Want a PVR fpr $199??

[Scott Greczkowski]

Well it appears that both Dish Network and DirecTV are trying to get existing customers to upgrade to the latest PVR technolgies!

For $199 you can get a brand new PVR.

From Dish Network you can get a new 501/508 for $199
http://www.dishnetwork.com/content/offers/501_upgrade/index.shtml

Of course from DirecTV you can get a new Seires Two DirecTivo HDRV2 Dual Tuner unit.

http://www.directv.com/see/landing/dvro.html

The DirecTV offer looks better as its a Dual Tuner. Perhaps the 721 should be $199 not the 501/508. :)

No matter which one you get you will never want to watch TV without a PVR again. :D

[Randy_B]

Regardless of which PVR someone might chooses, it is without doubt the most innovative and useful piece of entertainment technology since the introduction of the television itself.

I think many folks are a bit incredulous when someone tells them the PVR changes the way you watch TV, but after getting one they couldn't imagine not having one.

Dish or DirecTV, just get one!!

[Curtis0620]

The Directv deal includes installation and a multiswitch.

[Steve Mehs]

My mom is going to take advantage of the $150 deal for the 501/508 so she can dump her VCR.

[tampa8]

I resisted for a long time, believing I had no use for a PVR. Finally got the $199 deal on the 508 and don't know how I lived without it. With the 9 day guide, search feature, and choice of recording to disc or tape you can't beat it. How many times have you started watching a show and then said "I should have recorded this?" Now even after the start of a program you can go back and record it.

[Steve Mehs]

I only record 5-6 shows a week, could easily do that with a VCR, but the biggest advantages of the 508 for me is

-The ability to pause and rewind live tv
-9 day EPG
-No waiting for the guide to get info or for program info
-UHF remote & DD/PCM & local channel mapping

My mom will like this for here idiotic soaps on CBS and the Lifetime crap she watches. She'll like the local channel mapping and now she'll be able to check her lottery numbers on here own tv. No matter how many times and ways I explain the buffer, my mom cannot under stand how you can pause live tv.

[cnsf]

It's best when someone decides to talk to you during a key point in the show/movie and you have the option to signal them by pausing or you can just rewind when they're done......

Also, having a LOT of space make life so much easier without having to delete and manage constantly. The one advantage of Tivo is its upgradability vs. the Dish PVR which has the HD married to it.

[BARRY757]

It's nice to see DISH let you get two 501/508's this time.

Charlie stated only one but the fine print states 2 can be purchased at the $199 price with commitment.

Wow a $240 cancellation fee for dropping down from AT 100 or canceling service.

Thats quite a profit on something they are only discounting $100.

[gcutler]

The New Techies Prayer "May all your recievers be PVRs"

I have a TiVo in the Living room, and a 508 upstairs (often doing identical things so I can view in either room) but the Freeze Frame or Instant Replay or Cached Guide or 30 Minute Pause have become "Baselines" of civilization. :D

[Mike123abc]

I have resisted the urge to get a PVR because I want to be able to get HDTV. Too bad they did not make the 721 able to get HDTV. They could have made it with 8PSK and the ability to just down res it to standard definition it has the decoder chip in it for decoding and scaling in it already. I have TVs where I like watching the HDTV even though they are not HDTV sets. HBO/Showtime look a lot better even scaled down, plus now Discovery HDT only in HDTV.

[alfbinet]

Steve, what you consider "crap" is someone else's "desired programming". Some folks may like to watch MTV (I did in the 80's, until I grew out of it) and like "Rap" (talk about "Crap")...to each his own. Evidently the Soaps do OK as does Lifetime. Believe it or not more than a few folks (men as well) don't like all the sports programming that is out there. Thankfully there is enough programming for everyone.

I was going through my locals list this past weekend and all that was on was sports. We should all be grateful we have a choice. Man, I am old enough to remember when we only had NBC, ABC, and CBS off an "off air antenna".

[James_F]

Best reason for a PVR? Monk on USA. That damn thing moves around so much you can't use a VCR.

[gcutler]

Originally posted by James_F
Best reason for a PVR? Monk on USA. That damn thing moves around so much you can't use a VCR.

Also original programming on Showtime, I have yet to see the final episode of "Beggars and Choosers" or " Rude Awakening" even though when they were on I set my vcr to record it every week at the same time. :)

[raj2001]

Wait a minute, I thought the HDVR2 was already $199?

[Jacob S]

The Direct $199 receiver has a monthly fee charged where the Dish $199 does not and includes installation and a Dish 500 if you do not have one as well. Some have said that they got the deal for $99.

[Scott Greczkowski]

For what its worth, I have heard the lowest they will go now is $149. They will no longer offer the $99 upgrade to anyone.

Also note that if you get one of these deals you are locked at AT 100 or above for a year, if you cancel or downgrade below AT100 there is a $240 fee charged by Dish (which is quite a hefty profit considering they are only knocking $100 of the suggested retail price)

[Curtis0620]

Originally posted by Jacob S
The Direct $199 receiver has a monthly fee charged where the Dish $199 does not and includes installation and a Dish 500 if you do not have one as well. Some have said that they got the deal for $99.

The D* deal includes installation and a multiswitch if needed for FREE.

[Win Joy Jr]

Originally posted by Jacob S
The Direct $199 receiver has a monthly fee charged where the Dish $199 does not and includes installation and a Dish 500 if you do not have one as well. Some have said that they got the deal for $99.

