Entered CNET Catalog: 03/07/2006
SKU: 0753960008370
Manufacturer: Dish Network
Content [Hide]
Manufacturer description
ViP622 DVR is the first MPEG-4/MPEG-2 dual satellite-tuner, single off-air digital tuner, multi-TV high definition DVR receiver, and includes multi-media features using USB 2.0 such as: transfer of DVR events to the PocketDISH portable media player, load photos to view as a slideshow on a high definition television, encrypt and store or archive recorded programming onto any external hard drive.Product summary
The good: Receives and records new MPEG-4 AVC programming, including local and other HD channels not available on older receivers; dual-output mode for secondary TV; can record up to three HD shows simultaneously while playing back a fourth; 30-second commercial skip; exceedingly quick response time; well-designed, highly customizable interface; search function includes history; superb remote; impressive image quality; USB port enables connections to portable media players and external hard drives to expand storage capacity.
The bad: Generally lighter selection of local HD and sports channels than cable; annoying interstitial PPV page; defaults to "all episodes" for EPG-initiated recordings; uglier EPG and menu system than TiVo HD and DirecTV; no built-in networking functionality.
The bottom line: The Dish Network ViP622 and 722 are among the most fully featured and versatile high-def DVRs you can buy today.
Average user rating: from 119 users
3.0 stars
Editors' review
- Editors' Choice: Yes
- Reviewed on: 04/10/2006
On the outside, the Dish Network ViP622 is a fairly staid silver box, measuring 16 by 3.5 by 13 inches and weighing 11 pounds. Its most prominent feature is a row of six LEDs on the middle of the face, which light up to indicate recordings in progress, dual- or single-mode operation (see Features below), and power on or off. The front of the ViP622 comprises three similarly sized sections of subtle clear-on-silver plastic; pressing against the rightmost section elicits a soft click and lets it swing open to reveal a USB port and a set of front-panel controls. These include the major menu commands found on the remote, as well as the only button that can switch between dual and single modes.
A USB port and a "mode" button to switch between dual- and single-mode operation are available on the front panel.
And yes, unlike many cable company DVRs and hacked, that skip key actually jumps ahead in 30-second increments, letting you quickly and easily avoid watching the typical 4-minute commercial break in exactly 8 presses (which takes all of 2.5 seconds). If you've grown up fast-forwarding through commercials, you don't know what you're missing in a true 30-second skip. We also loved the four scan-speed multipliers, from the 4X, which seems just right for brief bursts forward; to 16X for scanning commercial breaks; to 60X and even 300X for blowing through longer programs, such as movies, sporting events, award shows, and what have you. Responses to skip, fast-forward, and rewind commands were exceedingly quick.
The DVR includes both a standard infrared remote (green) and an RF remote that can also work with the second TV (blue).
Menu system, EPG and recording features
The internal menu system is the single most important design element in a DVR you use every day, and the Dish Network ViP622's interface is superb. It starts with an EPG containing program listings and information on individual shows. We appreciated the choice between three text sizes with or without an inset window that shows what's currently playing. Our favorite was "Extended with Video", which showed seven channels at a time along with the window.
You can create up to four custom favorite-channel listings to complement the three default lists: all channels, all subscribed-to channels, and all HDTV channels. That's a hearty selection when compared to most cable DVRs, which shackle you to one list that often includes innumerable channels you don't even subscribe to. The EPG goes out 10 days and is completely searchable. The search function includes any combination of genres (for example, Sports), subgenres (Baseball), and keywords (up to 17 characters; Roger Clemens juice) entered on a virtual keypad or by using the number keys like a cell phone sending a text message. You can even refer to a search history--unique in our DVR experience--to quickly repeat previous searches.
The Dish Network ViP622 also does a great job of organizing recorded programs and timers for upcoming recordings, although it has one major inconvenience. The main list of recorded programs is accessed by pressing the DVR key twice. The first press calls up an annoying interstitial screen that provides access to other content too, such as pay-per-view and attached USB devices. The list itself can be organized by date, genre, title, and other criteria. It can group similar shows together to save space, and it constantly displays how many hours of standard- and high-def recording time is available. Unlike with most DVRs, you can select more than one program to delete at once, so a massive DVR spring-cleaning is completely painless.
We appreciated the Timers page, which lets you immediately see all upcoming scheduled recordings for the length of the EPG and makes managing conflicts a cinch. The timers list can be set to display skipped events--those that won't record for whatever reason, whether because they conflict with higher-priority timers, because they're reruns or because you skipped the recording intentionally. In one of our favorite features, if a show gets skipped because of a conflict, the DVR will automatically search out and set up a recording of the next available airing of that same show.
Like other DVRs, the ViP622 can record all episodes of a program; only new episodes; just once on a particular night and time; Monday through Friday; or nightly. You also get options for manual channel/time recording, for extending start and end times and for setting a maximum number of shows to keep. Dish Pass records programs that match a keyword--actors or directors, for example--and like search, it's limited to 17 characters. One more nitpick: we wish the default for timer recordings initiated from the EPG wasn't "all episodes" because that often leads to inadvertently recording numerous shows when all you wanted was one. We like the automatic extension of sporting events timers for an extra hour, though, which is designed to catch overtimes and compensate for rain delays.
Dual-mode operation
Unlike any other non-Dish DVR we know of, the ViP622 has what Dish calls a dual mode to feed two televisions. There's a second, entirely separate set of AV outputs on its back panel, which send video and audio to a secondary standard-def television (TV2) in addition to the main HDTV set (TV1). Aside from saving multi-TV households from having to buy or rent another box, the TV2 option allows a viewer on the secondary television to watch any of the recorded shows on the ViP622's hard disk (HD programs are downconverted to SD for display on TV2). In dual mode, the ViP622's three tuners are split among the two TVs: TV1 gets the OTA and one satellite tuner, while TV2 gets the second satellite tuner. In other words, you can't watch live OTA programs on TV2. The secondary television even has separate favorite-channel lists, search histories, and aspect-ratio controls from TV1, and a user on TV2 can access most of the menu settings, with the exception of closed captions, without disturbing TV1. Dish installers can hook up both TVs when the box is installed, although TV2 also works with wireless solutions; we had it running with an RF Link AVS-511 transmitter/receiver, for example, and it worked great. As we mentioned, the ViP622 comes with a second, RF remote that can control the box at a range of up to 200 feet. The main disadvantage of dual mode, besides the fact that each TV monopolizes a tuner, is that a user on one TV doesn't get full control of in-progress recordings on the other.
Other features
At the heart of the Dish Network ViP622 beats a 320GB hard disk that can store any combination of 30 hours of HD programming or 200 hours of standard-def. That's identical to the capacity of the DirecTV HR20, and bests the 20 high-def-hours total of both the TiVo HD and than the Scientific Atlanta 8300HD, a typical cable company DVR. The addition of external USB archive drives (see below) can increase the 622's capacity even further, and if the main drive doesn't seem like enough, the step-up ViP-722 can store as much as 55 hours of MPEG-2 high-def.
The ViP622 is the only current DVR with the capability to record three live TV programs--standard- and/or high-def--simultaneously. Only two can originate from satellite; the third is reserved for over-the-air (OTA) antenna sources. Call us TV addicts, but we found ourselves using all three tuners on numerous occasions, especially during busy prime-time evenings.
Like all DVRs, the ViP622 records everything you watch all the time, so you can always rewind to catch something you missed. When you press pause, it stays frozen for up to one hour, buffering the show in progress for later viewing or fast-forwarding. You can also watch any recorded program while the DVR records live shows. In the Sunday night example above, we could've started watching any of the three programs being recorded from the beginning or a fourth HD or SD program that was already on the hard drive, without disturbing the three in-progress recordings.
Other highlights include complete aspect-ratio control for both standard and HD shows; a versatile PIP that can display either live TV or recordings in the secondary window (a smaller inset window and two same-sized side-by-side windows are available, but PIP won't work in dual mode); a screensaver and automatic turn-off option; on-screen caller ID with a history function; numerous parental locks; and pay-per-view and video-on-demand services. The DVR can offload non-high-def programs to PocketDish-branded portable video players via USB. There's also a Dish Home interactive TV component that lets you pay your bill, view past statements, shop, read news bulletins, and check out special packages such as the multi-window viewer that Dish and NBC created for the Winter Olympics.
The back panel includes plenty of connections, including outputs for TV2 and an Ethernet port (currently inactive).
External storage option
In August 2007, Dish enabled the ViP series of HD DVRs to connect to external hard drives using the back-panel USB 2.0 jack. When a drive is connected--and you pay the additional one-time upgrade fee of $40, which covers all receivers connected to the account--you can dramatically increase the storage capacity of the DVR. The feature should be compatible with most third-party drives between 40GB and 700GB, and while the capacity varies with program type, in our tests most MPEG4 HD shows took up about 3.5GB per hour--adding as much as 200 hours of HD capacity for a 700GB drive. While some cable DVRs and DirecTV's rival HR20 offer similar functionality, it's usually unofficial and unsupported by the manufacturer or the cable company. TiVo HD, with its SATA expansion option, is the exception.
There is a catch with the ViP, however. The programs must be archived to the external drive, a process that takes hours for multiple high-def shows, although you can use the DVR normally during the archiving process. We'd much prefer the addition of a drive to simply increase the overall storage capacity seamlessly, bumping up that little "hours remaining" indicator at the top of the recorded programs list. On the other hand, once the drive was connected, we were able to play back any programs stored on it immediately, exactly as if they were stored on the DVR's main drive. The transfer with our test 400GB Iomega drive was flawless, even when we selected 10 HD programs at once, although we've seen reports that multiple-show transfers caused failure in some cases. We were also able to use more than one drive after cycling the 622's power; we ended up using one as a movie server and another for the odd programs we couldn't bring ourselves to erase. For more info on the external HDD option, check out Dish's PDF brochure.
Missing Features
Even with all these capabilities we have a wish list of stuff we'd like to see. It would be nice if we could control TV2 via IR blasters in addition to RF so that we could use TV2 with a Slingbox, for example. We'd like to see the Ethernet jack turned on, which at the very least could enable people who don't have a landline to order pay-per-view and other services. Speaking of networking, some sort of TiVo To Go-like functionality (something that doesn't necessitate buying a PocketDish player), remote DVR scheduling (offered by both TiVo HD and the HR20), or even network streaming of photos, video or music would be great. The HD purist in us would also appreciate an "all native" output format selection; at the moment, you have to choose between converting everything to either 720p or 1080i resolution.
Performance
Overall, the Dish Network ViP622 receives high marks for its image quality and speed. During our initial tests in early 2006 we did encounter frequent operational bugs and quirks, but after a series of firmware updates it has operated very smoothly for nearly two years of intense use.
First things first: we had no major problems with the image quality of the HD channels delivered via the ViP622. From the NCAA championship on CBS HD to the stunning Sunrise Earth on Discovery HD to the wacky selection of Voom channels, the ViP622's HD picture looked great via HDMI, which appeared slightly sharper on our reference Panasonic TH-50PHD8UK monitor than did component video. Yes, we noticed lots of variation from program to program and channel to channel, but it's hard to blame the box for that. Standard-def varied even more from one channel to the next, although compared to our experience with digital cable and DirecTV, the Dish ViP622 more than held its own with SD video quality. Update: After comparing the ViP622 to the DirecTV HR20 for image quality, we could detect no major differences in HD channel reproduction. Some of the standard-def channels on Dish did look slightly better than some of their DirecTV counterparts, however, but the difference wasn't drastic by any means. Note that we have not compared any of the new MPEG-4 channels between the two boxes directly.
We were also keen to compare HDTV from the over-the-air antenna vs. HD local satellite channels, and honestly, we were surprised by how good the HD satellite locals looked; it was quite difficult to tell the difference between the two. An episode of 24, for example, displayed the same detail in Audrey's hair, the same fine lines on the tie of Miles Papazian, the same tiny bursts of pixelation, and the same video noise in darker areas on both versions. The other three local HD channels in our New York City area looked similar to their over-the-air counterparts--but it's worth noting that locals in other areas might behave differently.
We also came away impressed by the Dish Network ViP622's downconversion capability, which is important for TV2 watchers and DVD archiving. We recorded a few episodes of The Sopranos from HBO HD to DVD, and the downconverted standard-def picture didn't have the issues we've noticed on some DVRs; in fact, it looked pretty good, significantly better than the same episode on the standard-def HBO2 channel. In our experience, the Scientific Atlanta 8300HD, a common high-def cable box, does an inferior job downconverting HD shows to standard-def.
Response time was also excellent. The ViP622 reacted to all commands quickly, programsfrom near-instantaneous 30-second skips to super-fast blasts through the EPG. Creating a new timer recording takes only a second or two on the ViP622. By comparison, the TiVoHD is a bit more sluggish on some screens (although it's certainly tolerable) and the HR20 moves as quickly on most screens, but slower when browsing the EPG and especially when you enable its 30-second skip function, which takes an extra split-second to jump each time.
Otherwise, we had few complaints about the 622's performance. Yes, the Dish Network ViP622 can get very warm--make sure your cabinet has adequate ventilation--and we often heard its hard drive spinning up over quiet passages while watching TV, but these issues, along with a few bugs, are common to all DVRs in our experience.
Update, September 10, 2006: The following sections were written before a series of firmware updates, near the time of the box's initial launch, but we've kept them for reference. After that period we've experienced no crashes or other issues, and grade the box as a very consistent operational performer.
The Dish Network ViP622 is still relatively balky and buggy, which makes it frustrating to use as an everyday TV source and prevents it from earning our Editors' Choice award. As chronicled previously, the first review sample CNET received froze up so often that we had to have it replaced. The second sample performed much better over a month of intense use, but it still evinced more issues than we noticed on the DVR 942, the DirecTV HD TiVo, or the Scientific Atlanta 8300HD (although we did go through two 8300HDs before a third worked well).
The most persistent issue was stutter during standard- and high-def shows, where it looked like the image was skipping a few frames or slowing down, then speeding up again. During the quick zooms into the money boxes on NBC's Deal or No Deal, for example, the zoom seemed to jump in the middle. This happened often and was mildly annoying, but it could often be fixed by switching channels or simply rewinding briefly, then restarting playback. The same solutions usually fixed the relatively common lip-sync issue too; we'd notice actors mouths moving out of step with the audio relatively often and independent of the channel.
Major crashes were less frequent, but they happened often enough to annoy us. For a total of seven times during the month, the ViP622 seized up and stopped responding to remote commands, eventually restarting on its own or needing to be manually restarted--an arduous five-minute process that would leave a gap in in-progress recordings. We also experienced an issue seemingly unique to the MSG network, a local standard-def sports outlet; the program would inexplicably jump all the way back to beginning whenever we tried to fast-forward (a frequent occurrence during tedious Knicks games this year). In one recent instance, the ViP622 seemed to forget all of the timers dedicated to "new" shows for a short period, which nearly cost us a Sopranos episode. Notably, this occurred on the weekend switch to daylight saving time, and the timers behaved properly the next day. We also experienced a warning message that said we'd reached the limit of active timers at 39, but when we later went to add more timers, we were able to do so easily.
We checked around to online forums such as the excellent DBSTalk.Com and discovered numerous people who've experienced similar operational issues. Dish seemed to respond quickly to people who reported major problems, often by replacing the box itself.
User opinions
Select a User Opinion to view: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 User Rating:
5.0 stars
out of 119 user reviews
GREAT HD DVR!
Pros: Everything!
Cons: Just a little slow when changing the channels.
Review: Great features, easy to use. So easy even a cave man can use it.
User Rating:
5.0 stars
out of 119 user reviews
Great DVR! Rock Solid!
Pros: Incredible picture quality.
Easy to set up and use.
Flawless recording.
Easy broadband setup.
Cons: Can't copy recordings to an external device.
Review: This is a great DVR. Ignore the naysayers about heat issues, etc. I'm a EE and this thing is SOLID!
Out of all the DVRs I've looked at, this is head and shoulders above the rest.
Out of all the DVRs I've looked at, this is head and shoulders above the rest.
User Rating:
0.5 stars
out of 119 user reviews
this product will overheat and quit within 6 months
Pros: i love the ability to record but you will lose your recordings after a month or two .
Cons: the product will wear out and overheat constantly ..
this has happened to me 3 times and now the 4th one is overheating ..they crash and you are out the the hassel and waiting for the new one with out tv service and you lose all saved recordings.
Review: you lose tv for at least a week ,it will overheat constantly usually when you are in the middle of a great foot ball game,etc.the product will not last over 4 month until it either crashes or overheats and shuts off i speak from experience of going through 4 of these ... even attempted to chargeme for one saying,"i damaged it "..
now i have another one that is approximately 4 months old that has started overheating ..this is when i started researching google and found others are having the same problems .i'm sick of it !!bottom line do not let them pawn one of these units off on you ....
now i have another one that is approximately 4 months old that has started overheating ..this is when i started researching google and found others are having the same problems .i'm sick of it !!bottom line do not let them pawn one of these units off on you ....
User Rating:
2.5 stars
out of 119 user reviews
Nice features, but too many problems
Pros: Good-size hard drive, user-friendly interface.
Cons: Audio problems, recording problems.
Review: First of all, Cnet is wrong. You cannot record 3 shows while watching another. You can record 2 shows while watching a recorded one, or record one show while watching one live show.
This dvr has nice features and a good interface.
Unfortunately, it too often has no audio, constantly needs to be rebooted, sometimes records nothing but a black screen, and will sometimes show something on a channel, but when you record or even go to that channel, that show is not there (may be a Dish problem, rather than the dvr).
We have had dish for several years, and have had to get 3 or 4 of these 622's, because they just get worse and worse. They never work 100% correctly, even when brand-new. Sometimes, something will be recording, but there's no red light. Sometimes it is recording a black screen, but if you go to that channel, the show is there. Often, there is no audio, either on the recording or on live tv, but there will be audio on the other. Has a lot of trouble connecting to the phone line for ppv or uploading DishGames scores.
Sometimes, if you fast forward the end of a program, it will automatically restart that program, and you're FFing through the beginning w/o realizing it right away. Sometimes, you simply can't FF or rewind a recording.
We stuck with Dish and these dvrs for many years, but between this dvr's constant problems, and Dish Networks lack of customer service, we are switching to Uverse. Better features, more channels, and a better price.
This dvr has nice features and a good interface.
Unfortunately, it too often has no audio, constantly needs to be rebooted, sometimes records nothing but a black screen, and will sometimes show something on a channel, but when you record or even go to that channel, that show is not there (may be a Dish problem, rather than the dvr).
We have had dish for several years, and have had to get 3 or 4 of these 622's, because they just get worse and worse. They never work 100% correctly, even when brand-new. Sometimes, something will be recording, but there's no red light. Sometimes it is recording a black screen, but if you go to that channel, the show is there. Often, there is no audio, either on the recording or on live tv, but there will be audio on the other. Has a lot of trouble connecting to the phone line for ppv or uploading DishGames scores.
Sometimes, if you fast forward the end of a program, it will automatically restart that program, and you're FFing through the beginning w/o realizing it right away. Sometimes, you simply can't FF or rewind a recording.
We stuck with Dish and these dvrs for many years, but between this dvr's constant problems, and Dish Networks lack of customer service, we are switching to Uverse. Better features, more channels, and a better price.
User Rating:
1.5 stars
out of 119 user reviews
What a piece of junk.
Pros: HD & Stereo ok.
Cons: 200 hours of regular programing. only 29 hours of HD. Doesn't compare with the 522 for reliability.
Review: I'm on my second unit. First one would freeze when going from one recorded show to another. Remote would not work. If it was recording when it froze, it would continue recording until it was reset. Second unit when I hit the back button on a recorded show it froze. Remote would not work, then it shut itself down. When it came back on it was with a (015) screen searching for satellite and was stuck on 1 of 5. Called service, reset by unplugging then had to wait through the searching for satellite sequence and then reloading the program guide. So I missed another program I wanted to watch.
User Rating:
0.5 stars
out of 119 user reviews
VIP622 and VIP722 have significant HW issues
Pros: * Second TV feed
Cons: * Consistent, repetitive hardware failures
Review: DO NOT use this product.
I've just finished talking with Dish Network customer service, and they are sending my 4th replacement receiver (3 VIP622 and 1 VIP722) within the last 6 months. This most recent receiver (VIP722) only lasted 2 weeks before it had the same issue as all the previous receivers. They all begin to reboot themselves multiple times per day. This happens while watching TV and while recording--which makes the recording unwatchable. I'm lucky in that I don't have a contract commitment with Dish, so I am highly considering switching to DirecTV. However, I do like the second TV option only provided by Dish. Please think long and hard about how many times you're willing to lose all your programs to swap out your receiver.
I've just finished talking with Dish Network customer service, and they are sending my 4th replacement receiver (3 VIP622 and 1 VIP722) within the last 6 months. This most recent receiver (VIP722) only lasted 2 weeks before it had the same issue as all the previous receivers. They all begin to reboot themselves multiple times per day. This happens while watching TV and while recording--which makes the recording unwatchable. I'm lucky in that I don't have a contract commitment with Dish, so I am highly considering switching to DirecTV. However, I do like the second TV option only provided by Dish. Please think long and hard about how many times you're willing to lose all your programs to swap out your receiver.
User Rating:
1.0 stars
out of 119 user reviews
too many tech issues
Pros: HD/ DVR nothing else
Cons: It breaks down after 3 to for 4 weeks, it restarts on its own every 10 minutes, dish won't say there's a problem but just google it and you will see the same problem over and over.
Review: don't buy get a vip 722 skip the 622 it is defective
User Rating:
4.0 stars
out of 119 user reviews
Hooked--could not bear to give up current key features.
Pros: One machine records from instructions from either of two TV's to play from either of two TV's.
Cons: Can only serve HD to one of two independent TV's. Occasional minor defects in recordings, which I assume are satellite connection issues, rather than this machine. Might like more recording space, particularly for HD programs.
Review: We watch only recorded shows, thus DVR is essential. We have had the 622 since acquiring our first HD set about two years ago. Prior to that we had standard def two-TV DVR from Dish, and before that a single set DVR, with second set operating only with real time receiver from Dish. The ability to program the recorder from either TV at opposite ends of the house, knowing we can eventually choose to watch the show from either end of the house, is now essential. It is my non-techie understanding that this feature is not available from competitors. We cannot fathom stepping back to the day of setting a recording from the family room, and a week later settling in the bedroom to watch that recording only to realize it was recorded on the other machine, and is unavailable. So kudos to this system for that. On the other hand, since HD has been the standard format for several years now, I am puzzled that apparently even the updated 722 will not allow one to watch a recording in HD format on either TV. So though I intend to buy a second and bigger HD set, I will apparently have to demote the smaller set to actually only watching standard def. Am I missing something? Direct TV has told me that they cannot even supply me with an HD DVR that will operate two sets, even with one a standard def set. Dish can supply me for more money with two HD DVR's, but they will work independently, a non-starter for us per the above note.
