The installation

I have installed over a dozen DISH Network systems over the past 4 or 5 years for friends and family members (like I said, I am a DISH advocate). I was a little disappointed to learn that they would not let me install the PVR upgrade myself. Later, I learned that they have had a higher-than-average out-of-the-box failure rate on the PVR receivers. Installers check out the system to make sure it functions properly prior to installation. The installer brought the system, which to my surprise, was a PVR 508 system, not a PVR 501. The 508 has twice the hard drive capacity - 80GB - for more than 60 hours of content storage. They were apparently out of stock on the 501 and opted to upgrade me to the 508 at no charge. I didn't complain.

Hook-ups

The install was performed while I was at work (my wife supervised). Once I got home, I checked out the back of the unit. The back of the 508 is an audiophile's dream. Composite video out, 2 sets of RCA A/V outs, fiber and coaxial digital audio out, and an F-connector for the UHF remote antenna (whose range can be greatly improved with a 3 or 4 foot length of RG-6).

The Remote(s)

The RF coax output (channel 3) of my DISH receiver is connected to my bedroom TV (on the 2nd floor, about 30 feet away). Before I took delivery of the new system, I started checking into a 2nd remote for the bedroom. I found several on Ebay, but I decided to wait until I received the system to make sure I liked the remote. Much to my surprise, the 508 system came with 2 UHF remotes. I played with the system a bit, then took the 2nd remote upstairs...and...no joy. The signal wasn't strong enough to reach. It would only go about 15 feet. I added about 3 feet of RG-6 between the receiver and the antenna and hid the antenna behind the drapes. That helped tremendously, but it could stand a bit more.

All in all, the remote is laid out very nicely, with buttons for channel and guide navigation up top, a dedicated PVR/VCR cluster in the middle (with a 30-second skip forward button and a 10-second skip back button), and the numerics at the bottom.

Operation

The upgrade was pretty-much everything that I expected. The channel guide updates are now almost instant, with an optional PIP display of the currently tuned channel. The PVR functions worked as I expected, pause, FF and REW at 4 rates, on-screen display of the time to "live" when paused. Choosing programs to be recorded on the PVR from the channel guide is wonderfully simple - just move the cursor to the program and press REC. A menu appears that allows you to set this up as a one-time or periodic event, and allow you to start 1-minute early. You can also choose to record to the PVR, or a VCR (using the IR blaster to control the external VCR). You can record one program to the PVR while you watch another recored program from the PVR, but you can't watch something live while you record something else - there is only one tuner in the receiver. Another nice thing, if you use parental locks, the programming stored on the PVR operates under those locks. If you needed a password to view the live show, you will also need the password to watch it off of the PVR.

New Features

As I became familiar with operation of the PVR 508, I noticed that there were a couple of things missing. One thing missing was the ability to search the program guide (a feature common to most TIVO boxes). A few days after the install, I was using the system and I noticed an entry in the PVR program list (the list that displays all of the programming that you've recorded on the hard drive). There was a 5-minute entry described as "New Features", with no source channel. I watched it. Sometime during the previous night, Dish Network had downloaded a software upgrade to the receiver, along with the "New Features" video. Guess what was included in that upgrade...Search capability. It is a bit rudimentary, but it works. The other thing missing was slow motion playback from the PVR. A couple of weeks ago, another "New Features" program appeared in the PVR list. You guessed it...I now have slow motion playback - 1/15 and 1/4 speed forward and backward. Rather well thought-out, I might add. They also added some new options for timer recordings. The 5-minute videos clearly describe the new features - very cool.

The Few Problems

One day, for no apparent reason, the picture simply locked up and the receiver ignored all control input from the remote and the front panel. I couldn't even turn it off. I called tech support. After a 20 to 30 minute hold, I spoke with a technician, he told me to pull the smart-card out of the front of the receiver (a credit-card sized key-card), then re-insert it. I did so and the system was healed. It didn't even affect my PVR recordings. This has happened a second time (just yesterday).

Summary

All tolled, I think this product is the best thing to happen to TV since color. The ability to pause live TV when nature calls, or to back up 10 or 20 seconds to catch that line of dialog that you missed when your wife asked you if you that dress makes her rear-end look fat, or to zap commercials with a few touches of the 30-second skip forward button, or to effortlessly record - in complete digital quality - right from the channel guide, etc. etc. etc. make this one of the best investments I've made in the last year (my wife even likes it...you remember, the skeptical one??)

I've read several of the reviews on here, and with the exception of the lock-ups, I have absolutely no complaints. I would highly recommend this to anyone who wants to take firm control of their TV viewing experience.

Recommended:
Yes

Amount Paid (US$): 199.00