Post by dkennedy on Jul 7, 2005 14:51:50 GMT -5
Dish Network's new DVR has some of TiVo's best features
July 07, 2005
Bill Lammers, Plain Dealer Columnist
Audio-video enthusiasts thirsting for a variety of high-definition television programming have found precious few watering holes along the trek. For now, Dish Network's 942 digital video recorder provides one oasis.
The 942, Dish's second high-definition DVR, is an upgrade from the 921 released in the fall. Both DVRs have integrated satellite receivers for standard-definition and HD programs via satellite. The DVRs also have off-the-air tuners that capture local digital television signals carrying HDTV programming when the receiver is attached to an antenna.
The graphic interface on the 942 is snazzier than the 921 -- a comment on, not necessarily a criticism of, most of Dish's previous DVRs, which have been fairly plain compared to the TiVo-powered DVRs of its main competitor, DirecTV. While the Dish 942 does not have all the bells and whistles of a TiVo, it does offer some comparable features.
Take, for instance, programming for regularly watched series. If a viewer wanted to record "Law & Order" every week, the 921 regularly would record from 10 to 11 p.m. on Wednesdays. That time slot would be recorded every week, whether there was a new "Law & Order" episode, a rerun or some other show that pre-empted "Law & Order."
The 942 is able to discern whether a certain week's episode is new or a repeat and record only new episodes, if desired. It is able to detect when a two-hour or 90-minute episode is presented and catch the entire broadcast from its beginning at 9 or 9:30 p.m. It also would catch a new episode if NBC decided to show it Tuesday or Thursday, for example, rather than Wednesday.
The 942 also can be set to record all episodes of a show, which would be dangerous because it's hard to turn the television on without finding "Law & Order" on some channel somewhere. It also can be programmed to record only a single show.
This ability is similar to what TiVo owners know as the season pass, although Dish's software does not have a snazzy name for it.
The 942 also features the ability to feed two televisions in different rooms with different programs, if desired. In this dual mode, a second television receives programming through coaxial cable. That second feed can be controlled by a second remote control that operates on UHF signals so that it can work through walls.
Viewers who choose this arrangement, however, sacrifice much in picture and sound quality by being forced to use the coaxial output. That second feed is not in high definition or even the improved picture that composite or component connections provide.
That second feed has only monaural sound rather than stereo or surround sound, which can be provided by other types of connections. Also, the viewer in the main room would lose some of the usefulness of the 942's picture-in-picture function because the receiver's second tuner would be used for the second room.
Those reservations aside, the dual-mode coax connection is a freebie, making it a cheap way to feed a bedroom or kitchen television where less of a premium is put on impressive sound and video.
Back in the main viewing room, the 942 allows simultaneous connections between the component video outputs needed for HDTV and the composite video output used for standard-definition TV. On the older 921, the viewer had to choose between SD and HD outputs. They could not be used at the same time.
The composite connections allow the viewer to make an archive copy on a DVD or VHS tape of a special program that he might want to watch again in a few months or years -- such as last weekend's "Live 8" concert, for instance. With both outputs working, the viewer could have made that archive copy in real time as the concert went on or later by playing back the recording from the 942's DVR.
Questions remain about what will happen to owners or leasers of the 942 once Dish Network begins its switch to MPEG-4, a compression system that will allow more channels to be carried over the satellite signal. Dish intends to add local HDTV channels and more national HDTV channels once that system is in place. The change is estimated to begin at the end of this year, although the switch to MPEG-4 has been discussed and delayed several times in the past.
A Dish Network spokesman said that the 942 will not be able to be converted to receive MPEG-4 signals. To take full advantage of those increased options, the viewer will need to buy or lease a new receiver-DVR. However, the 942 will continue to have the same level of functionality after the transition to MPEG-4 begins. Dish Network has not yet set pricing on replacement units, the spokesman said.
As more people buy digital/ HDTVs, the demand for more HD channels will increase, which in turn will fuel a demand for more HDTVs. Dish's 942 is a solid step forward in that advancing technology.
