# Does the 921 look even bigger in real life?



## EvanS (Mar 27, 2002)

good lord, what a behemoth!!!! :eek2:


----------



## John Corn (Mar 21, 2002)

:lol: I was thinking the samething tonight.


----------



## tm22721 (Nov 8, 2002)

Even though I am near the top of the list to get a 921, I have had second thoughts due to its monstrous size and outlandish silver color. 

In a stack of black boxes, this abomination will stick out like a sore thumb !


----------



## Peluso (Sep 11, 2002)

or it's color will allow you to show it off in all it's magnificence!


----------



## sampatterson (Aug 27, 2002)

There is always spraypaint....


----------



## BobMurdoch (Apr 24, 2002)

Make like the PC guys and personalize it. With THAT much surface space you can paint graffiti, put a "Cable Sucks" bumper sticker on it, OR put a bulls eye with Charlie's picture on it so you can shoot him with a nerf or suction cup dart gun when he says phrases like "we wanted to get you that channel but we didn't want to raise your rates!".

-Comedy Mode Off-

OK, but seriously folks, size or not this puppy WILL be in my stack of components as soon as I can get it there.


----------



## Mike D-CO5 (Mar 12, 2003)

I don't know why anyone objects to the color silver. ALL the newer electronic components and tvs are in this color. It is a return to the 80's colors. Thank God it doesn't combine the fake walnut color with it like the 80's did. I've got different colors on top of my big screen and it 's not the color that bothers me but the sheer number of boxes I've got up there.

Rca receiver for sound, Kenwood CD jukebox, Dish 721 , Toshiba DVD /VCR box, Stand alone Tivo connected to a Directv box with IR blaster, and a XM sat radio antenna and home kit stand. 

Believe it or not it is all hooked up into the vcr and then in to the 721 so I can upconvert the sound to digital pcm . What I need is a home built entertainment cabinet to hide the whole mess. Maybe the "Trading Spaces" carpenter Amy Win can come over and build me one. :lol:


----------



## Peluso (Sep 11, 2002)

Mike D-CO5 said:


> What I need is a home built entertainment cabinet to hide the whole mess. Maybe the "Trading Spaces" carpenter Amy Win can come over and build me one. :lol:


Don't laugh that's exactly what I had to do. I'm recently married which means the living room is now for living and not a room who's sole purpose is to house my home theater. The only way I could get my wife to ok the HDTV was to hide it. We had a custom Armour style entertainment center built to house everything. It was SO big that when we first got it in we couldn't stand it up because no matter what angle we used it would always hit the ceiling. We had to send it back so they could cut two inches off the bottom.

I swear it's the truth. I can take a digital photo if you want to see it.

The best part is that i was able to put in spaces for everything and i included two large areas for the receiver and the 921 figuring that both would need air for cooling.


----------



## AppliedAggression (Aug 16, 2003)

Peluso said:


> Don't laugh that's exactly what I had to do. I'm recently married which means the living room is now for living and not a room who's sole purpose is to house my home theater. The only way I could get my wife to ok the HDTV was to hide it. We had a custom Armour style entertainment center built to house everything. It was SO big that when we first got it in we couldn't stand it up because no matter what angle we used it would always hit the ceiling. We had to send it back so they could cut two inches off the bottom.
> 
> I swear it's the truth. I can take a digital photo if you want to see it.
> 
> The best part is that i was able to put in spaces for everything and i included two large areas for the receiver and the 921 figuring that both would need air for cooling.


Well...let's see it already. We all like to see what other ppl are doing.


----------



## Richard King (Mar 25, 2002)

Here's what I did. When I bought the house there was a bookshelf to the right of the fireplace. I removed the back of the bookshelf and chopped through the wall into the laundry room. I built a box 24" deep that would fit in the bookshelf space. I installed the box and bought some rack rails and a bunch of Middle Atlantic rack mount shelves. The equipment that wasn't rack mountable went on the shelves, the other just mounted right in the rack on the rails that I purchased. I had to offset the reel to reel so that the reels would clear the framing that I installed around the project. The dvd's now have their own rack and the top of the television is clear.
Check here for more pix: http://www.pbase.com/rking401/my_home_theatre


----------



## BobMurdoch (Apr 24, 2002)

Nice neat setup (and access from the laundry room is REAL useful.... you don't have to wrestle with moving loaded bookcases when making any cable changes or equipment swapouts).

