DISH Product Reviews

ViP722 is PC Magazine's Editor's Choice

brian_k_neal@ziffdavis.com (Brian K. Neal) — Fri, 11 Jan 2008 00:00:00 -0700

The high-definition digital video recorder (DVR) has become an essential ingredient of for today's home-entertainment setup, enjoying an important place alongside the mighty HDTV, which is, of course, the centerpiece. And no other manufacturer's HD DVRs have set the benchmark quite as high as those from Dish Network. The company's latest model, the ViP722, is pretty much the same as the versatile, cutting-edge ViP622 except for a new look and increased storage. All the features of its predecessor are here, including the ability to record simultaneously from two televisions, as well as receive or record MPEG-4 satellite broadcasts. Basically, it's even more of an already good thing.

ViP722 Receives 5 Star Editor's Choice award

Michael@hardwaregeeks.com (Michael) — Fri, 05 Oct 2007 00:00:00 -0700

I am a huge couch potato after 8PM; I am also a huge DVR addict. I record probably every TV show available. From Grey's Anatomy to Prison Break, I record it all. I like to keep the shows so that I can go back and watch them in case I missed something, especially when a new season is about to start. It's good to watch the last few episodes to get caught up.

But many DVRs don't offer enough hard drive space to do this, especially if you are recording HD programming. So, I was thankful that Dish Network loaned us the VIP722 to test out because it offers up to 55 hours of HD video recording, and you can connect additional hard dives via a USB port on the back.

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DISH has set the bar high

webmaster@laaudiofile.com (Kevin Nakano) — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 13:09:33 -0800

We have had the ViP722 installed for 2 months in our home theater system and it has performed flawlessly for us during that time. The ViP722 will be a welcomed component for those of you with a spouse who often find difficulty operating the home theater equipment. This DVR has an effective user interface with easy navigation and program access. Selecting programs to record with the DVR is a simple process using the Electronic Programming Guide. The ViP722 has been well thought out and delivers the ultimate in high definition picture quality with full DVR capabilities. Dish customers also have the ability to take recorded DVR content (completely free of charge) on the road when using one of the compatible ARCHOS portable media players.

DISH has set the bar high with their flagship ViP722 DVR. The recent firmware upgrades (automatic through the satellite dish) give this already powerful receiver more capabilities than it had just a few months ago. The ability to store content (both high definition and standard definition) to an external hard drive through the USB 2.0 interface is a fantastic feature. In addition, the broadband Video On Demand service gives customers many more options for watching movies. If you have been considering a DVR and have been trying to determine which is the best for your high-definition display, Dish Network's latest ViP722 is the best we have seen. This high definition DVR has become our family's favorite component.

An Essential Component To Any Media Room

webmaster@laaudiofile.com (Kevin Nakano) — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 17:32:24 -0800

The video quality produced by the ViP622 was nothing short of spectacular when viewing high-definition content. Adding the DVR capabilities makes the Dish ViP622 our new best friend in our home theater system. Watching programs is fast and easy with excellent image quality. How often can you get all of that in one component? With access to so much content, all available for time-shifting, you can count on wasting a lot of hours in front of the screen. Unlike many of the earlier DVRs on the market, the ViP622 has been very reliable in our system and we have seldom encountered any anomalies with the operation of the unit. When selected, firmware updates can be automatically downloaded from the data link during odd hours of the night. This will keep the unit updated with the latest features and bug fixes, while not to disturb the user during primetime hours.

CNET editors' review: Editor's Choice

David.Katzmaier@cbs.com (David Katzmaier) — Fri, 14 Feb 2008 00:00:00 -0700

Since this review was originally published, we've lived with the Dish ViP622 for 21 months. During that time, it has operated very smoothly, and after comparing it to the DirecTV HR20 and the TiVo HD, we've awarded the Dish ViP622 our Editors' Choice among HD DVRs.

Verdict: Convergently Great

webmaster@gizmodo.com (Jason Chen) — Mon, 22 May 2006 15:20:00 -0800

The unique feature of this box allows two rooms to watch TV through the device without having a separate receiver in the second room. How it works: connect the tuner in the first room, set the TV to a specific channel in the second room, and the tuner sends signals through your home's coax cable wire. The second room even gets its own remote so the two rooms don't need to be watching the same program. With this, you can watch one HD channel and record two separate standard definition channels.

A Tastier Dish: Dish Network ViP622

loyd_case@ziffdavis.com (Loyd Case) — Fri, 02 May 2006 00:00:00 -0700

The ViP622 is capable of MPEG-4 decoding in addition to MPEG-2, which means it can receive additional HD content from Dish Network including ten VOOM channels. When they offered a $99 upgrade from the 921, I couldn't resist.

Intuitive and easy to use

webmaster@laaudiofile.com (Kevin Nakano) — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 17:32:23 -0500

The ViP222 is a powerful set-top box that is designed to deliver top quality high definition programming from Dish Network's extensive offerings as well as local terrestrial broadcasts. Both the HDMI (digital) and component (analog) outputs can provide high definition video or standard definition video. Having spent almost a year with the DVR capabilities available on the ViP622 and the newest ViP722, it is tough to live without them. However, DVR functions aside, this receiver has all the great attributes of the ViP622. The dual TV outputs allow users to have two televisions connected to a single box with independent control of the each. Alternatively, users can use a single television with picture-in-picture capability.