IF you do not sub to the Platinum package. Throw in the free multiswitch, who cares about the PVR fee...

[Curtis0620]

You can't compare a 2 tuner Tivo to a single tuner PVR501.

[Karl Foster]

Originally posted by Win Joy Jr


who cares about the PVR fee...

... not me, but for some, that $.16 per day fee is a deal-breaker, and worthy of constant complaint.

[Jacob S]

That pvr fee is a big deal to some. If someone watches enough tv and think it is worth paying extra for it and can afford it, then they would be better off with Tivo, but Dish is cheaper, Tivo is better, so you just get what you pay for. If you have all the channels on DirecTv in that one package I think someone mentioned it was the Platinum package, then you dont have to pay the fee anyways so thats the way to go, but some will not always have that high of a package, sometimes people downgrade their service.

[Kevin]

The ad is $199 for an upgrade to 501/508. So what determines which reciever I will get? And what are the differences between the two?

[DarrellP]

The 501/508 option stinks. Kevin, the 501 has a 40GB drive while the 508 has an 80GB drive. You get roughly 30 hrs of record time on the 501 & 60 on the 508, other than that they are identical.

I would not buy into this unless I could be guaranteed a 508. It's a ripoff offering one or the other for the same price.

[Steve Mehs]

Kevin, it depends on if the retailer in your area, that will insall the PVR still has any 501s left. They will give out 501s until their supply is gone, then the start giving out the 508s.

[Kevin]

Ahhh that sucks, if there was some sort of certainty about getting the 508 I wouldn't hesitate to take this offer. If I got the 501 I would be kicking myself when the hard drive fills up, knowing that I could have had double the hard drive space for the same price.

Is there any way to guarantee that I can get the 508? Should I play some "CSR roulette" and see what gets offered to me?

[Bardman]

As a former owner of a 501 and now an owner of an HDVR2, I can say that PVRs are great, but a dual tuner is even better....

Plus being able to set an auto-record wishlist and let the Tivo find the programs I desire is even better!!!! I hardly ever use the on-screen guide anymore.

[Kenster]

I have Direct TV with Ultimate TV now so I already have a dual tuner. Do you think it would be worth the $200 to go to the Tivo? I pay an extra $10 per month for UTV and the Tivo would only be $4.95 but it would take a long time to recoup the $200 at $4.95 a month. If I kept the UTV and replaced my basic receiver (for which I pay an extra $5.00 per month) with the Tivo deal, would I still have to pay the $5.00 fee for an extra receiver PLUS the $4.95 Tivo charge?
Also, my father-in-law has Dish. I've talked to him about getting a 501/508 upgrade but I think he'd be better off switching to D* for the Tivo. Does the Tivo offer apply to new customers?

[bhawley]

2. Enroll in Credit Card Autopay if not already enrolled.
Deal killer.

[Kenster]

Originally posted by bhawley
2. Enroll in Credit Card Autopay if not already enrolled.
Deal killer.

Why was that a deal killer. I have CC autopay now and find it very convenient. Mine goes to my Discover card so, with the annual cashback, I'm getting a small discount on D*!

[Steve Mehs]

Looks like my mom is defiantly getting a 508. Earlier she called up the retailer that provides the upgrades and they have no more 501s in stock.

[bhawley]

Originally posted by Kenster


Why was that a deal killer. I have CC autopay now and find it very convenient. Mine goes to my Discover card so, with the annual cashback, I'm getting a small discount on D*!



www.dbsforums.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=002541 (http://www.dbsforums.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=002541)

[jrjcd]

i think i'll just wait and get a PVR off ebay and keep my non contract subscription...too many needless hoops to jump thru just for a sat receiver...

[raj2001]

Originally posted by Kenster
I have Direct TV with Ultimate TV now so I already have a dual tuner. Do you think it would be worth the $200 to go to the Tivo? I pay an extra $10 per month for UTV and the Tivo would only be $4.95 but it would take a long time to recoup the $200 at $4.95 a month. If I kept the UTV and replaced my basic receiver (for which I pay an extra $5.00 per month) with the Tivo deal, would I still have to pay the $5.00 fee for an extra receiver PLUS the $4.95 Tivo charge?
Also, my father-in-law has Dish. I've talked to him about getting a 501/508 upgrade but I think he'd be better off switching to D* for the Tivo. Does the Tivo offer apply to new customers?

I honestly liked the UTV more than TiVo, because it has PiP and a nicer looking interface. I had the DSR6000 in my bedroom, but hardly used it. But when my UTV died, D* told me it would take 2 weeks to fix. So I decided to just buy another TiVo since D* was supporting them more than UTV, and the $5 fee versus $10 for UTV.

[Jacob S]

If you get a used Dish PVR you better get the extended $1.99/mo. warranty or you will lose a lot of money in your investment when the hard drive or tuner goes bad.

[styxfix]

Originally posted by bhawley
2. Enroll in Credit Card Autopay if not already enrolled.
Deal killer.

It shouldn't be a deal killer. Do what I did.

1). Get your PVR and agree to sign up for C.C autopay.

2). After your all set up and before you get your bill arrives (a least a week before) call up and CANCEL credit card auto pay. You can say your card is MAX out after buying the PVR.

It only says you have to sign up for autopay. It doesn't say for how long.;)