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March 2, 2009 9:57 AM PST

Review: Dish Network DTVPal DVR records in HD with no monthly fee, but it's risky

by Matthew Moskovciak
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The Dish Network DTVPal DVR (Credit: Sarah Tew/CNET)

The Dish Network DTVPal DVR ($250) tries to fill the niche penny-pinching home theater enthusiasts have been looking for--an HD DVR that records free over-the-air HDTV, but without the costly monthly fees of the TiVo HD.

The DTVPal works more like an HD VCR than a modern DVR.

The DTVPal works more like an HD VCR than a modern DVR.

(Credit: Sarah Tew/CNET)

The DTVPal gets around the monthly fee problems by relying on the program data provided with standard DTV signals and also tapping into TV Guide On Screen data if it's available in your area. However, in this case you get what you pay for, as the program data just isn't as reliable as the info you'd get from TiVo or your cable/satellite provider. We were also disappointed to see the DTVPal uses timer-based recordings rather than name-based recordings. Most DVRs offer name-based recordings, so you can tell it to record all the new episodes of "30 Rock," and the DVR will adjust its recording schedule accordingly. With the DTVPal DVR, all you can tell it is to record every Thursday at 9:30 on NBC.

Even if you're willing to put up with those limitations, Dish's skimpy return/warranty policy (all sales are final, only a 90-day warranty) will have you second-guessing. Add in all the troubling online reports of crashes and reboots, and the DTVPal DVR starts to look like a risky buy. We really wanted to like the DTVPal DVR's cheapskate style, but Dish's stingy return/warranty policy makes it really hard to recommend.

Read the full Dish Network DTVPal DVR review

November 11, 2008 9:00 AM PST

Dish Network DTVPal DVR to ship in December

by John P. Falcone
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Dish Network DTVPal DVR (Credit: Dish Network)

After a delay of several months, Dish Network will be releasing the DTVPal DVR in mid-December. The antenna-friendly HD DVR will retail for $250 (after a $50 instant rebate).

You may remember the DTV Pal DVR as the EchoStar TR-50. That's the name under which it was launched at the Consumer Electronics Show in January, where it garnered CNET's Best of CES award for the home video category.

The latest iteration of the DTVPal DVR is pictured above. While the name and look of the product have changed a bit, it appears that it retains its core feature set: the ability to record digital TV programming to its internal hard drive (30 hours of HD video or 150 hours of standard-def), a 7-day electronic programming guide, and--the big one--no additional subscription fee or contract. That last point is a big distinction from TiVo DVRs, which require a subscription fee above and beyond the cost of the hardware. Dish is also reaffirming that the device supports closed captioning, program search, and analog passthrough.

The DTVPal DVR will be available for pre-order starting November 19 at dtvpal.com. (It's not eligible for the $40 government DTV coupon, which is why Dish is throwing in the instant rebate.)

I know from my e-mail that there have been quite a few consumers looking for just such a device--an HD DVR for over-the-air programming that doesn't require a monthly fee. The question now is whether or not the DTVPal DVR will live up to its impressive specs, as well as to its excellent satellite-only predecessors such as the ViP722. Dish has promised us a review sample by the end of the month, so we should be able to share a full review soon.

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