721 pricing

[mrush99]

So after getting the new 508 installed and working I get a request from the girlfriend for a unit that will let her watch tv while I record something. Seems that I have been hogging the pvr. Obviously I need to get a dual tuner pvr to accomidate this request.

I know my two options right now are the 721 or the DirecTivo. I have a RPTV and must have a integrated unit to the picture qual issues. The question I have is there anyway to get a 721 purchased and installed for a reasonable amount of money or am I better off just going to a new sub DirecTIVO route. BTW, currently a part of the DHP if that makes any dif.

I guess this all boils down to: is dish going to lower the price of the 721 anytime soon or provide a less expensive 2-tuner pvr system anytime soon?

Thanks for the advice!

[DmitriA]

In terms of PVR prices alone, DirecTIVO is probably going to beat 721 by a few hundred $$. However, you also need to take into account the programming costs of the packages you are interested in on E* and D*. If you are going to stick with the provider long enough, the price difference in the receivers is probably going to be insignificant if one has a cheaper package for the programming you want than the other

[Bill R]

When comparing the DISH PVR721 with a DirecTV Hughes HDVR2 you have to look at what you are getting for your money. The 721 has a 120 GB drive. The HDVR2 has a 40 GB drive. Also, with the 721 there is no monthly PVR fee. With the HDVR2 you have to pay $4.99 a month for the DVR feature unless you subscribe to DirecTV's Total Choice Premier package.

[Bill D]

Also what I feel is a big difference is the remote control; UHF (721) vs IR (Tivo). I know there are ways around this but again it requires purchasing at the very least those $40 or $50 pyramids

[Karl Foster]

If you are fine with the time-based recording style of the Dish PVR's, the the 721 may be the way to go.

If you are interested in time-based (or event-based) recording, you will need to switch.

If spending $5 per month is too much for Tivo service, then don't buy it, but try to do the following on a Dish PVR 721:

Set your PVR 721 to record "Friends" on whatever station it is on whenever it is on (NBC, TBS, local syndication), and not miss the last ten minutes of a super-sized edition.

Set your PVR 721 to record "American Idol" every time it is on - (sometimes it is 60 minutes, 30-minutes, or even 90-minutes) and only have to set the PVR once.

Record your favorite sports team no matter what station they are on and no matter what time they are on (also a little jab at not having MLBEI or NFLST).

Record your favorite music artist no matter what show, time, or station they are on.

The search features of the Tivo on Directv are well worth the $4.99 per month IMHO. The hard drive is easy enough to upgrade, although that is an extra cost.

The $4.99 fee breaks down to 16 cents per day. It really isn't that big of a deal.

[mrush99]

Agreed....I am not all that concerned with monthyl cost as what I am paying for the DHP will more that cover the programming + tivo fee issue. Also, I can live with our without name based recording (until I get used to it I spose!)

I am most concerned with initial outlay of funds. It looks like I can get all the equip for the DirecTivo system for at least half the price of the 721. So that may be the kicker right there.

I was just curious if by this summer when the DHP ends if pricing might make the 721 more doable.

[greylar]

Maybe I don't understand what you need but how about getting another 508?

 

Greylar

[Randy_B]

I agree with greylay, If it is just to watch one program while another records, then save some more money and get a 301 and hook them to the same TV (Vid 1 and Vid 2). Cheap and simple.

karl_f, my 721 hasn't missed a SINGLE supersized episode of friends (it was supersized the first time I ever set it for Friends and has stayed that way). It has to do with what they put in they guide. If the Tivo schedule only describes it as a 30 minute show then your beloved Tivo will miss the last 10 minutes as well. ALL PVRs are dependent on the guide, Tivo is NOT magic.

I am curious as to what makes the search function better? Telepathy would be cool! :D

[bunkers]

One possible downside to the direcTIVO is that you also get the SLOWER program guide and the smaller fonts. If you TV isn't at least 31", then you may struggle to read those direcTIVO guides a bit. The guide is also considerably slower than the DISH guide -- and the screen redraw can be a little annoying (IMHO) -- but many TIVO users don't seem to mind it and will claim that you don't need the guide anyways (I disagree -- some still want to surf the old fashioned way now and then).

Some folks might also agree with me in that while TIVO does do its job very well (and the season pass really can't be beat), it has a lot of capabilities that you might not really need or want (or ever use). If you prefer speed and simplicity (and more recording time), then go for the 721 -- otherwise go direcTIVO -- either way you'll be happy.

[mrush99]

Thanks for all the input here about this. You all have made me think of some other options and new questions!

First having a second 301 on the same tv probably wont work as I really need pvr functions on the second tuner not just live.

Adding a second 508 migh be a good solution if I could get one for less than 200$ Problem here I think would be remote issues. When my orginal 501 wen dead and I hooked my 301 up to watch live tv I noticed that both remotes competed with each other for control. Is there a what to solve that?

Also what would I bee looking at to add another 501 to my DHP. I like having the warranty working for me with these units.

Thanks again.

[Danny R]

When my orginal 501 wen dead and I hooked my 301 up to watch live tv I noticed that both remotes competed with each other for control. Is there a what to solve that?

Change the address for the remote. Press the system info button ON THE RECEIVER, and then scroll down to the address and change it there.

[Halfsek]

As of Tuesday, I just switched from a 721 to a DirecTivo. I was getting fed up with shows being shuffled and times changing which the time based recording of the 721 couldn't keep up with. Not the 721's fault, but the station's fault.

Don't get me wrong, I really liked the 721. I never missed a scheduled recording. But, the Tivo does keep up with all changes in a show. Granted, if the Guide states a show as 1/2 hour but NBC decides to run it 40 minutes (into the next slot with a different show name) then nothing will record that 10 minutes.

