# 721 - Great things about it!



## finniganps (Jan 23, 2004)

I thought I'd start a thread about all the great things about the 721. There's been a lot of negativity on E*, but I'd like this to be a thread just listing things you like about your 721. Please feel free to add to the list and/or provide hints on improving other users experience with their 721. Some of the things I really like about my 721 which I bought in April 2004 are as follows:

1)Dual tuner - ability to record two programs while wtching another previously recorded item.
2) EPG with program still playing in the upper corner. It also has the information displayed at the top so you don't have to hit the info button (in most cases it all displays)
3)No VOD $5 fee (yet)
4)Automatic setup to record 1 minute before a program and 3 minutes after (can be modified).
5) Picture in a picture - fun for sports or watching multiple shows at the same time - can tick off your wife though.  
4)Buffer on the tuner - I havent' figured out how to buffer both tuners though, any help folks?

Jump on and add your favorites.


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## garypen (Feb 1, 2004)

1- Agreed!
2- That info blurb is real nice.
3- Very agreed!
4- I LOVE this too. Some people have posted that they hate it, though.
5- I rarely use the PIP myself.
6- Pushing the red button will buffer the other tuner without a PIP being open. A little tivo-like icon will appear on the screen.

More:
7- I think it's one of their better looking models in general. I like the silver color. I like the black rectangle. I don't like the curvy bumps. It would be absolutely striking, if it was flat accross the front. (Like the Sony HD-300)
8- The interface is very nice overall. Nice colors. Transparent menus. Smaller fonts than their 4-digit, 3xx, 50x, and 811 models.
9- Very fast guide. Easy to navigate.


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## blakjak (May 12, 2004)

*Super fast searching. Takes only a couple of seconds.

*Jumping forward 24 hours at a time in the guide using the skip forward button


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## retiredTech (Oct 27, 2003)

Love my 721!
ALL the fore mentioned and...

9 day instant guide
instant weather


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## TNGTony (Mar 23, 2002)

If you never want to hit the "Info" button, go to options and set up a "transparent guide" This is something I kind of like. The advantage: larger picture for the program you are viewing and the information on the programs selected on the guide displays 100%, Disadvantage: the picture of the program still on is overlayed with the guide grid. Personally, I like it at the highest transparency setting.

See ya
Tony


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## Joe Capitano (Aug 13, 2002)

Add this to the list:

...Having input jacks in front so one can plug in a spare OTA tuner and have their favorite Olympics coverage (The CBC) available with the push of two buttons - "0" and "Select". Minor disadvantage: you can't record it to the PVR.

(Substitute your favorite non-E* channel and reasoning as applicable)

As to the buffer statement: my experience is that you can buffer both tuners while in PIP mode, but once you go back to normal viewing that second buffer disappears and only the main channel buffer remains.


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## TNGTony (Mar 23, 2002)

If you press the red I button, it will open the PIP and start a buffer on the PIP. Press it again and the PIP gets bigger. Press it one more time and the PIP goes away but there is a PIP icon (the "tivo guy" looking thing mentioned earlier). You are still buffering both the program on screen and whatever channel was in the PIP. Press the red I button again, the swap and you can rewind the channel that was in PIP to the point you first pressed the I button. VERY cool feature.

See ya
Tony


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

I love my 721s . With the exception of the " channel 77 unknown recording bug on all my recordings " and the unenabled Dish Home applications. The Dish home applications are supposed to be enabled in a software update scheduled for October 1/04. I talked to a software engineer who does nothing but Dish home interactive and he told me this. The" unknown channel 77 recording" needs to be addressed if they hope to do name based recording features. 

