HD Video on Demand with Dish Network

[johnhb1234]

I live in NYC and to my dismay, none of the major retailers that sell DISH have it running in their stores. I am contemplating switching from cable to satellite and have a few questions:

1. I understand from an online review that if you try to order a VOD movie from DISH it can take several minutes for the movie to start and that while watching the movie, there can be "hiccups". Is this true and what is typical for the delay before the movie starts.

2. Has there been any feedback from DISH or elsewhere that this situation will improve? Has this service improved since it was launched; how?

3. If you are currently a DISH subscriber, do you need to upgrade your STB or any other equipment to get VOD?

4. I've heard the User Interface for the DISH VOD service is not the best. Does anyone have any feedback about this and how it might be improved?

Thanks,

John

[daleb]

I only used it once, and had no problem. As long as you are a Dish subscriber you don't need any additional equipment.

[archer5494]

Originally Posted by johnhb1234

I live in NYC and to my dismay, none of the major retailers that sell DISH have it running in their stores. I am contemplating switching from cable to satellite and have a few questions:

1. I understand from an online review that if you try to order a VOD movie from DISH it can take several minutes for the movie to start and that while watching the movie, there can be "hiccups". Is this true and what is typical for the delay before the movie starts.

2. Has there been any feedback from DISH or elsewhere that this situation will improve? Has this service improved since it was launched; how?

3. If you are currently a DISH subscriber, do you need to upgrade your STB or any other equipment to get VOD?

4. I've heard the User Interface for the DISH VOD service is not the best. Does anyone have any feedback about this and how it might be improved?

Thanks,

John

1.VOD and ppv are separate. VOD starts instantly and no preview.
If you have HD receiver it is 1080P.
Dish ppv gives a 5 minute preview and I've never had a delay there either or problem with previewing. If you have HDppv it is 1080i feed.
You may need an upgraded receiver for the VOD depending on what you had before. I rarely use VOD because it is not recordable. PPV is recordable.
The user interface on the 722 DVR seems very easy and straight forward, so not sure whats considered the best. The 722 is considered the best DVR out there and puts a TIVO to shame.
That's the number one reason I went with dish over Direct.

[garys]

I think OP's info was for DishOnLine which does have to download before it can be viewed.

[daleb]

There are 5 VOD channels...one of which is in 1080p (title changes monthly).
Streaming is available via DishOnLine, as garys pointed out.

[archer5494]

Originally Posted by garys

I think OP's info was for DishOnLine which does have to download before it can be viewed.

So he's asking about Dishonline over the internet? I missed that in the post because it was not there. I have no opinion of dish online have never used it because of the few HD movies being offered.

[johnhb1234]

I seem to be getting some contraditory answers - can somone please help? Two people responded to the original HD VOD question for DISH by saying they had no start up delay after ordering a movie (I'm referring to VOD, not PPV). Two people replied that the VOD service was online only.

In looking at another post, it seems as if DISH delivers one or more movies via satellite to your DVR each month. Are there additional SD movies delivered by this "push" VOD service? If these are the correct options, are users telling me that there is NO start-up delay in using the online service for ordering a movie, or that the movie doesn't experience any "hiccups" while it is running?

Thanks,

John

[garys]

DishOnDemand is a different service than the Video On Demand. Both services are available on Dish Vip receivers. DishOnDemand must download and has a large variety of movies and such and from being fairly new to being several years old, while VideoOnDemand starts immediately and only has a limited number of offerings at any one time but they are new movies.

[archer5494]

VOD starts immediately as everyone has stated. I've never had a hiccup or slow start. But I have limited use of only 3 movies over the last year. You can't keep VOD movies so I mainly use PPV's that I store on another hard drive. I hooked an external MyBook 1 terrabyte usb drive and save recorded content on it.
I curently have 8 VOD movies on my 722 receiver and they are all HD. No SD VOD movies on my receiver.

The other service is DishOnDemand that has 2500+ movies including adult content. You have to be hooked to the internet and it downloads the movie. You can keep the movie for 24 hours after you start watching it.
Never used it yet but I do have it hooked up and looked through the selection of movies.

Hope this clears it up some.

[Joe Las Vegas]

NYC hey! not a good place to have DN, all it takes for me to lose signal is a big storm, here in Las Vegas it's not much of a concern, but in NYC where it snows and rains like hell sometimes, I would get cable.

[daleb]

Originally Posted by archer5494

VOD starts immediately as everyone has stated. I've never had a hiccup or slow start. But I have limited use of only 3 movies over the last year. You can't keep VOD movies so I mainly use PPV's that I store on another hard drive. I hooked an external MyBook 1 terrabyte usb drive and save recorded content on it.
I curently have 8 VOD movies on my 722 receiver and they are all HD. No SD VOD movies on my receiver.

The other service is DishOnDemand that has 2500+ movies including adult content. You have to be hooked to the internet and it downloads the movie. You can keep the movie for 24 hours after you start watching it.
Never used it yet but I do have it hooked up and looked through the selection of movies.

Hope this clears it up some.

I think Dish on Demand and DishOnLine (Dish Theater) is often confused.

DOD (VOD) is available instantly, like PPV.

DishOnLine is downloaded in whole (not streamed).