522 - Newbie has questions...

[saidiadude]

Am new to the satellite world. Interested in getting DISH. Want to hook up 2 TVs (non-HD) in different rooms. I read the excellent review of the 522 on this site and it seems like the ideal solution for my set up.

Some questions (2 TVs in seperate rooms: TV1 and TV2):
- Will I be able to use PIP on TV1 and use the system on TV2 at the same time? (all diff channels - i.e. using the equivalent of 2 tuners on TV1 and one on TV2).
- Can I do the following simultaneously: Watch TV1, TV2, record 1 show (all diff channels)
- How abt: Watch TV1, TV2, record 2 shows (all diff channels)?
- Best of all worlds: Watch TV1+PIP, TV2, record 2 shows (all diff channels)?
- Does DISH charge extra for the 2 tuners or is it the same price as a tuner unit? Refering to monthly charges here.
- Will there be a monthly fee for the recorder unit?

Am a newbie, so please explain in simple terms
Many thx for your help.

 

[Stargazer]

Since you only have two tuners in the 522 you would have to use the second tuner to use the PIP functionality. You would have to have three tuners to do as you described to use PIP while watching a seperate show than what is on the PIP, or four tuners to do watch four shows at the same time, two at main screen and two in the PIP window. The PIP capability will not even arrive until the summer of 2004 at the earliest.

You only have two tuners to either record two shows at once, view two shows at once on those two tuners whether one is recording, both is recording, or neither is recording. If you use PIP you are using both tuners. Instead of it displaying on a second tv independently you are using it for your PIP screen.

The other thing you can do is watch a previously recorded event in the DVR Event screen while watching a show on one of the tuners (using PIP) while the other tuner can be viewed independently on another tv doing the same thing, viewing a show that was previously recorded in the DVR Event screen using PIP.

 

[AppliedAggression]

You can't do any of the things you mentioned. It has only 2 tuners, which in english means you can only watch/record 2 live programs at the same time. If you're using PIP on one TV, then it's using both tuners, and you can't watch anything different on TV2. PIP is still not enabled in the software right now. What you can do is have TV1 and TV2 record something and be watching different things on both TV if they were already recorded in the past. There is an extra $5 monthly fee for the 522 not including additional receiver fees or DHP fees. No extra cost for the two tuners.

 

[saidiadude]

Thx Stargazer & AppliedAggression. 522 still seems like a decent way to go as an limited-budget-entry-level solution as one does not have to pay for a second system (albeit a rather limited solution). Too bad they tacked on the $5/mo fee.

 

[Stargazer]

The $5 fee applies if it is an additional receiver as if it was an additional outlet. Another $5 fee applies for the second tuner of that receiver if the phone line is not hooked up to the receiver. A $5 DVR fee applies to the receiver unless you subscribe to AEP. This receiver could cost you $15 a month extra to have.

 

[saidiadude]

Ouch, that can get expensive! Where are these prices listed?

 

[COOP]

REPLY 522

GUYS, THE LAST FIVE DUAL TUNER RECEIVERS THAT I HAVE INSTALLED ( 1 -522 , AND 4 -322'S) HAVE EITHER WENT OUT, (LOST POWER COMPLETELY) OR FROZE UP COMPLETELY BEFORE I LEFT THE HOME! PERSONALLY, I WOULD NOT HAVE ONE IN MY HOME. I THINK THEY ARE SIMPLY A HEART ACHE WAITING TO HAPPEN.

 

[saidiadude]

Good point - I was going to wait till the software stabilized (Feb or Mar at least). These are new units, so I realize that there will be some difficulties at first. My main concern is the pricing issue at the moment (limited budget). Ideally, If I could get this unit for free and no addt'l monthly fees for the recorder&tuner, I'd sign a 2 yr contract. If not, I'll live with the bottom of the line recvr (hook up only one TV) and pick up a recorder on Ebay.

