Latest reviews about DTVPAL DVR

Ikeyo says "Great product!" about DTVPAL DVR

Ikeyo — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 15:42:36 GMT

Once you have DVR you never go back. And if you're like me and refuse to pay for TV, this is the PERFECT solution. I looked long and far for something with this functionality and right now this is the ONLY product out there like this that I know of that doesn't charge a monthly fee.

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hunter56 says "I would not watch TV without it." about DTVPAL DVR

hunter56 — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 14:28:49 GMT

I have had the DTVPal DVR for over a year. It is made specifically for folks who use an antenna to watch over the air TV. The two tuners in this DVR pick up both standard digital and HD signals. With two tuners it is possible to watch a live show while recording another station. It is also possible to record two shows simultaneously and watch another previously recorded show. The DTVPal also subscribes to TVGOS (TV Guide On Screen). In my area the local CBS affiliate provides the TVGOS services. With a push of a button I can review the program guide on screen for all the stations I receive. I can also simply click on a scheduled program and add it to my list of shows to record.

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rippedoffbigtime says "This thing would be okay if it didn't lock up permanently" about DTVPAL DVR

rippedoffbigtime — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 16:21:24 GMT

I wish there was a good over the air antennae based DVR. My wife and I were hoping this would be it. But this thing is a huge disappointment. It locked up every few days and the tech group at DISH network told us to fix this by uplugging it for 2-3 minutes exactly (not more, not less) which was weird but it worked. This time however, no matter how long you wait to plug it back in, the box stays locked up and useless. And DISH Network won't support it because I bought it from Sears and Sears sold it (and might still be selling them) after DISH stopped making them and selling them (Sept 30, 2009) and Sears won't take it back because it's after 30 days. So my DTVPAL DVR is now a $300 paperweight with a red and green light on it. In conclusion this is one of the most expensive useless pieces of electronics I've ever bought. DO NOT BUY ONE OF THESE!!!!

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d2c says "It's the only product like it - buy it while you can!" about DTVPAL DVR

d2c — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 13:01:20 GMT

I've owned this device since January 2009, and while the early firmware versions had lots of problems, the DTVPal DVR is now a well-sorted product that does exactly what it's designed to do.

When it was first released, the device was buggy and rebooted itself frequently (sometimes multiple times daily, almost to the point of being unusable). DISH network's firmware upgrades progressively fixed the flaws, and it is now much more reliable than the Motorola cable company DVR I used to have.

No electronic device is perfect, and the PalDVR's guide is neither fancy nor complete. Many markets are limited to 12 hours of program guide data for many channels, although markets with TVGOS data (check here:http://www.rabbitears.info/market.php?request=tvgos) may provide 7 days of information for certain channels. If you are interested in a TiVo style guide and exclusively program name-based timer setting, you will have to spend a lot more money for a different device to get it.

I wanted to ditch the...

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davidchase says "Great and Much Cheaper than Alternatives!" about DTVPAL DVR

davidchase — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 20:47:03 GMT

This is a great (although not perfect) device that is a much, much cheaper alternative than purchasing a TiVo subscription or paying for satellite/cable. If you are currently using Over-The-Air (antenna) TV, you should seriously consider purchasing this unit.

Having the ability to pause and rewind live TV and digitally record any program with the touch of one button will change the way you watch television. Fast-forwarding through commercials, watching shows whenever is convenient for you, etc. are all amazing luxuries of owning a DVR. Prior to the DTVPAL DVR, those of us watching TV on rabbit ears had one option: TiVo. While it is true that TiVo has a more polished look and has more bells and whistles, those added features are not worth the price (which is more than DOUBLE the DTVPAL DVR). This is a simple, cheaper alternative to TiVo which works just as great.

There are a couple of caveats. Although I have never experienced any problems with my unit, many others have, and...

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LesLake says "What can I say, I love it!!!!" about DTVPAL DVR

LesLake — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 11:43:44 GMT

Had a Sony Recorder, the only thing that the Sony did better was the guide. Need I say more? The Sony had a video window on the guide. The Dish box actually uses PSIP guide data or TVGUIDE On Screen if available, very little so far to complain about, had it about 4 days now, love it!!!! I actually purchased a second unit as there is always a thrid or fourth program to watch/ record at the same time occasionally.

