Dish DVR-921 Review

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Dish DVR-921 Review

Over at dbstalk.com, there is an extensive review of the Dish Network's DVR-921, a PVR that can record regular satellite signals as well as both satellite HDTV and OTA HDTV signals on one box. It's a long review, about 8 pages and around 70 screenshots are posted of the interface, setup, and on-screen samples from the unit. Looks like an impressive unit that packs a lot of features.

It looks a bit pricey, at around a thousand dollars, but I'm impressed that it can record over the air HDTV broadcasts and those delivered on satellite HDTV pay channels like HBO-HD. It'll be interesting to see if the HDTV-Tivo does that whenever that finally comes out.

by Matt Haughey December 25, 2003 in Product Reviews

Comments

Yes, the HDTV DirecTiVo does that. DirecTV and TiVo have already shown it in public (recently, I don't mean the prototype at CES2003) and it was announced that it has already been selected for a CES2004 award. They also gave a handful of bay area HDTV fans a preview of it at TiVo's home office in Alviso, and they posted the details to their Yahoo group.

The TiVo unit has 2 HD DTV tuners and 2 ATSC tuners, and it can use any two of the four at a given time. Like today's unit it can record two programs at once, or record one and watch one live. The Dish unit has two Dish tuners and one OTA tuner. The review also says the Dish receiver doesn't have any guide data for the OTA stations and you have to use manual recordings - that's kind of lame.

The one thing the Dish unit has that I don't think the DirecTV unit has is the ability to tune (but not record) NTSC OTA broadcasts. But the DTV unit may have it, I just don't recall seeing it mentioned anywhere. (I'll be at CES so I'll be checking it out. :-) )

Posted by: MegaZone at Dec 25, 2003 2:47:02 AM

Matt: I read that review yesterday, and was getting pretty excited. I figured I'd get the 921 so that I could watch sports and the occasional movie in HD with full pause/rewind capability, and just route the S-video to TiVo for everyday viewing.

Unfortunately, the review suggests two problems, one a deal-killer:

(1) The lack of an IR remote for the 921 means that TiVo may never release IR blaster codes for it. There may be work-arounds (existing codes may work), but it isn't promising information.

(2) The really bad news... no simultaneous HD and SD output. That means I would need to remember to manually switch back to SD after watching an HD program just to keep TiVo from recording a blank signal. Ugh.

Posted by: Roger Benningfield at Dec 25, 2003 11:08:16 AM

Roger - sounds like you'd probably be better served by DirecTV and the HD DirecTiVo when it comes out. DBS, 4 tuners, and all the TiVo features.

Posted by: MegaZone at Dec 25, 2003 10:57:09 PM

MZ: Possibly, but I'm pretty much a Dish person, with no real desire to switch.

On the positive side, I can live without HD pause/rewind if I must... and for what I save by not buying a 921, I can pick up a Pioneer DVD-TiVo instead. :)

Posted by: Roger Benningfield at Dec 26, 2003 8:31:10 AM

MZ:

I'm a lowly dish network tech rep, and while they do have its faults, as you have pointed out, the 921 and 811 are compatible with IR remotes.

Just a friendly FYI.

Posted by: non at Feb 14, 2004 7:18:21 PM

I called to order a PVR-921,but the local Dish affiliate who would install it said that I would need a totally different dish; the Pro system. And all the other recievers in the house would also have to be changed. This makes it not cost effective at this time. Has anyone else heard this?
Has anyone had personal experience with the Dish PVR 921?
Neal

Posted by: Neal at Mar 14, 2004 2:10:22 PM

Just read something that says the Pro System is NOT required
to use the 921. Regret not being able to pass the URL. jl

Posted by: morrisjl at Apr 18, 2004 3:33:40 PM

You don't need all new receivers to go to Dish Pro. Dish has an dapter that converts older (non Dish Pro) receivers to interface with the Dish Pro Switchs and LNBFs. You would need one adapter for every non dish pro receiver. I'm currentlu running a PVR721 (Dish Pro Comptible) and a DVR 6000 HDTV receiver (non Dish Pro) with a Dish Pro adapter on the HDTV receiver. Works just fine.