One worry...... Be careful with Heat issues. That equipment is packed in their tight without a lot of ventilation PLUS you are next to a chimney and your laundry room's dryer probably heats up the back of the components pretty well. Since you are in Florida that fireplace may not get THAT much use, but be vigilant all the same.


----------



## Richard King (Mar 25, 2002)

I vented the top of the box before installation so heat hasn't been a problem yet. Hopefully it will remain that way.


----------



## Frank Z (Nov 15, 2002)

Anyone have a pic of the 921 that they can post?


----------



## Rodney (Aug 22, 2003)

A picture would be nice, but I would like to know the dimensions and weight.


----------



## Nick (Apr 23, 2002)

Why in the world would anyone stack components on top of their TV? Isn't that right up there with flamingos in the yard and beer signs on the wall?

In other words, TP chic.

Oops, sorry, Richard! :eek2:


----------



## Jerry G (Jul 12, 2003)

Nick said:


> Why in the world would anyone stack components on top of their TV? Isn't that right up there with flamingos in the yard and beer signs on the wall?
> 
> In other words, TP chic.
> 
> Oops, sorry, Richard! :eek2:


Well, with my previous set, a RP HD set, I had no choice. The cabinet next to the set was full. There was just NO room for another cabinet or component stand. You see, I just had no choice. I had some plexiglas shelves made and placed them on top of the set and then put the components on the plexiglas shelves. You see, I just had no choice. Now I have a 50" Pioneer plasma, mounted on a Bello stand. There are glass shelves on the lower half of the stand and I have a number of components on those glass shelves. Is that OK with you? :nono2:

BTW, I don't have any flamingos in the yard and I don't have any beer signs of the walls. I do, however, have photographic prints on the walls.


----------



## Mike D-CO5 (Mar 12, 2003)

All of my componets are stacked on my 50 inch Mitsibishi tv and I don't have any room next to the tv for a stand. The tv is wide enough for all to fit nicely. To the left of my tv is the corner fireplace and to the right is a hallway so I had no choice.


----------



## Richard King (Mar 25, 2002)

So Nick, where's the picture of your installation.


----------



## EvanS (Mar 27, 2002)

Nick said:


> Why in the world would anyone stack components on top of their TV? Isn't that right up there with flamingos in the yard and beer signs on the wall?
> 
> In other words, TP chic.
> 
> Oops, sorry, Richard! :eek2:


LOL
My day is now complete and I can go to bed...Nick finally chimed in spreading hate and discontent!! :hurah: 
Thanks my friend...I'll sleep good now


----------



## jerryyyyy (Jul 19, 2002)

I hope they have a real fan inside this one.


----------



## Peluso (Sep 11, 2002)

Sorry for the delay, here is my custom designed unit.... I numbered the picture...

1) It's where I left the Stereo... There is about six inches on either side and about six inches above the unit for air flow and cooling. 

2) This area is the same size as the Receiver... I wanted a second large area for the 921 because i remember the heat related problems I had with my Dish Player. I want to make sure the 921 has a large area for air flow and cooling. - Currently the old Sony DVD-7000 (I can't believe it's so old now, i remember when it was all the rage and costs $1200)

3) Designed for the VCR... perfect fit. 

4) Center Channel speaker, it's angled to the viewer, and matches the speakers on the wall in hight. 

5) Open.. for future small Consumer Electronics Products. Currently holds a single disk MP3 player, but it's a perfect spot to put an XM tuner.  It was actually designed to hold my HTPC, but we had to use that machine for another purpose and the replacement computer doesn't fit in the spot. 

6) This is the area we screwed up on. It was supposed to house the TV. We measured it to hold the TV while sitting on it's matching stand. The problem is that with the matching stand and our low sitting couch, the image was too high. So we got rid of the matching stand but that leaves the open area above the TV. Currently my wife and I are in negotiations to fill the area. I want to put in a shelf for more consumer electronics products. She would like the shelf to contain knick knacks to go along with the rooms African theme. 

