Compare PVR 721 and 508 and 522

[MAllen]

Hello!!

I have been a PVR 721 user since late July (ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT!!). I replaced one of my 5000's with the 721, I still have a 5000 in the master br. I have gotten spoiled by the better, faster Program Guide on the 721. I have been thinking of updating the 2nd 5000 and can't decide if I want to spend the $$ on a 721 or get in on the upgrade of the 5000 to a 508 special. I KNOW the features of the 721 (dual recievers, more time, etc.). What i want to know is how does the 508 compare otherwise?? Also, I see that a 522 is coming out next year Q1 or Q2. Does anyone know about the 522 and how IT compares. I have a Dish 500 with a DishPro Quad LNBF, so I HAVE the necessary outputs for 508/522/721. I DO NOT receive locals on DBS YET (I hope Dish will add us sometime so I can tell the Cable Co adios for my locals... $13.85 a month for basic 10 channels).

BTW, to all those not in favor of merger.... In the 3 plus years I have had DBS, Cable in my area has gone up almost 100% compared to less than 4% that Dish has increased for WAY more channels. My $.02.... LOL.

[Jacob S]

You may want to wait until the 522 comes out. The 501/508 had an interface just like the 301's and all other opentv receivers have. It can only record for 30 hours (501) 60 hours (508) and does not have PIP, nor will it have internet features when that becomes available.

[BobaBird]

Isn't the 522 going to be more of a "dual tuner 508" with the OpenTV interface and no internet?

[MAllen]

Hmmm, if the 522 has 2 tuners.......... sounds great. The 2nd receiver does not need to have ALL the features of a 721 and I am NOT interested in internet on DBS (I currently have ADSL, VERY fast). What I miss in the BR is the fast PG, the better PG interface of the 721 over the 5000 (the 721 has the mini TV window while browsing, program descriptions are better and faster .... NO WAITING as on the 5000 and the 5000 PG is HORRIBLE. Sigh..... ignorance is bliss..... I DID NOT KNOW WHAT I WAS MISSING on the 5000 untile I got the 721, LOL. I DO miss the local link feature of the 5000 though. Lemme know what yall think.

[J.W.]

I too am interested in the 522. I can then transfer my 508 upstairs where my 301 is now... and man I don't like not being able to rewind/pause/etc.... very spoiled downstairs!

[Scott Greczkowski]

You can move your receivers anywhere you want in your house. :)

[gcutler]

Originally posted by Scott Greczkowski
You can move your receivers anywhere you want in your house. :)

Oh, many households contain a "XX" Chromosomed-Americans, who gets nervous when recievers and cables are in hand. So your statement is conditional :D

[Geronimo]

Well in many homes, including my own, the concerns of the XX Chromosomer are the result of experience.

[TomCat]

I am intimately familiar with both 501 and 721 (not that way! You perverts!) and they are almost so different from each other that it might be hard to guess that they come from the same vendor, other than the remote looks similar. Since they are products of different platforms and development lines, their similarities will always probably be related to the desires of a single guiding force only. In short, a 522 will likely never be a stripped-down 721.

Keep this in mind: the 501/8/22 has a history of instability, but seems to be much better now. Yet, it is still based on OpenTV, which may account for its instability. The 721 is not an OpenTV-based platform and has finally been around long enough to be considered a stable box, and very shortly it will get a significant feature upgrade.

Unless the 522 is significantly lower in price than the 721 once it debuts, there should be few reasons to go that route, and some certainly against it.

BTW, I worried that the remotes would be too similar, and I still do grab the wrong one occasionally, but they feel significantly different once you pick them up (the 721 remote is slightly larger and heftier), so it hasn't really been a problem.

[Jacob S]

There is a reason to go to the route of the 522 over the 721, it will be able to have two people in two different rooms view different programs from the same receiver at the same time. This was a HUGE mistake on the 721 in which they should have made it to do this. I am guessing it will come with two UHF remotes. The receiver casing itself will look like the 721 (it will have to have the larger hard drive thus the larger casing just as the 721 has) but I think it will be in black.

[Steve Mehs]

it will be able to have two people in two different rooms view different programs from the same receiver at the same time.

And likely, NO $5 mirror fee, since there will be only one smart card.

[Jacob S]

That in addition to the $10-$13 a month one would save on not having to pay for the PVR functionality, makes it a total of $15-$18 a month saved, in which would eventually make up for the cost of the receiver in probably about a couple three years.

Has DirecTv mentioned implementing a product such as this where two people can view two things in two rooms on the same receiver at once?

