.

 

[Loqutious]

You'll be sorry if you buy a DishNetwork PVR before comparing to the DirecTV receiver with integrated 2-tuner TIVO. The DishNetwork 501/508 is impossible to hack to larger capacity, the menus suck, stability is generally poor IMO, and it has 1 less tuner! The Hughes DirecTIVO series 2 is really slick and upgrading to a larger drive or adding a second drive is rediculously easy. Plus, the second tuner makes a world of difference, and to get 2 tuners on Dish you need the 721 which goes for $500 or more.

Picture quality seems better IMO on DirecTV (I switched from DishNetwork 2 months ago and haven't regretted it for a second!). The only advantages to Dish over DirecTV are 1) cheaper programming package available on Dish and 2) no extra fee for having the PVR (you pay $4.99 a month to have a DirecTIVO do all that cool TIVO stuff).

 

[SearchMaster]

The DishNetwork solution may be inferior to the DirecTivo solution, but to say you'll be sorry with the DishNetwork solution is a bit of an overstatement. I got one last November and I love it. It's not perfect, but it does exactly what I need it to do, and was relatively inexpensive, so I'm not complaining. Two tuners would be nice, but some of us can live with one in our limited TV-watching capacities.

 

[jasonja]

You should not mention the Dish player and ReplayTV in the same sentence. A ReplayTV is light years ahead in usuablity.

 

[huesmann]

For you Tivo people, does your Tivo record a show that starts late due to something like a football game running into OT?

 

[Loqutious]

Searchmaster said:

The DishNetwork solution may be inferior to the DirecTivo solution, but to say you'll be sorry with the DishNetwork solution is a bit of an overstatement. I got one last November and I love it. It's not perfect, but it does exactly what I need it to do, and was relatively inexpensive, so I'm not complaining. Two tuners would be nice, but some of us can live with one in our limited TV-watching capacities.

Searchmaster, I was perfectly happy with my Dish PVR until I saw a DirecTIVO at a friend's house, then I realized what I was missing! No worries about programs actually recording when they're supposed to, no worries about the guide data actually downloading, no worries about Dish rolling out software updates without testing them first. It's TV without all the headaches most DishPVR users just get used to. The 2 tuners may just sound "nice", but once you try it you'll wonder how you ever lived without it. I don't even watch that much TV. As far as "expense" goes, you can egay your Dish receiver for more than the cost of a Hughes HDVR2 DirecTIVO installed.

Huesmann,

I don't think any of the current PVRs can handle delayed shows since they work off of a program guide downloaded from the satellite nightly - It doesn't get updated on the fly like that. You can always pad your recording lengths.

 

[MowSow]

Lots of good info in this post .

 

[huesmann]

Originally posted by: Loqutious
I don't think any of the current PVRs can handle delayed shows since they work off of a program guide downloaded from the satellite nightly - It doesn't get updated on the fly like that. You can always pad your recording lengths.

Then I don't see what the big deal is about recording shows that change schedule.

Most TV shows that get moved do so because they are sucking in their timeslot and the network wants to put something with better ratings there. Then the old show is moved, and continues to suck in its new timeslot and is eventually dropped.

 

[jasonja]

If a show moves nights (and it's reflected by the guide) Replay's (assuming you did a theme recording) and Direc/Tivos (assuming you did a season pass) will pick it up, but they won't pick up last minute schedule changes like president's address or overtime in sports, etc.

DirecTivo's are fantastic. I had a ReplayTV for over two years and it was great, but the dual tuners and picture quality of the DirecTivo's is enough to give it the crown for near perfection.