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fjw says "Don't Buy this deeply flawed product" about DTVPAL DVR

fjw — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 12:30:44 GMT

I bought two of the units by phone from Dish Network in January 2009. They arrived on inauguration day. Very quickly I realized something was very wrong with them. The machines would spontaneously reboot while I was watching a program. This could happen as many as three times within one hour. Even more disconcerting, the machines would simply freeze up. Since there is no hardware on/off switch, the only way to restart them was to unplug and plug them back in again. Updating the software didn't help. Finally on March 10th I had enough and requested two return merchandise authorizations. When I got the UPS shipping labels, I sent one machine back.

When I got it back, I tested it against the other one and indeed the problem of rebooting seemed fixed. However, a more serious flaw quickly emerged. Channel 3 vanished from the list and rescanning did not bring it back. They tried to argue that it was my antenna's fault, but my other machine received Channel 3 just fine. I requested another return...

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sonicvalley says "had this for about a month... awesome!" about DTVPAL DVR

sonicvalley — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 16:06:59 GMT

no problems so far but got the extended warrenty just in case... this unit is awesome. NO SUBSCRIPTIONS! everything works just as it says.

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Sankatyus says "Blank Screen appeared after 8 months." about DTVPAL DVR

Sankatyus — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 19:22:04 GMT

Unit died after eight months of usage. No LED's, no sound, no screen. Like a power supply died or a fuse blew.

I am dissappointed and I feel picked on as there are a large number of folks who are pretty happy with their units and I was one of the few that got a unit with a design or manufacturing defect.

When I bought I did not know warrenty was only 90 days and extended warrenty was not offered.

Detailed troubleshooting revealed that the wall plug failed a simple fix once it is found. Got to believe others are going to have a similar problem. http://sankaty.homestead.com/DVR.html

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anant says "does what I want it to do" about DTVPAL DVR

anant — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 21:49:28 GMT

I have had 2 units for about one month. I am delighted to be able to record and playback in HD. The only problem I have experienced with both units is that the close captioning is often garbled.

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brycenesbitt says "Perfect for over the air viewers who want to record occasionally" about DTVPAL DVR

brycenesbitt — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 11:25:56 GMT

This is an excellent unit. It sits between your antenna and your TV, and allows you to

Pause live TV.
View official TV Guide information on screen, then press a button to record a show.
Watch one show while recording another.
View recordings by show name, skipping forward and backward easily.

The TV Guide data comes automatically over the air, as does the clock setting.

The menus are well done, easy to use, and reasonably responsive (much more responsive than the comperable TiVo Series 3 HD). The unit is "time based", meaning it records at specific times (e.g. "Friday at 10pm"). TiVo in comparison is "name based", meaning it records shows by name (e.g. "Bill Moyers Journal"). But regardless shows are labeled based on the TV Guide Data.

The unit is very suitable for use by older folks, or those not very technically savvy. It is pretty easy, way better than many of the cheap converter boxes, and even better than TiVo. The included remote also controls the TV, so you...

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caseyscube says "very happy, but keep expectations in check" about DTVPAL DVR

caseyscube — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 01:27:02 GMT

i am very happy with this DVR, it does what it advertises. I got it when it first came out, and my only problem with it is the software which provides the functionality that has so many bugs. However, the software is getting much better as it updates the software though an ethernet connection. Let me say that an ethernet connection is a must with this box as this is the only way you will get the fixes. I can't imagine someone having this box and still running the original software version, they really must be pulling they're hair out,,, LOL. Apart from the sofware bugs, I love this box.

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Tennesota says "Excellent Product for OTA digital braodcast" about DTVPAL DVR

Tennesota — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 02:34:38 GMT

I pre-ordered my DTV Pal DVR and was one of the first to receive one (January 2009). It has worked flawlessly. Records over the air (OTA) digital broadcasts in HD or SD formats. If you're like me and choose NOT to pay $700-$1,000 a year for cable or satellite TV content and you're perfectly happy with free TV, this is the unit for you. With the DTVPal DVR you will not miss your favorite shows and can pause and rewind live TV just like you would with your cable or satellite DVR.

My only complaint is that you cannot connect an external hard drive to increase the recording capacity. So content management of recorded content is required.

Other than that, zero issues. I love it.

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BDBLABLABLA says "Very buggy, good when it works" about DTVPAL DVR

BDBLABLABLA — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 18:54:15 GMT

When it works, its GREAT, problem is, it doesnt work half the time. The clock tends to change time sometimes, which sets all the recording timers off, and those in itself are completely off sometimes. The hardware itself seems to be well made, and could be very powerful, however the system installed is buggy, and updates sometimes introduce more bugs than fixes. If you dont have a good signal on a channel you are trying to record, it gets skipped.

