The Dish Network and DishDVR Product Review
I had never tried satellite television or used a digital video recorder (DVR) before, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. Some friends and family members had told me they liked it, but I didn’t understand what all the hype was about. Now, after using it for five months, I would not want to live without it. It has taken home entertainment to a whole new level. I no longer need to use a VCR to tape shows or movies on TV. There is no need to rewind video tapes or to find a new tape because one is filled up. Also, I no longer have to go to the video store to rent a movie. There are so many movies available on Dish Network pay per view that I can order a movie from home for $3.99 and record it on my DishDVR to watch again later.
The DishDVR is like a combination of a cable TV box, VCR, and DVD player all rolled into one. I have one DishDVR that contains two digital video recorders inside it and is linked to two televisions. So I can watch TV in one room and record a different show in the other room. Or, I can record two shows at the same time if I’m not at home. It has the capacity to store 100 hours of programming, which is the equivalent of nearly seventeen of my old six hour VHS tapes. Since the DishDVR records directly to a hard drive, I never have to insert a DVD or video tape to replay a movie or a TV show. And with 100 hours of programming capacity, I never run out of storage space.
My favorite aspect of the DishDVR is being able to pause or rewind live TV. If the phone rings or if I need to use the bathroom, I simply press pause on the remote control and the picture freezes. A few minutes later, I come back to the TV and pick up where I left off without missing a thing. It is great for sporting events or TV shows. I also love being able to record TV shows and then watch them later so that I can skip past the commercials. There is a skip button on the remote control that allows you to skip ahead 30 seconds. The perfect amount of time for most commercials. Also, you can skip back 10 seconds if you missed a play or didn’t hear some dialogue. It is very cool.
The interactive program guide is awesome. With your remote control and on screen program guide, you can check TV and movie listings for tonight, tomorrow, or even a week from now. You can even search the entire guide to look for a specific show or movie by title. Once you find your show, simply press select and it is set up to be recorded. If there is a show that comes on every week, you can select “record weekly” and it will tape it every week. There is no need to program it every single time the show airs. This is a great feature for when you are going on vacation. When you get back home, all of your favorite TV shows and movies are waiting for you to watch at your leisure.
There is also a “Dish Home Interactive TV” channel which I refer to as “mission control”. This channel shows six different mini channels on it all at once. Typically, CNN, ESPN, The Weather Channel, etc. are all displayed and you can see if anything interests you. If so, simply select the channel you want and it goes right to it. Also, the mission control channel has internet like capabilities. You can look up the weather anywhere in the country, read news stories, look up sports scores, get stock quotes, play games, check movie times at any theater in the country, and even sing karaoke. It is unbelievable how many entertainment options there are available.
Another amazing feature is that DishDVR allows you to get picture in picture on your TV. My television set is old and does not have picture in picture capabilities on it. But somehow, the DishDVR allows me to get picture in picture on it so I can watch two channels at the same time on the same screen. It is very cool and is especially useful for watching two sporting events simultaneously.
As far as channel offerings, there are several different packages to choose from. Prices start at $19.99 per month for basic cable channels and go up to $84.99 per month for their “America’s Everything Pack” that includes 180 channels plus HBO, Showtime, Cinemax, and Stars. That includes about five or six different versions of each movie channel, so there are several different movies on at once. One thing to note is that local channels cost $5.99 if you choose to get your local network affiliates. Also, your home or apartment must have a view of the southern sky in order to get their satellite signal. Unlike some rumors I’ve heard about satellite TV, I have had no trouble with reception problems. In fact, in my instance it has been more reliable than my old cable company. Also, there are a lot less taxes on satellite television versus cable. I remember I used to pay nearly $10 per month in taxes and now it is less than one dollar. I know the cable companies are fighting this, but for now there is less tax with satellite television.
So, if you are thinking about giving satellite television a try or have never used a DVR, I think you’ll really enjoy it.
