Dish Network DishPVR 501 System

Pros: Crystal Clear Recordings, 35 Hours Recording Time, Awesome Remote Control, NO MONTHLY CHARGES!
Cons: None

I can sum this review up with one statement:

"Why didn't I buy this unit a long time ago?"

Truth be told, I've had the PVR 501 for one week and it's easily the best addition I've EVER made to my home theater, including DVD!...

Pros: Everything, 35 hours of recording(PTV), fast-forward, rewind live T.V, cool controller, cost
Cons: There are none at all, greatest addition to home television since color T.V

I recently had my last dispute with the cable companies and I converted to Satellite Television and I don't ever plan on going back to Cable. The cable companies are rude and over-priced so I did what I felt was the smartest thing to do. I called up...

Pros: Faster and easier to use, better quality, less expensive, better customer service
Cons: None as yet

I bought the newest ReplayTV and sent it back after a week as it did not live up to expectations. DishTV was running a special for new and existing customers that included this 501 unit, a JVC product (for $99 and $199, respectively).

Thus...

Pros: Feature-rich. Lots of outputs. UHF Remote. SuperDISH capable
Cons: Can't watch other channels while recording.

I've had the Dish PVR-501 system for over three years. Dish Network now has several plans wherein you lease the equipment from them. The plan I chose gave me a Dish PVR-501 and a 300 series receiver, free installation, and service agreement for ...

Pros: Great picture, sound, customer service, ease of use
Cons: None

I signed up for the PVR only because it was on sale for $50 and no monthly charge, and I'm soooo glad I did! I don't know how I got by before I got this! I've had only excellent results if I've had to contact customer service, and have had no problems...

Pros: excellent digital image and sound, satisfactory customer service, easy to use.
Cons: extreme weather can disrupt signal

Recently, we've relocated to a home which, oddly, has no nearby access to cable TV (unless we want to pay to dig a trench, which we don't). When a friend suggested satellite TV to the alternative we had (approximately 1 1/2 channels), we thought we'd...

Pros: It;s a pvr with no monthly fee!! excellent customer service
Cons: possible weather related outages

Upon hearing about the pvr receiver, I immediately contacted dish network, ad to my delight--they had a promotion just for existing customers. I have been a happy dish customer for some time now, and I think it is wonderful how they treat existing...

Pros: Awesome reception. Great deal money wise. Abundant channel selection over cable.
Cons: Set up on front lawn due to reception needs. Misinformation from installer.

Although I am very very pleased overall with our new Dish Network system (we got the PVR setup in one of the three rooms we had it installed in. So cool being able to pause and rewind and record without a VCR!) I am disappointed due to receiving...

Pros: Superior Integration, full Dish picture quality, smooth and easy operation
Cons: Timer is time/slot based, not show based.

There is no Dish 508 or 510 product listed on epinions that I can see, but the 501, 508, and 510 all work the same and have the same software (which has been greatly improved since a lot of these reviews), so I'll put this here... ***update 2 *** ...

Pros: No subscription fee, ad zapper, UHF/IR remote, easy to use, lots of features
Cons: Software updates occasionally introduce instability

A Personal Video Recorder (PVR) is unquestionably the most innovative and useful home television device since the VCR & remote control. If you remember the days of having to wait for a TV show to be repeated because you couldn't record the show (pre-VCR) ...

Pros: Worth every penny! Gives me the freedom to watch my shows whenever I want.
Cons: Very little to complain about.

In August I will have had my DISH PVR for 12 months. I am so pleased. It has changed the way I watch television and I can never go back. I responded to an online offer for $49.99. I got the entire set-up: The Dish, and the receiver/501 PVR for only...

Pros: Excellent audio and video quality.
Cons: Can't watch live broadcasts while recording another show.

I recently signed up for Dish Network's Digital Home Plan. I received two satellite dishes, a 300 series tuner, and a PVR501. The second dish is for foriegn programming as my wife is Russian.

First let me just say that the process of...

Pros: Clarity of picture/sound unmatched by VCR. Hard drive with many hours of recording time.
Cons: A single tuner means no channel surfing while recording.

I've seen a number of reviews bemoaning the fact that these Dish network PVR's are not TIVO. Get TIVO if you want it. Dish has another, some might say better in some ways, idea. It also does not cost $14.00 per month just for a subscription to the guide, ...

Pros: Mostly... watch what you want to watch and zap ads
Cons: Some software bugs, can't record while watching another channel

An update to this review:

1. I have found a flaw what would otherwise be an excellent system. Many HBO movies going over Dish that are supposedly encoded in Dolby 5.1 are feeding a false Dolby 5.1 signal with no sound encoded. The false...

Pros: Great picture quality and simple to use
Cons: slightly noisy but with UHF remote you can put the receiver in another room!

I just got rid of my digital cable because the picture was terrible and the price was high. I paid $99 to Dish Network to upgrade to the PVR 501. I've never been happier. Within 5 minutes I was able to record. Just scroll to a show you would like...