 

[boba]

With Directv or Dish network you are going to get hit with a fee for duplicating a programming subscription on additional receivers both currently charge $4.99. If you are using TiVo on directv there is a $4.99 fee for this ability but it is per account. On DISH all current production DVRs have a $4.98 fee per DVR. So add in these extra cost when you are determining you subscription cost.

 

[saidiadude]

> duplicating a programming subscription on additional receivers

What does this mean? On the 522 I would be using one unit (the 522) with 2 tuners for 2 different TVs. Will I get charged for each tuner?

 

[cdru]

> duplicating a programming subscription on additional receivers

What does this mean? On the 522 I would be using one unit (the 522) with 2 tuners for 2 different TVs. Will I get charged for each tuner?

_________________
http://www.pilotresources.com

No. You pay $5 for each physical box after the first one. If you only have a 522 in your house, then there is no additional receiver charge even though it has an additional tuner. You do however have to pay an additional $5 for the PVR. If you don't want to pay the $5 (and don't want the PVR), you want the 322.

 

[Rocky Watson]

322/522 going out

All the 322/522's we've installed are running perfectly

rock

 

[boba]

Rock you must have gotten all the good 322 &522's. My showroom 522 constantly pops up the info screen on TV2 I have had as many as 3 instances in 1 half hour show. Caller ID fails without a daily power reset, caller Id will bring up a previous caller instead of the current caller, or unavailable when another caller id displays correct information. It also has missed 1 recording, locked up and gone blank and that is with about two weeks of usage and 1 software upgrade.

 

[Rocky Watson]

322/522 KNOCK ON WOOD

i'm knocking on wood as hard as i can lol

my luck this time next week they will die and yes we have 4 811's in stock and are scared to death to install them! after all the 811 death on here !


cya
rock

 

[bkandcs1]

We had a 522 installed last Sat and it has worked perfectly after we found out how to switch between tv2 and it's vcr. We were used to channel 3 for vcr but not the tv button and 73 to get back to sat. Previously we had a Directv Tivo combo setup to one tv and it was not without problems. It took a few months to get the second tuner activated although the 522 does also have several future features thru software updates. The Tivo had only 40 hours record and to get more hours you have to pay a fair amount of money. The lifetime dvr fee also is not transferrable if you buy a newer receiver. I would have had to install a 2nd receiver to get Sat at tv2 without the 522 and it's UHF remote. Our Tivo was replaced once due to malfunctions and was "searching for signal on Sat 2" due to a receiver problem before we replaced it permanently. So far I'm a very satisfied Dish customer
Fallbrook, Ca

 

[video62]

The Tivo had only 40 hours record and to get more hours you have to pay a fair amount of money.

If you are a do-it-yourself type then it need not cost that much. A lot of Tivo upgrade help is available via this forum and the cost may be as low as buying an additional hard drive - cost for a 120GB HD is around $100 right now (via internet supply houses such as NewEgg) and you could add it as a 2nd drive giving you much more recording capacity. Dish DVR's don't permit adding a 2nd hard drive.

Also the Dish DVRs don't lend themselves to HD upgrades nearly as well as the Tivo boxes - some of them you cannot upgrade the HD at all, so how cost effective is that?

 

[video62]

Previously we had a Directv Tivo combo setup to one tv and it was not without problems. It took a few months to get the second tuner activated ...

How long ago did this occur? DirecTivos today have both tuners working out-of-the box. There was a period of time that they were shipping dual-tuner boxes without dual tuner support (sort of like the 522 is right now - somewhat crippled) but that was a few years ago.

 

[bkandcs1]

We were "D" /Tivo customers for at least 3 years and our receiver was single tuner when purchased. I see advantages with both "D" and "E" receivers. I wanted to point out that "D" is not the sole source of reliability problems. It wouldn't help to upgrade the harddrive if the receiver was malfunctioning in the first place. My interest in these forums was primarily to learn what I could about the 921 which looks like a better option than the future "D" to me. I don't use OTA signals and "D" has firewire potential.

 

[saidiadude]

This might be a naive question, but what is/are "D" and "E" recvrs? Do I have to watch for these on the 522?

 

[AppliedAggression]

Dish Network and DirecTV.