Love the 30 second instant jump forward, variable speed forward or reverse scan, all of which I assume competitors have. Have never used TIVO, so no doubt I am missing something heretofore unessential to me. Am concerned that if I "upgrade" to 722, that I may get a lemon, considering all negative remarks on these reviews. Though it would be nice to have more recording space, especially when more HD programming comes my way (live rurally, where Comcast unavailable), so far we figure if we haven't watched a program by the time the space is gone, we must not really want to watch it. We don't watch movies more than once, so no need to save watched shows. Do, however find that sometimes we record from SD version of program to save space.
Love the 30 second instant jump forward, variable speed forward or reverse scan, all of which I assume competitors have. Have never used TIVO, so no doubt I am missing something heretofore unessential to me. Am concerned that if I "upgrade" to 722, that I may get a lemon, considering all negative remarks on these reviews. Though it would be nice to have more recording space, especially when more HD programming comes my way (live rurally, where Comcast unavailable), so far we figure if we haven't watched a program by the time the space is gone, we must not really want to watch it. We don't watch movies more than once, so no need to save watched shows. Do, however find that sometimes we record from SD version of program to save space.
User Rating:
5.0 stars
out of 119 user reviews
Amazing features
Pros: 1. Name Based Recording
2. Web Timers
3. Dual Tuner (PIP)
4. 1080p24p (for 1080p content only)
5. Easy to use guide/menu
6. Record 2 SAT and 1 ATSC (OTA)
Cons: not really a con..but not being able to record more than 3 shows is a bummer. I heard the 722k has an OTA module that can record 2 instead of only 1 OTA show. I watch many programs on the locals and need more than 4 tuners!!
Review: DISH is coming out with more HD programming so the shows and picture quality are getting better. This receiver keeps getting better year by year when they upgrade the software (done automatically) and add or update the features. Web based timers side by side pip....
User Rating:
2.0 stars
out of 119 user reviews
Reliability issues
Pros: Great features, ample record capacity
Cons: Over heats, not reliable.
Review: I have had three units in two years and my current one now dead. I am not credited with down time for my dish network. I need to pay for shipping the dead unit back to them.
User Rating:
4.5 stars
out of 119 user reviews
GREAT 2 TUNER DVR
Pros: I have had this receiver for over a year and have had no problems. It's just great
Cons: needs more hard drive space. But with optional external hard drive option now available the ski is the limit.
Review: Can't live with out it!
User Rating:
0.5 stars
out of 119 user reviews
Piece of Crap!!!! Do not Buy or Lease
Pros: There is nothing good about this receiver
Cons: DO NOT GET THIS PRODUCT!!!! This is the worst product ever I have had 5 in the past 2 months. Whatever you do, do not get this receiver
Review:
User Rating:
1.5 stars
out of 119 user reviews
Stay Away from this product
Pros: Great unit when it runs
Cons: we are on our 3rd unit, all have failed
This one currently reboots at will.
Review: These units do not last, if you have one, back up your movies to a USB HD
User Rating:
0.5 stars
out of 119 user reviews
Dish TERRIBLE Network RIPS YOU OFF
Pros: Very little
Cons: They have a policy of destroying your personal equipment if sent to them by mistake. They give NO notice by any mans or route before robbing you of the equipment and destroying it. THe apologize for "inconvenience" after a BBB complaint is filed.
Review: Once again Dish TERRIBLE Network has refused to replace or refund me for my equiptment I sent to them in error. Despite my filing a Better Busines Bureau Complaint, they simply off an apoloogy for inconvience. The took my personal property and destroyed it without any notification to me, in any form, by any route. I mistakenly sent my DVD recorder with a harddrive to them. It looked similar to the dish receiver I was returning to them and I just packed the wrong one. They were both out of my media tower, which I was rearranging after switching to DirecTV. They continue and adamantly refuse to cpensate me or replace MY DVD recorder with harddrive. THe show a total disregard for other's personal property, yet would charge me without hesitation for keeping and destroying their property.
User Rating:
0.5 stars
out of 119 user reviews
Considering Class Action lawsuit for product failures.
Pros: No positives to a completely failed product.
Cons: Hard drive failures in 5, count them 5, VIP 622 HD DVR boxes - work for about 60 days then te boot system loops on to itself and the hard drives crash. Customer service is scripted and totally inadequate. DISH ignores the issue.
Review: We are considering a class action lawsuit for false advertising, deceptive trade practices, fraud and contract breaches for this product. The programming and hard drives fail at very high rates resulting in loss of service, out of pocket expense and lost time in reinstalling replacement units. DAISH is well aware of the problem and has been unable and unwilling to remove these from the market. We would like to hear from others with these problems. We have fired them and are going with a competitor. It has been a complete waste of money.
User Rating:
2.5 stars
out of 119 user reviews
Great Picture - Recording Options Stink
Pros: Reciever works great for 2 televisions and has a great HD picture. The remote is easy to use. Recordings are easy to setup and view.
Cons: The systems does not have a way to record one live program while you watch another on the same TV. I can record using TV 2 and watch on TV 1, but I run the chance of having the recording canceled and it won't be HD.
Review: I'm glad I didn't purchase this device. I am not pleased with the recording options available. I don't have an OTA way to get TV signals, so I can only record 2 shows at one time, but then I have to watch something I have previousely recorded. I don't understand why I have to watch the show I want to record. There are times when there are 2 shows on at the same time that we like. We want to record one and watch the other. This can only be accomplished if we record to TV2 but then my kids usually cancel the recording because they want to watch something else. If the cable companies can provide a DVR that allows you to watch one show and record another at the same time. Then it seems like an advanced DVR like this one should also have that technology.
User Rating:
2.0 stars
out of 119 user reviews
Exercise in Frustration
Pros: Image quality is superb with HDMI
Good Remote
Can add extra storage with external USB 2.0 Hard Drive (but it must be 'compatible', whatever that means)
30 second skip/10 second rewind functions are invaluable - I can't watch TV without them
Cons: Freakishly unreliable
Fairly convoluted learning curve when switching from DirecTV/Tivo
Search function is idiotic. I miss TiVo!!
Dish Network's offshore Tech Support drones are mostly helpless
Review: I've been a Dish Network subscriber for about 14 months, and am currently waiting for Dish Network to send me my THIRD Vip622 after my second unit died just yesterday. To be fair, my first unit worked flawlessly for about a year before it bit the dust. Basically, one day, it simply would not power on, and the reason for this failure still remains a mystery. After a lengthy troubleshooting call to Dish Network tech support, they finally ran out of "unplug the receiver and wait 15 seconds" solutions, and decided to ship out a replacement DVR. Five days later, I got a refurbished unit via UPS.
The replacement unit came with instructions on how to set it up, but they were not correct as they instructed me to skip the comprehensive setup test after connecting the receiver to the TV. After following the printed instructions, and not getting any picture, another call to Dish Network was made, and I found out that the comprehensive setup test WAS in fact required. Interestingly, it turned out that I would have had to call Dish no matter what, since they had to activate the receiver from their end anyway. This was not mentioned in the included instructions, either. From start to finish, this process took about 60 minutes longer than it should have, and the whole ordeal left a bad taste in my mouth.
The refurb only lasted two months before suffering a similar fate. Again, I spent some quality time with the Customer Support people at Dish Network, and was ultimately told to "unplug the unit and wait 45 minutes for the receiver to finish its 'recovery cycle'. If that doesn't work, call us back." With this third receiver, I insisted that a technician come out to our house free of charge to install the new receiver and eliminate any possibilities of this happening in the future, which the Dish Network folks agreed to with surprisingly little hassle. As it stands, I have to wait at least 3 days for my new receiver (I insisted on a NEW unit, and not another refurb, which Dish agreed to) , and another 3 days for the technician to come to my house.
I guess it wouldn't be such a big deal if it wasn't for the fact that we lose all our saved recordings and have to re-establish our timers and scheduled recordings with each DVR that dies. As it stands, I have never owned ANY electronic equipment that is as unreliable as this - ever.
As a rule, I'm pretty dissatisfied with this receiver so far, and am very disappointed in Dish Network in general. I'm still very irritated that they canceled their Voom Network programming and replaced it with crap like Tennis Channel HD and HD Fishing. I would switch back to DirecTV in a heartbeat if it wasn't for the fact that their HD DVR got universally poor reviews from CNet users. My only other option is Comcast, and I don't really consider that to be much of an option at all.
The replacement unit came with instructions on how to set it up, but they were not correct as they instructed me to skip the comprehensive setup test after connecting the receiver to the TV. After following the printed instructions, and not getting any picture, another call to Dish Network was made, and I found out that the comprehensive setup test WAS in fact required. Interestingly, it turned out that I would have had to call Dish no matter what, since they had to activate the receiver from their end anyway. This was not mentioned in the included instructions, either. From start to finish, this process took about 60 minutes longer than it should have, and the whole ordeal left a bad taste in my mouth.
The refurb only lasted two months before suffering a similar fate. Again, I spent some quality time with the Customer Support people at Dish Network, and was ultimately told to "unplug the unit and wait 45 minutes for the receiver to finish its 'recovery cycle'. If that doesn't work, call us back." With this third receiver, I insisted that a technician come out to our house free of charge to install the new receiver and eliminate any possibilities of this happening in the future, which the Dish Network folks agreed to with surprisingly little hassle. As it stands, I have to wait at least 3 days for my new receiver (I insisted on a NEW unit, and not another refurb, which Dish agreed to) , and another 3 days for the technician to come to my house.
I guess it wouldn't be such a big deal if it wasn't for the fact that we lose all our saved recordings and have to re-establish our timers and scheduled recordings with each DVR that dies. As it stands, I have never owned ANY electronic equipment that is as unreliable as this - ever.
As a rule, I'm pretty dissatisfied with this receiver so far, and am very disappointed in Dish Network in general. I'm still very irritated that they canceled their Voom Network programming and replaced it with crap like Tennis Channel HD and HD Fishing. I would switch back to DirecTV in a heartbeat if it wasn't for the fact that their HD DVR got universally poor reviews from CNet users. My only other option is Comcast, and I don't really consider that to be much of an option at all.
User Rating:
4.0 stars
out of 119 user reviews
Changed the way I watch TV
Pros: Why spend 57 minutes watching NCIS or Numb3rs when I can do it in 40- something? I can set it to record a week or so in advance for a special program, or all episodes or new episodes. Being able to watch recorded HD movies is incredible.
Cons: Some programming menus a bit hard to discern. Sometimes it shuts down and reboots, and I can't tell what it is doing - kind of annoying!
Review: I can record two different shows at the same time. Or, I can use the DISH picture in picture using this 622 receiver. The menu system is a little tricky to learn - but seems to be occasionally updated. We've had ours for at least two years (maybe more) and will never be without an HD DVR again. It INSTANTLY relegated my DVD recorder to the guest bedroom. Have no experience with Tivo or any other DVR; I am thrilled with this one by DISH.
User Rating:
0.5 stars
out of 119 user reviews
3 units in as many weeks
Pros: Great picture and sound, replacement comes fast, but reman and they want $24.95 for return shipping, wich they have waved for me so far.
Cons: Unit dies and won't reboot, " no video input" on screen,
Review: could be a great product if the bugs are worked out
User Rating:
4.5 stars
out of 119 user reviews
1080p Video on Demand, local channels in HD.
Pros: 1080p VOD! Able to add external storage to this device. easy intuitive controls, simply the perfect controller.
Cons: The only draw back is the ugly Dish you need to get all that beautiful HD content.
Review: Look i resisted getting a dish for the longest time because of that big dumb looking dish and i was quite happy with my local cable company. But when I had to down size my financial empire i was blown away at the price and quality of content you get from dish networks TurboHD over the Basic HD cable package. I don't need to have 150 channels, i only ever watched 5 or 6 consistently, now the ability to order movies and PPV events in 1080p for half the price of cable i can live with the Dish :)
User Rating:
4.0 stars
out of 119 user reviews
Good while it lasted
Pros: all the features work great and its pretty easy to use. I have had it for 11 months and only two problems. only one bad one. Customer service is mostly very good.
Cons: Software problems with the 622 cause the image to shrink when changing channels. For two weeks DISH blamed my TV and my remote and me. DISH admitted a software glitch that affects the 622 but said a replacement 622 would likely do the same.
Review: I am unhappy because they said I would have to keep the 622 and let them continue to try to fix the software problems or pay $75 for them to replace it with a 722 and extend my contract. This is the first big problem they have not resolved but since they know it is their problem I am very disappointed they tried to hit me up for $75 after 10 phone calls totaling approximately 11 hours. I am also unhappy because my neighbor said DIRECT TV customer service was really lousy. ( his opinion ).
User Rating:
4.5 stars
out of 119 user reviews
Fantastic HD DVR
Pros: Easy to use ,Many features, PIP,serves 2 rooms DVR
Cons: a little ugly, has no native setting for HD programming
Review: Best DVR ever. Fast, reliable,and has many options like PIP,autotune,and reminder settings, plus can add exturnal harddrive for more HD recording space. 4 custom favorite settings for each room. Does 2 rooms DVR 1 HD 1 SD. 1 wire solution. Dishnetwork clearly the HD DVR leader.
User Rating:
4.5 stars
out of 119 user reviews
Exceptional - Easy to Setup to Record Series
Pros: Easy to use, stable
Cons: Wish I could stick a NAS 2TB disk drive on it for all the stuff I'd like to store.
Review: We've been on dish for about 10 years now. Our first DVR (low res) is still in use after 5 years. The ViP622 is a rock solid unit that we have had no problems with hooked up to a Sony Bravda 4, Danon Receiver (5+1 channel) using a Harmony Remote. It is super easy to set to record a whole series or a single show. My daughter recorded So You Think You Can Dance and has watched it a million times this summer. Make sure you have good ventilation for if you cook (overheat) the chips, the unit will become unstable (no different than any other PC). Just too small of a disk drive for all the stuff on the Olympics I'd like to record.
User Rating:
4.0 stars
out of 119 user reviews
Does what it says
Pros: Dual HD tuners, SD output and RF remote,
Cons: Output only SD, Interface is a bit annoying sometimes
Review: I've had this product for over a year now with barely any issues at all. I came to Dish from TWC's HDDVR service, and this is a much better experience. I have no exp. with Tivo so I can't compare it to that.
I do run out of HD space alot, but Dish is the only company that allows you to add an external HD, so you essentially have unlimited space and could actually create an HD library of shows. The cost of turning on the front USB port is a one time fee then you have unlimited recording.
The DVR interface is somewhat cumbersome with my biggest complaint being that I can't sort by date with the oldest on top. The DVR deletes the oldest first, so I try to watch them first, but it's really annoying to have to scroll all the way to the bottom when you have 100 shows saved. Also, if you delete the show you're watching from the popup box at the end of the recording, it puts you back at the top of the list, so, here we go a-scrolling again. It does have a Page Down button to speed up the process, but the buttons on the remote aren't easy to get to.
As someone else stated, the unit does get very hot. I do have mine in an enclosure with another shelf right above it and it gets hot enough were you can't hold your hand on it. However, it's never shut down on me because of heat and the unit almost never crashes. The heat probably diminishes the life span of the unit I'm sure as electronics aren't generally designed to withstand this kind of heat.
One thing the review is incorrect about (at least in my area of the country) is the Ethernet not working. I've had mine hooked up to my home network for a while (just plugged it in to my old Xbox wireless box and it found the network and connected by itself even though I have my security settings on, must have recognized it as the Xbox). You can download (stream) SD movies on demand, for a fee of course. I personally haven't tried it as I have a netflix account, so I can't review it. Hopefully CNET can get their's to work and will test it and add it to the review. If they upgrade the content to include HD, I would most definately use it.
Overall I am very happy with this box and it's way better than the one the cable company gave me. Plus, with the SD output, my daughter can watch TV upstairs without us having to purchase a second box and pay a monthly fee for the second box.
I do run out of HD space alot, but Dish is the only company that allows you to add an external HD, so you essentially have unlimited space and could actually create an HD library of shows. The cost of turning on the front USB port is a one time fee then you have unlimited recording.
The DVR interface is somewhat cumbersome with my biggest complaint being that I can't sort by date with the oldest on top. The DVR deletes the oldest first, so I try to watch them first, but it's really annoying to have to scroll all the way to the bottom when you have 100 shows saved. Also, if you delete the show you're watching from the popup box at the end of the recording, it puts you back at the top of the list, so, here we go a-scrolling again. It does have a Page Down button to speed up the process, but the buttons on the remote aren't easy to get to.
As someone else stated, the unit does get very hot. I do have mine in an enclosure with another shelf right above it and it gets hot enough were you can't hold your hand on it. However, it's never shut down on me because of heat and the unit almost never crashes. The heat probably diminishes the life span of the unit I'm sure as electronics aren't generally designed to withstand this kind of heat.
One thing the review is incorrect about (at least in my area of the country) is the Ethernet not working. I've had mine hooked up to my home network for a while (just plugged it in to my old Xbox wireless box and it found the network and connected by itself even though I have my security settings on, must have recognized it as the Xbox). You can download (stream) SD movies on demand, for a fee of course. I personally haven't tried it as I have a netflix account, so I can't review it. Hopefully CNET can get their's to work and will test it and add it to the review. If they upgrade the content to include HD, I would most definately use it.
Overall I am very happy with this box and it's way better than the one the cable company gave me. Plus, with the SD output, my daughter can watch TV upstairs without us having to purchase a second box and pay a monthly fee for the second box.
User Rating:
1.0 stars
out of 119 user reviews
unit will over heat and they will not replace w/out giving you hell
Pros: I just can't think of any upside for it
Cons: $$$.. paid for eqp protection but didn't get any service
Review: Listen to me.. don’t get dish network! Their customer support are so bad you will regret ever getting their service. We paid for their monthly equipment protection, but when the DVR over heated, they won’t send us a new one.
Updated
Listen to me.. save yourself some frustrating times ahead and don’t get dish network! Their customer support are so bad you will regret ever getting their service. We paid for their monthly equipment protection for 2 years and never used it, but when the DVR over heated, they won’t send us a new one.
Oh, and, when you end service, you will need to get on the roof of your house to take down the dish and send it back. If you are not planning on getting on your roof, don’t get Dish network!
Listen to me.. save yourself some frustrating times ahead and don’t get dish network! Their customer support are so bad you will regret ever getting their service. We paid for their monthly equipment protection for 2 years and never used it, but when the DVR over heated, they won’t send us a new one.
Oh, and, when you end service, you will need to get on the roof of your house to take down the dish and send it back. If you are not planning on getting on your roof, don’t get Dish network!
User Rating:
1.5 stars
out of 119 user reviews
Common Problems Not Mentioned in Review
Pros: Agree with a lot of review
Cons: Often no audio on non-hd, no warning on channel switch
Review: If it worked for me like CNET described it would be a 9. I have owned a 622 for about a year. I hate the fact that it changes channels without warning. This is a common problem with sports. If you are watching NBA finals from the buffer and it's programmed to record a Simpsons re-run, it switches WITHOUT WARNING and you loose the buffer. I miss TIVO's software, but have to use satellite in my area. Second: About 60% of the time I turn it on and there is no audio on non-HD channels. look on line and you will find lots of people with this problem. Exchanged units with no change. Can unplug unit to reset and audio might return. Dish has no answer. It's so frustrating because it has the potential to be great. I'd love to take a sledge hammer to it, if there was any other option.
User Rating:
4.5 stars
out of 119 user reviews
Excellent....A great step forward in the marriage of HD and DVR
Pros: Simplicity and ease of use
Cons: Needs larger hard drive
Review: I have been using the VIP622 since September of 2007. This DVR has worked exeptionally well. I enjoy that I was able to easily take my off-air HD local channels and directly run them into the back of the receiver. This is a great feature that allows me to then use the recording capabilities of the DVR for the local channels. Very impresive to friends when watching NFL football games etc.
Another feature that is easy to use and offers a lot of value to the average television and movie addict is the recording features. I can quickly search for shows and movies etc, that I want to watch and then I am able to set timers on those shows and movies. Much simpler to use then the counterparts TIVO DirecTV
Being able to use this one reciever to control two televisions and not interfere with the other person watching is simply the most amazing part of this DVR.
I have had no physical problems with this device and I have not had to reboot it.
Another feature that is easy to use and offers a lot of value to the average television and movie addict is the recording features. I can quickly search for shows and movies etc, that I want to watch and then I am able to set timers on those shows and movies. Much simpler to use then the counterparts TIVO DirecTV
Being able to use this one reciever to control two televisions and not interfere with the other person watching is simply the most amazing part of this DVR.
I have had no physical problems with this device and I have not had to reboot it.
User Rating:
1.5 stars
out of 119 user reviews
Dish *used* to have the Best HD lineup
Pros: Hd content
Cons: Dropped about 20 HD channels recently
Review: Dish recently (as of 5/24/08) dropped it's Voom network. This was roughly about 20 genre specific channels all with 1080i programming. instead Dish has added several channels which simulate HD. But they *killed* these HD channels, opting to save some money I suppose. If you are looking to get dish for HD, I'd recommend considering other alternatives at this point. It's pretty sad that their Kung Fu, Monster/Horror, Style, News channels in HD are now all scrapped and they are no better then any other distributor of HD content.
User Rating:
3.5 stars
out of 119 user reviews
Very Good, But Still Not as Good as TiVo...
Pros: Outside of TiVo's software, this is the next best thing
Cons: Not as good as TiVo
Review: You can't help compare this with TiVo. I was a long-time customer of DirecTV and when TiVo came out for it, I was among first in line... TiVo was amazing and offered a lot of flexibility not found in this box. After DirecTV forced me away from their TiVo box (long, sad story), I switched to Dish Network and got the ViP622. It does have a lot of cool features I didn't have in my old TiVo box - like being able to still see video when in certain menu screens - but it also is too limiting in other regards. For example, with TiVo, I was able to remove channels from a list so that if I recorded something, I could make it not record from a channel. What I mean is... Right now, for example, channel 417 (FSW) is offered in SD and HD modes. I record certain sports there and have the ViP622 set up to record in HD when available, yet it always only records the SD mode. If I change the option to record only HD, then it records nothing at all??? Some kind of bug this is??? In some months - with HD soon becoming mandatory - I'm hoping this will go away, but it is things such as this lack of ultimate flexibility that keeps the ViP622 from being as good as TiVo...
User Rating:
4.5 stars
out of 119 user reviews
Very easy to use, great versatility in recording and saving movies
Pros: Saving to external hard drive,Great color and crystal clear reception
Cons: Unable to hook up external drive to computer after being formatted to receive Dish programs.
Review: I've had the ViP 622 for a little over a year now with no problems and no complaints.
I first hooked up a 500GB external hard drive to save movies from the many channels in HD then discovered I could order pay per view of new releases and save them also in HD. Most movies I've recorded come in at about 6.5GB but with some as high as 11GB I could have never received the qualty of the movie on a DVD even duel-layered disc as I get with the one's I've saved to hard drive.
The only drawback is when you hook the hard drive up to the ViP622 it will format it in a way that a computer will not recognize it in case I wanted to burn a DVD of a show.
