# Get a VIP622HZ or try for Dish VIP622?



## davethestalker (Sep 17, 2006)

DECISION MADE  see below

I'm about to make the jump from the SD Homezone to HD. I am VERY saddened to find out that the new HZ HD box is nothing more than a standard Dish HD 622 with Homezone software dumped onto it. In fact when the box is installed it comes with full Dish HD software and downloads the HZ software when it is connected to the satellite. 

So, in a nutshell, all of the software bugs that exist on the SD HZ box will be present on the HD HZ box. Plus the USB slave option is NOT available on the HZ HD box. To make matters worse, the HZ HD box can record less content because there is too much space being used for downloadable content that I have not even downloaded with the SD HZ box. It is a completely useless feature. I WILL NOT PAY $3 for a movie that can be seen on Encore!!! I WILL NOT pay $3 to download and watch The Breakfast Club (generic example). The downloadable movies is nothing more than an expanded PPV, which I don't even partake in anyway. I can always go rent it on Blue Ray. I get to enjoy the buggy HZ box with an extra fee of $10 every month!

What do I use the Homezone for now? I like the screensaver feature.

I don't use the music feature. Every song has a really horrible 'wall gap' between songs (songs do not play seamlessly on a seamless album). Launchcast radio is not all that great, not enough to justify the cost. I don't use Web Remote at all. There is no sort feature on the DVR. So, there is no way to arrange all episodes of "Good Eats" together. There is no way to arrange all of the shows by channel. Only by date. I've had the HZ box since December and they STILL HAVE NOT FIXED THESE FRIGGIN BUGS!!!!!!! And now they import these bugs to a perfectly fine working 622 and slap a Homezone sticker on it and then give me LESS SPACE.

So, I have until around the middle of the week to decide if I'm going to get a Homezone HD or get out of the Homezone and into a Dish 622 or a 722 if possible for the same $149. That is, of course, providing I can get out of the Homezone. I know the HZ inside and out, but I know absolutely nothing about the "Award Winning" VIP622. Could you guys "sell" me on the 622 and tell me how much more of a joy TV viewing will be if I can get into a 622?

Another thing that REALLY PISSES ME OFF is on the HZ (SD and HD) I cannot watch Charlie Chat!!!! I am NOT going to go and watch TV in the bedroom to see Charlie Chat and use the Dish Interactive features.

Yeah, I love being an ATT/Dish customer. Having the X Games Interactive channels (how interactive were they really?) for the X Games was makin' me really proud to "one up" Direct and Concast 

I just don't have the confidence that the bugs that I have now will be fixed (anytime in the future) in the HD box. It will piss me off even more because I will be paying more to get screwed over the same way if I get the HD Homezone box.

Please don't just point me to a PDF of the feature of the 622. Sell me on it. Why is the 622 so worthy of it's "Award Winning" status? Why do you really like your 622?

The upstairs TVs are controlled by a 625 and I can't say that I'm impressed. In fact it's annoying that TV 1 can't simply record on TV 1 and TV 2 can't record on TV 2. From my ignorant understanding, (the way it is set up) recording for TV 1 are done on TV 2. So, when the wife is recording her show and watching something else, my daughter is forced to watch the recording show? Why can't the DVR be told in mid-recording to record in TV 1 and force TV 1 to watch that recording on TV 1, thus freeing TV 2 to be changed. (not all that important really, I don't have to put up with it).

So, do you guys (and gals) understand my frustration on the Homezone HD vs. Dish 622?


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## davethestalker (Sep 17, 2006)

I just got off the phone with Dish and it will cost the same $150 to upgrade to either the 622 or the 622HZ. However, if I want to get the 722, I would have to buy it.

I've been reading a few posts and I have not seen anyone successfully get an external HDD to work with the 622. Is this option not available on the 622, or is that just for the 722?