[Chris Freeland]

I would not be to surprised if the 522 ends up replacing the 508, just like the 508 replaced the 501 for the same price, this would partly explain why it is taking so long for E* to bring out the 522. If my hunch is correct this would give E* a much better product to compete against the D*DVR Powered by TIVO, and without an extra service fee too boot.

[Jacob S]

I doubt it, because they would not have brought out the 508 to replace the 501 just to bring out the 522 to replace it. It would still cost more money for that second tuner and extra hard drive space that I think there will be.

[Bob Haller]

wEll the 522 will have NO mirror fee.:)

Frankly if the 522 looks good I may sell my 721.

I buy a receiver to watch tv, not surf the web or play games. This fluff can add tech bugs which we really dont need...

[MAllen]

Does anyone know where I can see a FULL list of features for the PVR 522????

[Jacob S]

Bob Haller, you have a point, I know that if I want to surf the net using the tv I can get a wireless keyboard for my computer and a tv/video card to use it as if I would on a 721 or dishplayer or webtv. It would cost just as much if not cheaper and would be better because you would not be limited to what you can do with it like you would be with webtv/dishplayer/721

[Bob Haller]

ARGGGH, about products built to be all things to all people and do none well. Designed by comitee:( I would rather have a fantastic rock solid receiver with no extraneous stuff....

In all fairness the 721 is a nice if somewhat buggy receiver, Mine flaked again today. Just freezes and looses it. Stuck with the password code page stuck on, and didnt tape all of my PPV. Fortunately it was a all day ticket.

[Jacob S]

That must be one reason for the all day ticket, that and in case a storm comes and you did not get to see part of it. This way you dont have as many excuses to not have gotten to watching the PPV movie. That must be why all ppv's are now all day tickets except the expensive ones.

I am surprised there has not been more of a popular demand for viewing everything that normally comes onto a computer moniter on a television with a wireless keyboard, something similar to webtv, only you can do everything a pc does because you are using the pc. You could use it all over your house even using cones and wireless transmitters. Where could I buy the video cards and wireless keyboards at? The Radioshacks I have been to does not sell them and I would hate to have to drive somewhere a good ways from me to order one then have to drive all the way back to get it when it comes in. I would like to find them in stock.

[BobaBird]

The 522 is on the EKB receiver comparison chart (http://ekb.dbstalk.com/101). Note the 522 info there is just a compilation of internet discussion.

[MAllen]

Boba,

I have seen the EKB comparison chart, but it DOES NOT give ALL information about the receivers. Take a look at the information about the 721. A LOT of 721 features are not listed, so I can only surmise what the 522 has in features. Thanks though. Does the 522 have two DBS receivers built in as the 721 does??

[Bob Haller]

522 is two complete receivers in one box with one access card and no mirro fee cause it just one card.

[Jacob S]

Is the ONLY difference between te 501 and 522 that it has a bigger hard drive and two tuners instead of one in which can be seen independantly on two tv's at once?

[Chris Freeland]

Originally posted by Jacob S
Is the ONLY difference between te 501 and 522 that it has a bigger hard drive and two tuners instead of one in which can be seen independantly on two tv's at once?

From the info that I have seen, this is correct, which is fine with me, I prefer surfing the web with my laptop and do not need it on my set-top box. The 721 is way to expensive for my wallet.;)

[Jacob S]

Yes, but I wonder if there will be much cost difference between the 522 and the 721. I also wonder if they are going to make a two tuner 721 in the future making it a 722 for outputs to two tv's to watch two shows in two rooms at the same time. They should have done that in the first place, I wonder why they have chosen not to. The 508 being $300 for a receiver, and the 721 being $500, I would think that the 522 would b$400. The receiver with the dish (complete system) would be an extra $50. They might even lower the price a little like they do from time to time say by $50 or more to make the system prices and even amount and to get more buyers and when their costs drop.

[mallen4258]

I talked to Mark at DishDepot today (a friend is thinking of dropping his cable for DBS), I was asking questions for the friend. Mark told me that the 522 WAS supposed to be a 2 tuner receiver, BUT the specs were not finalized. Even tho the 522 is scheduled for Q1 03, think about the 721. I was told originally by Dish the 721 would be out Q3 or Q4 01 and it was not REALLY out until Q3 02, sooooo well see.

I love my 721, BUT its kinda LOUD for my Bedroom. Is the 508/522 any quieter????

[BobaBird]

MAllen, I asked a couple months ago for people to point out errors and omissions on the chart. The responses I got (http://www.dbstalk.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=8392) were very helpful but there was nothing about the 721. Looks like a line is needed for dual tuners and discrete outputs.

I don't mind you shortening my screen name but Boba is a different member.

[Bob Haller]

Put your noisey 500 or 700 series in a different room. Easy permanent fix if the sound botrhers you.