I'm very happy with my Dishnetwork ViP 622
I first hooked up a 500GB external hard drive to save movies from the many channels in HD then discovered I could order pay per view of new releases and save them also in HD. Most movies I've recorded come in at about 6.5GB but with some as high as 11GB I could have never received the qualty of the movie on a DVD even duel-layered disc as I get with the one's I've saved to hard drive.
The only drawback is when you hook the hard drive up to the ViP622 it will format it in a way that a computer will not recognize it in case I wanted to burn a DVD of a show.
I'm very happy with my Dishnetwork ViP 622
User Rating:
2.5 stars
out of 119 user reviews
Hard to manage a multi-program household
Pros: Good picture quality
Cons: Poor user control over which TV to record to, plus more...
Review: It's nearly impossible to consistently specify which TV the DVR records to. We have even provided the DishNetwork tech support people with detailed, step-by-step instructions on how to reproduce the problem, but most of them are too dumb to follow or report the problem.
Unfortunately, DirecTV and Comcast are both just as poor choices.
This product is a great reason to take up reading again.
Unfortunately, DirecTV and Comcast are both just as poor choices.
This product is a great reason to take up reading again.
User Rating:
1.0 stars
out of 119 user reviews
Do Not Buy This Product
Pros: Features are user-friendly; easy to navigate; able to record 3 shows at once.
Cons: Completely unreliable
Review: I've been a Dish Network customer for a little under 1 year. In that time, I'm now on my 3rd ViP622 unit. Twice, my unit has suffered a fatal crash for no apparent reason. Each time, I lost over 100 hours of programming. That lack of reliability is just unacceptable. My former DVR, a TIVO unit, never crashed in the 5 years I had one. Do yourself a favor- do not get this unit. When my 18 month contract is up, I'm going back to TIVO.
User Rating:
4.5 stars
out of 119 user reviews
Excellent piece of electronics
Pros: Ease of use and program
Cons: Silver color; would prefer black
Review: Review was right on. I have had no heat issues and have used the DVR for over six months. The ethernet port has been activated by Dish and can be used instead of phone line. I have a router powered by a Sprint aircard cabled in and able to order pay-per-view w/ the remote as well as download 100's of older movies if desired.
User Rating:
5.0 stars
out of 119 user reviews
I like it!
Pros: 3 receivers in 1, has networking; yes it does now!
Cons: hangs sometimes
Review: I agree with most of what is said in the above review except there is a use for the Ethernet port now! Dish recently enabled Dish Online (IP-VOD) where you can connect either by Ethernet or by homeplug and download movies through your broadband connection. Homeplug: the receiver decodes Ethernet signals from the power plug! Cnet, please update your review. http://www.dishnetwork.com/content/whats_on_dish/dish_on_demand/dishonline/index.shtml
User Rating:
4.5 stars
out of 119 user reviews
I love this thing compared to my old receivers
Pros: 200 hours of DVR recording; easy to use; the menus and features are outstanding; HD quality is stunning
Cons: None yet (I've had it 3 months)
Review: I recently upgraded to this receiver from Dish's older dual DVR receiver combo; and previously had DirectTV systems. By far, this is the best system I have used or seen elsewhere. I am not a DISH enthusiate entirely, but I do love this receiver. The HD picture quality is really stunning (I just got a new 1080 HD TV), and it is so easy to use. I honestly enjoy using this machine and I can't say that about many tech devices. While I have had it 3 months, I have not seen any particular issues, other than normal sattelite problems. I love the fact that you can do picture in picture with the dual receivers, and even have a side-by-side with two shows (great for watching two football games), which is great on a HD TV (wide perspective). The menus and recording features are simple and do the job well. The interactive menu for weather (with satellite), news, and other stuff is great, along with watching six screens at once. I can't say enough good things about this device.
User Rating:
4.5 stars
out of 119 user reviews
Awesome DVR... gotten over TiVo
Pros: quick, responsive, good guide data, easy to use interface
Cons: editing timers not the easisest, sometimes easier to delete and recreate a timer
Review: Longtime TiVo user... the first few days were very frustrating... now, especially with updates, love the satellite DVR.
Lots of ads, not truly obscene but kinda of irritating. I mean I'm already paying for subscription, already renting DVR... I really don't need ANY ads.
Still, overall, th best DVR I've ever used in 9 years. One word--Awesome! Good job Dish!
Lots of ads, not truly obscene but kinda of irritating. I mean I'm already paying for subscription, already renting DVR... I really don't need ANY ads.
Still, overall, th best DVR I've ever used in 9 years. One word--Awesome! Good job Dish!
User Rating:
4.5 stars
out of 119 user reviews
Highly Recommended!!
Pros: Many features, good interface, responsive
Cons: Surprisingly: NONE
Review: I've owned a TiVo and a previous generation Dish HD DVR. This device is a pleasure to own and does more than I can believe. Picture quality and versitility is stellar. Sortage and retrieval of programming is smooth. Support for 2 rooms of TV is awesome. Search and auto-record features are plentiful. Surprisingly (for me) I can't think of any legitimate complaints. (ok it runs hot...but they all do...keep it ventalated)
User Rating:
1.0 stars
out of 119 user reviews
Dish Network? Buyer beware.
Pros: The best television picture I have ever seen
Cons: Don't try to get anything fixed.
Review: Learn from my experience. Dish Network provided the best television picture I have ever had. The channel selection is terrific. Their dual TV receiver is a wonderful product. If anything goes wrong, however, don’t plan to ever get it fixed. This is their Achilles’ heel. You will be put through a never-ending gauntlet of irrelevant questions, delay tactics and stumbling blocks. There will be a transparent and desperate attempt to prove that the problem is not theirs. In the event they deign to favor you with a service call, expect to wait a month and expect to pay for it. Apparently, if the dish they installed is not aimed correctly, it is your problem, not theirs. If the receiver goes on the fritz, well, no TV for you. I was a top-of-the-line, premium HD service customer and this is how I was treated.
User Rating:
1.0 stars
out of 119 user reviews
Warning - HDMI video is NOT RELIABLE on this machine
Pros: Easy to program, lots of storage, dual tuners are wonderful
Cons: HDMI video output is not reliable or may not work
Review: I'm now on my fourth VIP622 in the last twelve months. My first one worked great, with HDMI video output, for about six months. Then it went out, and each of the replacements Dish Network has sent me haven't worked out of the box, or have worked for only a very short time before going out. I've read lots of posts on the internet from others with very similar experiences. So if you're planning on installing this HD-DVR on your new HD television, be warned. HDMI may not work. Dish will probably tell you to use either the coax or component video output alternates on the back of the machine. But these don't provide you the same video quality, and it's really not the solution is it? If you buy an HD DVR with HDMI video, you deserve HD video. Dish has told me that the problem is software related, but I've waited six months now for that "software download" that's going to fix everything. It hasn't happened and I doubt it ever will. In the meantime, my $600, 400-disc DVD player is going unused, because I'm now connecting to the VIP622 the component video cables I used to have connected to the DVD player. This is my only complaint about this machine, and it is a big problem which lots of people are experiencing. Don't be stupid like me and buy ths machine without first doing your homework, or you'll be sorry like me.
User Rating:
4.0 stars
out of 119 user reviews
Great except hard drive capacity
Pros: No technical problems with it.
Cons: Insufficient hard drive drive capacity for HD programming
Review: Overall good product -- no major problems except hard drive size, and we use it to death!
User Rating:
4.5 stars
out of 119 user reviews
GREAT PRODUCT
Pros: new computer interface and external drive. Easy applications
Cons: summer storms in Florida interupt transmissions/second TV NOT HD
Review: GREAT PRODUCT-has worked seamlessly for over one year, with constant firmware updates in the middle of the night. Wish the second TV would receive HD, and over the air transmissions. Love the external hard drive option and computer hook-up. Picture is outstanding,as is sound through optical output.
User Rating:
5.0 stars
out of 119 user reviews
Best piece of electronic equipment I ever used.
Pros: A great product
Cons: I have no cons
Review: Very user friendly
User Rating:
2.5 stars
out of 119 user reviews
Great when it works
Pros: Decent HD capacity, MPEG2/4 support, Ethernet
Cons: Unreliable
Review: The summary is as follows. It's great when it works. But I had severe problems with it.
1. First one was DOA.
2. After 10 months, the HDMI port died
3. Dish updated firmware which caused an incompatibility issue between this box and my Panasonic projector. I had to ship my projector to Panasonic for an upgrade.
It's great when it works, but very unreliable.
1. First one was DOA.
2. After 10 months, the HDMI port died
3. Dish updated firmware which caused an incompatibility issue between this box and my Panasonic projector. I had to ship my projector to Panasonic for an upgrade.
It's great when it works, but very unreliable.
User Rating:
0.5 stars
out of 119 user reviews
Very Poor subsciber be aware of system operation BEFORE you sign up
Pros: Excellent picture quality
Cons: very poor equipment
Review: Dont buy this product iof you really expect to have functionality of two tv's...WONT WORK THAT WAY. If you decide to watch a program on tv 1 AND record a program on tv 1 tv 2 will not work! Poor marketing and explination of function when you sign up. Dont do it if you intend to use DVR as designed unless you intend on watching everything on your second tv while tv1 records a program. I must also point out that I have two older tv's that the standard tuner will not show a picture on because the tv's are "not compatible" with the second tuner part of the reciever. As per the Dish network online brochure " Independently watch and record Dish Netwok programing on two TV's" Don't fall for it folks it wont do that PERIOD. I wish there were a lower rating for this product IT DESERVES IT. As much as I hate cable I will go back to cable and eventually buy the Direct TV DVR and pay a litlle more far a system that works as I have seen at my friends homes.
User Rating:
5.0 stars
out of 119 user reviews
Best HD DVR and Free!!
Pros: Menu Guides, Functionality, Reliability, Price (FREE)
Cons: Fan stays on a lot.
Review: Best HD DVR around and I have tried them all. TIVO is ok, but its a rip off $499.95 for the box and $19.95/mo!!! are they kidding?? DirecTV HD DVR is garbage. Locks up all the time. And it costs $199.95 after rebate
User Rating:
2.5 stars
out of 119 user reviews
good dvr poor software
Pros: Piture quality is great
Cons: Software is lacking
Review: We had a Directv SD Tivo. We wanted a high definition DVR and Directv had few HD channels and a poorly rated HD DRV. The Dish Networks DVR works well. The positives are: The RF remote is awesome, why do we have to live with IR? The fast forward so supper fast. Picture quality is very good. Deleting multiple programs at once is a plus. Choosing what channel you want to send out each of the tuner on. The Negatives are: They charge you for two tuners. The charge you if you don’t have it hooked to a phone line, it calls mid day and does not detect if your on the line. The software is poor compared to a Tivo. I think Tivo must have patents on a lot of the features that they offer, otherwise Dish Network needs to hire me to help them fix it. The software is everything on a DVR. To find shows to watch is difficult on Dish Networks DVR. On a Tivo you simply start typing the name of what your looking for and it will give you a list of shows starting with the letters you typed in. It will show you all the shows and what channel that they are on. Type in star it will show you Star Trek Enterprise on UDN(HD), Star Trek Enterprise on SciFi(SD), Star Trek Voyager, Star Wars Episode I, Star Wars Return of the Jedi, etc. You could pick a season pass to just to Star Trek Enterprise UDN and it would only record Star Trek Enterprise on UDN in HD, or list it higher in the season pass and it would record the HD first then the show on SciFi. Secondly if you find a show that you want to record but is at a time when there is two shows that are more important or you don’t want it to record during prime time. the Tivo will show a list of show times to pick from, I usually pick times in the middle of the night or when I’m at work. You can’t do that either on a Dish Network DVR. I switch from Dish Network to Comcast and bought a Tivo HD box. Dish Network is requiring me to return the HD DVR I paid $300.00 for, the SD DVR they gave me and the LNB’s off the dishes. They also had a guy call me to try convince me to stay with them. He was really aggressive and argumentive, finally I had to hang up on him. If you never used a Tivo you will be happy. If you have used a Tivo you will never be satisfied with this receiver. I have a suggestion to Dish Network and Directv, stop being greedy and give us Tivo’s with our service, then we will choose you on your programming, not your DVR.
User Rating:
1.0 stars
out of 119 user reviews
I hate Dish TV!
Pros: there are absolutely no pros to Dish TV
Cons: absolutely everything about Dish TV is inferior
Review: I want my TIVO back! I had DirecTV with Tivo and switched to Dish when I went HD. What a mistake. I'm now watching much less TV because Dish doesn't have an alphabetical listing of upcoming shows. I used to search through this on TIVO and come across all kinds of interesting shows to record. Now, if I don't see something in today's newspaper TV listings, I don't have any idea if anything good is coming up. Dish doesn't have a trailing 60 minutes on both inputs so usually the channel I want to watch is on the input that can't be backed up. Dish TV has to be shut off when you're not using it; DirecTV never had to be shut off. I saw a full page ad in my newspaper today that said CNET raved about Dish TV. I couldn't believe it. I hate Dish TV. I talked 3 people out of getting Dish TV in the last month alone. They conned me into an 18 month contract or I'd have dropped them already. I'm counting down the days until I can be free of Dish TV. It's so bad that, everyday, I think I should just break the contract and dump Dish TV.
User Rating:
2.0 stars
out of 119 user reviews
No off air programming = no timer recording!
Pros: No other major issues but limited use by me to date.
Cons: The off- air recording problem is a big concern for me. Much of the use I would have for this receiver is recording network programs.
Review: The ViP 622 is not set up for timer recording of off-air programming. Using my antenna for local channels, I do not receive an on screen program guide and therefore, am not able to record the network/local channels.
After inquiries with Dish tech support and cooperate people,I have not made any progress. This situation is common for all 622's I have been told. My previous HD receiver (811?) (not sure of the model #) had the capability.
If I want to record the local channels I would have to buy the local channel package.
Two years ago, before we had the antenna, we subscribed to the local channel package and the picture quality was terrible. Our antenna gives us excellent picture quality. I wonder if this is legal. Anyone have experience with this problem?
After inquiries with Dish tech support and cooperate people,I have not made any progress. This situation is common for all 622's I have been told. My previous HD receiver (811?) (not sure of the model #) had the capability.
If I want to record the local channels I would have to buy the local channel package.
Two years ago, before we had the antenna, we subscribed to the local channel package and the picture quality was terrible. Our antenna gives us excellent picture quality. I wonder if this is legal. Anyone have experience with this problem?
User Rating:
4.5 stars
out of 119 user reviews
New ViP722 exactly as advertised; black case
Pros: Excellent quality picture; sufficient HD channel choices!
Cons: Setup a bit more difficult than described.
Review: We have been Echostar (Dish Network's parent company) satellite TV service customers since 1988. The company tries to provide, and generally succeeds in providing, adequate, competitive service. Based on our own experience when we had two home and on the experience of friends and family, Dish Network's service is on a par with, if not better than, cable service and DirectTV. Keep in mind for any of them: "sometimes the magic works and sometimes it doesn't."
With that said, we did not leap into Dish HD even though we've had a 42 inch HD plasma tv since 2003. The reason was simple, we live in the Redwoods and most of the initial Dish HD signals were on satellites we cannot "see." (The satellite companies are clear - lacking an unobstructed "southern sky" view can be a problem for service, a problem not found in cable service.) We still cannot get some of the HD service we theoretically are paying for because of this. But almost every HD feed we'd like to see we now can. (We also waited a few months for the release of the ViP722 because it is black as are the other components in our home theater system.)
Since we were adding to our Dish Network Standard Definition service (keeping our existing two receiver/recorders active) , we knew what we were getting into. If you are new to satellite TV browse the links at http://www.dbstalk.com/ and particularly the Dish Network info at http://ekb.dbstalk.com/
Things went pretty much as expected. We called the Dish Network number and explained we wanted to add an HD 722 receiver/recorder to our existing two feeds - four feeds total. The woman took the order without needing alot of explanation and but she gave an incorrect price which she couldn't get straight, but...oh well.... Three days later two installers wearing shirts with the Dish logo arrived in a old, but well maintained, unmarked pickup. One spoke only Spanish, but the other who was the lead was fluently bilingual. (My Spanish is comparable to George Bush's so I speak English but listen carefully.) The lead installer discussed his flawed work order with me, called his supervisor to get permission to do what we had ordered. Installation went well. But, you need to know that we had the cables to our theater system hooked up with the end plugs for the ViP722 waiting on the shelf for the installer to plug in. He will likely not have with him more than RCA's for composite video and two channel sound and an S-video cable. We have HD component connections and an optical surround sound connector to our theater system, plus an S-video and RCA stereo to our additional room distribution box. He activated the system which resulted in most signals being activated before he left, but some (local channels for instance) took another three hours. (We knew this would happen from previous experiences with changing our programming.)
Even though we had prevous service with older (508) recorders, the menu's for the 722 are complex and require some deciphering, the adequate operating manual notwithstanding. For us, the Dish Tech Portal at http://tech.dishnetwork.com/departmental_content/TechPortal/content/tech/receiver/722.shtml is very helpful. Nonetheless, after about two weeks of setting it up like we want it, the HD picture and 5.1 sound is as good as our DVD player provides (no we don't have brand new HD or BluRay) and certainly as good as we are ever going to be able to appreciate.
For us, several consideration were involved. Even though we did not have cable service available when we first moved here, we now have Comcast which is our high speed internet service provider. We had Comcast in our other home and two of our adult kids have Comcast. We have no problem with Comcast but it would be more expensive and they are just now upgrading to be able to offer HD. We could have gotten a huge new customer discount from DirectTV, but DirectTV's packages are not what we want (we aren't big sports enthusiasts). Additionally, no other service has provided the state-of-the-art recording technology as reliablly as Dish. Some people prefer TiVo, but that appears to be a personal preference. We do have rare weather related signal losses. But our cable system goes down more frequently and in a power outage it simply goes down, while our battery backup lasts long enough for us to start up our generator. In a two or three day power outage which does occur every four or five years, this is a big plus.
With that said, we did not leap into Dish HD even though we've had a 42 inch HD plasma tv since 2003. The reason was simple, we live in the Redwoods and most of the initial Dish HD signals were on satellites we cannot "see." (The satellite companies are clear - lacking an unobstructed "southern sky" view can be a problem for service, a problem not found in cable service.) We still cannot get some of the HD service we theoretically are paying for because of this. But almost every HD feed we'd like to see we now can. (We also waited a few months for the release of the ViP722 because it is black as are the other components in our home theater system.)
Since we were adding to our Dish Network Standard Definition service (keeping our existing two receiver/recorders active) , we knew what we were getting into. If you are new to satellite TV browse the links at http://www.dbstalk.com/ and particularly the Dish Network info at http://ekb.dbstalk.com/
Things went pretty much as expected. We called the Dish Network number and explained we wanted to add an HD 722 receiver/recorder to our existing two feeds - four feeds total. The woman took the order without needing alot of explanation and but she gave an incorrect price which she couldn't get straight, but...oh well.... Three days later two installers wearing shirts with the Dish logo arrived in a old, but well maintained, unmarked pickup. One spoke only Spanish, but the other who was the lead was fluently bilingual. (My Spanish is comparable to George Bush's so I speak English but listen carefully.) The lead installer discussed his flawed work order with me, called his supervisor to get permission to do what we had ordered. Installation went well. But, you need to know that we had the cables to our theater system hooked up with the end plugs for the ViP722 waiting on the shelf for the installer to plug in. He will likely not have with him more than RCA's for composite video and two channel sound and an S-video cable. We have HD component connections and an optical surround sound connector to our theater system, plus an S-video and RCA stereo to our additional room distribution box. He activated the system which resulted in most signals being activated before he left, but some (local channels for instance) took another three hours. (We knew this would happen from previous experiences with changing our programming.)
Even though we had prevous service with older (508) recorders, the menu's for the 722 are complex and require some deciphering, the adequate operating manual notwithstanding. For us, the Dish Tech Portal at http://tech.dishnetwork.com/departmental_content/TechPortal/content/tech/receiver/722.shtml is very helpful. Nonetheless, after about two weeks of setting it up like we want it, the HD picture and 5.1 sound is as good as our DVD player provides (no we don't have brand new HD or BluRay) and certainly as good as we are ever going to be able to appreciate.
For us, several consideration were involved. Even though we did not have cable service available when we first moved here, we now have Comcast which is our high speed internet service provider. We had Comcast in our other home and two of our adult kids have Comcast. We have no problem with Comcast but it would be more expensive and they are just now upgrading to be able to offer HD. We could have gotten a huge new customer discount from DirectTV, but DirectTV's packages are not what we want (we aren't big sports enthusiasts). Additionally, no other service has provided the state-of-the-art recording technology as reliablly as Dish. Some people prefer TiVo, but that appears to be a personal preference. We do have rare weather related signal losses. But our cable system goes down more frequently and in a power outage it simply goes down, while our battery backup lasts long enough for us to start up our generator. In a two or three day power outage which does occur every four or five years, this is a big plus.
Updated
After two weeks we think this is a great product, but.... It started intermittently dropping pixels and two times it started doing a "jumping freeze frame" with the audio continuing as normal. The latter could be handled by stopping playback and then resuming. But we sent Dish Tech Support an email and they are sending me a replacement 722. If and when we get it (o we of little faith), we will follow up with a report.
After two weeks we think this is a great product, but.... It started intermittently dropping pixels and two times it started doing a "jumping freeze frame" with the audio continuing as normal. The latter could be handled by stopping playback and then resuming. But we sent Dish Tech Support an email and they are sending me a replacement 722. If and when we get it (o we of little faith), we will follow up with a report.
User Rating:
2.5 stars
out of 119 user reviews
July 1, cable operators will be required to give UP!
Pros: Good but why pay for it more?
Cons: FCC has changed everthing for DVR!
Review: Starting July 1, cable operators will be required to provide set-top boxes that don't include integrated security features that link the box to that operator.
The FCC believes that by separating the set-top box from the cable operator, a marketplace would be created in the sales of the boxes, which could lead to driving down the prices consumers pay for cable television.
Several major consumer electronics manufacturers have argued that if set-top boxes weren't directly linked to the provision of cable service, they could enter the set-top market. Consumers could get a cable card from their service provider that they could insert into a set-top box purchased at a consumer electronics store. The cards would ensure that consumers could only access channels that they paid for.
Comcast had appealed to the FCC, saying that cable cards are soon to be made redundant by technology that would allow the security features of the card to be downloaded directly.
The industry's lobby group, the National Cable & Telecommunication Association, has estimated that the FCC rule will cost consumers an extra $600 million a year, based on an estimate of $2 to $3 per card.
The FCC rejected this argument, but did leave Comcast the right to appeal.
In a statement late Wednesday, Comcast said it was "very disappointed" and called the FCC's decision "regrettable."
"The rejection of this waiver means millions of American consumers won't have the opportunity to enter the age of digital television easily and affordably," the company said. "This amounts to an FCC tax of hundreds of millions of dollars on consumers with no countervailing benefits."
Comcast said it will immediately seek a full FCC review.
The FCC did conditionally approve a waiver request from a smaller cable operator, Bend Cable Communications, which said it planned to make the full transition to a digital signal by 2008.
This transition is seen by the FCC as a higher priority than the creation of a market for set-top boxes.