On the good side, when recordings get recorded, they are the same quality as live tv, and the 30 second skip is very useful. If tv guide data is available (i had 24 - 48 hours) it tags the recordings with that data, otherwise nothing. It does NOT require an internet connection for those of you worried about privacy issues.

The warranty is only 90 days, and mine broke at about 100 days, so put it on a credit card, or buy an extended warranty if you buy it.

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haydeecm says "I love mine" about DTVPAL DVR

haydeecm — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 10:07:37 GMT

I have had the Pal DVR for 4 months and its good at what it does. for this price, i get a HD converter (my TV is HD without tuner, with a regular $40 coupon digital converter I dont get HD) and a DVR. Just be aware its not Tivo, but you are also not paying for TV. I think for me its all i need. If you are interested in never having any fees and not supprting the cable/satellite companies, its the way to go. i love mine.

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robramm says "" about DTVPAL DVR

robramm — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 00:50:46 GMT

his Sling Media DVR is the best option for over the air recording if you don't want to spend $600 on a tivo or pay their monthy guide fees and be forced to watch advertising. Tivo fanboys will poo poo this dvr because it doesn't have a feature called "season pass", but you can set up the guide to record a show daily, weekly, mon-fri, etc. Like previous reviewer said, it has 95% of tivo features for less than half the price with no fear of tivo playing shinanigans on you in the future by limiting features.

This DVR had the look and feel as Dish Network's Satellite receivers and is of excellent quality. Regular firmware updates has brought the stability up to excellent standards as well as new features added. This unit ships with mature firmware and is an excellent buy.

The only con I can see is that it will record a repeat of a show, but no problem, 5 seconds into the show you just have to push the delete button.

Another great feature is this DVR's 4 Video ouputs are active at the same...

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bkdtv says "Good product at a good price, but don't expect TiVo performance" about DTVPAL DVR

bkdtv — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 00:37:32 GMT

From the DTVPal DVR FAQ @ AVSForum.com:

"The Dish Network DTVPal DVR is a dual-tuner HDTV DVR that supports SD and HD channels from an off-air antenna. Satellite and cable (QAM) are not supported. The DTVPal DVR allows you to watch one HD channel while you record another; it will also record two different channels while you watch a third, previously recorded show. You can use pause (up to 1hr), instant replay, and rewind on live programming. Recording capacity is 30 HD hours and 150 SD hours with a 250GB hard drive. The bundled IR remote includes buttons for 30 sec skip, 10 second replay, and supports four speeds of fast forward and reverse, slow motion, and frame-by-frame advance."

"The DTVPal DVR features an electronic program guide (EPG) with 8-days of program information from TVGuide On Screen (TVGOS), where available...If TVGuide service is not available, the DTVPal will display the more limited program information -- typically 8-24 hours worth -- offered by your local broadcasters...

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jrp-austin says "The best option in a very limited field" about DTVPAL DVR

jrp-austin — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 01:09:22 GMT

If you want to watch HDTV and you get your signal from an antenna, then you have four options:

1) schedule your life around the broadcast schedule of your favorite shows and sit through the comercials

2) buy an HD TiVo ($250 for the unit + $400 for the lifetime "subscription")

3) buy or build a "home-theater" PC (expensive, complicated, not for the faint of heart)

4) buy the Sling Media Digital Converter/DVR (aka "Freestar DVR", aka DTVPal DVR) for $250-$300 with no subscription fees.

I chose option #4 about 3 months ago and I couldn't be happier. These units had some problems early on but they were not entirely the fault of the manufacturer. The reason you don't have to pay a "subscription fee" to anyone is that these units obtain their program guide info from one of two different services provided by local TV stations "over the air" for free (TVGOS & PSIP), as opposed to TiVO units where the guide info is provided direct from TiVo via the internet (or phone line). Apparently many...

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ChipLaskowski says "This is just a rebadged DTVpal DVR" about DTVPAL DVR

ChipLaskowski — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 15:48:48 GMT

Don't kid yourself folks. Do some research. www.avsforum.com is a good start. This is just the Dish Network's DTVpal DVR with another name. These have had major quality problems, although reports say they have gotten better

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