In another year theres a 544 coming out kinda a whole house server.

[MAllen]

BobaBird,

Sorry about shortening your name. I did not know. Also to Admin MAllen and mallen4258 are both ME (i was on a different PC, when I responded).

Thanks for the Chart, IT IS EXCELLENT for what it DOES HAVE! I am just looking for a source that has more information (that probably is not yet available, lol) about the 522 receiver. I am also still looking for information as to the noise level of the 508/522 as compared to the 721. Moving the receiver to another room IS NOT AN OPTION.

Thanks to all, I truly glad that I found this Forum, as it has answered MANY questions that I have had.

[Chris Freeland]

If the 522 does not replace the 508, I think it will only be $50 over the price of the 508. With all of the current E* promos their is only a $49 premium to add a 2nd receiver. Since it appears that the 522 is basically two 508's in one box with one hard drive and one access card, it should cost no more then $50 over the price of a 508.

[Geronimo]

I guess it comes down to whether the 522 is more like the 508 or the 721. The two tuners, and separate outputs pushes me to think the 721. But I suppose you can look at it differently.

[Jacob S]

I think it will easily be $100 over the price of a 508. If they only sold the 522 $50 more than the 508 then they would not sell hardly any 508's. Only having one access card should help on costs though. Is the only extra cost the bigger casing and extra tuner along with bigger hard drive? That should not cost too much extra but I think $100 would be about the cost.

[MAllen]

ANYONE OUT THERE have a 508 AND a 721??? How do they compare??? Is the 508 as LOUD as the 721 when in standby mode?? How do the PG features compare?? How does the quickness of the PG compare??? Does the 508 have the SAME PG as the 721?? Is the PQ on the 508 as good as the 721 or even a 5000 (which is what I have in the BR now)? Who killed Jimmy Hoffa?? Inquiring minds want to know...... LOL.

[Jacob S]

The program guide quickness is about the same, the guide looks like the dishplayer's (7100, 7200) and the PQ is the same. The 721 has more features. I think the 721 is louder than the 508 because of its larger hard drive but quieter than the dishplayer. There is another thread showing what the guide looks like on the 721. The 508 guide looks the same as the 301 and other opentv receivers but the quide is quicker on both the 508 and 721 because the guide is stored on the hard drive and you can go out for 9 days. You can press the skip ahead button and go the next day in advance in the same time slot.

[MAllen]

Jacob,

Thanks for the info. I have a 721 (4+ months and loving it) and a 5000 (3+ years but, boy do I miss Local Link on the 721). I LOVE my 721, but I think it would be too loud for the master BR (I can hear mine in the LR when TV&AV receiver is off). I have never seen the guide on a DP/301/501/508/OpenTV, so I don't know what the PG looks like. I REALLY like the PG on the 721, MUCH BETTER than the one on my 5000.

[BobaBird]

OpenTV screenshots: http://www.dishretailer.com/opentv.html. This shows 4 channels with video in the corner or you can choose 6 channels but no video (or even sound). More info at http://ekb.dbstalk.com/68 .

[Jacob S]

Trust me, the 721 has a better program guide than the 301 and 501 although the program guides on those are not too bad either. It is better than the first Dish receivers that came out that do not have OpenTv platform.

[MAllen]

Charles/BobaBird,

Thanks, that helped a lot. Quite a bit different from the 721, AND WAY different from the plain vanilla (AND SLOW) no video/sound, limited info PG of my 5000.

[Jacob S]

I also believe the 522 is going to be more like the 508 than the 721. The 921 will be more like the 721 than the 508. Also being that a second receiver usually costs $99 I think that the price increase of that amount for the two tuners for two seperate tv's would also increase by that much in that both would have pvr functions and no additional charge for the second receiver. If one would pay $99 more for a second receiver vs. how much more the 522 may cost, they would be paying more per month and have no pvr functions.

[NThomas76207]

You may want to wait until the 522 comes out. The 501/508 had an interface just like the 301's and all other opentv receivers have. It can only record for 30 hours (501) 60 hours (508) and does not have PIP, nor will it have internet features when that becomes available.

What Internet features???

[Pepper]

Thanks for resurrecting a thread that would have been two years old tomorrow!

Some people surmised that because the box looks like a 721 which was supposed to get Internet access, and it has a USB port on the box, that the 522 was also going to get Internet. I seriously doubt it.

[Bill R]

Thanks for resurrecting a thread that would have been two years old tomorrow!


This thread is a good example of why old threads should be locked.

[Bob Haller]

This thread is a good example of why old threads should be locked.

No harm is done and going down memory lane can be fun:)