The FCC also said it would delay enforcement action against other smaller cable operators that have placed orders for new-style boxes with manufacturers, but have been told they won't be ready by July 1.
Earlier Wednesday, speaking at a question-and-answer session at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Martin said that he was not likely to grant the waivers of the largest players in the cable industry who have asked for them simply because they think a better technology is around the corner.
The deadline has already been extended twice; companies were initially supposed to have been compliant by July 1, 2005.
The dispute over set-top boxes is the latest in a rapidly deteriorating relationship between Martin and the cable industry.
In December, Martin pushed through reform of the cable TV franchising process, which makes it easier for telephone companies to provide video services and compete with cable operators.
And Martin has repeatedly said that the cable industry is the only industry the FCC regulates in which rates have consistently increased while all others have dropped off in the last decade.
-Contact: 201-938-5400
The FCC believes that by separating the set-top box from the cable operator, a marketplace would be created in the sales of the boxes, which could lead to driving down the prices consumers pay for cable television.
Several major consumer electronics manufacturers have argued that if set-top boxes weren't directly linked to the provision of cable service, they could enter the set-top market. Consumers could get a cable card from their service provider that they could insert into a set-top box purchased at a consumer electronics store. The cards would ensure that consumers could only access channels that they paid for.
Comcast had appealed to the FCC, saying that cable cards are soon to be made redundant by technology that would allow the security features of the card to be downloaded directly.
The industry's lobby group, the National Cable & Telecommunication Association, has estimated that the FCC rule will cost consumers an extra $600 million a year, based on an estimate of $2 to $3 per card.
The FCC rejected this argument, but did leave Comcast the right to appeal.
In a statement late Wednesday, Comcast said it was "very disappointed" and called the FCC's decision "regrettable."
"The rejection of this waiver means millions of American consumers won't have the opportunity to enter the age of digital television easily and affordably," the company said. "This amounts to an FCC tax of hundreds of millions of dollars on consumers with no countervailing benefits."
Comcast said it will immediately seek a full FCC review.
The FCC did conditionally approve a waiver request from a smaller cable operator, Bend Cable Communications, which said it planned to make the full transition to a digital signal by 2008.
This transition is seen by the FCC as a higher priority than the creation of a market for set-top boxes.
The FCC also said it would delay enforcement action against other smaller cable operators that have placed orders for new-style boxes with manufacturers, but have been told they won't be ready by July 1.
Earlier Wednesday, speaking at a question-and-answer session at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Martin said that he was not likely to grant the waivers of the largest players in the cable industry who have asked for them simply because they think a better technology is around the corner.
The deadline has already been extended twice; companies were initially supposed to have been compliant by July 1, 2005.
The dispute over set-top boxes is the latest in a rapidly deteriorating relationship between Martin and the cable industry.
In December, Martin pushed through reform of the cable TV franchising process, which makes it easier for telephone companies to provide video services and compete with cable operators.
And Martin has repeatedly said that the cable industry is the only industry the FCC regulates in which rates have consistently increased while all others have dropped off in the last decade.
-Contact: 201-938-5400
User Rating:
5.0 stars
out of 119 user reviews
THIS IS A GREAT PRODUCT
Pros: USER FRIENDLY, GOOD AS TIVO
Cons: NONE SO FAR
Review: THIS IS A GREAT PRODUCT. I HAVE USED DIRECTV'S TIVO FOR YEARS NOW AND I WOULD SAY THAT THIS IS AS GOOD. BUT KEEP IN MIND DIRECTV DOES NOT USE TIVO ANY MORE. SO I CAN NOT COMPARE THIS TO DIRECTV'S OWN DVR. AS FAR AS COMPARING TO TIVO I WOULD GIVE THEM EQUAL SCORES. I TRIED DISHNETWORK ABOUT 3 YEARS AGO AND HATED THIER EQUIP. NO DUAL TUNER. NOW WITH THIS NEW BABY WITH THE 320GB HARD DRIVE, I DO NOT REGRET THE CHANGE. MOST WILL SAY I DON'T LIKE THE GUIDE BLAH,BLAH,BLAH, BLAH. I AM COMPLETEY SATISFIED WITH MY NEW 622 RECIEVER AND WILL NOT LOOK BACK. I DO NOT HAVE ANY PROB WITH DIRECTV BUT THIS IS DEFINITELY A GREAT MOVE AS FAR AS I AM CONCERNED. DIRECTV HAS FINALLY MET ITS MATCH. I CAN'T BELIEVE I AM ACTUALLY SAYING THAT. BUT IT IS TRUE. GREAT PRODUCT DISH. DIRECTV GET OFF YOUR HIGH HORSE AND TRY TO FOCUS ON THE MOST IMPORTANT THING, YOUR CUSTOMERS. READ REVIEWS ON THE NEW DIRECTV HD DVR'S AND SEE FOR YOURSELF. DISH HANDS DOWN!!!!!!!!!!
User Rating:
4.5 stars
out of 119 user reviews
Outstanding picture quality!
Pros: I have never owned a PVR and have yet to open the manual!
Cons: Foreign Customer Service
Review: Great product!
DN’s customer service is in foreign countries. I am not racist however, I am VERY hesitant to pass credit card info to someone in a foreign country not falling under US business laws. Plus I don’t want to patronize companies for this Anti-US behavior. But the other cable and big satellite providers engage in the same practices so it all comes down to whom offers the best bang for my buck. DN bar none wins for me with the ViP 622!
DN’s customer service is in foreign countries. I am not racist however, I am VERY hesitant to pass credit card info to someone in a foreign country not falling under US business laws. Plus I don’t want to patronize companies for this Anti-US behavior. But the other cable and big satellite providers engage in the same practices so it all comes down to whom offers the best bang for my buck. DN bar none wins for me with the ViP 622!
User Rating:
1.0 stars
out of 119 user reviews
Why did I listen to CNET's rating?
Pros: None that I can find so far.
Cons: Everything.
Review: I changed from a DirecTV Hughes DVR2 with TiVo to the Dish Network's HD-DVR ViP622. I swtiched to Dish because DirecTV refused to give a very long time customer any perks for upgrading their system to HD. They begged me to stay with cash off when I was cancelling their service. Too late. I know that if I had upgraded with DirecTV that their units no longer have TiVo so I'm sure I'd be just as dissatisfied. This unit is so freaking un-user friendly. It takes 4x as many steps to do what my old DVR did. It's so over the top and complicated--why? It's so frustrating just to set up your regular shows to record. And, I found out with the 200 channel package I've lost A LOT of channels so now I have to upgrade for $10/mo to the 250. There's pixelization blips which I never had before with my old DVR. Sure, I've only had the thing since Saturday so I've got some re-learning to do but why do I have to press select when I turn the TV on to get past the Dish logo? Totally annoying. If anyone has any helpful hints they are most welcome!! Oh, and why does CNET only show the oldest reviews? Shouldn't you show the most recent first? Ugh.
Updated
I was very frustrated at first but now it's getting better...but I stick to my original opinion that it takes far too many steps to complete a task. I was talking to a family member (they have DirecTV HD) and they said the same thing about DirecTV's HD-DVR. We both used to love the TiVo interface and I would have bought the new lower priced HD TiVo for $299 but it doesn't support satellite. I would upgrade my original rating to 6 but unfortunately you can't edit.
I was very frustrated at first but now it's getting better...but I stick to my original opinion that it takes far too many steps to complete a task. I was talking to a family member (they have DirecTV HD) and they said the same thing about DirecTV's HD-DVR. We both used to love the TiVo interface and I would have bought the new lower priced HD TiVo for $299 but it doesn't support satellite. I would upgrade my original rating to 6 but unfortunately you can't edit.
Updated
Further to my previous posts... Ugh. You know...the Dish system just sucks to skip programs and delete/edit from your Dishpass. I say, if this is the BEST machine on the market...the rest must suck big time. It takes 9000 more steps to do any editing of what you want to record. I miss my TiVo interface!!!! As soon as they make a HD-DVR that supports satellite I will buy it. I am not happy with Dish at all. I recorded programs and in the middle of a recorded program I got a message saying some portions didn't record due to lost signal...never happened EVER with DirecTV! Not once in 7 years. Shocking. I feel like I got duped for several hundred $$ with Dish plus too many hours with technicians. I live in an urban area BTW not out in the mountains somewhere. I say stick with DirecTV and skip Dish.
Further to my previous posts... Ugh. You know...the Dish system just sucks to skip programs and delete/edit from your Dishpass. I say, if this is the BEST machine on the market...the rest must suck big time. It takes 9000 more steps to do any editing of what you want to record. I miss my TiVo interface!!!! As soon as they make a HD-DVR that supports satellite I will buy it. I am not happy with Dish at all. I recorded programs and in the middle of a recorded program I got a message saying some portions didn't record due to lost signal...never happened EVER with DirecTV! Not once in 7 years. Shocking. I feel like I got duped for several hundred $$ with Dish plus too many hours with technicians. I live in an urban area BTW not out in the mountains somewhere. I say stick with DirecTV and skip Dish.
User Rating:
2.0 stars
out of 119 user reviews
Big disappointment after TiVO
Pros: Lots of capacity
Cons: Wooden and fixed, like an old VHS recorder
Review: It's a shame that neither Directv nor Dish Network will break down and pay TiVO what ever it is that they want.
Had an old TiVO (Phillips) with Directv but it was incapable of HD. But it was wonderful.
Went with Dish Network and have this DVR. It's awkward to program, and horrible to find a program to record. And, if a network should time shift a program, the ViP622 goes ahead and records the replacement program, completely loosing that which had been moved to another time slot.
Occasionally it will lock-up and just quit for no apparent reason. Then, one waits forever while it reboots and re-finds the satellites, even though neither they nor the ViP622 have moved. If one is watching a sport contest or the news or something that is not going to be repeated, the 5 to 10 minute wait while it finds the satellites it lost is quite aggravating.
If you liked recording VHS tapes, you'll love this unit. But if you ever had TiVo, you'll be as frustrated with the limitations of the ViP622 as have I.
Had an old TiVO (Phillips) with Directv but it was incapable of HD. But it was wonderful.
Went with Dish Network and have this DVR. It's awkward to program, and horrible to find a program to record. And, if a network should time shift a program, the ViP622 goes ahead and records the replacement program, completely loosing that which had been moved to another time slot.
Occasionally it will lock-up and just quit for no apparent reason. Then, one waits forever while it reboots and re-finds the satellites, even though neither they nor the ViP622 have moved. If one is watching a sport contest or the news or something that is not going to be repeated, the 5 to 10 minute wait while it finds the satellites it lost is quite aggravating.
If you liked recording VHS tapes, you'll love this unit. But if you ever had TiVo, you'll be as frustrated with the limitations of the ViP622 as have I.
User Rating:
4.5 stars
out of 119 user reviews
Excellent DVR
Pros: High capacity, clear menus, excellent remote
Cons: Some bad weather signal losses, you pay for repairs
Review: My DVR gets very heavy use - I'm extremely happy with the product. The HD picture quality is excellent. I found the menus very easy to navigate. The program info is very complete and rarely incorrect. Setting up timers and checking possible conflicts is a snap. The 'skip commercials' button works great! Maybe I got a later bios update, but I have had NO malfunctions or problems in 11 months. My only concern is that if the dish gets hit with lightning or has other problems, I will pay for the repairs. Unlike the cable company, they don't replace them for free. But, check your contract to be sure. The other problem was with reception - this is not a problem with the DVR per se, but buyers should check with neighbors for bad weather outage possibilities.
User Rating:
4.5 stars
out of 119 user reviews
Fricken Awesom
Pros: Beautiful Picure, Easy to use, More DVR'd stuff than I know what to do with.
Cons: Wish there were a way to get stuff off of box via the "for future use" ethernet and/or the PocketDish only's USB port.
Review: It's easier to use than the Comcast Digital Cable and OnDemand box that I upgraded from. The multiroom feature is out of this world. When no one is in the other room I toggle the box to "single mode" to use the spiffy PIP function. I've never Tivo'd or DVR'd until I got dish so I can't speak on its ease of use comparatively, I just know that I picked up on it the day the installer gave us a brief run-through. I've had it for about two months now and I love it and have absolutely no real complaints about how it works, just features that I wish I had.
User Rating:
1.5 stars
out of 119 user reviews
If you're looking for problems-this is the right DVR
Pros: Great for Recording
Cons: HDMI Interface & TV #2 Software Problems
Review: This has been a headache for me. First I purchased the product under the assumption that it was HDMI Ready based on thier Ads, then after a while I lost my HDMI signal just like the other reviewers have commented- I was told it was a software problem on their part and that they are working on it, 6 Months later I'm still waiting on them to fix. NOW I purchased a new TV for room #2 and I was getting a very snowy picture. After talking to the Dish Netork Tech Department I was told that They have a software problem with thier equipment(again) and right now thier is nothing they can do about it. I asked to be released from the contract without penalities since I was sold on a clear picture and since they could not provide this, that I was going to be searching for a new provider. THey again insisted that they could not release me from the contract without penalaties. I am currently searching for an attorney to bring a Class action lawsuit against Dish Network for not delivering what is advertised and paid for. I have been aggrevated, lost of income waing for resolve and Tech's to come to my house, installtion payments and now the role of hiring an attorney. After reading the reviews I think I have a pretty good support group.
User Rating:
4.5 stars
out of 119 user reviews
Great Product, Great Picture, Great Sound
Pros: Sound Quality and Picture Quality is amazing!
Cons: There aren't more companies like Dish
Review: This is a superb product. I have had it for about three weeks, and I absolutely love it. I have the HDMI cable hooked up to my TV from the ViP622 and I have excellent picture and sound. I went with this product because DirecTV is just extremely too high in price, and Dish has much better programming. Dish also has more channels. DirecTV also doesn't have a reciever that has DVR for two TV's and HD for one.
User Rating:
2.0 stars
out of 119 user reviews
Closed Captioning Has Problems
Pros: A great unit, most of the time
Cons: Still has bugs that need to be addressed.
Review: The Dish DVR 622 works great as long as closed captioning is not needed. However, as a deaf individual, I DO need captioning. The system requires freqent hard resets because the captions disappear. A reset solves the problem, but is annoying because a reset takes several minutes. Meanwhile, whatever you were watching keeps on going.... get the drift? Another problem is that when you have the second TV option enabled, software glitches cause the system to malfunction (captioning problems). The remedy is to make sure that both remotes be used to turn the DVR 622 off, or to stand-by. If one is left on, there is often a captioning issue requiring a hard reset when you turn one TV back on.
Captioning issues also include Dish's HD offerings. Although Dish's channel guide lists programs as having captioning, when you try to watch the program, there is no captioning. Of the HD locals (Houston TX), only two have working via satellite captioning; however, using the over-the-air antenna, those locals that do not have HD captioning through satellite DO have HD captioning over-the-air.
Captioning issues also include Dish's HD offerings. Although Dish's channel guide lists programs as having captioning, when you try to watch the program, there is no captioning. Of the HD locals (Houston TX), only two have working via satellite captioning; however, using the over-the-air antenna, those locals that do not have HD captioning through satellite DO have HD captioning over-the-air.
User Rating:
3.0 stars
out of 119 user reviews
Many limitations
Pros: Watch recorded shows on 2 TVs
Cons: Limit on number of timers, records all new episodes - even the ones you recorded earlier in the day
Review: while this DVR offers the benefit of being able to watch recorded shows in another room too, it is WAY LESS friendly than DirecTV's TIVO in many respects. With Dish's DVR, you cannot search for a specific actor and/or have those shows "autorecord" anytime that actor is found in the cast. When you set up a "timer", you can request ALL EPISODES, NEW EPISODES, ONCE, WEEKLY, etc. If you choose ALL EPISODES, that is what you will get ALL EPISODES, with possibly MANY duplicates for shows that are in syndication. If you request NEW episodes, you get all of the current season's episodes ...again with duplication of shows possibly being broadcast several times during the week. TIVO elimitates any show that you have already recorded in the last 21 days unless you specifically tell it to record duplicates.
There seems to be a fairly low limit on "timers". When I had TIVO, I would sit down once or twice a month and scan for movies and shows that I might like to watch and schedule them all at once - NO LIMIT. With DISH DVR, I have to do this at least once a week and this is during summer when I do not have my TIMERS dedicated to my favorite weekly shows.
I am looking forward to my commitment ending with DishNetwork so I can get back to REAL convenience with DirecTV's TIVO!
There seems to be a fairly low limit on "timers". When I had TIVO, I would sit down once or twice a month and scan for movies and shows that I might like to watch and schedule them all at once - NO LIMIT. With DISH DVR, I have to do this at least once a week and this is during summer when I do not have my TIMERS dedicated to my favorite weekly shows.
I am looking forward to my commitment ending with DishNetwork so I can get back to REAL convenience with DirecTV's TIVO!
User Rating:
3.0 stars
out of 119 user reviews
Good HD Satellite receiver but has some bugs
Pros: easy setup, great onscreen programming guide
Cons: cannot support multiple inputs if one is from a cable provider
Review: I am quite pleased with this satellite HD receiver. It can control two sets independently. The 2nd set is only SDTV, not HD but it is good quality and it comes with a UHF remote so you can control it anywhere in the house. The primary HD output can be component, or HDMI. They both put out a great 1080i signal and also gives you the ability to take 480i signals and "stretch/zoom" them to fill a 16:9 widesecreen receiver. I generally don't like to do that because it distorts the picture in order to "stretch" it out, so I leave it set to native 4:3 with black sidebars for normal definition transmission. BTW, there is such a big difference between a good HD signal and standard def that a standard definition (480i) signal looks pale in comparison. Luckilly, more and more stations are converting to digital signals, so that in the next couple of years they will all be digital, and most of them (hopefully) will also be HD (720p or 1080 i/p).
The menus and channel guide on this 4th generation DishNetwork receiver is great. I've seen channel guides from other companies including my local cable provider (Comcast), and I think that DishNetwork's is one of the best.
Now for my gripe with this receiver: I have both cable *and* satellite (DishNetwork premium HD package). My local cable provider has my local channels, as well as some pretty good digital HD channels to compliment my DishNetwork subscription. Now, what I'm aggravated about is the fact that I CANNOT have the cable plugged into the DishNetwork Vip622 receiver. It has an input for it mind you, it even has a setup menu screen to choose either external digital antenna (ala: ATSC) OR cable, and if you choose cable it gives you the option of selecting one of three different cable versions (standard, IRC ? and can't remember the third type...). Anyway, the menus on the VIP622 DO have instructions for connecting either an external antennae OR a cable (straight cable or from a cable box). The menus EVEN have a setting to SCAN the channels. Unfortunately, IT DOESNT WORK!! There is NO way to scan from a cable provider making this receiver TOTALLY useless if you happen to want to use another provider besides DishNetwork. Since I am in a rural remote area that has NO analog OR digital over the air capability, I cannot confirm or deny that the receiver even will work with an outside antenna (analog or digital). Someone else will have to test this function, but I CAN tell you that it DONT work with a standard cable provider. It simply cannot scan the cable channels. I have called DishNetwork's tech support about this issue. They acknowledge that this is a design flaw in this unit. They had intended it to be able to hookup cable into the Vip622 and have the capability of switching inputs from either DishNetwork programming, over the air analog/digital programming or from a cable provider. Somehow, this function didnt work and although they still have the physical hookups on the back, and the software menu items (not to mention instructions in their owners manual), it wont accomodate cable inputs. They told me... "Sorry...you'll have to figure out another way to get both cable and satellite at your home". Basically, I was able to do this by hooking up the cable to my Samsung HDTV, which has multiple inputs and select the 'source' from the Samsung. I would have preferred to have everything hooked into the Vip622 and selected my desired source from it, but its not to be, at least not till they fix this problem. I suspect it's a programming glitch in the receivers firmware, but who knows. Anyway, this is my main gripe with this receiver and is why I give it ONLY a 6. My previous DishNetwork receiver was able to accomodate both satellite source AND cable source and I assumed that this newer piece of equipment could do the same. I was wrong!
The menus and channel guide on this 4th generation DishNetwork receiver is great. I've seen channel guides from other companies including my local cable provider (Comcast), and I think that DishNetwork's is one of the best.
Now for my gripe with this receiver: I have both cable *and* satellite (DishNetwork premium HD package). My local cable provider has my local channels, as well as some pretty good digital HD channels to compliment my DishNetwork subscription. Now, what I'm aggravated about is the fact that I CANNOT have the cable plugged into the DishNetwork Vip622 receiver. It has an input for it mind you, it even has a setup menu screen to choose either external digital antenna (ala: ATSC) OR cable, and if you choose cable it gives you the option of selecting one of three different cable versions (standard, IRC ? and can't remember the third type...). Anyway, the menus on the VIP622 DO have instructions for connecting either an external antennae OR a cable (straight cable or from a cable box). The menus EVEN have a setting to SCAN the channels. Unfortunately, IT DOESNT WORK!! There is NO way to scan from a cable provider making this receiver TOTALLY useless if you happen to want to use another provider besides DishNetwork. Since I am in a rural remote area that has NO analog OR digital over the air capability, I cannot confirm or deny that the receiver even will work with an outside antenna (analog or digital). Someone else will have to test this function, but I CAN tell you that it DONT work with a standard cable provider. It simply cannot scan the cable channels. I have called DishNetwork's tech support about this issue. They acknowledge that this is a design flaw in this unit. They had intended it to be able to hookup cable into the Vip622 and have the capability of switching inputs from either DishNetwork programming, over the air analog/digital programming or from a cable provider. Somehow, this function didnt work and although they still have the physical hookups on the back, and the software menu items (not to mention instructions in their owners manual), it wont accomodate cable inputs. They told me... "Sorry...you'll have to figure out another way to get both cable and satellite at your home". Basically, I was able to do this by hooking up the cable to my Samsung HDTV, which has multiple inputs and select the 'source' from the Samsung. I would have preferred to have everything hooked into the Vip622 and selected my desired source from it, but its not to be, at least not till they fix this problem. I suspect it's a programming glitch in the receivers firmware, but who knows. Anyway, this is my main gripe with this receiver and is why I give it ONLY a 6. My previous DishNetwork receiver was able to accomodate both satellite source AND cable source and I assumed that this newer piece of equipment could do the same. I was wrong!
User Rating:
0.5 stars
out of 119 user reviews
ZERO RATING
Pros: Many, which are covered by rave reviews.
Cons: DISH NETWORK
Review: DEAR CNET'S DAVID KATZMAIER AND PUBLIC:
I wish I could write up my opinion on this product being that I am a DISH Network customer in good standing and have been for 2 1/2yrs according to the company but I can't. Not for lack of words or expression but because I've just been told that I can't have one.
Imagine my dismay. Plain and simply it's because I've been a customer for 2 1/2yrs. I can't lease the marvelous piece of technology from them. I can't buy the item from the either I was told.
I must backtrack a bit at this point because I must also add that upon upgrading to the VIP211, unbeknownst to me, due to technical reasons and the tech dept. stating that the original HD box was old anyway they reset my acct. to begin anew so that now I have only been a customer for the last 18 months! What the???!!! Has this happened to anyone else and doesn't it smell funny?