July 07, 2005
Bill Lammers, Plain Dealer Columnist
Audio-video enthusiasts thirsting for a variety of high-definition television programming have found precious few watering holes along the trek. For now, Dish Network's 942 digital video recorder provides one oasis.
The 942, Dish's second high-definition DVR, is an upgrade from the 921 released in the fall. Both DVRs have integrated satellite receivers for standard-definition and HD programs via satellite. The DVRs also have off-the-air tuners that capture local digital television signals carrying HDTV programming when the receiver is attached to an antenna.
The graphic interface on the 942 is snazzier than the 921 -- a comment on, not necessarily a criticism of, most of Dish's previous DVRs, which have been fairly plain compared to the TiVo-powered DVRs of its main competitor, DirecTV. While the Dish 942 does not have all the bells and whistles of a TiVo, it does offer some comparable features.
Take, for instance, programming for regularly watched series. If a viewer wanted to record "Law & Order" every week, the 921 regularly would record from 10 to 11 p.m. on Wednesdays. That time slot would be recorded every week, whether there was a new "Law & Order" episode, a rerun or some other show that pre-empted "Law & Order."
The 942 is able to discern whether a certain week's episode is new or a repeat and record only new episodes, if desired. It is able to detect when a two-hour or 90-minute episode is presented and catch the entire broadcast from its beginning at 9 or 9:30 p.m. It also would catch a new episode if NBC decided to show it Tuesday or Thursday, for example, rather than Wednesday.
The 942 also can be set to record all episodes of a show, which would be dangerous because it's hard to turn the television on without finding "Law & Order" on some channel somewhere. It also can be programmed to record only a single show.
This ability is similar to what TiVo owners know as the season pass, although Dish's software does not have a snazzy name for it.
The 942 also features the ability to feed two televisions in different rooms with different programs, if desired. In this dual mode, a second television receives programming through coaxial cable. That second feed can be controlled by a second remote control that operates on UHF signals so that it can work through walls.
Viewers who choose this arrangement, however, sacrifice much in picture and sound quality by being forced to use the coaxial output. That second feed is not in high definition or even the improved picture that composite or component connections provide.
That second feed has only monaural sound rather than stereo or surround sound, which can be provided by other types of connections. Also, the viewer in the main room would lose some of the usefulness of the 942's picture-in-picture function because the receiver's second tuner would be used for the second room.
Those reservations aside, the dual-mode coax connection is a freebie, making it a cheap way to feed a bedroom or kitchen television where less of a premium is put on impressive sound and video.
Back in the main viewing room, the 942 allows simultaneous connections between the component video outputs needed for HDTV and the composite video output used for standard-definition TV. On the older 921, the viewer had to choose between SD and HD outputs. They could not be used at the same time.
The composite connections allow the viewer to make an archive copy on a DVD or VHS tape of a special program that he might want to watch again in a few months or years -- such as last weekend's "Live 8" concert, for instance. With both outputs working, the viewer could have made that archive copy in real time as the concert went on or later by playing back the recording from the 942's DVR.
Questions remain about what will happen to owners or leasers of the 942 once Dish Network begins its switch to MPEG-4, a compression system that will allow more channels to be carried over the satellite signal. Dish intends to add local HDTV channels and more national HDTV channels once that system is in place. The change is estimated to begin at the end of this year, although the switch to MPEG-4 has been discussed and delayed several times in the past.
A Dish Network spokesman said that the 942 will not be able to be converted to receive MPEG-4 signals. To take full advantage of those increased options, the viewer will need to buy or lease a new receiver-DVR. However, the 942 will continue to have the same level of functionality after the transition to MPEG-4 begins. Dish Network has not yet set pricing on replacement units, the spokesman said.
As more people buy digital/ HDTVs, the demand for more HD channels will increase, which in turn will fuel a demand for more HDTVs. Dish's 942 is a solid step forward in that advancing technology.