# 70-Hour UltimateTV Receivers Now Available



## Karl Foster (Mar 23, 2002)

RCA now has the DWD495 70-hour dual tuner UltimateTV PVR available for purchase. Orbitsat has it for $279. Seems little pricy. You could buy two 35-hour units for less. UltimateTV has been rock solid for me. I've never had a program missed or any other problems.


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## HarryD (Mar 24, 2002)

I would agree Karl. You can upgrade your own for a lot less!


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## Karl Foster (Mar 23, 2002)

With the UTV in our family room, it'd be full of 70 hours of cartoons instead of 35. The only reason for the 70 hours that I'd find useful is the ability to keep movies longer in digital format. Other than that, I like the keep the programs moving.


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## HarryD (Mar 24, 2002)

I don't think UTV is getting it's fair shake vs the DirecTivo. What do you think??


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## Karl Foster (Mar 23, 2002)

You're right. I think a lot of that is because the name Mirco$oft is attached to it. There are a lot of people that have had Dishplayers that were also M$ products that have been less than dependable and many people that have come to D* from E* won't even consider UTV because of the Dishplayer problems. 

UTV has been a superb product in my home and I am glad I made the decision to buy it. My second UTV unit was only $39 after rebate and right now the Sony version is $49 after rebate including a keyboard. I think it is a great product for the money, and no, I am not a dealer, and I don't work for UTV, I've just had a good experience.


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## John Corn (Mar 21, 2002)

I've got a friend at work thinking about a DirectTiVo or Ultimate Tv, where should I look to buy one at? I'll send him the link.

He just wants the cheapest PVR he can get.

Do you have to sign up for the web with UTV, could he just use it for the PVR part of it?

Thanks


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## Karl Foster (Mar 23, 2002)

www.orbitsat.com and www. minidishes.tv have the Sony UltimateTV unit free after rebate for new subscribers, or $49 after rebate for existing subscribers. I bought my second UTV unit from Orbitsat and had no problems.


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## John Corn (Mar 21, 2002)

Thank you, Karl
I did contact Orbistat , here's there reply.

John,

We are all out of DTV/Tivo receiver for existing customers.

You might want to check out the Sony W60 which is $249.95
with a $200 rebate if purchased before 3/31/02 - your order at check
out will act as your receipt.

Ultimate is $9.95 per month.

I won't see my buddy till Monday.....looks like the rebate will be gone.  Maybe another promo or rebate will come along.

I'm going to go look at www.minidishes.tv today as well


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## Karl Foster (Mar 23, 2002)

Orbit always has specials. I bought a RCA UTV receiver in Febrary for $39 after rebate. I'm sure there will be another special soon.


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## John Corn (Mar 21, 2002)

I'm sure there will be too. 
He would like one of those $100.00 Direct TiVo's, but there no where to be found.


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## Guest (Mar 31, 2002)

I'm a Direct Tv sub, I've been thinking about a UTV I had no idea it was that cheap, Thank you sharing that info with us karl.


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## Karl Foster (Mar 23, 2002)

Remember that Directv requires a service charge to use their PVR's (Directivo or UTV) of $9.95 per month. Directivo has a lifetime of machine service of $250 or the $9.95 per month. 

I gladly pay the $9.95 per month for an excellent piece of hardware. Just read the Dish PVR forum to see what you get for free....


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## OwnersEdge (Apr 13, 2002)

Karl_f



> RCA now has the DWD495 70-hour dual tuner UltimateTV PVR available for purchase. Orbitsat has it for $279. Seems little pricy. You could buy two 35-hour units for less.


On 4-13-02 Orbitsat.com offers no RCA UltimateTV units. No DWD490RE, no DWD495RE 70 hr unit. AmericanSatellite.com has the latter at $300 all by itself no dish no switch no keyboard no rebate.

[BTW, RCA.com doesn't present any DWD495RE either! - vaporware?]

...and I can't find DWD490s *any where* near $40-50. Where did you?

As an analog cable user I'm just about compelled to go for the UTV package of 2 Sony SAT-W60, 2 keyboards, 18" dish, self install kit, all for $00 +shipping ...although most posts say the RCA KB and remote are far superior to Sony's. Where do I look for a wife-pleasing RCA deal?

I heard yesterday from Circuit City that RCA may be coming with something after Apr 15; c'mon guys let's stand up to Sony!!


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## Karl Foster (Mar 23, 2002)

Here is a link to American Satellite with the DWD495RE 70-hour Ultimatetv receiver:

http://www.americansatellite.com/pr...ID=12LP3G2974727QKBWJOG9FCQSU73DI6EU&ITEM=679

I don't know if Oribit ran out or what? It is fairly easy to upgrade a UTV receiver up to 120 GB. Check avsforum.com to find a link to the instructions.

There really is no difference between the RCA standard UTV receiver and the Sony (except the remote). If you are new sub, the Sony from Orbitsat for free after rebate is the way to go.

Orbit seems to switch from offering good deals on Sony to good deals on RCA about every month. This month seems to be Sony. I bought my 2nd RCA for $39 after rebate from Orbit in February, but I wouldn't hesitate to get the Sony if that is what their current promotion is for. To the Sony's credit, it comes with a keyboard, where you have to purchase one separately for the RCA. I paid $17 for a keyboard on EBay.


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## OwnersEdge (Apr 13, 2002)

> Here is a link to American Satellite with the DWD495RE 70-hour Ultimatetv receiver:
> 
> http://www.americansatellite.com/pr...3DI6EU&ITEM=679
> 
> I don't know if Oribit ran out or what? It is fairly easy to upgrade a UTV receiver up to 120 GB. Check avsforum.com to find a link to the instructions.


Yup, I checked em out $300 there too for the 70hr DWD495, or $150 for 35hr DWD490 - no Keyboard, no Dish for a new D* user.
Itsa dry season for RCA.

I took it as a sign that Microsoft was starting to hit the throttle with the big subsidies on Sony gear, plus the long overdue 3.5 features. Dyou think they're really gonna promote big UTV expansion of their customer base?


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## HarryD (Mar 24, 2002)

Also check out www.mini-dishes.com


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## OwnersEdge (Apr 13, 2002)

HarryD - www.minidishes.tv IS a good source.

Only Sony UTV available right now.

Everybody must be awaiting the 70hr RCA DWD495RE.


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## ken4kne (Apr 19, 2002)

How difficult is to upgrade an Ultimate?

I agree that two Ultimates would be preferable to one 70 hour model but then I paid a little more then $200 after rebate for the Ultimate I installed for my parents.

Speaking of Ultimate, how does its hour recording quality work. I know on TIVO, I set the quality and I get about 19 hours of recording on my 30 hour TIVO in medium. My parenst asked me how much could be recorded on their Ultimat eand i couldn't tell them. I know it says it 35 hours but how do you know. What quality level do you have to achieve that many hours?


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## Mark Lamutt (Mar 24, 2002)

Ken, there is no quality level setting because the ultimate tv unit (just like the directivos and 501s) records the satellite stream directly to the disk. Recordings are exactly the same as watching it live. Now, 35 hours may end up being only 28 or 29, depending on how much the channels are compressed coming from the satellites.


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## Karl Foster (Mar 23, 2002)

My experience is usually about 25 hours. If you record anything with Dolby Digital sound, it really digs into the hours. Sports do the same.


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