Dish Network DVR Converter Preview

By Clint DeBoer — January 11, 2008

Dish Network DVR Converter

Summary

Product Name: DVR Converter from Dish (TBD)
Manufacturer: Dish Network - Maxtor
Review Date: January 11, 2008 16:10
MSRP: $TBD
First Impression: Pretty Cool

Specifications

Converts non-DVR to DVR
Adds 30-second skip, fast-forward and rewind
Record and Play functionality
Extend Program Guide from 2-days to 9-days
External hard drive (Maxtor?) for increased storage

Executive Overview

We got a sneak peek at the as-yet-unnamed DVR converter system that Dish plans on rolling out later this year. While they didn't have a lot of information on the product, the system is essentially a device which transforms any non-DVR product into a DVR system. It was contained in a Maxtor-branded external enclosure which, when paired with a Dish receiver, enables digital video recording of program material. It will allow all of the DishDVR features, including 30-second skip fast forward and reverse. It will of course, record and play back shows form the program guide - but a bonus feature is that it extends 2-day program guide systems to 9-days.

For those consumers who opted to purchase a standard set top converter and are missing out on all the DVR functionality this is a potential boon. It's also nice to see that the system take into account a need for lengthier program guide functionality in order to make the system practical. Consumers are big on updates and purchasing a DVR from scratch is not always the most fiscally practical way to go. It's nice to see Dish Network partner up with Maxtor to make this convenient product for consumers.

The external (Maxtor-branded at the show) hard drive will allow increased storage but Dish didn't tell us if they were going to have it be scalable or simply fix it at 160GB or more.

For more information please visit www.dishnetwork.com.

Unless otherwise indicated, this is a preview article for the featured product. A formal review may or may not follow in the future.

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Discuss This Article

AVRat posts on January 20, 2008 14:20

I guess announcements on upgraded pre/pros was skimpy/non-existent since nothing was reported, eh?

The Chukker posts on January 16, 2008 00:28

Tom Andry, post: 358149
Scratch that - when I wrote that article, I was converting from Yen to $ and came to $1800. Turns out it will cost more like $2500 according to Sony.

Yikes. It would be interesting if someone used the average price points for LCD or Plasma tv's (from say 27“ to 60+”) and then applied that sliding scale model to OLED tv's to give a “rough” idea of what the larger panels would cost in comparison. I know this logic is inherently flawed but geez, $2500 for an 11" tv? pfffff.
Do you get the feeling these guys are just showing off for it's own sake?

Tom Andry posts on January 15, 2008 11:10

Scratch that - when I wrote that article, I was converting from Yen to $ and came to $1800. Turns out it will cost more like $2500 according to Sony. I'd love to see this tech mature but I have a feeling that no one is going to want to invest in it enough to get the infrastructure to the point were they can be produced cheaply. With the majority of the public rolling their eyes at me when I tell them that there is a difference between SD and HD, I can't believe that we're going to convince them that a high contrast ratio is reason enough to spend 5x on an OLED display.

Tom Andry posts on January 15, 2008 09:43

The Chukker, post: 357718
So what kind of price differential are we talking about here? Did Samsung actually have an MSRP for the 31" model? If mass production were to indeed start in 2010 of mid to large sized models, what price point is Samsung shooting for and what was the maximum size they were touting?

Sony just released their first 11" OLED at $1800
Toshiba isn't going to release any at all based on manufacturing costs
[read more]

Samsung didn't talk price (heck, they didn't have a price tag on a single item in their booth) but many times these tech showcases are just stuff they are exploring.

The Chukker posts on January 14, 2008 18:44

“there is ample evidence that OLED will never come down in price enough to be a serious contender against LCDs.”
So what kind of price differential are we talking about here? Did Samsung actually have an MSRP for the 31" model? If mass production were to indeed start in 2010 of mid to large sized models, what price point is Samsung shooting for and what was the maximum size they were touting?

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