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November 03, 2004

HDTV/DVR Choice

It seems there are only three HDTV/DVR boxes right now.  One is DirecTV for $999.  I could buy a DVHS for less than that.  The other two are Dish and Comcast for $10 a month (basically).  I have Comcast cable and want to upgrade to HDTV/DVR cheaply.  Dish says it will hold 30 hours of HDTV.  Comast says it will hold 7 hours (according to my local rep in Atlanta).

Is there any reason I should not go with Dish? Will something better come out during the XMAS season such that I should wait a few months? Does Dish run a XMAS special each year (such as free installation) such that I should wait a month or two?
-- Niel

November 3, 2004 in Dish Network, TV & HDTV

Answers

I've seen the Dish HDTV unit (921 I think) priced about the same as DirecTV's TiVo HDTV unit. They have a much better deal now?

Posted by: MegaZone at Nov 7, 2004 2:05:11 PM

The Dish $10/month was an anomaly that is gone. Dish and DirecTV are, indeed, $1000 (although one of them is running a special right now for as low as $600, I think.
Voom may have a cheaper deal, but they also may not offer local channels and might not be in business much longer.
Comcast has three different HD DVRs depending on what city you are in. For Atlanta, it's the 7-hour one. They say they are going to have a new one perhaps by the end of the year. But I suspect it will be only the 12-hour one.
The HD DVR industry is so new, there are not many choices and things are changing. I have concluded spending $1000 wouldn't be worth it to me, as a newer, better, bigger box will be available in as few as 12 months.

Posted by: Niel at Nov 14, 2004 7:47:06 AM

If you have tivo now and want to upgrade to HD, using one of the cable DVRs will be a VERY painful experience. But a cheaper one. I guess you get what you pay for. The software of the cable box (Explorer 8300 is what I have) is VERY poor. The hardware seems ok though, and the HD picture is stunning of course. However, it is not tivo in the slightest. Basic PVR functionality is what you get, poorly executed. It like moving from Apple OSX to windows 95. Using this PVR really makes me appreciate tivo.

However, the cable solution is a MUCH cheaper route. Just don't expect tivo.

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