Posted by: Paul at Apr 30, 2004 10:40:00 PM

Does anyone know of any retailer who has stock in the DishNetwork DVR 921 receiver?? I've been told Dish is very slow in releasing units and no one seems to be able to get these.
Thanks,
Gayle

Posted by: Gayle Grant at May 13, 2004 9:00:45 AM

Just email ceo@dishnetwork.com and tell them you have had a hard time getting one, they will then send you one over night. You need to prepay.

Posted by: George at Jul 7, 2004 3:09:40 PM

Dish 811 or 6000U I want to have HD in one room what unit should I buy? I want to trade my 501 DVR for a used unit or should I go with a new one.? Any thoughts?

Posted by: Jim at Jul 25, 2004 9:20:15 AM

I am considering a 921 but I live in my motorhome with a domed satellite that finds, and holds while your driving, the signal.
It is only about 9 inches high. Will this pick up HD signals? It has a dual YNB output.

Posted by: Rick B. at Aug 7, 2004 2:58:17 AM

Posted by: Rick B. at Aug 7, 2004 2:59:04 AM

I get flashing red pixles when in hi def mode with a 811 dish receiver, shows up on black background. does anyone else have this problem.

Posted by: Lynn D. at Aug 25, 2004 6:02:39 PM

Here's my experience with the 921 and the 10-250:

http://www.dbstalk.com/showthread.php?t=31662

Take my advise and get a 10-250!

Posted by: Moviegoerman at Sep 4, 2004 12:42:15 PM

I just got a Dish e-mail ad for the 921 for only $549. I have read good things and bad about this unit. Is it worth $549?

Posted by: Scott at Dec 3, 2004 8:50:49 AM

I just bought 921 from Costco for $489. It's been working great so far.

Posted by: Glenn at Dec 9, 2004 5:13:18 PM

Same as above. I just bought the 921 at Costco as well for $489.00.

Posted by: Jeremie at Dec 29, 2004 3:06:42 PM

Does the Costco deal include installation? How about the Pro dish?

Bob

Posted by: bobg at Jan 1, 2005 7:59:17 AM

Hello,

I'm about to set up Dish Network on 4 TVs in my new house. I wanted to use the 921 for two of the TVs (one of which will be hi-def). However, I had two questions - 1) I only care about the OTA HDTV signals. Dont care much for the HDTV channels that Dish Network is offering. Does that mean I have to still subscribe to Dish's HDTV package in order to receive AND record HDTV shows? and 2) Is it possible to pull the shows off of the hard drive onto a PC to burn to DVD in still HDTV format?

cha_cha_mia

Posted by: cha_cha_mia at Feb 2, 2005 12:10:27 PM

As a dish tech support agent, i can advise you that although the 921 has 2 tuners, it is not designed as a 2 tv receiver. meaning if you want you can use hd outputs for your hdtv could use an analog (non-hd) output to your 2nd tv, but you'd have the same pic on the second. also, you'd run into problems when you switch to from sd to hd. if you add the hd rec to your acct, you have to add the hd package on there. once you add the rec to your acct and add the hd pack, you can remove the hd pack. the hd pack is ony required when first activate the hd rec and can be removed afterwards.

Posted by: Jason at Mar 7, 2005 10:17:15 PM

hey, i need to know how to turn the ir recieving on for the dish 921, i have a harmony 880 and the remote accepted the programming online, however there is no way in the manual or in the units menu's to turn ir recieving on?

Posted by: allen at Feb 11, 2006 5:33:47 AM

Posted by: allen at Feb 11, 2006 5:37:52 AM

I purchased the 921 receiver, but I'm no longer a DISH customer. Can I use the 921 without the DISH subscription, such as for OTA HD signals.

Posted by: Craig at Apr 20, 2006 9:44:48 AM

Is there anyway to reprogram a DVR 522 to be used with regular TV or cable?

Posted by: Jim at Oct 18, 2006 6:49:17 AM

I have just bougt a harmony520 remote. I have a dual input Dish Network DVR522. One of the dish remotes is programed for IR, the remote #2 is set to UHF. I want to use IR for both since this will facilitate using the harmony remote, which just works with IR. I have a toshiba tv big enough for 2 screens, so line of site is not a problem using IR. Any advice on switching the 2nd remote to use IR. It says it is a 6.0 IR/UHF PRO remote, 118579. Thanks for the help.

Posted by: David at Jan 6, 2007 8:01:25 PM

Dish DVR-921 Review

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