When we signed on with DISH Network to be our satellite provider, my biggest concern (other than being stuck watching the Ecuadorian soccer station 24/7) was having a hard time recording my favorite shows when I'm not home. Previous experience with cable receivers had made programming the timer for different stations impossible, so when I saw a promotional offer for a free DVR, I jumped on it.

Until recently, ordering a DVR from DISH would normally set you back around $200 up front, plus a monthly fee of $5.99. As part of the promotion I signed up with, I just had to pay the monthly fee of $5.99. It looks like DISH recently switched to the 612 model as its standard DVR, but I know they still have plenty of the 510 on hand, and would not be surprised to see it offered by their "authorized dealers."

The Receiver
Coming in at just over eight pounds, DISH's DVR 510 is a little heavier than both our regular satellite receiver and our ancient (circa 2000) DVD player. The receiver is black, measuring a little over a foot long and about three inches high. There is a panel in the front left-hand corner that protects the satellite card, a push-button menu in the center, and an 'on' light and 'recording' light on the right-hand side.

From the box itself, you have buttons on one side of the center allowing you to pull up a basic 'info' screen and the satellite menu. Then there are up, down, left, right and select arrows. On the other side there are a power button and 'system info' button. I have found that you kind of have to press hard on these buttons in order for the machine to respond. In particular, the power button needs to be held down for a few seconds before the machine turns off or on.

The DVR Function
As someone who has been consistently recording shows for over fifteen years, I was instantly mesmerized by the thought of being able to record up to 100 hours of programming without using videocassettes. I loved that I would no longer have to search for the tape I want or find the correct spot so I don't tape over another show. With the DVR 510 DTV Receiver, all I have to do is scroll through the program guide, push 'Select' a couple of times, and my show will get recorded.

When you select a program to record, the option pops up to record every episode of a show, all new episodes, or a one-time shot, if you just want this specific episode. The recorder defaults to begin recording one minute before the program is scheduled to start, and stop three minutes after the program's end. The only thing I don't like about this is that I can't find a way to change that, and for kids' shows on Nickelodeon or the Diney channel, I only need 22 minutes, not 34. Of course, I could also use a different timer to record a specific start and end time, but that takes more time and I usually set the programs to record while we're on our way out the door.

What has us most spoiled with the DVR 510 is the ability to pause and rewind live television. When you have noisy young children in the house who aren't interested in the news, it is really nice to be able to freeze the show, take the kids to another room with a box of crayons, and be able to go back to what you were originally trying to pay attention to.

Not-so-wonderful things about the DISH Network DVR 510
One thing to keep in mind is that since the receiver has a hard drive on it, it sometimes makes a lot of noise while the hard drive warms up or cools itself off. Along that line, this receiver can not be kept inside an entertainment center, because it will overheat. I learned this when I got to my fifth receiver in 18 months.

The four receivers I went through all had the same problem after a while: the pause and rewind buttons wouldn't work and when I switched to DVR mode, I couldn't access any of my recordings and the screen told me I had a hard disk error. Every time this happened, I reset the receiver by pressing the 'Power Off' button for three seconds, or by unplugging the machine for a full minute, as the DISH representatives told me to do over the phone. Each time, it still didn't work, so they sent me a new receiver, along with a shipping label to show my damaged receiver back to them.

The most recent time that this happened to me, the representative asked me if I turn it off every time it is not in use. No, because back in my cable receiver days I couldn't record something if the receiver wasn't on. I now know that the DVR 510 will turn itself on to record if it is programmed to record something at a specific time.

He then asked if it was stored in an entertainment center, and explained that the hard drive needs to be able to cool off, which it can't do if it is enclosed. While this made sense, I do not understand why the person who installed this machine in the entertainment center did not bring it up. Ditto for the person who brought me my first replacement receiver. Extra minus points for the three tech reps I spoke with on the phone before this guy who never mentioned it as a possibility.

As if this were not a sad enough example of DISH Network's poor service, try giving someone brownie points. I asked my Most Helpful representative if there was a way I could get him a gold star to his supervisor, and he transferred me to the feedback line, which disconnected, so his supervisors never got word that he deserved some recognition.

Last Words
When you know how to store the DVR 510 properly (no thanks to DISH Network), it works pretty well. The picture and sound are fine, and the recording function works like a dream. DISH, however, has terrible service, and if it weren't for my husband needing his Ecuadorian soccer station, I'd give DISH the pink slip.

Recommended: Yes

Amount Paid (US$): 5.99/month