7) Sony PS2

8) area for literature, remotes, potential future DVD-A Changer. 

9) Xbox (of course it's got the HD adapter and looks fantastic with the right game)

10) Game Cube area.. Game cube is currently on loan to future 

The second photo shows the entertainment center closed. The panels on the doors are removable so we can cover them with the material we are going to cover our couch and chairs with. Ultimately the entertainment center will perfectly match the other furniture in the room.


----------



## BobMurdoch (Apr 24, 2002)

It looks good, but you need SOMETHING to put in front of those dangling wires coming down the wall on top of the TV. (Maybe raise the TV and put another shelf underneath it)


----------



## AppliedAggression (Aug 16, 2003)

Wow. That looks pretty nice. Everything has its own spot, and with the doors closed no one would even guess all the stuff behind it. Bet the wife likes that...course we don't. We like to show off what we spend our pay checks on. heh

Thanks for going through the trouble. Hopefully it'll inspire others.


----------



## AppliedAggression (Aug 16, 2003)

Better yet, but not very easy to do, would be to get some nice frosted glass and put only a section of the back in it. Then you'd be able to hide the wires behind it.


----------



## Chris Blount (Jun 22, 2001)

Frank Z said:


> Anyone have a pic of the 921 that they can post?


Pictures and specs of upcoming Dish receivers including the 921 and the Superdish can be seen here:

http://www.dishretailer.com/ts2003/


----------



## Peluso (Sep 11, 2002)

BobMurdoch said:


> (Maybe raise the TV and put another shelf underneath it)


Problem was that I couldn't raise the TV or the angle would be bad watching it from the couch. I was amazed after I got it home how bad it is to watch it from an angle. If I put in the stand it would be Perfect watching it from a standing up position. All I would need to do is put in the stand that the TV came with and it's like adding two extra shelves to the TV. That would give me room for more toys. Another reason why my wife is against it.

Some day i need to start a thread about how we are constantly arguing the form vs. function. She would rather stay with the OEM stereo in her Toyota than a high end aftermarket DVD/CD/MP3 head unit because the cassette player that came with the car 'looks good' When she said that I did my best impersonation of Charlie Brown.. AAARRRRRGGGGGGGG

Another unforeseen problem with the project was that I didn't realize that I would need 9ft long optical cables from the stuff on the bottom to the stereo on the top. They are not cheep... Especially when you need four of them.


----------



## BobMurdoch (Apr 24, 2002)

Ah the battle of the sexes continues.......

We care about specs and function, they care about how it looks. (Sorry, to make a sweeping generalization like that, but this is about the 1000th time I've heard a similar story)

My wife hated the idea of me upgrading to a bigger TV UNTIL I proved to her that it would hide ALL of the speaker wires and interconnects that she could see running from my corner IKEA shelf unit and the TV. (With the Tower speakers touching the end of the TV and shielding your view of the back wall, no wires are visible.)


----------



## Scott Greczkowski (Mar 21, 2002)

Full PDF Spec Sheet including pictures of the unit and remote is now available for download

Click here to download


----------



## kstevens (Mar 26, 2003)

Scott Greczkowski said:


> Full PDF Spec Sheet including pictures of the unit and remote is now available for download
> 
> Click here to download


I thought that someone said there was an empty bay in the 921 where a second drive could be installed. The specs makes no mention of this. Was this feature removed?

Ken


----------



## Mark Lamutt (Mar 24, 2002)

Thanks for posting that Scott. I was hoping you would.


----------



## Ken_F (Jan 13, 2003)

Dish is currently saying they have no intention to support a second hard drive on the 921. I sincerely hope they change their mind, and add support for a second drive at some point next year.

The HDTV Tivo will almost certainly have at least one drive bay and will probably support drive expansion (like current DirecTivo models). Echostar will be at a competitive advantage if they do not do the same. The 921 is not some $99-$199 product that most people can afford to replace to gain increased capacity; customers expect the 921 to last for several years (at least), so they will want to know it is upgradable.


----------