I only wish my 921 would work as well as my 721 does now. Although I do remember going through the same growing pains with the 721 . It took about 18 months to get a working stable receiver. Currently on month 8 ,so I guess that a year from now the 921 will work right and be discontinued like the 721 as well.:shrug:


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## Big Bob (May 13, 2002)

garypen said:


> 7- I think it's one of their better looking models in general. I like the silver color. I like the black rectangle. I don't like the curvy bumps. It would be absolutely striking, if it was flat accross the front. (Like the Sony HD-300)
> 
> Funny how opinions change. Silver used to suck. Now it is preferred
> 
> http://www.dbstalk.com/showthread.php?t=7104


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## garypen (Feb 1, 2004)

Silver _never _sucked. It was always more attractive than black components. Of course, there were, and always will be, people who prefer black for some evil, perverted, completely stupid and moronic reason. As a man of intelligence and good taste, I have always preferred silver components, as I'm sure you and all of the other sophisticated ladies and gentlemen of this forum do, as well.

OTOH, if the gear needs to remain hidden, perhaps in a black rack or behind smoked or black glass, then I will allow special dispensation for those individuals with such special needs. They are forgiven.


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## Jacob S (Apr 14, 2002)

What I like about the 721 . . .

Two Tuners
No DVR Fee
PIP
Fast EPG Browsing
Nice Menu Layout
Nice Look & Feel to EPG
9 Day EPG
90 Hours Record Time
UHF Remote


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## Big Bob (May 13, 2002)

What I like about the 721,

The wife likes it. 
Think that kinda sums it up for me


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## Bob Haller (Mar 24, 2002)

Personally I prefer black boxes

Too bad the 721 is discontinued


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## garypen (Feb 1, 2004)

Bob Haller said:


> Personally I prefer black boxes


Well. You know what they say.


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## garypen (Feb 1, 2004)

I forgot to add:

It should hold a good resale value when the commitment is up.


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## Inaba (Jun 20, 2003)

> If you never want to hit the "Info" button, go to options and set up a "transparent guide" This is something I kind of like. The advantage: larger picture for the program you are viewing and the information on the programs selected on the guide displays 100%, Disadvantage: the picture of the program still on is overlayed with the guide grid. Personally, I like it at the highest transparency setting.


If you arrow over to the left one extra bump, it will remove the lines and words from the guide over the video image, giving you an unobstructed view of the station. Arrowing back right will put the words, then another arrow right will move the select box into the video image area.

As far as silver goes... the silver color is great - but only if you are going for that Retro-70's "I can't afford new components so I use this junk I still have from the 70's" look.

In other words, if you can afford expensive components, they should be black. Silver looks like junk from Radio Shack, which is exactly why I despise the silver color in electronic components.


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## Big Bob (May 13, 2002)

Bob Haller said:


> Too bad the 721 is discontinued


You have been saying that for over a year now, yet it is still being advertised and sold.
Dish Network Receivers

I guess if you keep on saying it, _someday_ you will be right.

There is a big difference between discontinued and not in production.


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## finniganps (Jan 23, 2004)

Let's keep THIS thread positive and ON topic please - don't respond Bob H. Per information on this thread (thanks gary) I buffered the 2nd tuner and it seemed to work (little TV appeared). 

Are there any other things that haven't been mentioned that people like? Can someone tell me a fast way to search by name if you know one?


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## garypen (Feb 1, 2004)

Do you mean search for a program on the 721? Go to the "search" page. I think it may be under otpion 2 in the menu, TV Listings or something like that?

Anyway, once you're on the search page, use a USB keyboard to type in the keyword, and hit enter. Unfortunately, they don't offer the option of choosing title AND description. That way, you won't have to do it twice.

Once you get a list of programs, just select one, and the PVR event dialog box will open for easy recording.


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## Big Bob (May 13, 2002)

finniganps said:


> Can someone tell me a fast way to search by name if you know one?


If you want to search for a show that you are already watching, pressing # while watching the show will enter the current title into the seach box for you.


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## Bob Haller (Mar 24, 2002)

Big Bob said:


> If you want to search for a show that you are already watching, pressing # while watching the show will enter the current title into the seach box for you.


Thanks I didnt know that


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## SRW1000 (Feb 22, 2004)

I love that it records the Dolby Digital stream.

(Now if they could just program the hard drive not spin almost constantly, I would be the happiest I've ever been with any Dish Network product.)