Back to the DVR upgrade I'm not allowed to have by DISH Network. I ask then, has this happened to anyone else?
Please let me know if you've been caged in this way by DISH Network! Sincerely, pc4me.
I wish I could write up my opinion on this product being that I am a DISH Network customer in good standing and have been for 2 1/2yrs according to the company but I can't. Not for lack of words or expression but because I've just been told that I can't have one.
Imagine my dismay. Plain and simply it's because I've been a customer for 2 1/2yrs. I can't lease the marvelous piece of technology from them. I can't buy the item from the either I was told.
I must backtrack a bit at this point because I must also add that upon upgrading to the VIP211, unbeknownst to me, due to technical reasons and the tech dept. stating that the original HD box was old anyway they reset my acct. to begin anew so that now I have only been a customer for the last 18 months! What the???!!! Has this happened to anyone else and doesn't it smell funny?
Back to the DVR upgrade I'm not allowed to have by DISH Network. I ask then, has this happened to anyone else?
Please let me know if you've been caged in this way by DISH Network! Sincerely, pc4me.
User Rating:
1.5 stars
out of 119 user reviews
Software has many problems.
Pros: Lots of record time.
Cons: Software problems. Causes the picture to "freeze" and has to reboot to start up again. Software is unable to decode closed captions on some channels.
Review: I notice that this review took place more than a year ago but I just got mine at the end of February and it is still not ready for prime time! Software is full of problems. Does not seem to be a priority for DISH. Freezing of picture is maddening and it takes at least two or three minutes to reboot. Additionally, for the hearing impaired, the closed captions are a problem. The HDMI out does not support Dolby and if it is connected to a home theatre system, another connection for Dolby (like optical audio) is necessary.
Updated
I have had the 622 in use for more than a year and almost all of the early problems have been long since resolved with firmware updates. However, I continue to have one, persistent, annoying problem. This sounds like voodoo so please bear with me. When viewing our local NBC affiliate, WYFF-HD, there are no closed captions on network dramas like Law and Order and ER, between the hours of 8pm and 11pm, that is, during primetime! This problem is non-existent with all other networks. Their dramatic or comedy shows are fine. The closed captions are just fine. If we switch to the analog version of WYFF, the closed captions are present. It is only the HD version (whether viewed from the satellite or OTA antenna)which lacks them. I know this sounds silly but once one gets used to HD, it's hard to switch back and I really can't watch many of these NBC programs without the captions, due to my hearing loss.
I have had the 622 in use for more than a year and almost all of the early problems have been long since resolved with firmware updates. However, I continue to have one, persistent, annoying problem. This sounds like voodoo so please bear with me. When viewing our local NBC affiliate, WYFF-HD, there are no closed captions on network dramas like Law and Order and ER, between the hours of 8pm and 11pm, that is, during primetime! This problem is non-existent with all other networks. Their dramatic or comedy shows are fine. The closed captions are just fine. If we switch to the analog version of WYFF, the closed captions are present. It is only the HD version (whether viewed from the satellite or OTA antenna)which lacks them. I know this sounds silly but once one gets used to HD, it's hard to switch back and I really can't watch many of these NBC programs without the captions, due to my hearing loss.
User Rating:
1.5 stars
out of 119 user reviews
Editor Reviewer must have Echostar stock or be married to Charlie's sister
Pros: Versatile machine if it worked
Cons: cannot be trusted
Review: I upgraded from a 942 to a 622. I have found the 622 to be buggy, suffering frequent audio and video drops and video stuttering. If you copy to DVD you are likely to end up with an unwatchable program due to above mentioned issues. I have gone through three of these machines in 6 months, the last one arriving DOA.
The hardware is of poor quality and I also think there are flaws in MPEG4 transmission. And don't even think about a Dish1000 for HD reception on the west coast, it will not pick up the 129 bird well, you will need a dedicated 24" dish.
The hardware is of poor quality and I also think there are flaws in MPEG4 transmission. And don't even think about a Dish1000 for HD reception on the west coast, it will not pick up the 129 bird well, you will need a dedicated 24" dish.
User Rating:
1.0 stars
out of 119 user reviews
Nice picture if you can get by with skipping, and bad sound
Pros: clear when it does not freeze
Cons: skipping, "stuttering", annoying sounds
Review: I cant believe this is supposed to be the best DVR out there. I am on my 2nd DVR in 4 months and have to get this new one serviced.
I have recorded HD shows that have only background sounds, no voices. Skipping is a big problem too. The most consistant problam is stuttering, this annoying blurr of sound when someone is talking. I cant understand what is said when this happens. This occurs so frequent that I am ready to cancel service and send this unit back for good.
My Dishnetwork reception is very strong so that is not the problem.
I have recorded HD shows that have only background sounds, no voices. Skipping is a big problem too. The most consistant problam is stuttering, this annoying blurr of sound when someone is talking. I cant understand what is said when this happens. This occurs so frequent that I am ready to cancel service and send this unit back for good.
My Dishnetwork reception is very strong so that is not the problem.
User Rating:
4.5 stars
out of 119 user reviews
Great Buy - Just as good as Dish 942
Pros: Gets local HD channels, very reliable, no connection problems
Cons: I wish it had HD output so I could record with HD DVD recorders
Review: I owned the Dish HD DVR 942 for over a year and never had any problems with it other than the occasional crash every month or two. I have had this same problem with TiVos and every other DVR that I have owned.
622 installed easily with no connection problems, a picture is excellent and I have nothing to complain about. I was a little bit nervous about buying it from reading the reviews here, but it was basically a free from dish with the rebates that they gave you. There is $100 rebate when you send back in your old 942, and another $10 a month off your bill for year, which basically negates the $200 price you pay.
the only slight negative is that there is occasional picture pixelization. What I mean by this is that occasionally the HD picture will break up into pixels for maybe one to two seconds before will return to normal. This might happen once every 10 hours of viewing time. You still get the sound while this is happening, so it's not really an issue at all to me. I guess if you're going to record the HD content on HD DVR, then this contest could conceivably be a problem for you.
Dish network let me keep the old 942 for as long as I wanted so if I had a problems with the 622 I could just keep the 942 and return 622. But I've not had any problems with the 622 and the local picture is excellent.
The only other binary issue is that I wish the hard drive was bigger, or if you remember the TiVo hack you could do, where you can install additional hard drive on your own and get double the recording time. So you have to be a little bit careful on what high definition shows you record because otherwise you'll quickly surpass the limit of the 30 hours of high-definition recording time.
Incidentally this review was recorded using Dragon NaturallySpeaking version 9, with no word corrections, other than the words that I spoke wrong to begin with, so that I was basically correcting myself, but the software didn't miss recognize any words. It was recorded using a Toshiba laptop with a 1.7 Pentium M. processor and 1 GB of memory.
For anyone who is not typed at 50 words a minute or more easily and effortlessly, Dragon NaturallySpeaking 9 is must-have software.
622 installed easily with no connection problems, a picture is excellent and I have nothing to complain about. I was a little bit nervous about buying it from reading the reviews here, but it was basically a free from dish with the rebates that they gave you. There is $100 rebate when you send back in your old 942, and another $10 a month off your bill for year, which basically negates the $200 price you pay.
the only slight negative is that there is occasional picture pixelization. What I mean by this is that occasionally the HD picture will break up into pixels for maybe one to two seconds before will return to normal. This might happen once every 10 hours of viewing time. You still get the sound while this is happening, so it's not really an issue at all to me. I guess if you're going to record the HD content on HD DVR, then this contest could conceivably be a problem for you.
Dish network let me keep the old 942 for as long as I wanted so if I had a problems with the 622 I could just keep the 942 and return 622. But I've not had any problems with the 622 and the local picture is excellent.
The only other binary issue is that I wish the hard drive was bigger, or if you remember the TiVo hack you could do, where you can install additional hard drive on your own and get double the recording time. So you have to be a little bit careful on what high definition shows you record because otherwise you'll quickly surpass the limit of the 30 hours of high-definition recording time.
Incidentally this review was recorded using Dragon NaturallySpeaking version 9, with no word corrections, other than the words that I spoke wrong to begin with, so that I was basically correcting myself, but the software didn't miss recognize any words. It was recorded using a Toshiba laptop with a 1.7 Pentium M. processor and 1 GB of memory.
For anyone who is not typed at 50 words a minute or more easily and effortlessly, Dragon NaturallySpeaking 9 is must-have software.
User Rating:
4.5 stars
out of 119 user reviews
Best Receiver on the market!
Pros: Dual Tuner, Allowing multiple TV's to be on different channels or 2 recordings at once. UHF remote.
Cons: User interface could use some work. Only comes with 1 UHF remote.
Review: I read some of the other negative reviews, I've had a great experience with this receiver and I would recommend it to anyone looking for the top of the line performance. I switched to Dish Network after the cable company jacked my price up. I had the Motorola 6412 with cable. The VIP622 blows the 6412 out of the water. There's no comparison to the hd quality, responsiveness of the box. HDMI connection worked fine. The VOOM network hd channels are great! One thing I would suggest is that your home needs to be wired correctly for this type of receiver if you want it to be the only receiver in your home. You need a back feed to your home cable box so that you can control a second tv with the box.
User Rating:
3.0 stars
out of 119 user reviews
Best of DVR's, Worst of DVR's
Pros: multiple tuners, visual quality
Cons: video and audio dropouts, missed recordings
Review: After years and years of happy Tivo ownership, I had no choice but to move on when I upgraded to an HD system. The series 3 Tivo was WAY too expensive and would have required a switch to Time Warner cable (which I didn't want
to do). Directv's DVR looked like a bad piece of hardware with a bad UI. CNet's review of the ViP622 swayed me and I signed up with Dish Network and got two 622's.
After a couple of weeks of remote-hurling frustration over the ridiculous UI (talk about NOT user friendly!), I'm getting used to the system's quirks. But still, compared to Tivo, it's like going from a Rolls-Royce to a Yugo. It gets you where you want to go, but there isn't much to recommend the Yugo, if you have the choice.
Having two recordable satellite tuners PLUS an OTA tuner, and still being able to watch a fourth program while recording three others is FANTASTIC. Love that feature.
Picture quality is terrific. Picture in picture capability is great (I don't use the capability of sending an HD signal to one set and an SD signal to another, since I have two HD sets.) Having the current channel running in a window while you're in menus is great.
But... but... but...
Like many ViP622 users, I experience a lot of video dropout--couple of times a day. I experience audio dropout once in a while. Reception on some HD channels was hit and miss for a while--sometimes I'd get a channel, sometimes I wouldn't, and it seemed random when I'd get reception and for how long. Had to get the installers back out to reset the dish to increase the signal power on satellite 129, fwiw.
Most annoyingly, The box sometimes records a show, it appears in my list of recorded programs, but the box won't let me replay the show--I just get error message 04. Customer service was quick to tell me this was a known problem and immediately shipped out a new box to replace the bad one. But this just shouldn't happen...
Oh, my second ViP622, in another room, but pulling signals off the same dish has had NO problems at all. Perfect functioning from day one (knock on wood).
The box itself is fine. The UI is learanable and ultimately functional but feels as if no one involved in its creation ever used it (I mean, a virtual keyboard with no wraparound function? having to go about four menus deep to cancel and/or delete a program? come on...) The technical problems are unforgiveable.
I'd give a lot for a Tivo box hooked up to a Directv dish. Or even a Tivo box that supported ALL of Time Warner Cable's functionality. Sadly, such things don't exist so the ViP622 probably is the "best of the rest." But that doesn't make it good...
Call it a 7 for functionality (vs a 9 for Tivo) and a 4 for reliability. Quality of picture and sound (and Dish Network's HD offerings) bump the average up a bit, so call it a 6. Grudgingly.
to do). Directv's DVR looked like a bad piece of hardware with a bad UI. CNet's review of the ViP622 swayed me and I signed up with Dish Network and got two 622's.
After a couple of weeks of remote-hurling frustration over the ridiculous UI (talk about NOT user friendly!), I'm getting used to the system's quirks. But still, compared to Tivo, it's like going from a Rolls-Royce to a Yugo. It gets you where you want to go, but there isn't much to recommend the Yugo, if you have the choice.
Having two recordable satellite tuners PLUS an OTA tuner, and still being able to watch a fourth program while recording three others is FANTASTIC. Love that feature.
Picture quality is terrific. Picture in picture capability is great (I don't use the capability of sending an HD signal to one set and an SD signal to another, since I have two HD sets.) Having the current channel running in a window while you're in menus is great.
But... but... but...
Like many ViP622 users, I experience a lot of video dropout--couple of times a day. I experience audio dropout once in a while. Reception on some HD channels was hit and miss for a while--sometimes I'd get a channel, sometimes I wouldn't, and it seemed random when I'd get reception and for how long. Had to get the installers back out to reset the dish to increase the signal power on satellite 129, fwiw.
Most annoyingly, The box sometimes records a show, it appears in my list of recorded programs, but the box won't let me replay the show--I just get error message 04. Customer service was quick to tell me this was a known problem and immediately shipped out a new box to replace the bad one. But this just shouldn't happen...
Oh, my second ViP622, in another room, but pulling signals off the same dish has had NO problems at all. Perfect functioning from day one (knock on wood).
The box itself is fine. The UI is learanable and ultimately functional but feels as if no one involved in its creation ever used it (I mean, a virtual keyboard with no wraparound function? having to go about four menus deep to cancel and/or delete a program? come on...) The technical problems are unforgiveable.
I'd give a lot for a Tivo box hooked up to a Directv dish. Or even a Tivo box that supported ALL of Time Warner Cable's functionality. Sadly, such things don't exist so the ViP622 probably is the "best of the rest." But that doesn't make it good...
Call it a 7 for functionality (vs a 9 for Tivo) and a 4 for reliability. Quality of picture and sound (and Dish Network's HD offerings) bump the average up a bit, so call it a 6. Grudgingly.
User Rating:
0.5 stars
out of 119 user reviews
hdmi issue
Pros: great when it works
Cons: hdmi doesn't work
Review: Well I've had none of the problems of overheating,etc.BUT the issue is the hdmi which worked for 6 months then quit.The dish customer support suck.They know of the problem which as far as I can tell has been going on for a year.They keep claiming that a software update is coming. WHEN? They make every effort not to replace the unit saying that is only a software issue and will occur again with another unit.What I want to know is the truth.I been with Dish for almost 10 years and the customer service seems to vary from excellent to right now is downright horrible.The whole purpose of this unit was to watch HD in all of its 1080i glory.But I guess that isn't going to happen.Maybe they should refund the cost of the unit that I paid for.What do u think??
User Rating:
5.0 stars
out of 119 user reviews
My Best DVR Yet
Pros: Connectivity, HDMI, Component video, status lights, RF & IR remote sensitivty, Multi-Tasking,
Cons: Not a super huge hard disk
Review: This Is an awesome DVR. My 42 HD channels through Dish network are picture perfect on my Sony SXRD 60 inch television. I have friends that have Comcast HD DVR's and are disgustingly disturbed at the difference between the two.
Many different connections.
Remotes behave well. Multiple recordings while watching a channel at the same time. USB port in the front. Super fast reaction time on actions.
Many different connections.
Remotes behave well. Multiple recordings while watching a channel at the same time. USB port in the front. Super fast reaction time on actions.
User Rating:
1.5 stars
out of 119 user reviews
Avoid this Unit
Pros: Good Picture
Cons: Audio Issues
Review: The 622 is plagued with audio issues in its recorder: Audio drops out, breaks up and/or is out of sync. Dish acknowledges the issue, but months later have no fix. "Its a known software problem and our engineers are working on it".
User Rating:
4.5 stars
out of 119 user reviews
Awesome Upgrade
Pros: Has all the bells and whistles...good connector selection
Cons: Too many bells and whistles
Review: I have been a dish customer since 1998 with the same receiver. Purchased new HDTV and upgrade to this unit with HD programming. I am amazed. This unit brings in my local HD and dish programming superbly. Never had any problem with this unit at all. I run HDMI to my TV and optical sound out to my A/V unit for a great theater experience.
User Rating:
4.0 stars
out of 119 user reviews
Best dish receiver yet
Pros: PIP, easy navigation, several screen formats
Cons: cannot use coaxial and HDMI
Review: This is the best receiver Dish has offered and i have had 5 different ones. They have finally fixed some of their previous flaws. from the 721 and 921. While i have had some bad pixilization issues this is most likely b/c of a bad satellite signal. I do wish i could run coaxial and HDMI at the same time so I use my TV's PIP. Dish also had a great HD package with a lot of channels that are not available with other providers.
User Rating:
5.0 stars
out of 119 user reviews
As close to flawles as you can get
Pros: Phenomenal HD picture, wide variety of channels, ease of use, great Dish Network customer service
Cons: Brief loss of audio and pixellation for a few seconds every now and then, TV2 isn't in HD
Review: This is the best HD-DVR you could possibly hope for. Dish Network is the absolute best TV provider, cable, satellite or otherwise, in the USA. The installation upgrade from my old Dish Network equipment was seamless and professionally done, the receiver works without any issues. You do get the occasional brief loss of audio and pixellation in the picture, but it only lasts for a second or so, and that's only because there are a few trees around my home. I wish the second TV that can be hooked up to the receiver was also in HD, but oh well. People who complain about Dish Network, I've found, tend to have either committed user error, or they just didn't bother to read the terms of service (which means they didn't send in their redemption forms). Their customer service and tech support is top notch. They're really correct when they say it's better TV! I'd never use anything else.
User Rating:
1.5 stars
out of 119 user reviews
Poor product with poor service
Pros: Good recording features
Cons: Not HDMI compatible; Terrible sound and overheats
Review: I've been with Dish for several years but am now ready to leave them far behind. You cannot place this unit in a cabinet, it overheats. I had problems with audio/video syn immediately after getting this unit. First I was told to re-boot the unit. After re-booting constantly with no success I contact service and was told that the unit, despite having a HDMI connection, isn't really compatible with HDMI I should switch to component cables which should fix my problem. It didn't. I still have recurring audio/video syn problems. I still have distorted/garbled audio problems. I just have BIG problems with this unit and Dish want do anything to fix the problem. Maybe DirtTV will be better either way I'm gone. Surely nothing could be worse!? Unless you want headaches don't get this DVR.
User Rating:
5.0 stars
out of 119 user reviews
VIP622 Great; Own 2 since 9/2006; no problems; easy install
Pros: Price; picture quality, ease of channel selection; great HDTV Locat Channel Reception
Cons: None that I have run into
Review: Great reciever. I have historically been a providers nightmare as I have tended to churn. Got DirecTV at its inception. Have flipped to Dish and cable a few times. Unless you are passionate about NFL football, DISH is clearly superior by a lot. This receiver is much better than previous dish receivers I have had including an original HDTV 9000.
User Rating:
3.0 stars
out of 119 user reviews
Great system for one TV
Pros: Great picture, speedy menu
Cons: Lack of 'true' DVR capabilities
Review: I've been a DirecTv customer for a long, long time... I wanted to upgrade to HD and basically it was going to cost me $300 for the unit and they couldn't install it for 2months... So there ya have it... I'm with Dish now, and here's my take...
While many think having one box control two TV's is revolutionary; to me... it's simply a way for them to cut expenses on hardware. Prior to the 622, I could watch a live show, and record 2 other shows at the same time... Not anymore! You can record ONE show and watch a live show... OR... you can record 2 live shows and watch one pre-recorded...
What reviewers, Dish or anyone fails to tell everyone is this... When you are recording one live show, and watching another at the same time... The second TV HAS to be viewing whatever is being recording. After the installer was going over the system with me, and told me this... I was floored. How stupid! It basically makes the second TV useless...
If I'm recording one show, watching another, the second TV must show what is being recorded? Stupid. Try changing the channel, and you'll get a nice warning screen... Bah!
I've also had multiple problems with the 2nd TV just not working or picking up the signal (it's only about 15 feet away)...
I'm also not fond of the menu system and DVR system. Tivo was MUCH easier to set up events... For example... If you wanted to record a whole season of a show, it literally took like 2 button presses... Now, you have to jump through menus.. filter out events, etc...
My last complaint about the unit is that it loses settings or something... I've had the unit for a week, and had to call Dish twice to have them reconfigure the signals...
On the positive... the HD quality is brilliant... Amazing even! I love the HD picture... The menu is VERY nice, and much easier to navigate than my last DVR... I especially like by simply hitting the 'menu' button, you can switch between: All Subscribed channels, All channels or all HD channels... VERY useful!
Now don't get too excited about Dish's claim of 'more HD channels than anyone'... Sure, they have more than DTV... but.. give me a break! They play the same show, over and over and over again on most of the HD channels... The cartoon channel has 3 shows, for example...
Again, the HD is really amazing and well worth the cost of programming (I didn't have to pay anything for the unit)... HOWEVER... SD is horrible... I've heard mixed reactions, but for me it is just horrible compression. Sadly, I can't get local HD channels from Dish just yet; so I'm forced to use 'regular' local channels. The picture quality looks like someone too a video and compressed it to make it web-viewable... Pitiful.
To me, the bottom line is this... If you want great HD content AND can get local HD in your area; it's a must have... But, if you are spoiled by Tivo and live in an non local HD area; I would wait...
I like my unit and the service is fair... I still find it totally unacceptable to have DVR where one TV is forced to watch what is being recorded...
While many think having one box control two TV's is revolutionary; to me... it's simply a way for them to cut expenses on hardware. Prior to the 622, I could watch a live show, and record 2 other shows at the same time... Not anymore! You can record ONE show and watch a live show... OR... you can record 2 live shows and watch one pre-recorded...
What reviewers, Dish or anyone fails to tell everyone is this... When you are recording one live show, and watching another at the same time... The second TV HAS to be viewing whatever is being recording. After the installer was going over the system with me, and told me this... I was floored. How stupid! It basically makes the second TV useless...
If I'm recording one show, watching another, the second TV must show what is being recorded? Stupid. Try changing the channel, and you'll get a nice warning screen... Bah!
I've also had multiple problems with the 2nd TV just not working or picking up the signal (it's only about 15 feet away)...
I'm also not fond of the menu system and DVR system. Tivo was MUCH easier to set up events... For example... If you wanted to record a whole season of a show, it literally took like 2 button presses... Now, you have to jump through menus.. filter out events, etc...
My last complaint about the unit is that it loses settings or something... I've had the unit for a week, and had to call Dish twice to have them reconfigure the signals...
On the positive... the HD quality is brilliant... Amazing even! I love the HD picture... The menu is VERY nice, and much easier to navigate than my last DVR... I especially like by simply hitting the 'menu' button, you can switch between: All Subscribed channels, All channels or all HD channels... VERY useful!
Now don't get too excited about Dish's claim of 'more HD channels than anyone'... Sure, they have more than DTV... but.. give me a break! They play the same show, over and over and over again on most of the HD channels... The cartoon channel has 3 shows, for example...
Again, the HD is really amazing and well worth the cost of programming (I didn't have to pay anything for the unit)... HOWEVER... SD is horrible... I've heard mixed reactions, but for me it is just horrible compression. Sadly, I can't get local HD channels from Dish just yet; so I'm forced to use 'regular' local channels. The picture quality looks like someone too a video and compressed it to make it web-viewable... Pitiful.
