Dish Network receivers and DVR systems 101: Know more about your satellite TV systems

Ever wonder what's inside the deals when Dish Network retailers claims they are giving off satellite TV systems or DVR systems for free?

When you see the statements 'Free satellite TV systems'; in the Dish Network or DirecTV promotions, it actually refers to the satellite TV receiver. Working up with the 18"-satellite dish, satellite TV receiver are used to decode the digital satellite signals and turn it into viewable TV image for the viewer. Dish Network currently offers two types of satellite TV receivers for free in their promotion deals: DISH 322 and DISH 311. Both systems from provide the latest digital receivers and all digital programming at the lowest possible cost. DISH 311

DISH 311 is Dish Network's entry-level feature-rich satellite receiver. It uses the DISH Home Interactive User Interface and offers interactive features that improve viewer's TV picture and audio quality. DISH 311 supports various Dish Network program features, functions supported includes DISH Interactive Electronic Program Guide (EPG) and interactive capabilities, favorites lists features, themes lists, program browse, parental control locks. With DISH 311, you can also get Infrared (IR) 4-component universal remote control that can be programmed to operate up to three additional electronic components, such as TVs, VCRs and DVD players.

DISH 322

DISH 322 features two tuners for independent satellite TV viewing on two separate televisions. This means you can get up to two rooms connected with just one DISH 322 system. Besides double tuners, other supported features of DISH 322 include interactive features thru 4DISH Home Interactive TV, programming listing information thru On-screen Electronic Program Guide (EPG) with access to up to two days of programming listings/information, parental control locks, themes lists, favorites lists, program browse, one-touch channel return, closed-caption support and alternate audio selections.

Digital Video Recording (DVR) system is often included as one of the free gifts when you order your Dish Network deals. The DVR is actually a recording device that records TV programs into a built-in hard disk drive in digital format for later viewing. It gives the freedom for you to record, pause, rewind, and fast forward TV shows. Dish Network currently offers a lot of different DVR models with different features and functions. Consumers often get confuse on the differences between these different models of Dish Network DVRs. To ease this problem, let's have a brief overview on the Dish Network DVR systems.

DISH Player-DVR 510.

The DVR 510 is the only DVR model that will be given to you for free. Combined with the functions of a normal Dish Network receivers, DVR 510 is capable of recording up to 100 hours of programming on a 120 GB hard-drive and has the ability to pause live TV, record standard definition Dish Network programming, skip recorded commercials and create instant replays. It has the ability to fast forward and rewind in four speeds (4x, 15x, 30x, 300x). You can also skip forward up to 30 seconds and skip backward up to 10 seconds. There is a one-touch record management feature and the option to use the manual or automatic record timers. The DVR 510 also gives you easy access to the Extended Electronic Program Guide that lets you view up to nine days of programming and allows you to search by names, subjects, or actors (all stored onto the hard drive).

DISH Player-DVR 522.

Along with all the features that the DVR 510 has, the DVR 522 has two satellite tuners in one. This dual tuner gives you the power to record two programs simultaneously, watch a live program while recording another, or even watch a pre-recorded program while recording two live programs. Other features of DVR 522 include basic custom program controls such like parental locks, program information, picture-in-guide view, On Demand Weather, favorite lists, and much more. Further more, Dish Network DVR 522 comes with 2 platinum plus remotes and had Picture-In-Picture (PIP) capabilities.

DISH Player-DVR 625

Unlike DVR 510, DISH Player DVR 625will charge you $19.99 as an initial fee. DISH Player-DVR 625 is an advanced dual tuner, two TV output satellite receiver and integrated digital video recorder (DVR). DISH Player-DVR 625's dual tuners and two TV outputs provide the unique ability to record two shows simultaneously as well as allow for independent viewing of live satellite TV programming and recorded events when connected to two televisions. DVR 625 allows its user to do name based recording, where you can pick any show and the DVR will find all new episodes and record them regardless of any changes in program length or broadcast schedule! Other DVR 625's main features include Dual satellite tuners that provide several multi-room viewing options, Picture-In-Picture (PIP) functions, basic DVR functions that allows you to pause live TV, play, stop, fast forward, fast reverse, skip forward, up to 100 hours of 100% digital video recording on a 120 gigabyte hard drive, and get up to 9-day extended Electronic Programming Guide