Dish Network DVR-921 HD DVR Reviewed

cblount writes "The Dish Network DVR-921 is the first home satellite receiver capable of recording and time shifting HDTV signals both from satellite and local Over-The-Air broadcasts. The first comprehensive review has been posted at DBSTalk.Com."

Time Warner

[NetJunkie]

Time Warner will start deploying the Scientific Atlanta HD PVR soon as well. I can't wait. Right now I have a TiVo for normal TV that I can't use when I watch an HD feed. That's really cut in to my TiVo use as I normally use it to rewind and pause sports, which are commonly in HD now.

Re:What about the flag?

[Seth Finklestein]

This device does "honour" the broadcast flag. What this means is exactly what you fear: content providers have usurped your right to time shift.

As a consultant, I am frequently out of town on business and on holiday. With this Dish receiver, I would go out of town, return, and find that all of my time shifted programs have expired. Sure, they might look good on my 2-metre plasma screen, but who cares if I'm not allowed to properly record my programmes?

Frankly, I would reiterate my sentiment that this product must be boycotted. Companies need to learn good behaviour.

Sincerely,
Seth Finklestein
Certified Cybersecurity Expert

Sounds great

[Anonymous Coward]

Can you skip commericials with this model?

The 721 is pretty good

[XenonOfArcticus]

I have the (Linux-based!) 721 dual-stream receiver/PVR. It is pretty good, with the latest software. It has had some flaky bugs, but it's still the best PVR I've ever used.

I'm sure the 921 will have some quirks too, but if it runs the same core PVR application, it should be pretty good.

I'm not planning on getting a 921 as I already watch too much TV as it is, and there's not enough HD stuff being broadcast yet to warrant the expensive display I'd need.

sorry to rain on the parade but....

[The Lynxpro]

DirecTV will be showing their HD-based TiVo DVR at January's CES. Pictures have already been leaked over the net, but I don't have the exact link. So that rather dampens the newsworthiness of Dish Network's wanna-be TiVo.

With Rupert Murdoch taking control of DirecTV shortly, expect a price war against both Dish Network AND the cable companies. I believe there was a speculative article linked to Drudge the other day about that.

I myself am tired of Comcast. Here in Sacramento, they are raising our rates again, with the pathetic excuse for them to recupe their investment in expanding pay-per-view. I don't use PPV and I believe it would've been a wiser investment to offer set-top boxes with TiVo built in. Now if DirecTV would offer a decent broadband service using leased space over the cable lines, that would be the winning choice...

Re:What about the flag?

[Anonymous Coward]

No, buy this card [pchdtv.com]. Linux support!! And MythTV [mythtv.org] is adding support.

Time Shifting Over-the-Air NON-HDTV?

[Anonymous Coward]

This looks great. I'm not ready to go to HDTV yet, so I was wondering about a cheaper model. Since i'm not in a major local area, so no locals over the dish.

Are there any Dish DVR which can also record over the air broadcasts other than this one? (Non-HDTV)

Re:Bye-bye, Dish.

[Kagato]

Do a little more research Seth. While Tivo does have better software (i.e. Season Pass), there a lot of things the DirecTV version of Tivo does not have.

HMO is NOT an option for any DirecTV based Tivo. It says so right in Tivo's FAQ.

The 921 DOES run on Linux you idiot. In fact the baby brother PVR, the 721 also runs on Linux. Dish network serves the Linux PVR GNU codebase off an internet attached DVR 721. It's even got the lame X Window screen savers and 6 or so GNU games.

The DVR-921 has "Dishwire" aka, Firewire, which, when enabled, and connected to a JVC DVHS recorder will allow you to archive your time shifted progams.

The HD Tivo (and in fact all DirecTV HD STBs) has no firewire.