To me, the bottom line is this... If you want great HD content AND can get local HD in your area; it's a must have... But, if you are spoiled by Tivo and live in an non local HD area; I would wait...
I like my unit and the service is fair... I still find it totally unacceptable to have DVR where one TV is forced to watch what is being recorded...
User Rating:
4.5 stars
out of 119 user reviews
The best out today
Pros: easy to use and program
Cons: Has hdmi issues
Review: The fact that it has PIP and that you can record 2 shows at the same time while watchng another is worth the price. You can also switch from one PIP to another and rewind on both. HD looks good but the HDMI out from the receiver is very delicate. I am currently on my 2nd receiver because the hdmi just decided to quit. Dish claims it it a software issue but they haven't fixed it yet. Other owners say it is a bad solder
I'm on my 2nd VIP 622 and all is well so far. Dish says if it goes out again they will not send me another one. That's not going to happen. They WILL send me another one. I still give it a user rating of 9
I'm on my 2nd VIP 622 and all is well so far. Dish says if it goes out again they will not send me another one. That's not going to happen. They WILL send me another one. I still give it a user rating of 9
User Rating:
3.0 stars
out of 119 user reviews
Overall good unit, easy to operate, but no obvious improvement over previous DISH HD DVR
Pros: Ease of operation
Cons: HDMI connection non-functional; 25 hour capacity for HD recording; too frequent technical problems
Review: I acquired this unit from DISH in April of 2006 in order to view Orlando network channels and several additional channels in HD. The unit was hooked up with no problems by the DISH installer with one notable exception: The HDMI hookup to my Phillips LCD TV did not function! I had this same problem with the DISH's previous HD DVR. They continue to tell me they're still working on resolving the problem.
The HD picture using the component cables looks very good. The unit is easy to operate, but offers little improvement over the previous model. Most notably, the HD recording capacity is still only 25 hours, which can be used up fairly quickly.
Here I should also note that, almost 10 months after receiving this unit DISH still has not upgraded its Orlando network stations to HD, in spite of their representations that all top 25 markets (Orlando is #19) would be upgraded to HD by May of 2006.
A continual frustration I experience when using this unit is the frequency of notices telling me to run the Point Disk diagnostic. I'm unable to use the unit until I run this diagnostic (everything's always fine) or turn the unit off and on a few times.
Another scary notice I've received several times states that the hard drive is corrupted and that I must completely erase it before it may be used again. Fortunately, so far at least clicking OK on this message has not resulted in the loss of hard drive content or any other actual issue.
The HD picture using the component cables looks very good. The unit is easy to operate, but offers little improvement over the previous model. Most notably, the HD recording capacity is still only 25 hours, which can be used up fairly quickly.
Here I should also note that, almost 10 months after receiving this unit DISH still has not upgraded its Orlando network stations to HD, in spite of their representations that all top 25 markets (Orlando is #19) would be upgraded to HD by May of 2006.
A continual frustration I experience when using this unit is the frequency of notices telling me to run the Point Disk diagnostic. I'm unable to use the unit until I run this diagnostic (everything's always fine) or turn the unit off and on a few times.
Another scary notice I've received several times states that the hard drive is corrupted and that I must completely erase it before it may be used again. Fortunately, so far at least clicking OK on this message has not resulted in the loss of hard drive content or any other actual issue.
User Rating:
4.5 stars
out of 119 user reviews
Very happy with Dish HD DVR
Pros: Great picture, User friendly
Cons: Not a Tivo but very nice
Review: We've had Tivo for a few years and loved it but when they finally came out with a HD Tivo they made it only for cable customers. We switched to the Dish HD DVR and are very pleased. In some ways Tivo was better (like the 'deleted items' folder and ease of setting up Season Passes) but are finding our way around the Dish box with little trouble and the picture quality is great. It has it's little quirks but so did Tivo (Tivo sometimes froze up and had to be unplugged and started again, and periodic problems with audio distortion, etc). Nothing is perfect in this world! We're happy.
User Rating:
4.5 stars
out of 119 user reviews
DISH and the ViP622 Rock
Pros: Great picture and audio, supports two TVs and user friendly
Cons: Doesn't account for human delay when trying to stop fast-forwarding
Review: Hello DISH – goodbye cable. DISH rocks and the VIP622 and VIP211 receivers are great as well. I really liked my cable company, but for several years of trying to get them to add at least one German channel for my wife, I finally gave up and switched to DISH. I wanted to switch to DirecTV because I was an engineer at Hughes Space and Communications when DirecTV was being developed, plus I own a fair amount of DTV stock, but they had no where near the foreign language channels that DISH had and no German. I was worried about getting the VIP622 and VIP211 because of all the negative comments on this forum and after reading somewhere that people in California had lousy reception on the VOOM HD channels because of the bad “look” angle to an eastern satellite.
After digesting all the negative comments and noting that the CNET reviewer had a high rating for the VIP622, I decided to roll the dice and go for it. Because of the problems people were having, I decided to take the package that commits you to 18 months, but gives you a one month trial period. After a few weeks, I have no intention of ever switching away from DISH. I signed up for the HD Platinum package along with the Southern California local channels (which includes Prime Sports) and the German channels. Now I have 31 HD channels (including the NFL Network in HD) and even a free French channel (not HD).
Because of all the channels I wanted, the installer put up a DISH1000 antenna, which is a single dish that has four feed horns to support the four satellites I needed. The VIP622 supports two TVs – a 50 inch plasma HDTV and an LCD standard definition (SD) TV downstairs in my wife’s office. The VIP622 is connected to the wall mounted plasma TV via a 25 foot HDMI that goes through walls by way of the attic (don’t buy HDMI cables at stores – they are much cheaper on the Internet). The HD picture is 1080i and awesome. The SD TV gets its signal through existing coax from the cable company, so I didn’t have to add any coax through virtually impossible cable runs (the RF signal goes to the VIP622 and back out for the second TV on the same coax line). The quality of the SD is as good as SD can get. The remote for the second TV uses UHF RF instead of IR, so it works throughout the house- allowing me to place the second TV anywhere in the house.
The VIP211 is in my home office. While I was waiting for Santa to bring my LCD HDTV, I used it with a CRT SD TV. The picture quality was very good – at least as good as the cable signal. Now that the HDTV has arrived, the HDTV picture (1080i) via the 10 foot HDMI cable is awesome.
The VIP622 has great sound output. It feeds my Bose Lifestyle 48 surround sound system and I guarantee that the theater experience has not been degraded with the VIP622.
The VIP622 and VIP211 both run cool. I don’t know why some reviewers complained about thermal runaway, but both of my units are slightly warm to the touch – no where near as warm as the DVR I was using with my cable system. Perhaps their units were enclosed in cabinets with no possible way for heat to escape. My units are in cabinets, but not sealed in with doors.
One last comment about the overall system – our digital cable system here in Laguna Beach had occasional drop-outs on some channels. So far, through two rain storms, there has not been the slightest degradation in the perfect signal quality on any channel at any time.
I cannot comment on DISH customer service. I have not had a reason to call them.
After digesting all the negative comments and noting that the CNET reviewer had a high rating for the VIP622, I decided to roll the dice and go for it. Because of the problems people were having, I decided to take the package that commits you to 18 months, but gives you a one month trial period. After a few weeks, I have no intention of ever switching away from DISH. I signed up for the HD Platinum package along with the Southern California local channels (which includes Prime Sports) and the German channels. Now I have 31 HD channels (including the NFL Network in HD) and even a free French channel (not HD).
Because of all the channels I wanted, the installer put up a DISH1000 antenna, which is a single dish that has four feed horns to support the four satellites I needed. The VIP622 supports two TVs – a 50 inch plasma HDTV and an LCD standard definition (SD) TV downstairs in my wife’s office. The VIP622 is connected to the wall mounted plasma TV via a 25 foot HDMI that goes through walls by way of the attic (don’t buy HDMI cables at stores – they are much cheaper on the Internet). The HD picture is 1080i and awesome. The SD TV gets its signal through existing coax from the cable company, so I didn’t have to add any coax through virtually impossible cable runs (the RF signal goes to the VIP622 and back out for the second TV on the same coax line). The quality of the SD is as good as SD can get. The remote for the second TV uses UHF RF instead of IR, so it works throughout the house- allowing me to place the second TV anywhere in the house.
The VIP211 is in my home office. While I was waiting for Santa to bring my LCD HDTV, I used it with a CRT SD TV. The picture quality was very good – at least as good as the cable signal. Now that the HDTV has arrived, the HDTV picture (1080i) via the 10 foot HDMI cable is awesome.
The VIP622 has great sound output. It feeds my Bose Lifestyle 48 surround sound system and I guarantee that the theater experience has not been degraded with the VIP622.
The VIP622 and VIP211 both run cool. I don’t know why some reviewers complained about thermal runaway, but both of my units are slightly warm to the touch – no where near as warm as the DVR I was using with my cable system. Perhaps their units were enclosed in cabinets with no possible way for heat to escape. My units are in cabinets, but not sealed in with doors.
One last comment about the overall system – our digital cable system here in Laguna Beach had occasional drop-outs on some channels. So far, through two rain storms, there has not been the slightest degradation in the perfect signal quality on any channel at any time.
I cannot comment on DISH customer service. I have not had a reason to call them.
User Rating:
4.5 stars
out of 119 user reviews
Great Piece of Equipment
Pros: Easy to use, sleek looks, pretty decent record times, 30 second skip
Cons: Would like to be able to search for future shows from the guide.
Review: So far I am totally pleased with the Vip622. I just switched from a cable co. Motorola DVR and I couldn't be happier. Everthing about this box is better. I have only limited experience with Tivo, but I think this box will stand up to most Tivo functions and ease of use.
Updated
I was able to find out how to search for future episodes, it is easy, just the push of a button. I have now been using this reciever for 2 full months and I have no complaints about the function or performance. I am looking forward to the updates coming soon that enable the usb for external storage and the ethernet jack.
I was able to find out how to search for future episodes, it is easy, just the push of a button. I have now been using this reciever for 2 full months and I have no complaints about the function or performance. I am looking forward to the updates coming soon that enable the usb for external storage and the ethernet jack.
User Rating:
0.5 stars
out of 119 user reviews
Do not buy this boat anchor!
Pros: Good picture, large Hard Drive, Nice Remotes
Cons: Audio Dropout/Loss Problems are maddening!
Review: This receiver is plagued by audio problems. Then you call Dish Network and they claim that gee whiz, this is the first time they've heard of this receiver having audio problems. Then you do your homework (a little late unfortunately)and you find out that the forums are littered with people complaining about the same thing you are experiencing. These complaints are from 9 months ago and Dish still hasn't fixed this so-called "software" bug. I work in the software business and you can't tell me that they are still working on it. What they are now doing is called "damage control" because they "can't" fix the problem. The symptoms are: the audio drops out, or goes away completely until you turn power off and on. Doesn't sound to bad? Well when you do turn power off, it has to reload the satellite. What a pain! Don't buy this receiver, and don't choose Dish Network! I'm sorry I did.
User Rating:
1.0 stars
out of 119 user reviews
SD quality is junk and DishNetwork knows it
Pros: HD quality very good
Cons: SD quality is junk with this receiver
Review: I recently upgraded to a Dish 622 receiver. The HD programming was perfect, but the SD programming was very poor quality. I described the picture as grainy with color bleed. This was on both my brand new HD tv and on my existing tv. The tech was 7 hours late showing up for the install (scheduled for 8-12am and showed at 7pm) and I only had it on HD channels while he was there so I didn't see the problem with the SD channels until he left. The tech was very nice and left his personal phone # so I called him first thing the next morning. He said he's seen this same problem about 10 times and it's a receiver problem. Even so, I called DIsh and they sent me a replacement receiver. Same problem with the replacement. Called Dish again, and they scheduled another installer visit. He ran a cable straight from the dish to the receiver to eliminate all house wiring and the problem still existed where HD pic was flawless and SD pic is grainy. I was using an HDMI cable. We also tried S video and the banana jacks and all 3 methods looked poor. (Also keep in mind I had Dish before and I know what the pic quality should be with SD programming from them.) The 622 was nowhere close to the quality I had before with my 625 receiver. This installer called several co-workers and 2 of 3 guys he called admitted seeing this problem several times before. I called Dish again. This time they sent a regional technical manager to my house. He didn't even try an experiment to fix the problem. He acknowledged this as a known problem with the receiver and that there was nothing he could do to resolve the issue. I called Dish yet again. THey wanted to sent another tech to my house by I refused to continue on with this painful waste of my time. I sheduled an installer to come rip out everything HD and returned to my 625 receiver and have good quality picture again, I just don't have HD. I'll wait for DirecTv to add more channels and switch to them.
User Rating:
3.5 stars
out of 119 user reviews
Great save one problem
Pros: Very good to outstanding video and 5.1 dolby
Cons: dysfunctional HDMI output
Review: Receiver does and excellent job on both SD and HD audio and video. Optical to SS receiver works perfectly. Video to SONY XBR2.Got unit in August 2006 as replacement for DISH 942 MPEG2 DVR with HDMI that worked perfectly. Only problem is HDMI dead out of box on new 622.Still(12/16/2006) no fix. Dish will replace but says there is still and unresolved problem with HDMI. Only usable HD output is COMPONENT VIDEO.
User Rating:
4.5 stars
out of 119 user reviews
CNET is Right this Time
Pros: second room, speed, great guide, Great HD
Cons: Somewhat flakey, occasional audio dropouts
Review: Listen to CNET, not the peanut gallery here. I had TiVo from the bloody beginning and DirecTV's version for years. This DVR makes TiVo look like a joke. Especially if you have suffered all the indignities of TiVo, this is a get out of jail free card. The review is right on in almost every aspect. People rave about the TiVo remote. This one is more complicated, but it's 10x better. Took my girlfriend some time to get up to speed, but it is well worth it.
Also, if you consider velocity, it's a hands down winner. We got 0 upgrades from TiVo during the 5 year DirecTV stint. Dish has consistently improved their offering, and left the door open to seriously blowing this thing away. If they enable the networking, and allow the attachment of a drive array, this would be a perfect setup.
Also, if you consider velocity, it's a hands down winner. We got 0 upgrades from TiVo during the 5 year DirecTV stint. Dish has consistently improved their offering, and left the door open to seriously blowing this thing away. If they enable the networking, and allow the attachment of a drive array, this would be a perfect setup.
User Rating:
3.0 stars
out of 119 user reviews
Get Dish over Direct
Pros: Get Dish over Direct
Cons: Get Dish over Direct
Review: I've never had Dish, but this letter may be reason enough to not ever get Direct TV!!
Your technician arrived at my house last Tuesday and set up 1 out of 6 boxes. He then left my house. After spending 90 minutes on the phone with Direct TV, your company suggested sending out another technician. I was told by the local office that the manager would be calling me that afternoon. He never showed up or even bothered to call. The next day, I was promised the manager would be calling by mid morning. Once again he did not call or show up. This all comes after a "lost work order" for my install that backed it up 2 weeks, 2 calls that were promised to be returned by management that were never received, an excessive amount of time wasted by me, and numerous headaches and frustration. I'm not even sure what I'm paying for at this point. I have now spoken with at least a dozen Direct TV employees all expressing their sorrow for my situation, only to pass the buck on to the next guy who doesn't give a rats ass about me. It has been handsdown the worst customer service I have ever received. It's hard for me to beleive a company of your size allows this sort of thing to go on. In any other company someone would lose their job for the blatant disregard your people have had for me and my family.
Please feel free to contact me if any of you people give a s*** about my service or my money!!!
In the mean time I will tell everyone that I know the way that I was treated and the horrible service your company provides.
Yours truly
K. Hussey
225.756.**** home
970.390.**** cell
******@united.com
Your technician arrived at my house last Tuesday and set up 1 out of 6 boxes. He then left my house. After spending 90 minutes on the phone with Direct TV, your company suggested sending out another technician. I was told by the local office that the manager would be calling me that afternoon. He never showed up or even bothered to call. The next day, I was promised the manager would be calling by mid morning. Once again he did not call or show up. This all comes after a "lost work order" for my install that backed it up 2 weeks, 2 calls that were promised to be returned by management that were never received, an excessive amount of time wasted by me, and numerous headaches and frustration. I'm not even sure what I'm paying for at this point. I have now spoken with at least a dozen Direct TV employees all expressing their sorrow for my situation, only to pass the buck on to the next guy who doesn't give a rats ass about me. It has been handsdown the worst customer service I have ever received. It's hard for me to beleive a company of your size allows this sort of thing to go on. In any other company someone would lose their job for the blatant disregard your people have had for me and my family.
Please feel free to contact me if any of you people give a s*** about my service or my money!!!
In the mean time I will tell everyone that I know the way that I was treated and the horrible service your company provides.
Yours truly
K. Hussey
225.756.**** home
970.390.**** cell
******@united.com
User Rating:
0.5 stars
out of 119 user reviews
JUNK! Do not buy this DVR!
Pros: Can't think of any after my experience
Cons: The list is endless
Review: I am now awaiting the delivery of my THIRD 622. The first one quit working a week after installation. The second one was a constant headache -- it crashed often and had to be re-set, recordings would stop before completion IF they recorded at all, during recordings it would often not allow viewing of other live programming, and finally the HDMI port quit working all together. So now DISH is sending me a third unit.
I look forward to the day when TIVO wins their lawsuit against DISH and DISH will no longer be able to market such lousy DVRs.
Updated on Dec 12, 2009AFter three units went dead without explanation, a service tech was sent out. It turns out the original installer did not ground the unit, causing three of them to burn out. Since the fourth unit was grounded, there have been no problems.
I look forward to the day when TIVO wins their lawsuit against DISH and DISH will no longer be able to market such lousy DVRs.
Updated
As with the first two 622s, the third quit working. This time, an on-screen warning came up, "Disk Corrupted." The next day, the unit quit working altogether and Dish is now shipping #4. It's a good thing I bought the extended warranty. DO NOT BUY THIS UNIT!
As with the first two 622s, the third quit working. This time, an on-screen warning came up, "Disk Corrupted." The next day, the unit quit working altogether and Dish is now shipping #4. It's a good thing I bought the extended warranty. DO NOT BUY THIS UNIT!
Updated on Dec 12, 2009AFter three units went dead without explanation, a service tech was sent out. It turns out the original installer did not ground the unit, causing three of them to burn out. Since the fourth unit was grounded, there have been no problems.
User Rating:
4.5 stars
out of 119 user reviews
addicted and loving it
Pros: inexpensive, easy to use,
Cons: low def programs on high def channels (like nbc etc) get recorded with hd disk utilization
Review: This thing is awesome. My family is hooked on dvrs (from the SD dish version), and found the hd version an easy upgrade.
We have not had stability problems others reported. Don't get me wrong, it's not 100% perfect, but it's pretty darn close! I don't know why anyone would pay the $700 tivo is asking for....
We have not had stability problems others reported. Don't get me wrong, it's not 100% perfect, but it's pretty darn close! I don't know why anyone would pay the $700 tivo is asking for....
Updated
btw... we are using hdmi straight into a sony 60A2000. No problems with this... works like a charm.
We are also using an inexpensive radio shack hdmi cable and things look pretty darn good, imho.
btw... we are using hdmi straight into a sony 60A2000. No problems with this... works like a charm.
We are also using an inexpensive radio shack hdmi cable and things look pretty darn good, imho.
Updated
btw... we are using hdmi straight into a sony 60A2000. No problems with this... works like a charm.
We are also using an inexpensive radio shack hdmi cable and things look pretty darn good, imho.
btw... we are using hdmi straight into a sony 60A2000. No problems with this... works like a charm.
We are also using an inexpensive radio shack hdmi cable and things look pretty darn good, imho.
User Rating:
4.5 stars
out of 119 user reviews
excellent DVR
Pros: Have yet have a problem with receiver after 2 months
Cons: Did have problems with DISH installed switch and west coast reception of sat 129
Review: This is a fantastic component with glitches if Dish can ever get a strong consistant signal to the west coast from Sat 129 (all Voom and Starz). Receiver often gets blame for poor sat performance. 110 and 119 transponders perform very well. If you live on west coast don't count on 129 channels...apparently gyros not working on sat and it drifts out about every 20-30 minutes and then takes 5 minutes to come back in. When, if Dish replaces or fixes 129 this receiver will be ready to function at a very high level. Picture excellent on strong sats. Locals, HBO, Showtime, and othe HDTV come in solid.
I wish there was a way to add external or larger internal HDD so I could record and save even more HDTV shows. As number of HDTV channel increase (please!)more tuners would be nice. For now the 622 is as good as it gets and that is very good indeed. Most enjoyable. Very glad I upgraded.
I wish there was a way to add external or larger internal HDD so I could record and save even more HDTV shows. As number of HDTV channel increase (please!)more tuners would be nice. For now the 622 is as good as it gets and that is very good indeed. Most enjoyable. Very glad I upgraded.
User Rating:
2.5 stars
out of 119 user reviews
Works great, when it works....
Pros: Excellent programming options and output quality
Cons: poor reliability over the long haul
Review: I think this is the 'King' as far as integrated receiver, DVR, and programming in one component.
Unfortunately, reliability, software glitches, reboots, etc. take away a lot of enjoyment.
The 622 is another reason proprietary equipment is a huge mistake. We shoud be able to buy receivers on the open market and let Dish, DTV, Comcast, and the rest just compete for services. Let the quality electronics manufacturers build the equipment and compete for low prices.
Unfortunately, reliability, software glitches, reboots, etc. take away a lot of enjoyment.
The 622 is another reason proprietary equipment is a huge mistake. We shoud be able to buy receivers on the open market and let Dish, DTV, Comcast, and the rest just compete for services. Let the quality electronics manufacturers build the equipment and compete for low prices.
User Rating:
2.0 stars
out of 119 user reviews
I wish I would have known about the HDMI problems
Pros: It was a great picture while it lasted. The DVR is easy to use and the over all features are great.
Cons: The HDMI connect was lost after one week. The picture switchs to zoom on its own. Runs hot
Review: I had issues getting the 622 installed but that another story. I have been with DISH for 5 years and decided to upgrade to the 622. I had the receiver hooked up to our Sony 43" CRT rear pro. at first and the picture was ok. The tv was 4:3 and set up for 1080i but only had component cable hook ups. We purchased a Sammy HL 5687W 1080p and hooked it up via HDMI. The picture was out standing. The TV was everything the reviews said it would be. The picture in HD was amazing. WAS is the proper word here. The connection lasted 3 days and then went cows udder up. It didn't go all at once it would lose signal and a little shake of the wire would restore the picture. I called and ask waass up with this thing because I thought that it was an internal connetion of the cable. But the tech told me that it was a software problem.Now it does not work at all and we are back to component cables. Dish says that it will be a month or so before the can address that software poblem. But now I read that others have been waiting for months to have the same problem solved. I should have read the review and studied up like I do on all my other purchases. I am suprised that CNET rated the piece of equipment as high as they did, when this does not seem to be an isolated problem. This really sucks big time.
