duodvrI love my Slingbox. To me it is one of the best ideas in recent times. Dish Network has taken this idea one step further and included this technology in an HD DVR. It appears that other companies are going to follow as well. We will see more devices take advantage of giving consumers the “true experience of TV everywhere”. I recently had a great experience with the SlingMedia technical support team. That is rare these days. It’s fun to watch this company grow and take care of their customers along the way. There a long list of features in this beautiful piece of hardware. Check out the list below and let me know what you think.

sm_echostar_touchpad_remote_922DISH NETWORK® INTRODUCES WORLD’S FIRST “SLINGLOADED” HD DVR AT 2009 CONSUMER ELECTRONICS SHOW


New 1 Terabyte High Definition DVR with Integrated Slingbox, Touchpad Remote Control and Tile-based User Interface

Las Vegas, Nev., Jan. 8, 2009 – DISH Network Corporation (NASDAQ: DISH), the nation’s third largest pay-TV provider and the digital transition leader, today unveiled the world’s first SlingLoadedâ„¢ HD DuoDVRâ„¢, the award-winning ViP® 922. The ViP® 922 is the first high definition digital video recorder that incorporates placeshifting technology.

The ViP® 922 was built by EchoStar Technologies L.L.C., a wholly-owned subsidiary of EchoStar Corporation (NASDAQ: SATS), and developed for DISH Network as an entertainment centerpiece that — combined with the only 1080p Video on Demand and 100 percent, all-HD suite of programming packages available today — will revolutionize the way consumers watch and enjoy their favorite programming. DISH Network will offer the ViP® 922 to customers in Spring 2009.

“DISH Network is pleased to add another award-winning product to our suite of MPEG-4 HD DVR ViP receivers: a groundbreaking set top box that offers consumers the true experience of TV everywhere,” said DISH Network Chairman, CEO and President Charlie Ergen. “By integrating Sling Media’s Slingbox technology into our industry-leading HD DVR, DISH Network is providing even more ways for our subscribers to view their TV programming — through their television sets, their desktops at home, their laptops on the road, and their smartphones including Blackberrys, iPhones and more.”

The ViP® 922 allows TV enthusiasts to watch and control their favorite TV shows and sporting events from anywhere in the world via a broadband Internet connection on their laptop or mobile phone. With five video sources, including satellite, broadband and optional over-the-air tuners, viewers will never run out of shows to watch. The ViP® 922 also features a multi-tuner DVR with up to 1,000 hours of recording time and supports connecting external hard drives for even more storage capacity.

An innovative touchpad remote control accompanies the ViP® 922, which eliminates half the buttons of a standard remote control and provides cursor-like navigation on a TV screen. With a slide of the thumb, viewers experience scroll-over activation of the new user interface: on-screen widget-like tiles and pop-up menus. All features are selectable by an underside index finger trigger selection on the radio frequency-controlled remote, which offers two-way learning of codes from other AV equipment remote controls.

The ViP® 922 can also be controlled using SlingGuide™, a new way for consumers to control their TV viewing experience over the Internet. SlingGuide features a powerful search engine for the TV along with the ability to schedule the ViP® 922 DVR timers remotely.

Other ViP® 922 features include:

  • News feeds located on the home screen, giving viewers instant access to national news, weather, sports, and stock quotes.
  • Ability to organize channels by channel name or number.
  • 1080p, 1080i, 720p, 480i and 480p support.
  • Internet-delivered DISH On Demand including 1080p content.
  • Ability to move one day in the guide while browsing full screen EPG or partial EPG.
  • Connections to home networks via Ethernet, HomePlug Turbo (the next generation of HomePlug that allows for faster in-home transfer of content using home power lines), or WiFi (with optional WiFi adapter).
  • Powerful search capability across all available video sources, including IP, VOD, satellite or DVR.
  • Intuitive timer creation and DVR management, allowing users to categorize programming by groups (video source, title, genres) or by content description (date, length, ratings and more).
  • Ability to load photos, MP3s and selected Internet content.
  • Future upgrades such as photo sharing, movie ticket purchases, family calendars, instant messaging, streaming audio, and the ability to transfer content within a home network.