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Dish Network Vip722 High-Definition DVR |
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Home Theater Media Servers Satellite & Cable Receivers/PVRs/DVRs/TiVo
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Written by Bryan Dailey
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Friday, 01 February 2008 |
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Page 3 of 3
The Downside
For me, the drawback of the 722 is that, other than the larger hard drive and black case, there is no difference between it and the 622. If you already have a 622, there isn’t much incentive to upgrade.
The 722 doesn’t have multi-zone HD, and it doesn’t even have new interface menus or system software. Dish Network just used a different case color and a bigger hard drive. The inputs and outputs are exactly the same. With the really cool USB 2.0 external hard drive option, you get more hours on the internal hard drive you of the 722 over the 622, but this isn’t a fundamental change.
Conclusion
The real question is not whether or not the latest high-def receiver from Dish Network is better than their previous effort. I think what consumers want to know is whether the performance, reliability and special features of Dish Network’s high-def DVRs are better than the ones offered by DirecTV. I have not done a scientific study on the two, but the general consensus is that the channels on DirecTV are better, with about 20 more high-def channels at present and the high-def NFL package available for a $250 per year subscription fee. However, the amount of complaints I have heard from DirecTV subscribers about the clunky interface seems astonishingly high. I heard a few squabbles back when they used high-def TiVos as their receivers, but now that DirecTV has their own proprietary box, it seems everyone I know with a DirecTV box longs for the much cleaner, simple TiVo interface. I too prefer TiVo to the proprietary DVRs from both satellite providers, but I’d give the fairly simple Dish Network Vip722’s interface the nod over the current DirecTV Plus HD DVR in terms of simplicity and reliability.
I have had very few complaints about the previous two Dish Network HD receivers from a reliability standpoint, and the Vip722 is no exception. Sure, I wish I could get the NFL package, but the fact that I have rarely ever needed to hard-reboot my Vip622 or Vip722 and, knock on wood, have never had the system software get corrupted or a hard drive fail on the 722 in the five months that I have had it, tells me this is a pretty reliable unit. For good measure, I can occasionally back up important shows to my 750-gig hard drive, so I have that peace of mind.
| Manufacturer |
Dish Network
| | Model | Vip722 High-Definition DVR | | Reviewer |
Bryan Dailey
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