User Rating:
1.0 stars
out of 119 user reviews
buyer beware!
Pros: image quality
Cons: user interface. customer service. lousy experience
Review: I bought the ViP622 because DirecTV did not have an equivalent HD DVR (they do now). I was struck by the excellent image quality but everything else was a nightmare.
For anyone familiar with the Tivo user-interface, this box will be a challenge. Finding and recording shows is an exercise in frustration.
Another problem is with the RF remote. One of the big theoretical advantages of the ViP622 is its ability to serve up programs to two TVs simultaneously. Unfortunately the reach of the second remote control is such that, for me at least, this turned out to be a pipe dream.
Within days, I had decided to send it back under their 30-day money back warranty but that's when the story really gets ugly: To my surprise, DISH has refused to credit me $200 out of the $250 I paid for the system, claiming that this is an upgrade fee. When I ordered it, I was assured that every penny I spend is refundable if I am not satisfied but now they say I was misinformed...
For anyone familiar with the Tivo user-interface, this box will be a challenge. Finding and recording shows is an exercise in frustration.
Another problem is with the RF remote. One of the big theoretical advantages of the ViP622 is its ability to serve up programs to two TVs simultaneously. Unfortunately the reach of the second remote control is such that, for me at least, this turned out to be a pipe dream.
Within days, I had decided to send it back under their 30-day money back warranty but that's when the story really gets ugly: To my surprise, DISH has refused to credit me $200 out of the $250 I paid for the system, claiming that this is an upgrade fee. When I ordered it, I was assured that every penny I spend is refundable if I am not satisfied but now they say I was misinformed...
User Rating:
3.0 stars
out of 119 user reviews
Good product but HDMI vs Component has problems
Pros: Lots of features and hook up options
Cons: HDM hookup lacks quality
Review: When hooked up via HDMI images look very blotchy, especially dark shades. I had 2 of these. I thought the first one was defective but the second one is the same. I compared it against component and the component hookup looked mauch better. I also compared it with a second TV I own and the results were the same.
The last test I did was with Batman Begins. I recorded it and compared it against the quality of my Sony upconversion DVD player (using HDMI)and again the DVD player quality was much better than the watching it through the Dish Network HDMI connection.
The last test I did was with Batman Begins. I recorded it and compared it against the quality of my Sony upconversion DVD player (using HDMI)and again the DVD player quality was much better than the watching it through the Dish Network HDMI connection.
User Rating:
4.0 stars
out of 119 user reviews
Great box and getting better
Pros: HD, DVR - HD, Fast Channel Surfing, On-Demand
Cons: 2nd TV on HD channels in Letterbox mode only
Review: I was one of the first people to get this box when Dish released the box. At first there were issues with the DVR only recording one channel at a time. They have since upgraded the code to make the DVR smart. It can now determine a overlap in recording and switch which tv is available for recording. The local HD channels are either in HD or letterbox. My second tv is a standard def 4x3 and the locals show up in letterbox with a smaller footprint - less viewing area.
Overall - I have been very happy with this box since the fixed the DVR code. My only complaint is the standard Dish issue - Everynight when the box checks for new code the system is always set back to the Dish logo and you must press the select button to watch any show. They need to make the system just go back to the last channel watched.
Overall - I have been very happy with this box since the fixed the DVR code. My only complaint is the standard Dish issue - Everynight when the box checks for new code the system is always set back to the Dish logo and you must press the select button to watch any show. They need to make the system just go back to the last channel watched.
User Rating:
4.5 stars
out of 119 user reviews
Best HD-DVR and content on the market!
Pros: Largest HD content available anywhere
Cons: None that I've found
Review: I've owned SD TiVo machines in the past, and I've even owned one of DISH's other HD DVRs (the 942). The DISH ViP622 has all of the features of a TiVo but best of all DISH Network has more HD content than anyone else. And let's face it, what good is an HD-DVR with HD content to record on it.
I have not had any issues with my ViP622 receiver since I received it in April of 2006. The machine has performed flawlessly for me. The picture it produces is stunning, and despite the recent negative campaigns of the cable companies against DISH systems, I have NEVER lost my Sat signal during a rain or snow storm.
I LOVE HDTV.
I LOVE this receiver.
I LOVE my DISH Network service. It's not just "Better TV" . . . it's the BEST TV!
I have not had any issues with my ViP622 receiver since I received it in April of 2006. The machine has performed flawlessly for me. The picture it produces is stunning, and despite the recent negative campaigns of the cable companies against DISH systems, I have NEVER lost my Sat signal during a rain or snow storm.
I LOVE HDTV.
I LOVE this receiver.
I LOVE my DISH Network service. It's not just "Better TV" . . . it's the BEST TV!
User Rating:
4.5 stars
out of 119 user reviews
Great HD & SD PQ, quick and responsive interface.
Pros: All the bells and whistles you want
Cons: HDMI connector is a little touchy
Review: While the first versions of the firmware were a littly flakey, the 622 has become a solid machine. The menus are easy to navigate and responsive to the keys on the remote control. It can record three HD streams at once (2 from the sattelite, one from OTA). The software is intuitive and easy to use.
My only complaint is that the HDMI connector is sometimes a little twitchy. Because of this, I am currently using the Composite connection to my television.
My only complaint is that the HDMI connector is sometimes a little twitchy. Because of this, I am currently using the Composite connection to my television.
User Rating:
4.5 stars
out of 119 user reviews
Excellent DVR!
Pros: HD and SD recording capabilites
Cons: Occasional sound problem
Review: I bought this DVR in May. It has performed as I expected and better. It has multiple hookups - HDMI is preferred here, but component hookup is almost as good. Recordings in HD are terrific! Only problem encountered so far is occasional sound and lip movement do not match. This can be fixed easily by pressing your input button on the TV remote and cycling through the choices until you get back to the input you want. I don't know why, but this works for me. Other than that, I would have rated this a ten. Oh, by the way, I have not had any overheating issues with my DVR as others have and I have 2 HD TV's hooked up. Again, I do not know why, but I am grateful.
User Rating:
2.0 stars
out of 119 user reviews
Vip622 was released 6 months to soon, It has many problems & Dish ignores requests for help
Pros: For the first 3 weeks it had an excellent picture and is a very flexible receiver
Cons: HDMI quit working after 3 weeks, changes formats from 4:3 to stretch to zoom on its own and has audio sync problems & jittery video
Review: I was one of the first customers to receive the Vip622 in May of 2006. It worked great for 3 weeks and then I lost the picture from the HDMI output. It works on component video cables but you buy HDTV's for the highest quality picture and that is just not available on the component video cable. With all of the problems this receiver has its best to wait another year until Dish has time to fix the bugs. I have had the receiver for 3 1/2 months and they have fixed none of the problems and with the software updates that Dish sends and they have created more problems with each successive software update. I have been a Dish customer since 1996 and this is the first time that I regret upgrading my equipment. Its not just the bugs, it is also the fact that for the first 2 1/2 months Dish Tech Support tried to blame my cables, the way the Dish tech hooked up the receiver, they even tried to blame it on HDMI and its standards and when I didnt buy that I was mysteriously disconnected. What it all comes down to is that a software update that Dish sent to the receiver knocked out the HDMI and caused all of the other problems and in 3 1/2 months they are no closer to finding what they did wrong with the updates that caused the problems.
This receiver has great potential but it will be some time before it is bug free and worth purchasing.
This receiver has great potential but it will be some time before it is bug free and worth purchasing.
User Rating:
3.0 stars
out of 119 user reviews
Good picture quality - annoying drawbacks
Pros: Good picture quality when recording HD programming, 30 second commercial skip
Cons: No way to quickly scroll down through recorded programs, no way to quickly scroll forward when searching for programs, searching for programs not as user-friendly as Tivo.
Review: I switched from Tivo/DirecTV to Dishnetwork. What I've found is that each side has drawbacks that could be easily rectified with simple programming - or if each system just took the benefits of the other. Tivo is overall an easier interface to use, but there were some significant drawbacks that Dishnetwork has solved. But, there are an equal amount of drawbacks that Dishnetwork could easily solve but have not (as mentioned above). Also, the 30 hours of HD space gets filled up very quickly - to my surprise. Once you start watching HD, you find normal programming to be very poor. So, I focus on HD recordings and am always full.
The second TV recording option is a pain in the rear. It's not like Tivo/DirecTV where it will just easily record 2 shows at once and resolve what to record by priority. With this receiver, you have to pick which TV to record to (TV1 or TV2), and you have to pick it in advance most of the time (when you create the repeated-program mode). It's hard to explain, but the end result is that I often cannot record a second program depending on what TV I am watching at the time I want to record the second program. My receiver does not record 3 shows at once - HD or otherwise - and Dishnetwork has told me only 2 can be recorded at once. But, the way they have it setup, I frequently cannot accomplish this.
Another huge problem is that the HD quality programming can only be viewed on one TV with this receiver. The output to the second TV is NOT HD! So, if your watching of TV programs is balanced between your living room and bedroom, you will not be able to enjoy HD quality on one of the TVs. Huge drawback.
There is a limit on outputs on this receiver as well. With my DirecTV, I could output an extra set of audio channels for my receiver (which helps with Zone 2 or 3 outputs on many receivers). As a result, I cannot listen to Dishnetwork music through my outdoor speakers or wireless speakers anymore.
I am considering buying a second HD DVR for my second TV so that I don't run into some of the above problems. The cost is significant, however, and it's very hard to find these for sale anywhere. So, I'm inclined to wait for another model or for more availability of this one.
The second TV recording option is a pain in the rear. It's not like Tivo/DirecTV where it will just easily record 2 shows at once and resolve what to record by priority. With this receiver, you have to pick which TV to record to (TV1 or TV2), and you have to pick it in advance most of the time (when you create the repeated-program mode). It's hard to explain, but the end result is that I often cannot record a second program depending on what TV I am watching at the time I want to record the second program. My receiver does not record 3 shows at once - HD or otherwise - and Dishnetwork has told me only 2 can be recorded at once. But, the way they have it setup, I frequently cannot accomplish this.
Another huge problem is that the HD quality programming can only be viewed on one TV with this receiver. The output to the second TV is NOT HD! So, if your watching of TV programs is balanced between your living room and bedroom, you will not be able to enjoy HD quality on one of the TVs. Huge drawback.
There is a limit on outputs on this receiver as well. With my DirecTV, I could output an extra set of audio channels for my receiver (which helps with Zone 2 or 3 outputs on many receivers). As a result, I cannot listen to Dishnetwork music through my outdoor speakers or wireless speakers anymore.
I am considering buying a second HD DVR for my second TV so that I don't run into some of the above problems. The cost is significant, however, and it's very hard to find these for sale anywhere. So, I'm inclined to wait for another model or for more availability of this one.
User Rating:
4.5 stars
out of 119 user reviews
Outstanding system
Pros: Super video and sound in HD, Great SD picture too
Cons: If using this unit TV menu, you have to pay for local channels to see what is on locally
Review: I had been using an older Directv system for the last eight years. When I wanted to upgrade Directv wanted me to pay several hundred dollars for a DVR and several hundred more for one with HD, plus shipping! I said no. I called Dish Network and ordered the 622 for a lease fee of $200.00.
This is a Outstanding system! I was surprised how superior the video and sound were in both HD and SD. Plus local channels that I received off an my rooftop antenna came in better too. Also, recording two shows at once is great and all the menus are cool and easy to use. Plus the remote works great, works with my other units and makes channel surfing easy. Also, this has a dual turner, so it can be used for two TVs (one HD and one SD ).This saves you from paying an extra $5.00 per month lease fee!
However, if you have a rooftop antenna and don't order Dish Network local channels, then you will not be able to see what's on locally using this units TV menu guide!
Also, like others said, this unit does get hot. I have my inside of a cabinet too. I solved this problem by using a PC whisper fan and placed it next to the unit. I powered it using a 12v d.c. adaptor. It has never overheated, even after over 12 hours of on time. The cabinet already had vents in it.
After I cancelled Directv, they called two days later. They said they wanted me back and would now offer me thier equipment for free! Too late!
This is a Outstanding system! I was surprised how superior the video and sound were in both HD and SD. Plus local channels that I received off an my rooftop antenna came in better too. Also, recording two shows at once is great and all the menus are cool and easy to use. Plus the remote works great, works with my other units and makes channel surfing easy. Also, this has a dual turner, so it can be used for two TVs (one HD and one SD ).This saves you from paying an extra $5.00 per month lease fee!
However, if you have a rooftop antenna and don't order Dish Network local channels, then you will not be able to see what's on locally using this units TV menu guide!
Also, like others said, this unit does get hot. I have my inside of a cabinet too. I solved this problem by using a PC whisper fan and placed it next to the unit. I powered it using a 12v d.c. adaptor. It has never overheated, even after over 12 hours of on time. The cabinet already had vents in it.
After I cancelled Directv, they called two days later. They said they wanted me back and would now offer me thier equipment for free! Too late!
User Rating:
4.0 stars
out of 119 user reviews
Great Unit
Pros: Two tuners , excellent HDTV and OTA tuner
Cons: does not have coax cable for audio, unit gets to be very hot., poor customer service from dishnet works.
Review: Having being a dishnet customer for over 7 years I decided to take a break and went with comcast for cpl of months had two many problems with the motorola box give credit to Comcast Customer service for making available a replacement of box. in fact they deliver the unit
decided to switch back to dish and paid $ 199.00 for the new unit and dish 1000 antenna.
extremly satisfied with the unit.
decided to switch back to dish and paid $ 199.00 for the new unit and dish 1000 antenna.
extremly satisfied with the unit.
User Rating:
2.0 stars
out of 119 user reviews
Deceptive practice by Dish Network
Pros: Great Quality Most Hi Def Channels
Cons: Requires a phone line
Review: I cancelled my Dishnetwork service after being a customer for over 4 years. The same day I had my new box installed, a large pop up appeared and would not go away unless I connected a phone line. When I called dishnetwork they informed me that a phone line was required. (This was the first mention of this)
I know enough about technology to know that the box will function without a phone line and the only reason to attach a phone line is so they can upload data about my viewing habits. I would have no problem with this if they asked my permission but instead they try to strongarm you into connecting a phone line. The real kicker is that if you pay them an extra $5 per month they will download a fix so that you don't need the phone line. They also offered me a free wireless phone jack but I refused since I consider these practices to be unethical. They also offered to waive the $5 fee for 3 months which I also refused.
I never thought I would go back to cable but I am now witing for cable to be installed. Too bad Dishnetwork has would rather loose a loyal customer than not collect my viewing habits. I guess that shows where the real money is!
PS - I also have a Tivo box with a phone line connected so I am not paranoid about big brother etc. I am upset that they tried to force me to connect a phone line and they want to charge $5 a month not to collect data on me and my family.
I know enough about technology to know that the box will function without a phone line and the only reason to attach a phone line is so they can upload data about my viewing habits. I would have no problem with this if they asked my permission but instead they try to strongarm you into connecting a phone line. The real kicker is that if you pay them an extra $5 per month they will download a fix so that you don't need the phone line. They also offered me a free wireless phone jack but I refused since I consider these practices to be unethical. They also offered to waive the $5 fee for 3 months which I also refused.
I never thought I would go back to cable but I am now witing for cable to be installed. Too bad Dishnetwork has would rather loose a loyal customer than not collect my viewing habits. I guess that shows where the real money is!
PS - I also have a Tivo box with a phone line connected so I am not paranoid about big brother etc. I am upset that they tried to force me to connect a phone line and they want to charge $5 a month not to collect data on me and my family.
User Rating:
4.0 stars
out of 119 user reviews
great features tends to overheat
Pros: great speed easy to use
Cons: noisy, overheats, must be in open air placement
Review:
User Rating:
4.5 stars
out of 119 user reviews
One of the best electronic products I've ever owned!
Pros: Almost everything on this unit is superb
Cons: Very few negatives, only minor instabilities
Review: I almost never submit online product reviews, but this product was so exceptional that I can honestly say it is one of the best pieces of electronic equipment I've ever owned...considering that I've got about a $10k investment in A/V equipment, I think that's really saying something! Here's some comments I have:
1) This was my first foray into HDTV (first time I've had an HD feed, even though I've had a Sony XBR 40", 4:3 aspect ratio tube TV that supports HD for about 4 years now), and the HD picture quality is great...not perfect, but definitely worth the upgrade. Although the detail varies a bit with the feed, the average HD picture quality is very nice. Sports, movies, everything I've watched in HD has been very pleasing. The SD on this set also looks very good, but you'll find that if you watch HD programming regularly, you won't like going back to SD...you get so used to the detail HD provides that it kinda sucks going back to SD. The only real knock on the combination of this receiver with my TV is that there's a bit of flicker on text, and occasional artifacts on some solid colors, particularly reds...I'm a bit picky about stuff like this, whereas my wife doesn't really notice it. I'm running the box in 1080i mode, and maybe this would be improved with 720p, but my TV doesn't seem to like it when I switch to that mode...I guess the TV only supports 1080i for HD via its component input. Rating on this section: 8.5
2) The DVR functionality is absolutely magnificient, from the simplicity in setting up recordings, to the HD playback capabilities (which look spot-on like the originals), to the pause/rewind live TV. The recording space is reasonable, except that if you do a lot of HD recording (where my main interests seem to lie), it can fill up surprisingly quickly...for example, being a big soccer fan, I got this stuff all setup just as the World Cup was starting, and was regularly recording HD feeds of two games per day. With the added-on time to make sure the entire games were recorded, I got close to running out of space before I had viewed the games. This is the only issue that keeps me from giving this a perfect 10 rating. Another neat feature is the ability to select which tuner is used for the DVR, so that you can watch/record a program on your main TV, while recording another program using second tuner (although the second TV is restricted to use that channel then)...may seem overkill to some folks, but it's come in handy a few times. Rating on this section: 9.5
3) The menuing system is the most perfectly designed system I've experienced on an electronic product. It's extremely user-friendly, and has lots of neat features that just make sense, such as being able to scroll through the channel menus while watching the last channel is a 1/4 sized screen on the top right, and allowing you to scroll through the menu of channels one at a time while the currently selected channel takes up the entire screen. Very, very neat. Also, the speed on scrolling through the menus is EXCEPTIONALLY fast...none of this delay nonsense that used to happen with older cable and dish receivers. There's also almost no lag when you do select a channel. The speed of operation of this box suggests that the processing hardware they used to build it was well above average. For folks that do a lot of channel surfing like me, this is a huge benefit. Rating on this section: 10
4) The extra tuner provided for a second TV (and I suppose a third, if you need the over-the-air tuner to get some HDTV channels that you can't get through Dish) is an awesome feature for a home that has one very high-quality HDTV, and a second SDTV (maybe in a small bedroom, like ours is). Our home previously had just a cheapo antenna on our bedroom TV, and going to this was a huge upgrade, without having to pay a second box fee per month! The RF remote is occasionally a bit flakey, but it mostly works OK. Rating on this section: 9.0
5) My setup is probably a bit unusual for this box, but as I'm a techie-tweaker, I found the following setup to give me the most flexibility. One drawback to using this box with a 4:3 aspect ratio HDTV (the older models available 5 years ago or so) is it's inability to show all programs in native format automatically...in other words, for the 16:9 HDTV feeds, I want the aspect ratio to appear 16:9 with blank bands on the top and bottom of the screen, and similarly, for the 4:3 SDTV feeds, I want the picture to take up the entire 4:3 screen, instead of putting black bands on all four sides of the picture. If you don't mind manipulating the stretch feature everytime you switch between SD and HD channels, this works fine. My preferred approach instead, was to use multiple TV inputs, and toggle between the two using the tv/video button on my TV's remote. I used two sets of the receiver's main tuner outputs, the component output for the HD feed, and the S-video output for the SD feed...the S-video output is really pretty adequate for SD anyways. The HD feed via component cabling is always set to normal 16:9 mode, while the SD feed via S-video cabling is always set to stretch the 4:3 output to fill up the screen. The installer (while very good otherwise) was not able to figure this out, and it took me a while playing around with this stuff to get it to work as desired. It would've been nice if the box automatically interpreted the feed's aspect ratios correctly, but it doesn't on my TV, regardless of how I setup the aspect ratios in the HDTV setup menu. This approach allowed me to watch all programs in their native aspect ratios, while taking advantage of the full 4:3 screen size for SD programming...too often I've seen pictures that look warped/stretched incorrectly because the installers or users haven't taken the time to get the aspect ratio settings correct, and this just wouldn't have passed for my setup. Admittedly, most of you considering this box will have 16:9 HDTVs, and so none of this will pertain to you, as you'll watch 16:9 feeds at their native aspect ratio, and 4:3 feeds will have black bars on the left and right sides (unless you choose to stretch them to take up the entire 16:9 box, which just looks bad to me).
The second TV is connected via RG-6 coax, which for this low-end TV is adequate. I also have an SD output from the second tuner (using the RCA connector) going to my main HDTV, so that I can monitor what's being watched on the second TV in the bedroom. This is a neat feature for keeping an eye on what your kids are watching. This would also allow you to use PIP using the TV's capabilities, rather than the receiver's single/dual tuner mode/PIP. The drawback to this is that you need to have both remotes in front of you to actually use PIP this way, while the Dish receiver can do everything with the main remote only.
6) Minor bugs I've experienced so far in about 6 weeks of operation: one lockup on the main tuner (which didn't affect the second tuner for some reason), which required a manual reset to recover from; occasional 'stuttering' of the picture (maybe once or twice a week) which happens for about 30 seconds, and then goes away; mismatched audio feed on the local HDTV channels in the Chicago area...I'm only seeing this issue on those channels which apparently use the MPEG-4 compression, so I can't be sure whether this is an issue with the MPEG decoder or the feeds themselves; box runs warm, but not hot to the touch...I would not install this is a cabinet, but in an open air rack with plenty of airflow available to it.
7) Lastly, the manual is very well written, as least as far as I've gotten through it (about 1/2 way). I tend to try things out in the menus myself first, and then go back to reading manuals to see if there's anything I missed later on. This one seems very well put together, by someone who's actually spent some time with the box.
Overall, a superb product that I highly recommend!