But if the normal Friends is 1/2 hour this week when you set the Tivo, and next week it's a "Very Special Friends" of 1 hour, you'll get the whole thing; not so with the 721 (unless you reprogram it).

Once you realize how accurate name based recording is, you'll see how much better it is.

At any rate:

DirecTivo unit $199.00 (free installation)
120 gig Hinsdale Upgrade drive $225.00 (I don't have Windows, so I couldn't do it myself).
So that's $425.00
I think the 721 was $550.00++

DirecTv saves me about (including the Tivo fee) $15.00/month for the same programming that I had on Dish.

On the Hinsdale issue- I got the drive in about 3 days. It installed in about 5 minutes and now I have ~100 hours of recording time. The drive makes no noise. Now that I have both the DirecTivo and the 721 next to eachother, I can really appreciate how noisy the 721 is.

Let me say again that I really did like my 721. I think the team did and is doing a great job. But I'm one of those people that really like to see a series in order. Without the named based recordings I was missing way too many shows.

[TomCat]

Originally posted by karl_f
...try to do the following on a Dish PVR 721:

Set your PVR 721 to record "Friends" on whatever station it is on whenever it is on (NBC, TBS, local syndication), and not miss the last ten minutes of a super-sized edition.

Set your PVR 721 to record "American Idol" every time it is on - (sometimes it is 60 minutes, 30-minutes, or even 90-minutes) and only have to set the PVR once.

Record your favorite sports team no matter what station they are on and no matter what time they are on (also a little jab at not having MLBEI or NFLST).

Record your favorite music artist no matter what show, time, or station they are on...

If one is willing to check the listings every day or so, the 721/50x can do any of these jobs just fine, with the notable exception of the last one listed (finding a particular performer no matter where or when) which is the single capability I miss now that I have retired my Replays and Tivo, although a minor problem at worst. Of course it helps that I am not really in the market for the syndicated episodes of "Friends" (or really any other show), just primarily the new ones on the networks, and I've gone out of my way to never have seen even one second of "American Idol" or anything resembling it.

Since prime-time is so fluid I have got myself into the habit of checking the next day each night and setting individual records (rather than repeating) which catches moved shows, specials, supersizes, etc. with the press of a single button (actually, that's an exaggeration...Replay can do this with the press of a single button, it takes a few presses on the 721). Bottom line, though, it's no bother at all, takes less than the length of a single commercial break to accomplish, rarely if ever misses anything, and has worked well for me for some time. But if I had to do that using Tivo's inscrutably side-ways EPG and penchant for needing 3 button presses while other PVR's need one...that and waiting while the way-too-saccharine graphics slide back and forth on the screen for no apparent reason...I'd be there all night.

I actually find it much easier to find and record 100% of everything I want using DISH PVR's than I ever did using Tivo, regardless of its so-called superior search capabilities. On the other hand, if you are the type of person who might want to take less of a hands-on approach to recording, Tivo will probably catch and retain about 80% of what you might like to see with a true minimum of operator input. If you want to take the hands-on approach, the features of Tivo tend more to get in the way than to assist.

So, let Tivo do it all and get 80% of what you know you want and 50-75% of what you didn't even know you wanted (plus a ton of dreck Tivo thinks you want), or expend minimal effort with a 721 to get 100% of what you know you want and 0% of what you didn't know you wanted. After trying both methods, for me the second one is clearly the better choice.

[mrush99]

The above post pretty much describes me as well. I am pretty fanatic about checking the guide on the 508 and setting/fixing timers. That is why I said that I wasnt all that interesting in name based recording. However, the girlfriend is less technical/thorough and consistantly complains "why didnt you record that for me." Of course my response is "I didnt know you wanted to watch/were interested in that." Here is where I see the advantage of the tivo over the dish pvr. That and price.

So right now I am leaning towards the DirecTivo for the following reasons:

1. Initial outlay of funds

2. Name based recording

3. Expandability

So, having looked at a lot of other posts here it seems that these are similar issues others have had with dish pvr systems. As a matter of conversation does anybody think that the folks at dish see that and or care. It seems to me that they are not giving their customers exactly what they want. Playing it a bit like Micorsoft and just putting out something that is good enough and hoping that enough people adopt it to become standard/put the other guys outa bizness. I know for myself if my needs where being met I wouldnt even be looking at switching to another provider just to get hardware/software that fits my needs.

Thoughts?

[Halfsek]

From everything I've read while using the 721, the Dish crew is working on a name based system. It's invaluable when it comes to getting a season pass for a show. The best part is when you randomly come across a show you never heard of a love it. Instead of tracking down the next 4 weeks of it or so, have the PVR do it for you.
So I'm sure they're doing it. It's just a matter of time until it comes out.

[TerryC]

Where did you hear that, Halfsek? This is the first I've heard of even a rumor of it. Scott doesn't even know if this is in the works. I'd love to move back to Dish. Name based recording is the one and only reason why I went to DirecTV.

[Halfsek]

I'm with you. Name based recording is why I also switched- well, that and price. I don't have the time to constantly double check my timers. If a show moves, I want the PVR to move with it. And the experience I had with a Tivo before I got the 721 was 100% accuracy. Granted, the 721 was also 100% accuracte on my timers, it's just that the shows I wanted had moved.

As for the 721 having named based recording, it's just what I gathered while using the unit and reading different threads. There's no official word out that they're going to have it, but judging from what I've read from people in the know, the 721 team is aware of it and is looking for ways to legally use that sort of capability.