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Although the US Government has opted to push the digital transition back a few months, we're still fairly confident that it will eventually happen. When it does, everyone receiving over the air television will still need a converter box if their TV doesn't have a built in digital tuner. Dish Network has three options available if you find yourself in that situation. We've had a chance to check out their DVR option, the DTVPal DVR.

DTVPal DVR from Dish Network

Of the three Dish Network options, two are coupon eligible. The TR-40 and the DTVPal Plus both qualify for the government subsidy and will do just fine for converting the new digital signals to work on your older analog TV. None of the three require a Dish Network subscription, they are all stand alone units. But there have been some questions on how to get a VCR to work with the converter boxes. The easiest answer? Chuck the VCR and use a DVR instead.

The DTVPal DVR includes all the standard features of a digital converter box, but it also adds all the DVR functionality you'll need to leave the VCR behind. It costs $249, but that's it. buy the box and you're done; no contract, no monthly fees and no activation fee.

Features:
  • Record up to 150 hours of your favorite shows
  • Pause any show - even live TV - for up to 60 minutes
  • Skip recorded commercials with exclusive 30-second skip button
  • Create instant replay with 10-second skip back
  • Dual tuner allows you to:
    • Watch one live show while you record another
    • Record two live shows while you watch a previously recorded show
  • Available downloads keep your DTVPal DVR up-to-date
The remote and user interface are nearly identical to other Dish DVR products, so it's obvious that the DTVPal DVR didn't fall too far from the ViP-622/722 tree. The interface is very smooth and very snappy. It took all of 5 minutes to get it set up, and 4 of those were us sitting around waiting while it scanned for channels. Although some program information is available in the digital feed itself, the DTVPal DVR actually uses its high speed Internet connection to download interactive guide information. That's cool.

In our usage everything about it worked perfectly, we didn't encounter a single glitch. It does have a couple shortcomings, however. First off, it's an over the air tuner only, no QAM support. So even if you have unencrypted cable channels available to you, the DVTPal won't pick them up. It's tough to find an HDTV these days that has an ATSC tuner but not a QAM tuner, so we're unsure why it was left off, but we're sure there's a good reason.

Secondly, and probably most annoying to anyone who's used a DVR before, is the lack of what TiVO calls a "season pass." You can't tell the DTVPal DVR to simply record any instance of a particular show; you have to create a recurring timer instead. This makes it feel slightly dated. If you're upgrading from a VCR, it'll be perfect for you. If you have a DVR somewhere else in the house, this may get a little annoying. It is upgradable, so perhaps this kind of functionality could be added in the future.

So why would Dish want to make a box like this? We have our theories:
  • Millions of people will purchase converter boxes before (and probably after) the analog cut-off. Dish simply wanted a piece of that pie.
  • They want to use the converter boxes as a gateway product to bring in more Dish Network subscribers. They're reaching out to the OTA only crowd to try to convert them to DBS.
  • It's actually the first step in a larger plan for Dish Network to diversify into a home entertainment technology company, easing reliance on monthly DBS subscribers.

How would that last point actually work, especially considering the DVR isn't exactly cutting edge? Think of what Dish could do with a box like this in your living room.
  • The next revision could include a QAM tuner or even CableCard support, opening them up to any Cable customer. The prospect of a $249 DVR with no monthly fee is probably pretty enticing to people.
  • Dish can then add services to the box to create the recurring revenue stream. They've already begun to toy with Internet based VOD content. They could make that content available to DTVPal customers. They have the infrastructure, this just widens the audience. If they can get enough content, their DVR could replace Vudu and AppleTV.
  • They could allow you to network the boxes so you could transfer content between them or watch programs in different rooms. It could become the central media hub for your home.

Conclusion

Right now the DTVPal DVR is an excellent option for those who need to get a digital converter box who'd also like to ditch the circa 1985 VCR for a more modern DVR solution. It doesn't meet the expectations of a seasoned DVR user, but it could one day. We see it as a great idea and an exciting bundle of potential. We'll have to wait to see where it goes from here.