1) This was my first foray into HDTV (first time I've had an HD feed, even though I've had a Sony XBR 40", 4:3 aspect ratio tube TV that supports HD for about 4 years now), and the HD picture quality is great...not perfect, but definitely worth the upgrade. Although the detail varies a bit with the feed, the average HD picture quality is very nice. Sports, movies, everything I've watched in HD has been very pleasing. The SD on this set also looks very good, but you'll find that if you watch HD programming regularly, you won't like going back to SD...you get so used to the detail HD provides that it kinda sucks going back to SD. The only real knock on the combination of this receiver with my TV is that there's a bit of flicker on text, and occasional artifacts on some solid colors, particularly reds...I'm a bit picky about stuff like this, whereas my wife doesn't really notice it. I'm running the box in 1080i mode, and maybe this would be improved with 720p, but my TV doesn't seem to like it when I switch to that mode...I guess the TV only supports 1080i for HD via its component input. Rating on this section: 8.5
2) The DVR functionality is absolutely magnificient, from the simplicity in setting up recordings, to the HD playback capabilities (which look spot-on like the originals), to the pause/rewind live TV. The recording space is reasonable, except that if you do a lot of HD recording (where my main interests seem to lie), it can fill up surprisingly quickly...for example, being a big soccer fan, I got this stuff all setup just as the World Cup was starting, and was regularly recording HD feeds of two games per day. With the added-on time to make sure the entire games were recorded, I got close to running out of space before I had viewed the games. This is the only issue that keeps me from giving this a perfect 10 rating. Another neat feature is the ability to select which tuner is used for the DVR, so that you can watch/record a program on your main TV, while recording another program using second tuner (although the second TV is restricted to use that channel then)...may seem overkill to some folks, but it's come in handy a few times. Rating on this section: 9.5
3) The menuing system is the most perfectly designed system I've experienced on an electronic product. It's extremely user-friendly, and has lots of neat features that just make sense, such as being able to scroll through the channel menus while watching the last channel is a 1/4 sized screen on the top right, and allowing you to scroll through the menu of channels one at a time while the currently selected channel takes up the entire screen. Very, very neat. Also, the speed on scrolling through the menus is EXCEPTIONALLY fast...none of this delay nonsense that used to happen with older cable and dish receivers. There's also almost no lag when you do select a channel. The speed of operation of this box suggests that the processing hardware they used to build it was well above average. For folks that do a lot of channel surfing like me, this is a huge benefit. Rating on this section: 10
4) The extra tuner provided for a second TV (and I suppose a third, if you need the over-the-air tuner to get some HDTV channels that you can't get through Dish) is an awesome feature for a home that has one very high-quality HDTV, and a second SDTV (maybe in a small bedroom, like ours is). Our home previously had just a cheapo antenna on our bedroom TV, and going to this was a huge upgrade, without having to pay a second box fee per month! The RF remote is occasionally a bit flakey, but it mostly works OK. Rating on this section: 9.0
5) My setup is probably a bit unusual for this box, but as I'm a techie-tweaker, I found the following setup to give me the most flexibility. One drawback to using this box with a 4:3 aspect ratio HDTV (the older models available 5 years ago or so) is it's inability to show all programs in native format automatically...in other words, for the 16:9 HDTV feeds, I want the aspect ratio to appear 16:9 with blank bands on the top and bottom of the screen, and similarly, for the 4:3 SDTV feeds, I want the picture to take up the entire 4:3 screen, instead of putting black bands on all four sides of the picture. If you don't mind manipulating the stretch feature everytime you switch between SD and HD channels, this works fine. My preferred approach instead, was to use multiple TV inputs, and toggle between the two using the tv/video button on my TV's remote. I used two sets of the receiver's main tuner outputs, the component output for the HD feed, and the S-video output for the SD feed...the S-video output is really pretty adequate for SD anyways. The HD feed via component cabling is always set to normal 16:9 mode, while the SD feed via S-video cabling is always set to stretch the 4:3 output to fill up the screen. The installer (while very good otherwise) was not able to figure this out, and it took me a while playing around with this stuff to get it to work as desired. It would've been nice if the box automatically interpreted the feed's aspect ratios correctly, but it doesn't on my TV, regardless of how I setup the aspect ratios in the HDTV setup menu. This approach allowed me to watch all programs in their native aspect ratios, while taking advantage of the full 4:3 screen size for SD programming...too often I've seen pictures that look warped/stretched incorrectly because the installers or users haven't taken the time to get the aspect ratio settings correct, and this just wouldn't have passed for my setup. Admittedly, most of you considering this box will have 16:9 HDTVs, and so none of this will pertain to you, as you'll watch 16:9 feeds at their native aspect ratio, and 4:3 feeds will have black bars on the left and right sides (unless you choose to stretch them to take up the entire 16:9 box, which just looks bad to me).
The second TV is connected via RG-6 coax, which for this low-end TV is adequate. I also have an SD output from the second tuner (using the RCA connector) going to my main HDTV, so that I can monitor what's being watched on the second TV in the bedroom. This is a neat feature for keeping an eye on what your kids are watching. This would also allow you to use PIP using the TV's capabilities, rather than the receiver's single/dual tuner mode/PIP. The drawback to this is that you need to have both remotes in front of you to actually use PIP this way, while the Dish receiver can do everything with the main remote only.
6) Minor bugs I've experienced so far in about 6 weeks of operation: one lockup on the main tuner (which didn't affect the second tuner for some reason), which required a manual reset to recover from; occasional 'stuttering' of the picture (maybe once or twice a week) which happens for about 30 seconds, and then goes away; mismatched audio feed on the local HDTV channels in the Chicago area...I'm only seeing this issue on those channels which apparently use the MPEG-4 compression, so I can't be sure whether this is an issue with the MPEG decoder or the feeds themselves; box runs warm, but not hot to the touch...I would not install this is a cabinet, but in an open air rack with plenty of airflow available to it.
7) Lastly, the manual is very well written, as least as far as I've gotten through it (about 1/2 way). I tend to try things out in the menus myself first, and then go back to reading manuals to see if there's anything I missed later on. This one seems very well put together, by someone who's actually spent some time with the box.
Overall, a superb product that I highly recommend!
Updated
After several months usage of this product, I still think it is a very good performer. However, one aspect of its performance would cause me to revise my review to probably a score of 8.0. The box causes what I call 'stuttering' for brief periods of time while watching shows, either live, or recorded via DVR...the frequency of the stuttering has increased over the last month or so, so I'm not sure if this will continue, will get worse, or get better.
After several months usage of this product, I still think it is a very good performer. However, one aspect of its performance would cause me to revise my review to probably a score of 8.0. The box causes what I call 'stuttering' for brief periods of time while watching shows, either live, or recorded via DVR...the frequency of the stuttering has increased over the last month or so, so I'm not sure if this will continue, will get worse, or get better.
User Rating:
4.5 stars
out of 119 user reviews
The best of the best!
Pros: Stability, ease of use
Cons: A few "slight" bugs being worked on as product is new
Review: Been with Dish for years as an owner of a 501/508 and 811 and the 622 is, by far, the very best!
Was able to wire my entire house with one box. One High Def set and the rest of the house on the SD conversion. Let me tell you the Standard Def output is not really that bad. In fact, this is a huge bonus as you get DVD quality from the High Def stations on even old TV sets.
The only thing I wish Dish would stop is this insane pre-recorded Pay per view. Instead of offering pay per view every 15-30 minutes if you want, they pre-download a handfull of shows "in-case" you want to want them and cannot wait 15-30 mins for the show to start via the old way. This means that in the middle of the night they are downloading movies that 99% will never watch taking up space on the hard drive (this is extra space that does not take away from your portion) - just seems like a total waste.
I have had the 622 for a few months and it is rock stable. Everything works great and I would recommend the 622 to anyone.
As a side note. Unless your second TV is really cose to the first one you will be using coax (cable type wiring) to connect a second, 3rd or 4th TV's - keep in mind that this is not as good as using s-video or other higher quality connections but considering extra TV's are often 50-100 feet away in your house their is little options. For coax it looks pretty good but the prime connection will always be the TV next to the box so plan where you will be putting the box carefully.
Was able to wire my entire house with one box. One High Def set and the rest of the house on the SD conversion. Let me tell you the Standard Def output is not really that bad. In fact, this is a huge bonus as you get DVD quality from the High Def stations on even old TV sets.
The only thing I wish Dish would stop is this insane pre-recorded Pay per view. Instead of offering pay per view every 15-30 minutes if you want, they pre-download a handfull of shows "in-case" you want to want them and cannot wait 15-30 mins for the show to start via the old way. This means that in the middle of the night they are downloading movies that 99% will never watch taking up space on the hard drive (this is extra space that does not take away from your portion) - just seems like a total waste.
I have had the 622 for a few months and it is rock stable. Everything works great and I would recommend the 622 to anyone.
As a side note. Unless your second TV is really cose to the first one you will be using coax (cable type wiring) to connect a second, 3rd or 4th TV's - keep in mind that this is not as good as using s-video or other higher quality connections but considering extra TV's are often 50-100 feet away in your house their is little options. For coax it looks pretty good but the prime connection will always be the TV next to the box so plan where you will be putting the box carefully.
User Rating:
4.5 stars
out of 119 user reviews
Bugs fixed
Pros: Hi Quality picture and easy to use
Cons: Keyword search is still a pain
Review: Now that the bugs seem to be fixed there is very little to complain about. The keyword search stops the blocks the image on screen but doesn't stop the playing of the system at the same time. It should be made so that the image remains on screen while one searchs for another program etc.
User Rating:
5.0 stars
out of 119 user reviews
Flawless operation of HDTV, 3 remote TVs and AVR
Pros: Excellant manual enables full use of available features
Cons: Sporatic lip sync problems of HD programs on remote TVS
Review: I have a 50" industrial Panasonic HD monitor and Yamaha AV receiver in family room and 3 CRT TVs in bedrooms. All work perfectly. My HD video is fantastic. My 5.1 sound is wonderful. I get surround sound from remote TVS by connecting AVRs with RCA outlets from remote TVs. Love the 30sec advance and 10sec reverse to skip commercials. The search options are far superior to the old Dish DVRs. Its zapper also has functional control of my TV, DVD, and AVR. This DVR offers everything I can currently imagine a DVR should deliver.
User Rating:
1.0 stars
out of 119 user reviews
Product Not Ready For The Market
Pros: Good idea having just one receiver for two TV's
Cons: Picture was terrible, recordings would mess up, multiple resets
Review: This unit sounded great when we decided to upgrade from our standard receivers to an HD/DVR combo. We were very excited about this unit to go with our new plasma TV. When the installer was done I could not believe how terrible the picture quality was. Also, the unit required multiple resets and the DVR recordings would freeze and show little squares across the screen. The picture on the remote TV was even worse. After three attempts to fix it and bringing in another new receiver, we asked for our money back and now have our old receivers back. Terrible product that caused way too much stress. I expected more from a product this expensive.
User Rating:
2.5 stars
out of 119 user reviews
50/50 at best.
Pros: Beautiful when it works.
Cons: Work out the kinks first.
Review: I upgraded from a flawless 522 to the HD 622 recently and had nothing but headaches since the trade. First, installer put up a Dish 1000 next to the Dish 500 satellite dish. Now I have two sat dishes aside one another (looks like Mickey Mouse ears). Tech said that I would receive the best signal this way??? I thought the 1000 would take care of that. Anyway, first 622 worked for about 20 minutes after the Tech left. I called Dish, went through all the debugs, and after about 2 hours on the phone, the Tech returned, and stated the first 622 was bad. Five days later, the 2nd 622 arrived. So far, I had to reboot this 622 once due to pixelation and pauses! Arrhhhh! I am this close to switching to DirecTV. Dish did give me one month of free service for my patience. So far, 1 week, some twitching here and there, but nothing major. One more black out or pause, I'm switching the 622 back to a 522 or going to another carrier. Good luck!
User Rating:
4.5 stars
out of 119 user reviews
A Very Good DVR--
Pros: Dual Satellite Tuner, OTA tuner, Lots of connectivity
Cons: Freezes up and takes about 3 minutes to boot back up, sometimes gets bogged down in process.
Review: Overall, this is a very nice HD Dual Tuner. In all this could be three tuners, 2 satellite and 1 OTA. The 942 is the previous version and this unit is pretty much the same. It is MPEG-4 ready so you are up with the latest technology. The interface is pretty easy to use once you get the hang of it. Can't be confusing at first to try and find your DVR recordings and to work the PIP option. The unit does freeze up and has some gliches that require a reboot. This happens rarely though. But when it does, you won't be too happy, especially if you are in the middle of watching a program because it will take several mintues for the system to come back up. Lots of options for audio and video connections on the back. The best DVR on the market right now. Blow DTV's options out of the water as far as price and technology.
User Rating:
3.0 stars
out of 119 user reviews
No Vonage Support! AGAIN!!!! duh!!!
Pros: MPEG4, Lots of HD Channels
Cons: They Charge extra 4.99 because you use Vonage!?! No ethernet port and no way to connect across the internet to schedule recordings like you can with Microsoft Media Center.
Review: I have had the 942 for over a year. I have had Vonage for longer than that. Their receivers cannot support Vonage as a phone provider and they are very rude when you ask them why. They charge an additional 4.99 a month if the receiver is not connected to a phone line. I asked them to forgo the additional charge on the 942 and they were rude that I would even ask such a thing. Look, it's their lack of forsight that has caused the problem with the oledre and new 622 DVR'. When I asked if the newer 622 was going to support Vonage they treated me badly again. Their Charlie Chat is a Joke. I'ts all staged for the questions THEY WANT to answer, not for questions that will actually help make the product better.
User Rating:
4.0 stars
out of 119 user reviews
It was a rough start but it's smooth sailing
Pros: It has the bells and whistles and will work with future (for TV) jpeg4 technology
Cons: It's new - we had to replace both the 44 switch needed for Sky Angel as well as the 622.
Review: Installation took a while as we needed to keep the 61.5 dish as well as upgrade to the Dish 1000. We had problems about ten years ago with the original Dish Player and had it replaced. The 622 also quit/died about 45 minutes after the installers left. Tech support wasn't sure if it was the switch or the 622 that was the problem. I thought it was likely both. Within a couple days replacements for both the switch and 622 arrived. The replacements have been working about two weeks - no nasty problems. I have needed to 'reboot' the 622 twice...holding the unit's power button for about twelve seconds each time. The unit has worked fine otherwise. We have the full programing of Dish/Voom HD as well as the local HDs of the Detroit/Flint/Lansing areas. Now if someone could explain why Comcast and Charter want us to ditch the dish for cable when they recieve just about everything from satellite themselves...
User Rating:
2.0 stars
out of 119 user reviews
Not Ready for Prime Time
Pros: Dual Tuner
Cons: Crash, bug, reboot
Review: This unit has promise, but do us, and you a favor and dont release something until you have it working in a dependable fashion. The ideas are great, the features are wonderful, the application sucks.
User Rating:
4.0 stars
out of 119 user reviews
Anyone looking for an HD DVR? The 622 should be on your "short list"!
Pros: Speed, picture, remote, user interface, multiple output options
Cons: Slightly confusing when attempting to create recording schedule.
Review: WOW! My first Dish DVR was the 921 (the grandfather of the new 622). Buggy and never fullfilled the advertised features.
My new 622 is stable and performs far better in nealry every way by comparison.
I liked the 622 that I've leased so much I have decided to purchase a second unit (with which I am equally as pleased).
I have the secondary "TV2" outputs, modulated into my home's antenna system and have picked up a couple additional remote controls. Now any TV in the house can pause live TV while someone in another room can continue watching Martha Stewart!
I highly recommend it!
My new 622 is stable and performs far better in nealry every way by comparison.
I liked the 622 that I've leased so much I have decided to purchase a second unit (with which I am equally as pleased).
I have the secondary "TV2" outputs, modulated into my home's antenna system and have picked up a couple additional remote controls. Now any TV in the house can pause live TV while someone in another room can continue watching Martha Stewart!
I highly recommend it!
User Rating:
1.0 stars
out of 119 user reviews
Do not buy this product
Pros: MPEG-4 is the only good thing here
Cons: over heats contastly
Review: DO NOT BUY THIS PIECE OF CRAP! I have had nothing but headaches with this equipment and Dish Network in general. I have gone 3 through 622s and all had the same problem, they all over heat. This box runs super hot to where it can almost burn your hand. First i had the box in my cabinet, that is well ventilated, with my receiver and xbox 360. All seemed great but after just 45 minutes of watching TV a screen would appear saying the box is running to hot and I need to unplug it to have it cooled off. Next I took it out of the cabinet and put it on a shelf that was completely open; now it only over heats every 90 minutes. I called Dish and they would send me a replacement VIP 622 "free" of charge. Well I received the new box with in 5 days and sent the old one back and guess what it still over heated. Heck this thing would over heat in a blizzard and Dish was so "kind" to charge me again, $300, for this. Talked to dish again about the problem with the box and they said the would ship another replacement, and yes they have charged me another $300 for this replacement even though it is supposed to free since it is a replacement. The only saving grace in all of this is the people at sprint they have put my ONE MONTH BILL of over $1000 in dispute. I have cancelled my dish network as of 4-11-06 and tried to ask for a refund on this equipment since it has never worked which they refuse to but I have to return the box or they will charge me the full amount for the box. I have put up with Dish for 7 weeks and thank god the local cable company is now in our area so these guys no longer have me buy the short and curlies. I would tell anyone interested in Dish not to do it, unless you are into S&M.
User Rating:
4.5 stars
out of 119 user reviews
Best DVR Out There
Pros: Best Picture, Super Fast Responds and Easy to use Interface
Cons: Will only record DISH programming or OTA TV
Review: The ViP622 is worth your money or lease. Super fast speed when changing channels, dual tuner, PIP, etc, etc. Honestly I love this DVR, the only draw back is that you can't connect any other inputs like a camcorder, etc. You can't stream, move or copy recording to your PC either. Other then those minor issues this DVR will enhance your DISH experience.
User Rating:
4.5 stars
out of 119 user reviews
Great DVR!
Pros: Almost everything about it.
Cons: Video stutter once--I skipped back 10 seconds from a live recording, so it was delayed, and no more stutter. I rarely watch anything "live" any more anyway.
Review: This is a great box! I've had an HD-ready TV for 2 years waiting for this MPEG4, HD DVR, and it's been worth the wait. I have had no restarts, no lip-synch problems, and since I almost never watch anything "live," I only encountered the video stutter once, which was easily fixed as described above. My area has no HD locals through Dish Network, and I can get only PBS and ABC OTA in HD. I haven't encountered any problems in recording these two local stations using the OTA tuner.
I have read about the problems listed in the review, but I've not had them. I record at least 2-4 programs each day, and some evenings many more.
My Pocketdish syncs up nicely via USB and is a great way to play programs downloaded from my 622, play music, view photos, or play games. It's a great companion to the 622!
I have read about the problems listed in the review, but I've not had them. I record at least 2-4 programs each day, and some evenings many more.
My Pocketdish syncs up nicely via USB and is a great way to play programs downloaded from my 622, play music, view photos, or play games. It's a great companion to the 622!
Updated
I've now had this receiver for exactly 7 months. Still no problems for me. I use HDMI to a 61", rear projection, HD-ready TV. With the start of the new season of shows, I'm recording 2-3 programs per hour most weeknights, so more than ever before with no glitches.
My 622 is in a cabinet, but I keep the door open. It's in my basement which is cooler than the rest of the house, but I have never had any messages that the receiver is running too hot.
I still think it's great and am glad I have it!
I've now had this receiver for exactly 7 months. Still no problems for me. I use HDMI to a 61", rear projection, HD-ready TV. With the start of the new season of shows, I'm recording 2-3 programs per hour most weeknights, so more than ever before with no glitches.
My 622 is in a cabinet, but I keep the door open. It's in my basement which is cooler than the rest of the house, but I have never had any messages that the receiver is running too hot.
I still think it's great and am glad I have it!
Updated
I've now had this receiver for exactly 7 months. Still no problems for me. I use HDMI to a 61", rear projection, HD-ready TV. With the start of the new season of shows, I'm recording 2-3 programs per hour most weeknights, so more than ever before with no glitches.
My 622 is in a cabinet, but I keep the door open. It's in my basement which is cooler than the rest of the house, but I have never had any messages that the receiver is running too hot.
I still think it's a great receiver and am glad I have it!
I've now had this receiver for exactly 7 months. Still no problems for me. I use HDMI to a 61", rear projection, HD-ready TV. With the start of the new season of shows, I'm recording 2-3 programs per hour most weeknights, so more than ever before with no glitches.
My 622 is in a cabinet, but I keep the door open. It's in my basement which is cooler than the rest of the house, but I have never had any messages that the receiver is running too hot.
I still think it's a great receiver and am glad I have it!
User Rating:
4.0 stars
out of 119 user reviews
Amazing Box, ONCE they finally debug it....
Pros: Mpeg4, Required for HD Locals from Dish Network
Cons: Audio dropouts, Flaky Season Pass-like Timers
Review: This will be a great box once they stabilize the code.
As a subscriber from the New York City DMA, I can get the Big 4 Networks in HD. All but Fox are great (the Fox feed is full of audio drops that will have you climbing the walls and switching to SD mushyvision in frustration -- at least in my area).
Large hard drive, can be hooked up to PocketDish, a PSP looking portable player that can make your recordings portable. A USB port on the front makes a handy charger for you XBox 360 wireless controller users (it is always on as opposed to the 360 which kills power to the port when the unit is off).
Lightning fast guide scrolling (Tivo users will get whiplash). Two satellite tuners PLUS an OTA tuner for those within range of their local affiliates lets you laugh in the face of sadistic network programmers who decide to put all their best shows against each other (Sunday 9pm anyone?).
HDMI output or Components, your choice.... Both look good. Can be set to output to 480i or p, 720p, or 1080i. If you have a DVI input only on your TV you will need an HDMI-DVI cable (only standard RCA patch cords and a coaxial cable are supplied - no HD unless you spring for a cable). If you want to reuse your eexisting DVI to DVI cable, you can buy an adapter to save you from having to drop another $100+ on a new cable.
All in all a good box. The score jumps to 9 if they ever get the code totally stable.
Note: Filmfest, a Voom Channel only available on Dish has gotten the rights to most of the James Bond films. Mmmmm, Bond in HD. This box is the only way you can record it (unless you use the non PVR mpeg 4 receiver from Dish)
As a subscriber from the New York City DMA, I can get the Big 4 Networks in HD. All but Fox are great (the Fox feed is full of audio drops that will have you climbing the walls and switching to SD mushyvision in frustration -- at least in my area).
Large hard drive, can be hooked up to PocketDish, a PSP looking portable player that can make your recordings portable. A USB port on the front makes a handy charger for you XBox 360 wireless controller users (it is always on as opposed to the 360 which kills power to the port when the unit is off).
Lightning fast guide scrolling (Tivo users will get whiplash). Two satellite tuners PLUS an OTA tuner for those within range of their local affiliates lets you laugh in the face of sadistic network programmers who decide to put all their best shows against each other (Sunday 9pm anyone?).
HDMI output or Components, your choice.... Both look good. Can be set to output to 480i or p, 720p, or 1080i. If you have a DVI input only on your TV you will need an HDMI-DVI cable (only standard RCA patch cords and a coaxial cable are supplied - no HD unless you spring for a cable). If you want to reuse your eexisting DVI to DVI cable, you can buy an adapter to save you from having to drop another $100+ on a new cable.
All in all a good box. The score jumps to 9 if they ever get the code totally stable.
Note: Filmfest, a Voom Channel only available on Dish has gotten the rights to most of the James Bond films. Mmmmm, Bond in HD. This box is the only way you can record it (unless you use the non PVR mpeg 4 receiver from Dish)
%20-%20Video%20Players%20and%20Recorders%20-%20CNET%20Archive&srcUrl=http://reviews.cnet.com/video-players-and-recorders/dish-network-vip622-200/1707-6463_7-31778299.html&x_breadcrumb=6449:6463){kind=small}