Scott


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## Guest (Aug 28, 2004)

The BEST thing about my 721 is that it WASN'T $999.00


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## Bob Haller (Mar 24, 2002)

SRW1000 said:


> I love that it records the Dolby Digital stream.
> 
> (Now if they could just program the hard drive not spin almost constantly, I would be the happiest I've ever been with any Dish Network product.)
> 
> Scott


Just move it to another room, since it has a UHF remote


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## kvhollis (Jun 18, 2004)

Bob Haller said:


> Personally I prefer black boxes
> 
> Too bad the 721 is discontinued


Agreed! I love BOTH of my 721's...


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## kvhollis (Jun 18, 2004)

Bob Haller said:


> Just move it to another room, since it has a UHF remote


I love to have fun with that with my kids. Kids are watching their cartoons and dad will goto another room with the remote and change the channel. I hear this big loud "DAD!".

The remote is another + with the 721.


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## moviegoerman (Aug 18, 2004)

I agree, my 721 has worked great! I got it when it first came out. It was built by JVC, not Dish. I can't say the same for the 921.

Unfortunately, I haven't used the 721 in the last month. I've been too busy watching mostly HD content on my 10-250.


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## FLY5 (Jun 11, 2004)

Just some of the the things I love about the 721 in no particular order (sorry for any redundancy):

- the one button skip ahead and skip back 
- the high speed fast forward and reverse
- the crystal clear freeze frame and forward frame
- pause
- record the rest of this program 
- start watching a program while it's still recording and it continues recording while you watch it
- the very fast and well designed programming guide 
- 24-hour skip ahead and back on the programming guide
- the really large number of timers
- the one touch timer recording, editing and erasing
- the PVR display of recorded shows and shows to be recorded
- the search function
- the search "history" function
- the large amount of disk space
- being able to record two shows and watch another

I haven't had my 721 very long, but I could never go back now to not having a DVR. And I'm really glad I went for the two tuners.

Frank


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## garypen (Feb 1, 2004)

moviegoerman said:


> I agree, my 721 has worked great! I got it when it first came out. It was built by JVC, not Dish. I can't say the same for the 921.


I don't think it was _built_ by JVC. It merely had the JVC logo. It was still designed and built by Dish (or their manufacturing vendor), the same as any Dish logoed 721.


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## moviegoerman (Aug 18, 2004)

Your correct Gary after getting Mark's correction. Sorry for the confusion.


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## casta (Feb 3, 2003)

TNGTony said:


> If you never want to hit the "Info" button, go to options and set up a "transparent guide" This is something I kind of like. The advantage: larger picture for the program you are viewing and the information on the programs selected on the guide displays 100%, Disadvantage: the picture of the program still on is overlayed with the guide grid. Personally, I like it at the highest transparency setting.
> 
> See ya
> Tony


When viewing the guide, press the "Swap" button and the guide switches display types

I agree with everything written about this receiver. Great product and continually getting better. I actually look forward to the updates ... pretty scary.


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## garypen (Feb 1, 2004)

Great tip! (As was someone's earlier # search tip.) I wish Dish would document these things. (The red button comes to mind as well.) That is why they need a list of fixes and upgrades on the software updates page.


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## TNGTony (Mar 23, 2002)

casta said:


> When viewing the guide, press the "Swap" button and the guide switches display types


I'll file this under "You learn something new every day". Great post! Thanks.

See ya
Tony


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## Nordug (Aug 6, 2002)

I rarely watch live TV since getting my 721.


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## Jacob S (Apr 14, 2002)

Same here. Since I started using the DVR's I rarely watch live tv anymore. I now have to keep up with watching the recordings to prevent the hard drive from getting filled up. If I end up watching most of the content on the hard drive then I start recording movies in addition to the shows. I dont like to record and watch all movies unless I dont find anything else on because I would end up watching all the movies and having nothing to watch.


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## SimpleSimon (Jan 15, 2004)

What Jacob S said!


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## garypen (Feb 1, 2004)

What Simon said!


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