This is going to surprise some people.
I am giving the SatelliteGuys.US Best of Show award to the new Dish 322 and Dish Player 522 receivers!
Going into this show I expected these two receivers to operate like a 301 and 501 with the ability to output one tuner to a separate TV.
Well I was correct about that however what I was not expected was Echostars new user interface, the look, operation and control of these units blew me away!
Both the 322 and 522 operate using the same basic software and many of the features are the same between the two units, so for now I will tell you about features both units have, I will then later tell you about the 522 exclusive features.
Both units feature the new sleek menus and guide, as you will see in the photos below these units have an amazing new interface which is a much welcomed change for a Echostar receiver. Navigation of the new menus and screens is fast and simple. These units have the best looking guide and menus found on any satellite receiver I have ever laid my eyes on, in fact I will go so far as saying that the screens look better then my long time favorite the original Dishplayer 7100/7200. Guys looking for WAF (wife acceptance factor) will get instant approval when they see these screens in operation, gone is the mechanical dull look that manu Dish Network Guides are known for, in fact I would say that the new layout and designs make watching TV fun.
Both units come with 2 remotes, one is a IR remote for use in the room where you will have the receiver, the second remote is used for the 2nd TV. The second remote is one of the new UHF Plus remotes and can operate the receiver from over 200 feet away.
The output for the second TV is unique in both units, first the modulator outputs an unheard of 10db of signal, enough to split the signal to all the TV's in your house with no loss.
Whats great about this is if your like me you currently have satellite receivers in rooms where you barely watch TV, well now with the 322/522 you can wire a few TV's together and be able to watch satellite TV on those TV's and the best part is there is no $5 additional outlet fee! (I can see a 522 replacing a few of my receivers here lowering my bill)
The output modulator also lets you select what channel you want it to output to! This agile modulator will let you select any channel for it to output to, both standard channels and cable channels, I can imagine some people using these to setup mini headends in their homes.
The operation of both units were smooth and if you have used a 301 or 721 before you will have no problem using these receivers (and these ones are easier to use because of the new interface)
The 522 is of course a DVR, when you have it connected to 2 or more televisions you can even share recorded programs between rooms. Imagine sitting in one room watching a movie, getting tired so you go up to your bedroom and watch the rest of the movie!
The 522 also has a Stereo Encoder built into its modulator, this means if your second TV is a Stereo TV you will get Stereo sound! I find this in itself to make the 522 a step above.
The 522 can be put in a mode so that it operated like a 721, then you get features like PIP.
The DVR options were easy to use and worked well.
I wish I could have taken one of those 522's home with me.
If you need a basic receiver with no DVR, I highly recommend the 322 and if your looking for a non HD PVR, I say skip the 510 and go for the
522!
I never expected to walk away from this show so excited over a product I had no interest in before I went into the show.
Below are some photos of the 322 and 522 in action!
And remember SatelliteGuys.US is your home for Real Satellite Information!
Enjoy!
I am giving the SatelliteGuys.US Best of Show award to the new Dish 322 and Dish Player 522 receivers!
Going into this show I expected these two receivers to operate like a 301 and 501 with the ability to output one tuner to a separate TV.
Well I was correct about that however what I was not expected was Echostars new user interface, the look, operation and control of these units blew me away!
Both the 322 and 522 operate using the same basic software and many of the features are the same between the two units, so for now I will tell you about features both units have, I will then later tell you about the 522 exclusive features.
Both units feature the new sleek menus and guide, as you will see in the photos below these units have an amazing new interface which is a much welcomed change for a Echostar receiver. Navigation of the new menus and screens is fast and simple. These units have the best looking guide and menus found on any satellite receiver I have ever laid my eyes on, in fact I will go so far as saying that the screens look better then my long time favorite the original Dishplayer 7100/7200. Guys looking for WAF (wife acceptance factor) will get instant approval when they see these screens in operation, gone is the mechanical dull look that manu Dish Network Guides are known for, in fact I would say that the new layout and designs make watching TV fun.
Both units come with 2 remotes, one is a IR remote for use in the room where you will have the receiver, the second remote is used for the 2nd TV. The second remote is one of the new UHF Plus remotes and can operate the receiver from over 200 feet away.
The output for the second TV is unique in both units, first the modulator outputs an unheard of 10db of signal, enough to split the signal to all the TV's in your house with no loss.
Whats great about this is if your like me you currently have satellite receivers in rooms where you barely watch TV, well now with the 322/522 you can wire a few TV's together and be able to watch satellite TV on those TV's and the best part is there is no $5 additional outlet fee! (I can see a 522 replacing a few of my receivers here lowering my bill)
The output modulator also lets you select what channel you want it to output to! This agile modulator will let you select any channel for it to output to, both standard channels and cable channels, I can imagine some people using these to setup mini headends in their homes.
The operation of both units were smooth and if you have used a 301 or 721 before you will have no problem using these receivers (and these ones are easier to use because of the new interface)
The 522 is of course a DVR, when you have it connected to 2 or more televisions you can even share recorded programs between rooms. Imagine sitting in one room watching a movie, getting tired so you go up to your bedroom and watch the rest of the movie!
The 522 also has a Stereo Encoder built into its modulator, this means if your second TV is a Stereo TV you will get Stereo sound! I find this in itself to make the 522 a step above.
The 522 can be put in a mode so that it operated like a 721, then you get features like PIP.
The DVR options were easy to use and worked well.
I wish I could have taken one of those 522's home with me.
If you need a basic receiver with no DVR, I highly recommend the 322 and if your looking for a non HD PVR, I say skip the 510 and go for the
522!
I never expected to walk away from this show so excited over a product I had no interest in before I went into the show.
Below are some photos of the 322 and 522 in action!
And remember SatelliteGuys.US is your home for Real Satellite Information!
Enjoy!