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## P Smith (Jul 25, 2002)

davethestalker said:


> I just got off the phone with Dish and it will cost the same $150 to upgrade to either the 622 or the 622HZ. However, if I want to get the 722, I would have to buy it.
> 
> I've been reading a few posts and I have *not seen *anyone successfully get an external HDD to work with the 622. Is this option not available on the 622, or is that just for the 722?


Definitely you misread - MANY ppl *successfully * get it running !


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## davethestalker (Sep 17, 2006)

P Smith said:


> Definitely you misread - MANY ppl *successfully * get it running !


Would you be gracious enough to post a "few" of these threads?

Having a virtual noOb to these boards sift and search and not really ask "the right question" in the search bar has led to scrolling and scrolling and not having my question(s) answered. Frankly, I'm surprised you didn't at least give me one link to a thread (or an (un)official guide even). It was easier for me to find threads regarding the inability to use the function.

As well, it seems as there is a rash of recent 622s that are prone to failure and then getting Dish to replace it with a perfectly functioning unit is a bit like pulling out your wisdom teeth.

http://reviews.digitaltrends.com/user_reviews3553_page2.html

I'm not bashing, but educating myself. I am leaning heavily toward dumping the 'Zone (saving myself $10 a month in the process) and getting the regular 622.


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## Jim5506 (Jun 7, 2004)

Virtually everyone that has subscribed to External disk drive option has been successful. Only a very few hav reported drive incompatibility.


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## davethestalker (Sep 17, 2006)

2Wire support says that the Homezone version of it cannot utilize the USB HDD function, nor do they have any indication as to when this will be enabled.

The couple of replies that have been made here have been focused on the USB functionality. To be brutally honest, I am more concerned about what you guys love about the VIP622. It just happens that the first replier focused on the USB.

What is so great about the VIP622? Why should I switch from my HZ box? I already know it inside and out. Can the 622 sort DVR recordings according to channel, alphabetical, and date order (like the Comcast box does)? My current HZ (SD) box cannot sort and that is a feature I was expecting to have on the better box.

How easy is it to adjust priority of recordings? In the HZ box, I have to bump up or down one spot at a time and ti does not show what is conflicting with what (in the series subscriptions menu). The only way to see an actual conflict is if I am in the program guide and set a recording by hitting the record button (as if I were doing a 1 time recording). If I set a new series recording, it tells me there is a conflict, but does not tell me exactly what the conflicts are. 

I have been reporting this to "Homezone Tech Support" for 8 months and still have not seen a change. This nagging little problem will be present on the 622HZ. All they did was port the existing HZ software over to the original 622.

I am not impressed with the usability of the 625 (bedroom TV). Is the 622 exactly the same?


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## davethestalker (Sep 17, 2006)

Coming Monday (Labor Day) will be my VIP722 :joy:

I had called AT&T Dish last week to ask some questions. But there must have been a communication barrier with the CSR because she began placing the order. I had told her that I was only asking if I could get out of my Homezone SD for either the HZ:HD or the 622, but she began wiring me up for the HZ:HD. It could not be billed on my phone bill so, that was the end of that. Either way, if I wanted the 722 I'd have to pay full price and buy it outright.

Well, low and behold, Wednesday UPS delivers 2 empty Dish Boxes. The side label indicated they were part of the "Dish it Up" program. Which of course, prompted a phone call. After being on hold for a bit, I was offered the HD upgrade and have it billed on my phone bill 

Now it gets interesting. The Homezone HD box costs $150 to upgrade. The 622 she said costs $199. But, the way the order was indicating to her was that I could be getting the 722 instead of the 622 and she could not change it. It was either the $149 HZ:HD or the $199 622 or 722. All it said was "Enhanced HD DVR" and gave no specific model number.

I've been checking my ATT account to hopefully find out which model it is and there is a delay with things are posted to my online account for me to see. Which prompted a call to ATT Dish just a bit ago. Yep, I'm having a 722 installed this Monday (Labor Day).

I've been waiting to post the good news when I got some confirmation as to which box was coming.

My question is, are they no longer offering the 622 for upgrades or may they just be out of them?


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